Review #1 featured a product from the Brazilian state of Bahia’s largest cigar manufacturer. Today’s review is about a product from its oldest, which at one time was also its largest.
In 1872 upon learning of the state’s ideal growing climate , German tobacco impresario Gerhard Dannemann made the ocean voyage from his native Bremen to Bahia. Within a year he established a tobacco manufacturing facility in the town of Sao Felix, in addition to proprietary farms throughout the fertile region of the Reconcava to facilitate raising his money crop. His efforts helped to satisfy the need produced by a growing cigar rage in late nineteenth century Europe. In turn, his fortunes and business flourished in Brazil, where he married and raised a family, as well as adding to the local economy by employing hundreds of native Bahians. His concern for quality and his devotion to his new homeland is revealed in the fact that he was elected mayor of Sao Felix and given the local lexicon name of Geraldo by his Brazilian friends. Today the Dannemann Company maintains a small hand rolling operation in Bahia, however the bulk of the cigar company assets bearing his family name are located in Germany, where the line is widely popular.
Two lines of Dannemann exclusive puros are produced in Brazil, Artist Line and this review subject, Especial. This robusto is packaged in an individual cedar sheath, which is held in place by the product band. A well crafted cigar with lightly veined maduro wrapper and triple cap, after a guillotine snip, the pre-light draw was very festive and put me in mind of opening a tin of fruit cake. This proved to be a very accurate indicator of the entire smoking experience of the Especial, as throughout the hour I was constantly thinking to myself, “Dannemann is a tannenbaum.”
After an easy light up and a few initial draws, the smoke off the foot was woody and not unlike the fragrance from new, unused cardboard. The cut gave me cedar tones, very mild and pleasant. The length of the body started with pine fragrance by the shoulder and evolving as closing a foot of burnished maple. All the evolutionary fragrances were subtle but undeniable and I was excited to think this cigar smorgasbord was just getting started! A few more puffs into this beauty, the taste in my mouth was equally subtle and I thought of tapioca. The smoke is very gentle on the sinuses, going up/in when passing the foot under the nose or when exhaling through the nose after taking a big puff. Neither of these activities made me think, pungent or stinging while doing so, from the beginning to the end of this Christmas gift to the senses.
The cigar rests somewhat well. The foot stops emitting smoke almost immediately after a full draw and then after my first 45 second hibernation, a primer/full puff maneuver delivered plenty of smoke to the mouth. But watching the foot – after that draw - it seemed to produce smoke from deep inside the ash. This made me wonder if I needed to immediately hit it again in order to get the correct taste and the full burning activity for this cigar. It is probably not a good cigar for writing extensive notes between puffs, nor letting it rest for more than 20-25 seconds. This means not a good gar for playing golf or poker, both of which would require extensive time away from attention to the cigar. Though the gar starts right back up after rests in excess of half a minute, the delays seemed to cause a flaky burn that, true to its “theme” looked like snowflakes or pine tree branches! (See photo) The continual long rests I gave it while making notes, eventually caused a gutted, uneven burn. (see photo) But if a smoker can pay a fine cigar total attention, as under normal smoking conditions, this tannenbaum will sing beautiful carols to you.
A firm, evenly wrapped product of precision German engineering, the smoke is festive and fun! Evolving into full-bodied plumes of cedary goodness from the foot, along the body leathergreen and cedar, the cut gives off Figgie pudding aromas; all of which put me in mind of boyhood Christmases. The prolific amounts of smoke each puff gives a filled belly feeling when taken into the mouth. Warm and wonderful, this would be a great smoke for in front of a Yule log with a cup of fresh eggnog or warm cider with cinnamon. The cedar tones are unique and refreshing. Though it requires constant turning for an even smoke, it is worth any effort one must supply – it responds smooth and sweet. An avalanche test of 5 quick, in succession, full draws can’t heat up this smoke. Just makes it sing “Jingle Bells” all the louder.
As I got down around the two and a half inch mark and fired off the unburned wrapper seen in the photo, the cigar seemed to burn more sincerely, even at rest. I cannot get over the alpine freshness. As I do during tests, at this point I begin to abstract the filler alone. Smoking just the core, it was not surprising to smell candy cane sweetness with undertones of spearmint. When after taking in a half inch of core, I burned just the binder/wrapper, I got dried pine needles laying on top of black soil. When the inner/outer areas converged once again for the full cigar experience, at an inch and a half, the party continued with hints of spice candles and dogwood branches when taking a draw and swirling the stub around in front of my face.
As I got down to the last inch of this gem, the fragrances put me in mind of treasures in a musky attic – the woody aroma when opening Grandma’s old cedar chest, the yarn mane of an old hand-rubbed rocking horse. This cigar is a finger burner for certain. Not one to discard, but to explore for as long as possible. Not a cigar to smoke while wrapping gifts, this is one, however, that is perfect for a reflective time at the end of a holly-day. This is a gift to give yourself, as reward for all your efforts, while the kids sleep happy and exhausted.
