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Initial Smoke

That foot lock really does a great job at getting the party started, with torch time taking but a fraction of what is normally required. This allows you to get to those Ritz crackers, herb salt, and dry hay hits all the sooner, which are surprisingly light compared to the scents off the foot and cold pull impressions.

Retrohales are doughy, peppery, and not a touch funky, therefore allowing a medium length, refined finish to form early on. There's also the gradual development of some split cedar, dry hay, and faint perfume, which leaves the tongue with a lighter first round of flavors. 

1st Half

Within a few minutes of the first third, some of the port spices come out, and retrohales grow darker and a touch heavier. There's an increase in oiliness to the overall body of the blend, even though tastes remain focused on lighter top notes. These include cinnamon-coated graham crackers, roasted, unsweetened marshmallow, and chamomile herb tea, which lends itself to some intriguing floral aromatics.

But it doesn't take long for the taste of tea leaves and a creamier, rounder mouthfeel to form. This works wonderfully alongside the established chamomile flavor and hints of oak, and together these cigar flavor profiles provide a medium-bodied, medium-full flavor wheel that just keeps on spinning.

2nd Half

After some time, salted and roasted pistachio nuts appear, and out comes a stronger, traditional oak and peppercorn finishing touch. This creates a drying effect on the tongue, which keeps the cigar's body from growing too full. There is also the stray scent of permanent marker here and there, which is anything but enjoyable, and fortunately, short-lived in this case.

Final third flavors eventually turn this temporary lull in the body's buildup back into a gradual incline, with the creaminess of the smoke providing a top-tier texture on both the tongue and nostrils. Flavors of salted cashews overtake the pistachios, dry hay aromatics spike, and the finish becomes even more peppery, turning strength and flavor intensity up a touch too. However, retrohales remain so smooth that you don't even notice if you keep the smoke entirely upstairs, which makes the cigar even more enjoyable when paired with an aromatic cup of caffeine, for instance.

Parting Puffs

Saltier, spicier, and suddenly surrounded by vanilla bean, the finale to this Churchill is bolder and creamier yet. Mildly sweet and extremely aromatic, the whole blend guns for medium-full flavor while maintaining a medium amount of body and strength, as a final toss of the bouquet leaves you with some lingering floral overtones.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Despite having a great-looking build, the first third of both my sample smoke and review cigar was a sloping affair. Nothing that required a touch-up, but just enough to make me want to keep an eye on the burn line. However, both cigars eventually self-corrected and burned perfectly fine from the second third onward. 

Ash drops were an issue, though, as was burn speed and heat. Like many softly box-pressed cigars, this blend tends to combust more quickly when you move past the center of the barrel. This has more to do with the cigar being purposefully under-filled at the factory to achieve its boxy shape than anything else, so just be sure to time those puffs later on. 

As for smoke texture and draw, both of these were near-perfect, with the fluctuations in body in the last half being of particular interest. Smoke that is creamy, dry, and ultra-smooth all at once is indeed possible, and this blend proves that it has what it takes.

Final Thoughts

Anyone in need of a fresh breakfast cigar option is surely going to want to give the 1502 Nicaragua a try. Even though there are some peppery moments within the blend, it never goes too heavy on the spice and manages to stick to that mid-range power cycle we were promised. All of that creaminess and easy-going retrohale action really helps a lot, and in many ways, is the proverbial star of the show in certain sections.

While a touch more sweetness and a more consistent delivery of vanilla and graham cracker would have been ideal, the floral moments and all of that chamomile tea milkiness managed to turn my focus elsewhere. All of those saltier, nutty moments did a great job of adding extra depth to the overall experience, too, without becoming too tiring or repetitive. 

And while only the master blender and a handful of people in the factory know precisely which strains of tobacco are used to make this smoke, I am perfectly fine with taking it at face value. It's a completely enjoyable, somewhat stronger spin on a light premium cigar blend, and makes for one hell of a great start to the day.

Overall Balance & Repeatability