Some Boneshaker Cigars from JR Cigars

This post, and the next couple that follow, are something a little bit different for me.  The folks at JR Cigars shared line samplers of three of their Boneshaker brand cigars, and I have been looking forward to trying them.  I started out with the Boneshaker line, what I assume is the original.  These are made at NACSA, the factory that makes some really great cigars, Mi Querida, Patina and Dapper come immediately to mind.  They also crank out a ton of bundle cigars for JR, who I believe has an ownership interest, along with the Oliva tobacco company.  I’ve been a fan of this factory’s work, which is one reason I was looking forward to these.  The Boneshaker has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.  These top out around $4 each, making them an exceptional bargain (five packs seems to be the way to buy, oddly enough). Any links included here are affiliate links, so I’ll get a little juice off of any sales (still waiting for this to happen!).  I started with the largest in the range, the Boneshaker War Hammer.  This is 6″ x 60.  They very nicely kept the vitola names standard across the various lines, more on that later.  This cigar starts with a strong pepper spice, and has a long finish. I think the larger ring tempered the strength a little, as this wasn’t as strong as I was led to believe. It’s still a powerhouse!  

Next I smoked the Boneshaker Maul, which is the 6″ x 54 toro.  This one might have been the strongest of the four, with the pepper tingle being nearly off putting.  Naturally, I soldiered on, and really enjoyed the cigar. These have a nice Broadleaf sweetness once you acclimate to the pepper. There’s also a tobacco in the blend that has a cloying effect, like when you eat licorice and it coats your tongue.  So far, this line has a unique flavor that I’m enjoying.  I’m oddly drawn to the band, I’m not generally a skull and bones fan, but it reminds me of another brand I’m fond of. 

Saturday afternoon I sat on the porch and watched the first period of the Flyers game with the 4½” x 60 Boneshaker Mace.  This started out with a hint of sourness, along with that licorice-like mouth coating feeling.  This might be the strongest in flavor of the bunch.  It’s amazing how an inch and a half difference changes the overall experience.  Still a powerhouse, loads of flavor.  Might be my favorite of the line.  I can’t help but draw some parallels to JR’s competitor’s house brand (which also has lines in national distribution). As I look a little further, it looks like the Boneshaker brand is available in distribution, so you might find them in your local shop.  

Finally, I smoked the Boneshaker Morning Star, with is a 5″ x 56 torpedo, or maybe belicoso. Let’s call it a figurado.  I enjoyed this cigar too! Again, these have a uniqueness to them. It’s almost like it’s enhanced in some way to make it stand out from others (thinking like pipe tobacco is cased, perhaps they use something in the water). I don’t think there’s anything more than tasty tobacco though, and I like it.  I wasn’t overwhelmed with nicotine strength on any of these,  they just hit me right.  I like this line and  look forward to trying the Full Body Cast and Boneyard versions.  In the Boneyard line, they seem to have strayed from the sizes, the Maul is a 6″ x50, and the Morning Star is a 6″ x 52 torpedo.  I find this interesting because they come from the same factory. I suppose I’ll smoke the Full Body Cast this week so when I mention the size thing with the Boneyard it won’t seem so repetitive.  To recap, I think my order of preference is Mace, Warhammer, Morning Star and Maul, which is weird because the Toro is my preferred size.

A lot of my friends and colleagues are in Vegas right now for the PCA show. I hope to make it back next year when it’s in New Orleans and in April. This year it just didn’t make sense.  Please use my affiliate links if you shop at JR or Cigars.com so that I can stay in a hotel when I go!  That’s all for today, until the next time, 

CigarCraig