Blind Review: Hammer + Sickle Tradición Serie
Eric Hanson, who released his first Hammer + Sickle brand in 2010, has adopted the symbol of Russia as the cigars logo. HanSon points out that the hammer and sickle does not represent the Soviet Union (which incorporated a star), but symbolizes Russia’s industrial north and agrarian south. For him, its a heritage symbol and not political. – Cigar Aficionado
Blend Specifics
● Cigar Reviewed: Hammer + Sickle Tradicion Serie
● Wrapper: Ecuador
● Binder: Dominican Republic
● Filler: Dominican Republic
Appearance & Construction
The Hammer + Sickle Tradicion Serie has a beautiful caramel brown distressed wrapper like the outside of soft brown leather. The wrapper is soft and velvety to the touch. The cigar isn’t rolled particularly dense and feels spongy when squeezed. If you run the cigar under your nose, it gives off an incredible aroma; it has an intoxicating scene of a fresh-baked sweet pastry. The foot smells of black pepper or a Mexican spice.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The Hammer + Sickle has a beautiful caramel brown distressed wrapper like the outside of soft brown leather. The wrapper is soft and velvety to the touch. The JH1 isn’t rolled particularly dense, and the cigar feels spongy when squeezed. Running the cigar under your nose gives off an incredible aroma; it has an intoxicating scene of a fresh-baked sweet pastry. The foot smells of black pepper or a Mexican spice. I used generic guillotine cutters to remove the Hammer + Sickle Tradicion Serie. I taste a mixture of Middle Eastern fruit and subtle spice on the dry draw. I’m a soft flame kind of guy, so I remove two matches from my case and slowly toast the foot of the cigar, watching the smoke dance as the leaves begin to burn. I’m catching the tasting notes of leather light and slight sweetness on my first draw.
There is something special about the Hammer + Sickle Tradicion Serie’s smoke. It is soft on your jaw. There is nothing harsh or intense about the cigar. The draw has a nice little resistance, and the ghostly white ash is held firm into the first third. I get leather tasting notes on the retrohale. The leather notes combined with a strong spice flavor as we transition out of the first third. It delivers excellent heat without the punchiness of black pepper. I enjoy how the flavors tend to settle on the roof of the mouth. At the halfway mark, the ash finally gives way to the force of gravity. As it’s falling, I’m tasting outstanding notes of almonds and nuts. The spice has faded into the background, and with every draw rises the creaminess.
A punch of leather spice notes the movement into the final third – the sweetness and creaminess are still prominent in the cigar. It has slight cinnamon notes that weave themselves between the leather. As the cigar ends, it picks up in the spice category. It’s still producing a nice amount of spoke on the exhale, which is always a bonus for me. On the final retrohale, I find the cigar returning to those initial sweet pastry notes (bread/almond/spice). The flavor and burn last all the way down to the nub. I’ve set the cigar down multiple times through the review, picked it back, taken a drawn, and it’s stayed light. Fantastic and intense peppery smoke at the end.
Conclusion
The Hammer + Sickle is a beautiful medium to full-bodied – mild in strength cigar. It’s my first time trying a Hammer + Sickle, and I wish I could purchase more cigars from this brand. However, Klin Group LLC has discontinued the cigar brand due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February of 2022. The flavors of gentle sweetness, spice, leather, and almond provide a complex tasting experience for the palate. It’s a cigar that burns well and has good construction. It honestly reminded me of a pastry from a bakery and would pair perfectly with a cup of black coffee. I recommend picking up a Hammer + Sickle Tradicion Serie if you can find any at your local brick-and-mortar store or online.