Royal Gold Cigars are new, unique and taking the cigar market by storm. The company has tried their hardest to make sure every cigar smoker can try their creations. Royal Gold Cigars is based in Florida and they have concocted a variety of cigars with tobaccos grown in the Jalapa Valley, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. They currently have three brands that have been released: Casino Gold HRS, released in July 2013, Gold Strike, released in July 2013, and Kismet, released in August 2013. Each show the dedication and experience the company has in the cigar industry.
Because Royal Gold Cigars were only released this past summer, the BnB team decided to do a bourbon and cigar tasting to inform our customers about these cigars. Owners, Brad Williamson and Brian Pyatt, and Chief Operations Officer, Sarah Hearton, each chose one of these new cigars. First…let’s start with the bourbon.
Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey — $42.99
For those of you that have not tried this bourbon, you are in for a treat. And for those of you that have tried Breckenridge, you know there are few as great as this one. The Breckenridge distillery is based in Colorado and they have won several awards for many of their spirits. The Bourbon Whiskey, in particular, is a smooth, slightly sweet drink and best served on the rocks, or at least….that’s how we enjoyed it. The mash bill is 56% Yellow Corn, 38% Green Rye, and 6% Unmalted Barley. The Bourbon is then aged for 2-3 years. It pairs fantastically with cigars, but then again, what bourbon doesn’t pair well with cigars?
The Kismet is a Dominican Puro that was produced by The Augusto Reyes Family in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The blend takes full advantage of the varied climates and rich soils of the DR. The blend comes in 5 sizes and the average cost per stick is $8.
Size: 6 x 50
Shape: Toro
Wrapper: Dominican Corojo 2006
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium – Full Bodied
The Kismet is an easy, even cut, without any unwrapping. The construction is perfect; the tobacco is rolled nicely, but not too tight. The wrapper is fairly veiny. Right away, you can tell the cigar is going to be a medium – full bodied smoke. However, it is a little hard to draw from at first. The cigar has a slight spice or peppery taste to it.
As you smoke the Kismet, the draw evens out and the flavors get more smooth and in sync. There is more of an earthy flavor and the cigar seems stronger than it was when first lit. The cigar burns very evenly throughout the first third of the cigar.
Towards the end of the cigar, the strength kicks in and the cigar goes from being a medium start to a full finish. The cigar is still burning evenly and the flavors are, somehow, even better. The entire smoke lasts for about an hour.
Overall, the Kismet is a medium-full bodied cigar with a variety of flavors. It paired very nicely with the bourbon and the construction was ideal. The toro is a great size for those that want a quick bit of relaxation. Although, for those that want a shorter or longer smoke, the other sizes include a Toro Gordo, Churchill, Belicoso and Corona.
The Casino Gold HRS is a Nicaraguan cigar that has been blended by Nestor Plasencia Sr. & Jr. in Honduras. The cigar is made of five distinct high-quality variations of tobacco. The blend comes in 5 sizes and the average cost per stick is $6.
Size: 5.75 x 52
Shape: Toro
Wrapper: Habano Rosado Jalapa
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Ometempe, Jamastran and Esteli
Strength: Medium
The Casino Gold HRS, like the Kismet, is an easy, even cut without any unwrapping. The construction is fantastic with a veiny wrapper and a label that makes you feel like James Bond. The draw is fairly easily and the cigar produces quite a bit of smoke. The cigar starts out being a mild-medium bodied smoke.
The first third of the cigar has an earthy flavor with hints of pepper. The cigar is burning evenly and starts to become more of a medium bodied smoke.
The last third of the cigar has more of a woody flavor and is still considered a medium bodied cigar. The burn is slightly uneven, but the flavor makes up for this slight imperfection. The entire smoke lasts for about an hour.
In conclusion, the Casino Gold HRS is a medium bodied cigar with flavors that start out as spicy and turn into a smooth, woody smoke as you get to the middle of it. It paired nicely with the bourbon. The toro, again, is a great size for a fairly experienced cigar smoker. The blend is also available in a Toro Gordo, Churchill, Belicoso and Corona.
The Gold Strike is affordable, yet has the quality to become an everyday cigar. This blend is made with some of the same quality tobacco as some of the most sought after or expensive cigars on the market. The cigars are made by hand in Esteli, Nicaragua using a multi-nation blend of filler tobaccos and a smooth, Indonesian Sumatra wrapper. The blend is currently available in 2 sizes and the average cost is $3 per stick.
Size: 6.25 x 50
Shape: Toro
Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatra
Binder: Besuki
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Gold Strike cigars have an easy cut and are well constructed. There are few veins throughout the wrapper. The cigar has a medium draw with notes of black pepper and cedar right away. It starts out being a medium bodied smoke.
As you smoke the cigar a bit further, the burn stays even. The pepper flavor is now the dominant flavor and the notes of cedar have disappeared.
The last bit of the cigar has more of a woody flavor. The burn is not quite as even, but the cigar is still a medium bodied smoke. This cigar lasted a little over an hour.
Overall, the Gold Strike cigars are fairly good. The flavor fluctuates throughout the entire cigar, but the medium strength stays throughout. The burn was not as even by the end of the cigar, but for an inexpensive cigar, it is worth it. If you are craving a cigar and do not want to spend too much, this should be a go to.
Royal Gold Cigars are well constructed, delicious cigars. Each has their own spin on the smoking experience. But what you may not know is…they are actually owned by Swisher Sweets International. A primarily machine made cigar company has put a large effort to enter the premium cigar industry. Although, we think they have done it. The president and vice president of Royal Gold Cigars has over 50 years of combined experience and have been working with some of the best cigar manufacturers in the world. Also, look out for Nirvana which will be released this fall. They are made by Drew Estates with Nicaraguan tobacco. We are already expecting great things!