Ezra Zion Red Rum

Ezra Zion took barrel-aged rum and cranked the knob off. Red Rum draws on the deep, dark, barrel-driven flavors of aged rum: molasses, brown sugar, spice, charred oak, vanilla, and a thick, syrupy richness that practically coats your teeth. Ezra calls it one of the most layered, luxurious and downright unusual blends they have ever built, which is saying something considering the cigars that come out of that shop. Red Rum is a 6.25 × 50 toro extra, full-bodied with medium/full strength, built on seriously proprietary tobacco. The exact recipe stays classified. No witnesses. What Ezra will confirm is that every tobacco in the blend has been aged between 5 and 12 years. Blend Information Vitola: Toro Extra (6.25 × 50) Wrapper: Closely guarded secret Binder: Closely guarded secret Filler: Closely guarded secret Body: Full Strength: Medium/Full Aging: All tobaccos aged 5–12 years Tasting Journey First Light: An instant wave of pure cane sugar, leather and honey, followed by the spice of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. The finish is clean and balanced with vanilla bean, and the retrohale runs warm with another layer of sweet cinnamon. Second Third: Molasses, coffee beans, white pepper and brown sugar emerge, with hints of earth, European butter and dried fruit joining the mix. Subtle white chocolate on the finish. Halfway: The blend rounds out and the age of the tobacco shines through. Oak cask wood, heavy whipping cream and toasted almonds come forward, with hickory, anise and allspice behind them. The finish lingers for several minutes, adding graham cracker and leather. Last Third: Cocoa powder, malt and espresso appear, with hints of floral, cashews, toasted marshmallow and beer hops. The burn holds a razor's edge and stays cool all the way to the nub. A masterpiece. Available at Tinder Box as a single or a 5-pack.