Smoked: Henry Clay War Hawk

Smoked at: West Chester, Ohio

Henry Clay War Hawk Corona is made of Honduran filler, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a a light tan, smooth Ecuador Connecticut wrapper with a minimal number of noticeable veins and seams. The cigar brand is named for an early 19th Century U.S. Speaker of the House. Now before you sluff this off as not much of an accolade, consider the fact that there are no John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Johnson or Kevin McCarthy cigars. Just keeping things in perspective – although I could make a case for Tip O’Neill being worthy of his own legacy brand.

Pepper hits hard on the opening salvo. Initial flavors do include some baking spice, cream, vanilla, and Graham cracker sweetness. Midway through the first third the pepper lets up just enough to allow some other flavors to develop. There is a faint background of tea, milk chocolate, honey and citrus – in combination with the cream and vanilla it’s like a custard taste. Cinnamon, forest floor vegetal and leather jump into the mix by the second third but the pepper is still preeminent. The retrohale is very peppery, but also includes earth, hay and mixed nuts. The War Hawk is a mild to medium-mild bodied and full-strength cigar in my opinion. Unusual combination.

The construction was excellent – spot on perfect draw, generous smoke output, dead even burn line and white ash that held until tapping it off.

It’s been almost a year since I first smoked a Henry Clay War Hawk. I enjoyed this cigar a little more than the first one I smoked. I have two issues with the War Hawk. Too much pepper – even after it toned down and too much strength, especially in a Connecticut. I liked the other flavors that were part of the profile, but there was no balance due to the dominance of the pepper. It sure didn't pair well with morning coffee.