Before the Cactus Wren "Short Run" from Blackbird Cigar Co. became our specially selected Klaro Cigar of the Month for February 2025, it was an idea. A collaborative concoction formed between Blackbird's founder, Jonas Santana, and Tim Swanson over at Cigars Daily.

After appearing on Tim's YouTube show, Santana decided that there needed to be a "short run" blend whipped up for the enthusiastic cigar explorer. And so the two went to work, collaborating with Blackbird's master blender on a cigar that would meet the bold, rich personal preferences of the ever-evolving palate of Mr. Swanson. 

What emerged was a cigar that came clad in a toothy, medium-dark Mexican San Andrés wrapper, with a Cuban-seed Dominican binder, and a blend of Corojo, Criollo '98, and Olor fillers inside. It was later named after the state bird of Arizona, which is where Cigars Daily is based, and naturally, was made first available at that specific location.

So when Jonas Santana contacted us and asked if we wanted to score some select boxes of Cactus Wren for our Klaro members a little while back, our response was, "Hell yeah, homeskillet!"

After a quick sample of this bold blend, we knew that we had something that was destined for recommendation. Rich, earthy, spicy, and sweet, I found myself savoring every moment of the sample stick as I prepared for my big COTM review. 

An Unexpected Issue

However, as fate would have it, my review cigar developed an unsightly split on one side, and upon light started to show signs of cracking further. This untimely physical flaw was likely caused by either an incident incurred during packaging or transit, or perhaps when I was rotating cigars in the humidor. Whatever the cause, I immediately shifted gears and decided to offer an overall assessment of the blend, instead of an in-depth review. 

Fortunately, the robusto continued to burn impressively well for the most part, and outside of developing a gnarly furled burn line around the split, I did not run into too many issues. That said, I will reserve my full review of the Blackbird Cactus Wren for a later date when I have a cigar in hand that has not been compromised in some form or fashion.

So in the interim, take the following tasting notes with a grain of salt, along with a shot of tequila and a slice of lime. Then, please let us know what your thoughts are on this special little smoke in the comments below or via our Klaro Cigars Facebook Group. While this may not be the most exclusive cigar we have ever scored, there are plenty of people out there who have never seen a Cactus Wren in the wild, more or less caught one.

Tasting Notes

This multi-national blend starts off on a dry bed of silty soil, which is reminiscent of the land in which it represents. Sweet and toffee-like at times, the flavor profile of the cigar gradually evolves into a rich dark spice-forward smoking experience punctuated by coffee and cream. Not all the way maduro and full, but quite a few notches heavier than medium, this vibrantly banded robusto starts off powerful and very promising, and only gets better as it goes.

Overall Assessment

I genuinely enjoyed this cigar, even if it did have some overtly spicy sections in the first third that distracted me from the sweeter maduro moments. But last I checked, the state of Arizona was still home to some pretty fiery food, so perhaps that's what this blend's masterminds were going for in that regard. 

Regardless of the reason, this is one bold blend that favors a more silty soil cigar flavor profile than a sticky dank terroir taste and texture. Again, how appropriate for representing a state bird that lives in an environment with terrain that's mainly constructed from this sort of stuff, eh? I also found the touch of agave to be oh-so appropriate, along with the milky horchata moments and mellow Mexican cocoa notes. 

Altogether, this makes for a flavorful little "short run" robusto that is sure to leave you satisfied, or perhaps, craving more.