Mission Zero
In the mood for something boozy to go with that pour of single malt or cask strength liquid fortitude? Well, look no further than the all-new Barrel-Aged Cigar Bundle from Klaro.
This grab bag contains eight of our favorite cask-conditioned premium cigar blends, all of which have been tested, reviewed, and come Klaro-approved. As lovers of the leaf, we take immense pleasure in puffing tobacco that has undergone an additional round of fermentation inside a repurposed barrel of booze. There's just something about those sticky-sweet resins and oak tannin notes that get us every time. So much so that we ended up writing an entire deep dive on the subject titled Why Barrel-Aged Cigars Kick Ass.
Like many of you, we too like to smoke and sip around a bit. Which is precisely why this specialized bundle contains not only bourbon barrel-aged blends, but rum cask-conditioned, as well as sherry and wine barrel fermented options. We've even included a boutique cigar blend in this bundle that has been placed in its entirety inside a rum cask post-production for even more boozy allure.
So, if you are into this sort of cigar flavor profile, or are merely looking to expand your smoking horizons, be sure to scoop up one of these barrel-aged cigar bundles while you can. Each blend is also available in both 5-pack and box count form, so if you find that there is a blend or two that really rocks, feel free to stock up on that stick and share the joy with friends and family members.
Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne
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Although its name may be misleading, there is no denying the significance of this cigar blend from Perdomo. Long lauded for being the first mass-produced, hand-rolled bourbon barrel-aged premium cigar blend on the planet, the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne is an OG smoke that keeps on delivering the goods.
While the all-Nicaraguan, Cuban-seed filler and binder mixture primed straight from the Perdomo family farm adds potency and creamy texture to the smoke, it is that Connecticut shade wrapper out of Ecuador that is the real showstopper. Unlike most barrel-aged cigars, Perdomo places these expensive, outer leaves inside of former bourbon barrels for a full eight months. Furthermore, all of the tobacco used to make this mild-medium cigar has been aged for no fewer than six years, so bring on the silky shade smoothness and pour yourself a glass of bubbly, because this blend rocks.
Rocky Patel The Edge Barrel-Aged Black
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Unlike the normal, habano-wrapped version of The Edge, which is now rolled down in Nicaragua, this Barrel-Aged Black format is still produced in Honduras at the original Rocky Patel headquarters. Those in search of a boozy barrel experience have but to allow the smoke off this stick to swirl around inside their mouth, then gradually exhale, saving as much as they can for the retrohale. There, you will find that most of those oak-heavy, nutty notes and sticky sweetness you crave in a barrel-aged blend reside.
Rugged in a way, but also refined and rolling in rich smoke, there are a lot of subtleties to this stick that set it apart from the rest of The Edge line. Smoke that's chewy enough to be classified as having a whipped cream consistency, and earthy flavors that settle somewhere between bittersweet dark chocolate dipped acai berries and rainforest topsoil take up most of the tasting menu.
La Aurora Barrel Aged by Karl Malone
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The barrels used to make this blend a reality come from E. Leon Jimenes rum casks, which have been known to offer flavors of caramelized walnuts, vanilla, and warm baking spices. While the wrapper from Ecuador on the outside of this stogie did not see any of this sticky-sweet barrel-aged action, the binder and long-filler leaves inside do get six months of rum cask loving. Furthermore, each leaf, including the wrapper, experiences six years of aging and/or fermentation before being left to age for an additional three months.
This results in tasting notes that include sweet and spicy dark fruit, sticky BBQ sauce, oak tannins, and licks of leather, which develop in depth as the blend burns. The sticky, spicy, slightly salted center of this cigar is particularly intriguing, where cinnamon-accentuated baking spices, black pepper, damp earth, and chewy vanilla bean notes take hold. Puff to the very end, and you will discover that rum raisins, hearty wholegrains, heaps of turbinado sugar, and a ton of tannins make the final third extra memorable.
Esteban Carreras Unforsaken
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Previously known as "Unforgiven" by the cigar-smoking community, this Sumatran-wrapped smoke spends much of its life inside 18-year-old Flor de Caña rum casks prior to being rolled. Then, after being hand-rolled, Esteban Carreras takes the unusual additional step of placing the completed product back inside the barrel.
