Ezra Zion Chimichanga

A unicorn cigar — and a lancero, which makes it rarer still. The Ezra Zion Chimichanga is a 7 x 40 lancero wrapped in a luscious 12-year-aged Sumatra Maduro leaf. Every tobacco in it has been aged between six and twelve years, and the thin ring gauge does what a lancero is supposed to do: it pushes the wrapper forward and lets that decade-plus of aging carry the whole cigar. The filler blend is a closely guarded secret. Ezra Zion will confirm one component and one only — Mexican San Andrés. The rest they are not telling anyone. Blend Information Vitola: Lancero — 7 x 40 Wrapper: Sumatra Maduro, aged 12 years Filler: Undisclosed, includes Mexican San Andrés Body: Full Strength: Medium to full Aging: All tobaccos aged between 6 and 12 years Tasting Profile First Third Caramel Roasted coffee beans Cinnamon stick Powdered sugar Black peppercorn Heavy whipping cream Red oak Raw leather Second Third Milk chocolate Cacao nibs Espresso con panna Nutmeg Licorice Cashews Deep aged tobacco sweetness Final Third Semi-sweet chocolate chips Maplewood Toasted almonds Tanned leather Black tea Cake frosting The flavors keep layering over one another rather than trading places — which is exactly what the extended aging buys you. Fair warning from the blender: watch your lips, because you will want to smoke this one down to the nub of the nub. Why a Lancero At 40 ring, there is far less filler relative to wrapper than in a robusto or a toro. That ratio is why lanceros are the format blenders reach for when the wrapper is the star — and with twelve years on this Sumatra Maduro, it is very much the star. It also means a slower, cooler burn and a longer sit than the length alone suggests. Pairing Notes Espresso or a cortado early. Aged rum, bourbon, or a stout after dinner — the chocolate and caramel notes have plenty to hold onto. Available at Tinder Box as a single or a 5-pack.