El Centurion H-2K-CT

Cigar Review by Jeff Oda

In 2015, My Father added to its El Centurion brand with a line called El Centurion H-2k-CT, but where one might think that the CT signifies a shade grown Connecticut wrapper, it actually is draped in a Cuban seed hybrid Habano 2000 tobacco sun-grown in Connecticut. It comes in two box pressed sizes, a 5 ½ x 48 Corona and a 6 x 52 Toro.

• Wrapper: Connecticut USA Sun-grown Habano 2000 (H-2K-CT)

• Binder: Nicaragua

• Filler: Nicaragua

• Size smoked for review: Toro 6 x 52

• Price: $8.60

Smoking time: One hour, forty-five minutes

The El Centurion H-2K-CT comes in a uniform medium brown wrapper. The matte leaf shows a few medium sized veins and a slight toothiness that gives it a leather-like appearance. The pack is very firm and leads to the signature My Father triple cap. The soft rectangular box-press is extremely comfortable in the hand. The ornate bands of gold, red, and brown on a manila background, as well as the dark gold foot band, coordinate very well with the color of the wrapper. It gives off a slight mossy barnyard scent, while the foot shows rich tobacco, wood, light spice and faint cocoa. A shallow snip of the cap results in an ideal draw with the right amount of resistance for me, and shows just a light sweet tobacco and faint cedar.

The smoking experience:

The El Centurion H-2K-CT Toro starts out with sweet cedar, lightly earthy tobacco, and spice. Very little of the trademark Pepin pepperiness is present on the palate, although it can be felt on the retrohale; just not a large amount of it. The sweet cedar turns to more of a smoky oak, but sweetness remains in the form of floral spice as the mix has acquired a nice roundness.

The middle third brings in some bread and light coffee notes, as the oak, sweet spices, tobacco, and floral flavors continue to pave the way. Halfway through this section, pepper rears up a bit, along with the citrusy tang. The burn has been nice and even, with occasional flaking of the otherwise solid ash.

In the final third of the cigar, the sweetness and floral notes have dropped back a bit as the other flavors have deepened and the pepper has become more prominent on the back end. The strength has also moved up to a solid medium, while the body has reached medium-full. The El Centurion smokes firm and cool to the touch down to the last inch.

Conclusion:

The El Centurion H-2K-CT is a terrific smoke that I will want to have around at all times. The combination of flavors, along with the excellent construction and smoking properties that one expects from My Father, make it a joy to smoke, while the price is right on the mark. I reviewed the Corona size over a year ago for Casas Fumando, and as much as I liked it then, I might like it even more now. You can get the El Centurion H-2K-CT from Cuenca Cigars right here.

What to drink with it? Although I had this one with plain water, I smoked this cigar before with an American strong ale that went very well with it. A Scotch ale would also work well, but a Belgian-style pale or tripel ale would bring out even more of the floral sweetness and spice that I enjoyed so much in the cigar. A light, sweet rum would also make for a great match.

Jeff Oda lives in Seattle, WA and is a frequent, if erratic, guest contributor to the Casas Fumando cigar review blog .