In 1872 upon learning of the state’s ideal growing climate , German tobacco impresario Gerhard Dannemann made the ocean voyage from his native Bremen to Bahia. Within a year he established a tobacco manufacturing facility in the town of Sao Felix, in addition to proprietary farms throughout the fertile region of the Reconcava to facilitate raising his money crop. His efforts helped to satisfy the need produced by a growing cigar rage in late nineteenth century Europe. In turn, his fortunes and business flourished in Brazil, where he married and raised a family, as well as adding to the local economy by employing hundreds of native Bahians. His concern for quality and his devotion to his new homeland is revealed in the fact that he was elected mayor of Sao Felix and given the local lexicon name of Geraldo by his Brazilian friends. Today the Dannemann Company maintains a small hand rolling operation in Bahia, however the bulk of the cigar company assets bearing his family name are located in Germany, where the line is widely popular.
Two lines of Dannemann exclusive puros are produced in Brazil, Artist Line and this review subject, Especial. This robusto is packaged in an individual cedar sheath, which is held in place by the product band. A well crafted cigar with lightly veined maduro wrapper and triple cap, after a guillotine snip, the pre-light draw was very festive and put me in mind of opening a tin of fruit cake. This proved to be a very accurate indicator of the entire smoking experience of the Especial, as throughout the hour I was constantly thinking to myself, “Dannemann is a tannenbaum.”
After an easy light up and a few initial draws, the smoke off the foot was woody and not unlike the fragrance from new, unused cardboard. The cut gave me cedar tones, very mild and pleasant. The length of the body started with pine fragrance by the shoulder and evolving as closing a foot of burnished maple. All the evolutionary fragrances were subtle but undeniable and I was excited to think this cigar smorgasbord was just getting started! A few more puffs into this beauty, the taste in my mouth was equally subtle and I thought of tapioca. The smoke is very gentle on the sinuses, going up/in when passing the foot under the nose or when exhaling through the nose after taking a big puff. Neither of these activities made me think, pungent or stinging while doing so, from the beginning to the end of this Christmas gift to the senses.
The cigar rests somewhat well. The foot stops emitting smoke almost immediately after a full draw and then after my first 45 second hibernation, a primer/full puff maneuver delivered plenty of smoke to the mouth. But watching the foot – after that draw - it seemed to produce smoke from deep inside the ash. This made me wonder if I needed to immediately hit it again in order to get the correct taste and the full burning activity for this cigar. It is probably not a good cigar for writing extensive notes between puffs, nor letting it rest for more than 20-25 seconds. This means not a good gar for playing golf or poker, both of which would require extensive time away from attention to the cigar. Though the gar starts right back up after rests in excess of half a minute, the delays seemed to cause a flaky burn that, true to its “theme” looked like snowflakes or pine tree branches! (See photo) The continual long rests I gave it while making notes, eventually caused a gutted, uneven burn. (see photo) But if a smoker can pay a fine cigar total attention, as under normal smoking conditions, this tannenbaum will sing beautiful carols to you.
A firm, evenly wrapped product of precision German engineering, the smoke is festive and fun! Evolving into full-bodied plumes of cedary goodness from the foot, along the body leathergreen and cedar, the cut gives off Figgie pudding aromas; all of which put me in mind of boyhood Christmases. The prolific amounts of smoke each puff gives a filled belly feeling when taken into the mouth. Warm and wonderful, this would be a great smoke for in front of a Yule log with a cup of fresh eggnog or warm cider with cinnamon. The cedar tones are unique and refreshing. Though it requires constant turning for an even smoke, it is worth any effort one must supply – it responds smooth and sweet. An avalanche test of 5 quick, in succession, full draws can’t heat up this smoke. Just makes it sing “Jingle Bells” all the louder.
As I got down around the two and a half inch mark and fired off the unburned wrapper seen in the photo, the cigar seemed to burn more sincerely, even at rest. I cannot get over the alpine freshness. As I do during tests, at this point I begin to abstract the filler alone. Smoking just the core, it was not surprising to smell candy cane sweetness with undertones of spearmint. When after taking in a half inch of core, I burned just the binder/wrapper, I got dried pine needles laying on top of black soil. When the inner/outer areas converged once again for the full cigar experience, at an inch and a half, the party continued with hints of spice candles and dogwood branches when taking a draw and swirling the stub around in front of my face.
As I got down to the last inch of this gem, the fragrances put me in mind of treasures in a musky attic – the woody aroma when opening Grandma’s old cedar chest, the yarn mane of an old hand-rubbed rocking horse. This cigar is a finger burner for certain. Not one to discard, but to explore for as long as possible. Not a cigar to smoke while wrapping gifts, this is one, however, that is perfect for a reflective time at the end of a holly-day. This is a gift to give yourself, as reward for all your efforts, while the kids sleep happy and exhausted.
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