If you had told me last March that a $9.50 petit corona was going to the Consensus cigar of the year, I would have told you that you were full of it. Yet, when all was said and done, the 4.44 x 44 cigar from Ezra Zion took that honor. The company’s first limited edition shipped last April. It’s a joint effort between Casa Fernández Nicaragua and Miami-based operations with the tobacco with the final steps, including applying the wrapper and packaging taking place in the U.S. I smoked samples that were probably more preproduction than prerelease, as they had not been fully aged like the production samples, but I still liked the flavors. There are two problem Ezra Zion will face with Tantrum: price and how soft the cigars are. While both could change, the latter seems more likely. While there were issues with tunneling—the draw and smoke production were both excellent and far from concerning. That being said, if I walked into a shop and picked up a cigar this soft, I’d have some questions. None of Ezra Zion’s releases have been particularly in the value range, albeit, none are tougher pills to swallow than the $9.50 price ...
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