Pre-light Experience

The size and unique shape of the Hamlet 25th Year Salomon really jump out at you when picking up this cigar. The wrapper is light brown and has a network of slightly raised veins present throughout. The seams are smooth and hardly detectable. The caps at the head and foot are very well applied. There are two bands with the primary being the standard band for the brand and carrying a color combination of white, blue, red and silver. The secondary band designates the line name and has the same color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is light wood and hay. The foot opening is so small, it’s hard to detect anything other than the wrapper aroma. The pre-light draw is graham cracker and I’m getting a medium level spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Hamlet 25th Year Salomon is well constructed and has a lovely wrapper that is Colorado in coloring. There is a nice tapered head and foot, and the wrapper sports small sized veins throughout. The cigar is firm throughout and there is a nice aroma of spices, soft cocoa and wood.

Pre-light Experience

The Hamlet 25th Year Salomon has a primary and secondary band. The primary band features the H and Hamlet in red, along with red accents, against blue and white. The secondary band indicates 25th Year in red against white, with silver and red accents. The cigar is in a Salomon format, which historically has been Hamlet’s signature vitola along with the Flying Pig. The wrapper is chocolate brown color, and is silky smooth. Nosing the wrapper I pick up notes of spicy, aged wood, with light hay in the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Hamlet 25th Year Salomon has a medium brown Colorado Claro wrapper shade. The Salomon is beautifully rolled with well pressed veins, tight seams, even roll and a deep tapered cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell green tea and cedar. Aromas from the foot give namely a faint cedar. Cold draw tells nuts, hay and cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with cedar, mustiness, baking spice and random hints of a floral note. As the burn line reaches the largest ring gauge of the bulb, the floral note becomes a steady player in the profile. At an inch and a half in, the floral note is even with the cedar up front while the mustiness is just behind them and the baking spice is fairly faint. The retrohale has the floral note up front with the cedar and mustiness in the background. As the third comes to a close, the cedar and floral note remain up front as the mustiness and slight increased baking spice are in the background. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third begins with a lovely sweet spice flavor profile and it is accompanied by some floral and honey dew notes. I am getting some graham cracker qualities with that and the finish is of honey and soft white pepper. I would classify the cigar as medium in strength and body, and it is a balanced beginning.

First Third

My first few puffs exhibit flavors of sweet nuttiness, with light baking spices underneath. The baking spices have a short finish. The retrohale is quite clean with sweetness and trailing baking spices. As the cigar settles in, the sweetness becomes a more defined honey sweetness. Those spices that had a short finish now have a medium finish. Both the sweetness and spices continue to build in complexity, with some creamy nuttiness appearing on the post draw. Out of nowhere, light plus clover appears, and light post draw leather.

First Third

The initial half an inch (the tapered portion) has rich nuttiness, cream, nuts and barnyard must. Past that portion, the profile introduces some nice black pepper spice and cedar. Retrohaling gives more depth in black pepper, cedar and nuttiness. The finish is short with some cedar and black pepper on the rear palate. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cedar is just ahead of the floral note while the baking spice and mustiness are even in the background. At a half inch in, the cedar gains some char which makes the floral note hard to detect. At an inch in, the charred cedar and mustiness with a little pepper is what the profile consists of. The retrohale has the charred cedar, mustiness and a faint floral note. As the third comes to a close, some bitterness has joined in with the charred cedar and mustiness. The strength in this third has bumped up to medium.

Second Third

I am in the second third of the cigar now and I am finding an increase in the spice profile from before. I am getting some salty meat qualities and it is pairing with some sweet cream, cedar and those honeydew flavors from before. The cigar is remaining at that medium level from before, and it is an enjoyable and balanced offering.

Second Third

Aged wood joins the flavor map as the cigar transitions into the second third. The baking spices are fading, replaced with sweet hay. That aged wood takes on a drying component as the second third settles in. The faded spices return at the end of the retrohale at a medium minus intensity.