Apparently, the barrels utilized to make this premium cigar blend a reality require internal modification to prevent the tobacco from becoming too sweet or boozy. This likely involves shaving down the inner walls of the aging vessel and/or allowing the cask to "breathe" once the barrelhead has been removed. Either way, this dual-prong approach to augmenting the aromatics and flavor found within a cigar is unlike anything we've ever encountered.
The end result is a cigar bursting with brown sugars and sticky resins, and a nice build-up of bitterness to help stand up to all of those hardwood tannins and funky Nicaraguan fermented tobacco leaves. Custard pudding floating on a sea of caramel sauce rewards the senses with a finish that feels like it will linger forever, and a cigar flavor profile that sits right at medium-full. Expect a single pour of rum straight from the cask toward the end of the final third with this one, complete with all of the sweet goodness that comes with it.
Diesel Whiskey Row
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Big, bold, and loaded with boozy Rabbit Hole Distillery oak undertones, this original blend from AJ Fernandez has seen unbridled levels of success, primarily thanks to the sweet tannin tastes stemming from that San Andrés bourbon barrel-aged binder. Subtle and welcoming, the sticky mash sweetness caramelizes and blends with retrohales before dropping the clutch and shifting this V8-sized powerhouse into overdrive.
Cinnamon and sugar-caked graham cracker tastes can be found all over the cigar flavor profile wheel here, accented by a vanilla note that hearkens back to those bourbon barrels. There’s also a strong scent of cedar as the first half begins to transition into the second, with more oak tannins and sun-grown spice gunning for medium-full. Sweeter and stronger, the cigar finishes with hazelnuts and a spicy, bright, sweet, distinctly cedar and oak mixture. A brilliant burner almost every time, smoke production remains top-notch with this one, even when punched.
Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Sun-Grown
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Featuring a Cuban-seed sun-grown wrapper that has been aged for six years and then conditioned for an additional ten months in spent bourbon barrels, this cigar has been a Klaro crowd fave since day one. Candied dates, Fig Newton bars, vintage cedar that is both sappy and spicy, and oak staves all arrive in plentiful amounts, with sweeter molasses coatings resting directly underneath. Retrohales remain intense and spice-rich, with just the right amount of creaminess and caramelized sugar to keep each exhale enjoyable.
As you go, the tongue may detect a bit of dryness and stronger mulled wine spices, resulting in a balanced blend of sweet, spiced, oak-forward, and molasses-rich tobacco tastes and smells. There's a fair deal of fruitiness and funk to keep you intrigued, and the stick itself looks and smells sensational prior to light. No wonder this blend continues to be revered as a modern classic made for the masses.
Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask
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Whereas modern cigar manufacturing leans heavily upon the use of bourbon barrels, rum, casks, and the occasional spent wine vessel, no one seems to be tapping into things like sherry casks. So leave it to AJ Fernandez to make a follow-up cigar to the wildly popular Whiskey Row that taps this syrupy sweet dessert beverage. Like the first release, this blend places its binder in boozy barrels. But this time around, it's an Arapiraca Brazilian binder, and the vessel it spends time inside is one that has both housed Rabbit Hole bourbon and Pedro Ximénez 30-Year-Old Sherry.
One can expect tart berry overtones on retrohale, a heavy amount of oak beneath a balanced Broadleaf wrapper base, and peppery spices that are coated by a sticky molasses funk. This creates an incredibly smooth first third that, in itself, is like a slice of dessert. That funkiness remains tightly controlled by an all-habano filler mixture from AJ's Nicaraguan farms. Tons of delicious dessert cigar tastes and aromatics, with just the right amount of spicy edginess and funk to keep you coming back for another puff, make this a must-try barrel-aged blend for anyone who can handle a fuller, darker, stronger cigar.
Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2
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For the wine cask aging process, French oak barrels that once held the 2019 harvest of Flint Knoll's Royal Appointment Cabernet Sauvignon were used, which, according to the winery, was a very good year. The result is a blend that is spicier and richer than the first release, but also sweeter, creamier, and far more floral. Sweet-and-sour berry compote notes, which surely stem from the wine cask used, are absolutely amazing, and they tend to build in presence as the cigar burns. This is one of those refined after-dinner smokes that has only gotten better with age, and should be enjoyed with a lighter beverage or a glass of wine.
Related: Explore Klaro's cigar sampler packs for more curated packs, seasonal flights, gift sets, and cigar + humidor bundles.
