When a well-known boutique brand collaborates with one of the largest cigar companies on the planet, big things can happen, and Warzone Short Churchill happens to exemplify this to a “T”. Making its debut in 2019, Warzone is the result of an unheard-of collaboration between Espinosa Cigars and General Cigar Company. Unlike so many large-scale collaborations over recent years, this deal involved both parties contributing to the blend, production, and tobacco procurement necessary for the final product. As for that blend, the filler leaves hail from Colombia and Nicaragua, while the binder is Honduran. The special part of this cigar, however, is the aged authentic Cameroon leaf graciously supplied to Erik Espinosa and his team by General Cigar. True Cameroon tobacco is quite difficult to come by these days due to what’s involved in growing and cultivating it. For this reason, only the biggest industry giants have regular access to it. In this case, things worked out great for the purpose of Warzone, which, by the way, is produced at Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Nicaragua. The final product turned out to be a huge success, earning a 94-rating and a spot on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list for 2020.
Keeping up with La Zona tradition, Warzone sports some great looking packaging, with bands containing artwork depicting the Ten Years’ War, one of several major conflicts leading to Cuba’s independence from Spain. Like any high-end Cameroon cigar, Warzone is toothy and rugged, similar to Cubans of old. The vitolas are well-constructed and provide an easy draw and sharp burn line. A heavy dose of cedar on the opening puff soon turns sweet, transitioning into a medley of caramel, creaminess, and floral notes. In the background, earthy tobacco flavors create a solid base, along with a touch of pepper on the finish. On the retrohale, floral notes are heavy, something quite common for Cameroon cigars. Overall, Warzone finishes just shy of full-bodied, but is quite strong for a cigar using such a conservative blend of tobaccos. The 6 ½” x 48 Short Churchill is long and sports a smaller ring gauge, bringing more of the blend’s focus to the Cameroon wrapper leaf.
Espinosa Cigars is known for putting out some of the best and most innovative boutique style cigars on the market. With Warzone, we have a gem of a cigar, built to the exacting demands of experienced connoisseurs in order to satisfy just the type. Warzone is by no means a beginners’ cigar, but would make an appropriate choice for someone looking to get into fuller-bodied sticks. Flavor-wise, expect this blend to be similar to such well-known Cameroon concoctions as Arturo Fuente or Oliva Serie G. Like the aforementioned blends, Warzone pairs beautifully with scotch or bourbon, but is versatile enough to compliment red wine or even Champagne. If you have come to enjoy certain Cameroon cigars over the years but have come up short in finding something new to satisfy your craving, or even if you simply want to taste the latest big release from Espinosa Cigars, Warzone Short Churchill is an easy choice. Keep in mind, however, they are limited, so get them while you can!
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