Second Third

Working through the fatter ring gauged portion I call the bulb to the thinner ring gauged portion, the cigar progressively loses out on the bite of the spice and highlights more of the creamy, nuttier characteristics. Strength and body remains medium for the most part.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the cedar has transitioned to oak and is still carrying the char. Some mustiness and bitterness continue on as well. At a half inch in, the bitterness is only present on the finish. The retrohale is oak and mustiness with a faint floral note. At an inch and a quarter, the oak becomes a bit fuller. The cigar finishes out with the charred oak up front followed by the mustiness. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

I am in the final third now and finding the flavor profile to be a little bit less than before. There are some soft cream notes and with that is some herbal, floral and soft wood flavors. The finish is slightly sour and overall the profile is lacking from before. The strength and body are at a medium level still, and it has been consistent in that sense from beginning to end.

Final Third

The last third is fairly straightforward, with dry hay and cedar defining the remainder of the cigar experience.

Final Third

The last third picks up an unpleasant harshness to the overall profile. Aside from that, the flavors within the first two thirds still persist (black pepper, cedar, nuts, cedar). Strength also increases to medium-full while body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was pretty wavy throughout and required a couple of touch-ups to keep things in line. The cigar also went out twice, requiring re-lights. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

From start to finish, the burn has been perfect and it has shown excellent construction. The salomon is well rolled and near perfect in that sense.

Burn

The burn begins slightly wavy, but evens out, with a bright white ash. The burn is slightly oblong in the first, and I did a small touch-up. Ash holds on well, up to 3 inches at times.

Burn

The burn had some issues with portions of the wrapper not properly burning which leads to a few touch-ups. Other than that, the burn was cool, ashes a bit flaky and ash retention good at 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was pretty snug and even with some additional cuts, it didn’t ease up much.

Overall

The cigar began with cedar, baking spice, mustiness and a floral note. As it progressed, the baking spice weaned out and some char joined. In the final third, the cedar transitioned to oak. Construction was a bit of an adventure with a tight draw and not so great burn. I thought the cigar started well, but became average from the second third on. The babysitting of the burn was a bit of a turn off as well. For the size of the cigar compared to the cost, it provides some value. I’d be up for smoking this again in hopes of a better burn, but isn’t something I’m going to chase after.

Draw

Like the burn, the draw is fantastic and the cigar smokes cool and slow from beginning to end.

Overall

Looking back on the Hamlet 25th Year Salomon, it lacks in complexity for flavors. There is no transitioning or depth, and with this being a larger cigar, it really hurts the overall experience. A lot of time goes into a cigar like this, and unless there are those key qualities to make the cigar really pop, it will crash and burn. It had a nice start, but quickly became uneventful. Construction and burn aside, a very disappointing smoke.

Draw

The draw is a half notch into the resistant spectrum, which still puts it in the ideal zone for draw.

Overall

The Hamlet 25th Year Salomon seemed to hold promise in the first third, with notes of honey sweetness and baking spices that built as the first third progressed. The middle and last thirds were much softer, exhibiting light to light plus flavors typically, and lacked the complexity that was present in the first third. As with almost all Rocky Patel cigars I’ve smoked, the draw and burn were rated as amazing, indicating a well constructed cigar. This cigar would be a great option for someone looking to enjoy a longer smoking experience, without being overwhelmed by intense flavors.

Draw

The difficult to bunch and roll salomon had no issues with the draw as it was perfect.

Overall

The infamous Hamlet Salomon paired with a 25th year secondary band has a lot of clout. Therefore, coming into the Hamlet 25th Year Salomon, my expectations were high. Overall, the flavor profile was good with black pepper, cedar, rich nuttiness and cedar. But, with such a long smoking commitment (I logged almost 3 hours of smoking time), I expected more transitions and complex build-ups in which the cigar fell short.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$2.04

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.13

Cost/Point

$2.14

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.80

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$1.66

Scoring System

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