The Kinsman by Definition Cigars
The Kinsman is a limited release of 4000 cigars from Definition that qas blended in collaboration with a core group of Definition's customers, representing family and community, hence the Kinsman name. On the box the wrapper is listed as passion, the binder as loyalty, and the filler as gratitude. This is what makes the social aspect of cigars great. It brings people together where you can be a part of a greater collective!
BRAND / CO: Definition
CIGAR: Kinsman [Red Band]
VITOLA: Robusto - 5" x 50
STRENGTH: Medium - Full
WRAPPER: Mexican San Andrés, Natural
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Indonesia / Nicaragua
ORIGIN: Nicaragua, Fabrica de Tabacalera
APPEARANCE & CONSTRUCTION: Good
The Kinsman has a dark chocolate colored wrapper that has a light oily sheen but no discernible mottling. There's dense but small tooth on the wrapper giving it a soft texture even though it's a thick and firm wrapper. That thickness is evident in the seams which are tight, but visible with a strong edge. There's only a few thin veins present and no edge lift. The triple cap is even and tight. This Definition blend gets an intense red woven band that jumps against the wrapper.
DRAW & BURN: Good / Great
The draw is spot on and the burn starts evenly, but with a mild wave to it. The ash is nearly white with super dark striations in it. The ash holds well through the first third and the burn line settles in to about dead even for the rest of the burn.
FLAVOR PROFILE: Excellent
Lots of malty cocoa to start and not much else, just a hint of baking spice and light woodiness. This starts off very dry and powdery, slightly chalky, but smooth. It takes about an inch, then the party starts with strong pepper and citrusy sweetness coming in. That woodiness is getting more charred and it's joined by earth and nutty flavors.
With the second third, the pepper had settled into a nice light to medium, adding flavor and bite, but no extra harshness. This still a very smooth cigar that's picked up a super creamy finish, losing that initial dry quality. Still very heavy on the baking cocoa but the citrusy sweet has amped up, giving it a little extra zing. Medium earth, nuttiness, charred oakiness, light barnyard, and a hint of vanilla round out the profile.
The blend has definitely found it's groove and it's on fire at this point. The complexity is fantastic and it's striking a really nice balance between contrasting qualities. It's light and bright, but also dark and rich. It's a bit like chocolate mousse with a lemon cream or chocolate key lime pie, it's just delicious. The blend steamrolls with this robust set of flavors in perfect harmony through the final third. I get a quick blast of coffee at the very end, just enough to remind me that it was always there!
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: Great
This was a cigar where the first inch had me prepared for disappointment, but once the full profile revealed itself it was absolutely singing. Which brings me to the only real downside here that they chose to go with a Robusto vitola. This is a blend that deserves more smoking time, especially if the first inch needs to ramp up. But overall this is a highly enjoyable and well done cigar. It's definitely one to check out because it won't be around for long!
Purchase Singles or By the Box HERE
Review Written by Sean McCloskey of The Collective