[Note: Postscript cigars have been featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast at least 1 year in the past. These reviews are intended to revisit the cigars after yet another year of age in the Stogie Fresh humidors.]

6.25 x 55 Belicoso

TIME IN HUMIDOR: 1 yr. 1.7 mo.

LOOK AND FEEL: 88

FLAVOR AND AROMA: 88

BURN AND CONSTRUCTION: 90

OVERALL SCORE: 88.7

STORAGE CONDITIONS: The El Baton cigars have remained in my Daniel Marshall desktop humidor. I use Boveda packets to keep the humidity at a constant 68%RH, while the temperature varies between 66-72 degrees F.

This is the second and final Stogie Fresh 5 podcast review of the El Baton Belicoso. These cigars have spent a total of 1 year and 1 month in my humidor.

BACKGROUND: The El Baton was originally one of J.C. Newman’s vintage nickel cigar brands from 1914, and was handmade at the company’s Cleveland factory using all Cuban tobacco. According to Eric Newman, president of J.C. Newman, the brand disappeared with the advent of machine-made cigars in the 1920s.

Fast-forward 94 years and the El Baton is re-released as the company’s first all-Nicaraguan tobacco cigar. But the new incarnation of the cigar is in keeping with El Baton’s history as a bargain smoke

Eric Newman, had this to say about the Nicaraguan El Baton: "While we were creating the blend, we were looking for something with a unique flavor that we didn't have in our current lineup, and the Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper delivered the flavor and strength [that gave] us the edge that we were looking for."

El Baton comes in black slide-lid boxes of 40 cigars and is produced at the Fabrica de Tabacos San Rafael S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This is an exclusive Nicaraguan factory, fully dedicated to the production of this El Baton cigar by JC Newman.

The current El Baton debuted in October 2008 with the Double Torpedo. Recently, two more sizes have been added to the brand of these hefty cigars, none of which are thinner than a 54 ring gauge. The Double Toro is measures 6 by 60; the Robusto is 5 by 54 and the cigar I'm featuring today, the El Baton Double Torpedo, measures 6 1/4 inches by 56 ring gauge.

TASTING NOTES: As with a year ago, the El Baton Belicosos that I smoked last week started out with smoky, toasty, woody flavors. Smoked wood, or perhaps cedar was the predominant flavor during the first third. Unlike a year ago, the flavors during the first third were tamer and the cigar displayed more balance and gave the impression that it might develop some complexity.

As the cigar progressed, the flavors continued to be woody and spicy and the retrohale brought a tingling white pepper spice and smoked wood. The second half of the cigar produced a bit more body and strength and a lingering tobacco sweetness on the palate.

Though the cigar was very firm to the touch, the draw was about perfect. The burn line was even and the ash was a bit flaky, but still held firm until I tapped off in 1-inch chunks.

The generous ring gauge on this cigar makes it smoke cool and effortless. Every one I've smoked to date has performed like a champ and I've been very happy with my experiences with this smoke.

Over the past year, the body and strength has dropped from medium-full to medium. And the cigar is showing a bit more nuance now, with a gradual but progressive changing of flavors throughout the smoke. But, I wouldn't give this one tremendous aging potential. I'd say smoke within the first couple of years and you've got a winner. I enjoyed this cigar and would have no problem paying the $6.25 for it.

I wouldn't call the El Baton a memorable cigar, nor would I label it a special occasion cigar. I wouldn't call it a yard cigar either. I think the El Baton would make a solid addition to your regular cigar-smoking lineup. Well constructed, a good mix of smoked wood, spice, tobacco sweetness and some white pepper sprinkled in. A solid smoke at a fair price.

~Doc