Cigar Review: Ezra Zion Eminence
I’ve waited a long time to finally sit down and review the Ezra Zion Eminence. I had smoked a few in the past and was very excited to come back for an official review. It really is a beautiful cigar to behold and comes with a lot of expectation from Ezra Zion. Featuring a Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper, this cigar is a medium-full bodied cigar which features a profile of leather, spice, chocolate and roasted coffee bean.
For this smoke I paired Old Forester bourbon whiskey and a glass of water. It was a beautiful night for a review in my small apartment smoke spot. Well, beautiful but for the cigar ash all over my table which you can see is everywhere.
Blend specifics
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
- Binder: Dual Nicaraguan binders
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Exquisito 52×6.25 Box Press
Appearance & Construction
Beautiful presentation with a silver, gray, and black double band. The word EMINENCE is featured prominently on the foot band. Contrasting with the silver and black is the dark brown of the Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper. After clipping the cigar, I take a dry pull and notice that the draw is perfect. I also pick up some notes of pepper, chocolate, and hay.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Upon lighting the Ezra Zion Eminence, I’m greeted with a hefty blast of spice, along with notes of cocoa, roasted coffee beans, and a kind of dry, earthy leather note. By about half an inch in, the pepper has backed off considerably, leaving rich notes of earth, cocoa, and coffee. The flavors stay pretty constant until the second half, when the chocolate notes draw back leaving a lot of dry earth, leather, and some subtle sweetness. Pretty enjoyable but I’m not finding the kind of complexity I’d like with a cigar featuring a San Andreas maduro wrapper.
As the cigar progresses into the final third, the leather notes pick up strength. Unfortunately, so does a bitter note that isn’t good for the overall profile. I have to put it down before I typically like to as the smoke gets too hot to continue.
Conclusion
I smoked two Ezra Zion Eminence cigars for this review. Although both featured thoroughly enjoyable flavor profiles, I had a hard time near the end on both cigars. This is a solid release from Ezra Zion, and I highly recommend trying this smoke if you enjoy a good San Andreas wrapped cigar. I’m not convinced, however, that this size in particular is the best go-to.
Final Grade: B
April 20, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
Nice review. I’m not a fan of the Mexican San Andreas on any smokes I’ve had. The soil there is rough along with the heat which makes an unbalanced smoke in my opinion.
April 20, 2014 @ 7:28 pm
@disqus_KzaQkV5FZe:disqus I hear you. It is tough to make a good cigar with a San Andreas maduro wrapper. Some have definitely done it, Padron being the obvious example with it’s anniversario series. But I agree, it generally tends toward a very dry smoke that can be difficult to deal with if you don’t have water or whiskey nearby.
April 27, 2014 @ 10:09 am
“Some have definitely done it, Padron being the obvious example with it’s anniversario series.” Just to clarify Padron anniversario’s are made with Mexican Andreas seed grown in Nicaragua NOT Mexico. I’ve spoke with Jorge Padron on many occasion on this issue. The soil content completely changes the flavor profile. Mexican grown San Andreas is a much more drying rustic cigar.
April 27, 2014 @ 10:19 am
Charlie, very fair point, I didn’t know that. It makes lot of sense to me! Thanks for the correction.