East India Trading Co. Cellar Reserve
(2.73)
Cellar Reserve is a richly aromatic blend of sweet Virginia, nutty burley and soft black cavendish with notes of rum, vanilla and caramel. A splash of Louisiana perique is added for body, a deep fruitiness and just a hint of spice.
Notes: Introduced by K. Hansotia & Co. (which makes Gurkha cigars) in 2015.
Details
| Brand | East India Trading Co. |
| Blended By | Russ Ouellette |
| Manufactured By | K. Hansotia & Co. |
| Blend Type | Aromatic |
| Contents | Black Cavendish, Burley, Perique, Virginia |
| Flavoring | Caramel, Rum, Vanilla |
| Cut | Ribbon |
| Packaging | 50 grams tin |
| Country | United States |
| Production | Currently available |
Profile
Strength
Mild to Medium
Extremely Mild -> Overwhelming
Flavoring
Medium to Strong
None Detected -> Extra Strong
Room Note
Very Pleasant
Unnoticeable -> Overwhelming
Taste
Mild
Extremely Mild (Flat) -> Overwhelming
Average Rating
|
2.73 / 4
|
Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 Reviews
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 02, 2018 | Medium | Strong | Very Full | Tolerable |
I was pleased with EITS'c Royal Challenge, so I thought I would give another of their blends a go. Like the previous blend, this aromatic had plenty of toppings, so much so, that the paper insert was soaked and stained all the was through! The stuff was so caked on, my fingers were sticky afterwards. I can't really say what the flavor was supposed to be other than "dark".
The mix came off as "dark", but in a bad overworked piece of art kinda way (rather than leave an imperfection, the artist erases/edits it, to the point of making the problem worse). Lightning this wet pud was no easy task, so get ready to waste some lighter fluid.
Once on fire some burned caramel (or molasses?) sweetness comes through with a possible dark rum element. The flavor was just too dense to enjoy and making through the bowl was a slog.
I don't mind an aromatic with a huge punch, but in this case, less would be more, perhaps allowing the blend to breathe.
The mix came off as "dark", but in a bad overworked piece of art kinda way (rather than leave an imperfection, the artist erases/edits it, to the point of making the problem worse). Lightning this wet pud was no easy task, so get ready to waste some lighter fluid.
Once on fire some burned caramel (or molasses?) sweetness comes through with a possible dark rum element. The flavor was just too dense to enjoy and making through the bowl was a slog.
I don't mind an aromatic with a huge punch, but in this case, less would be more, perhaps allowing the blend to breathe.
PurchasedFrom:
pipesandcigars.com
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2023 | Very Mild | Medium to Strong | Mild | Very Pleasant |
The tin note is very nice and includes the three main components that others listed: Vanilla, caramel, and rum. Although, smoking this, one person asked me if this is a cherry tobacco and my wife commented that it smells like souffle. I'll go with my wife on this one. Both said that it smells amazing.
Smoking notes: The taste immediately reminds me of Sutliff's Molto Dolce and Creme Brulé. It also reminds me of some of the Brigadier blends, also blended by Russ Ouellette. The main notes that come out are identical to how it smells - first, vanilla then, the caramel, and finally a slightly alcoholic note from the rum. While I'm not usually into alcohol in my tobacco, this one adds a bit of a cocktail or liquor character to the blend. I can't notice any Perique. The overall profile is sweet, no spice noticed at all. I'm not getting much of a nutty notes either out of the Burley. Maybe just a hint of coffee, but that's mostly due to the toppings which dominate the character of the blend.
This blend is as wet as Molto Dolce. The paper was soaked in the flavorings. Other have noted how wet it is. Well, let it dry for a bit. I let it dry for two hours and then left it in the tin until I finished smoking it, about two weeks. It doesn't lose the flavor and it makes it much easier to smoke, with only a few relights.
Flavor remains unchanged throughout the bowl, smokes in a moderate pace, can be an all-day smoke. No tongue bite whatsoever.
Mild in body and strength.
To summarize, this is a very nice blend. For those who like Molto Dolce / Creme Brulé - this is pretty similar and I don't think that the rum makes a whole lot of difference and I can't notice the Perique. I would have given it 2.5 stars, but with that option non-existent, I have to round it down to 2. It's somewhat recommended, but Molto Dolce is the same with a little more volume and taste.
Smoking notes: The taste immediately reminds me of Sutliff's Molto Dolce and Creme Brulé. It also reminds me of some of the Brigadier blends, also blended by Russ Ouellette. The main notes that come out are identical to how it smells - first, vanilla then, the caramel, and finally a slightly alcoholic note from the rum. While I'm not usually into alcohol in my tobacco, this one adds a bit of a cocktail or liquor character to the blend. I can't notice any Perique. The overall profile is sweet, no spice noticed at all. I'm not getting much of a nutty notes either out of the Burley. Maybe just a hint of coffee, but that's mostly due to the toppings which dominate the character of the blend.
This blend is as wet as Molto Dolce. The paper was soaked in the flavorings. Other have noted how wet it is. Well, let it dry for a bit. I let it dry for two hours and then left it in the tin until I finished smoking it, about two weeks. It doesn't lose the flavor and it makes it much easier to smoke, with only a few relights.
Flavor remains unchanged throughout the bowl, smokes in a moderate pace, can be an all-day smoke. No tongue bite whatsoever.
Mild in body and strength.
To summarize, this is a very nice blend. For those who like Molto Dolce / Creme Brulé - this is pretty similar and I don't think that the rum makes a whole lot of difference and I can't notice the Perique. I would have given it 2.5 stars, but with that option non-existent, I have to round it down to 2. It's somewhat recommended, but Molto Dolce is the same with a little more volume and taste.
| Reviewed By | Date | Rating | Strength | Flavoring | Taste | Room Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2023 | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Mild to Medium | Pleasant to Tolerable |
Of the three in series this was the least overtly decadent of the group. Still a full-blown aromatic and sweet, but with some subtle nuances and kick from the Perique, not so much in peppery spice but in musty stewed fruits. For me the combination of flavorings are not as enjoyable as the other two offerings, and I do get the odd bit of pan-scorched brown sugar which borders on an acridness. As with the other two, this is heavily flavored, both in pH tempering in in top dressing, with added PG to boot. So even when dried for extended periods it still does not behave like a naturally dry tobacco. Neither do the other two, but I think they offer enough positives to sort of ignore the issue. I debated between two stars and three stars here, but since I ended up giving the rest of this away, and kept the other two for myself, that probably indicates that this should get the lower rating. But that’s just my own subjective reaction.
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