Henry Clay is a classic Cuban brand originally dating from the 1840s. The current brand is hand-made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis. I chose the “Brevas ala Conserva” (5/5/8×46), a moderately small Gran Corona.
Henry Clay cigars feature a robust blend of Dominican ligero longfillers and binder, with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. This is not a particularly handsome cigar. There are some rough patches in the wrapper, and a notable color gradient in the roll from head to foot. But let’s talk about that wrapper. It’s a dusky brown color (textbook EMS), by no means pale, but surprisingly light for a Connecticut Broadleaf. But like a good Broadleaf, it’s thick and meaty, and cuts like top-grain leather. The roll is firm, with a juicy feel, and tapers slightly at the head, with a nice triple cap.
The flavors up front are semi-sweet tobacco, with an oaky, dark chocolate flavor, and a layer of mild spice. After the first inch, the spice mellows out, replaced with layers of rich earth and coffee bean. The draw is medium from a cap cut, producing moderate smoke of above-average strength, and a flaky white ash which is slightly flat, but well-formed, if not particularly large.
It’s an astonishingly slow burn for this smallish vitola, smoking to a cool 2-inch nub in nearly 80 minutes. It wandered slightly in the first half, but was well within tolerance, and straightened out nicely towards the finish. By mid-way, a tangy herbal depth emerged, with hints of anise, adding roundness and complexity to this rich blend.
The manufacturer describes this as a cigar for experienced smokers, and while I can’t argue that the robust combination of flavors and strength will no doubt appeal to the veteran cigar lovers in your herf, it’s also quite smooth and refined for its strength. With box prices in the neighborhood of $70-$80 (25), it’s certainly an affordable luxury. I easily rate it 9.1. The flavors are rich but never overpowering, with a well-balanced profile of tangy sweetness and earthy depth. This is an excellent vitola in this blend; a larger size may have been a bit much, though I’m curious to see how the 5×50 “Rothschild” would compare in depth and smoothness.
Until next time, this is the Cigar Sasquatch saying, “Love what you smoke, and smoke what you love.”
Henry Clay Brevas ala Conserva (5 5/8x46)
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