Roma Craft Cromagnon Aquitaine Blockhead (6×54) Box pressed

Roma Craft cigars are one of the original boutique companies of the 2000’s. Launching with only two blends, CroMagnon and CroMagnon Aquitaine, the company started with somewhat humble beginnings. It is interesting, some might even say brave, to launch their company with only two and one of them boasting a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Connecticut Broadleaf is a dark, oily, thick leaf in high demand and rather unpredictable in supply. In fact, the current industry has a notable shortage of Broadleaf available. Beyond scarcity, it also leans on the more expensive side. With these things in mind, I am grateful that Roma Craft Cigars decided to push through and launch the Cromagnon anyway. It continues to be one of my favorite Connecticut Broadleaf cigars. However, that doesn’t mean the second blend is forgotten. Quite the contrary, the Cromagnon Aquitaine has just as much a cult following as its counterpart.

CroMagnon Aquitaine uses high priming of Ecuadorian Habano. The esthetic of this cigar is beautiful; seamless, and oily to the touch. When you hold the cigar you can feel the oils on the tips of your fingers, a feature I don’t find common. The binder is also unique in using true African Cameroon. Cameroon is not often seen as a binder, but it works well for this blend. Cameroon has natural sweetness, earth, and hints of cedar. The fillers, just like the Roma Craft CroMagnon, use a mixture of tobaccos consisting of Criollo 98 tobaccos from Esteli, Jalapa, Pueblo Nuevo and Olor, a native varietal from the Dominican Republic. The flavor is exceptional; Esspresso, earth, white pepper, oak, and a lingering savoriness.

Owners Skip Martin and Mike Rosales say the name Aquitaine comes from the region of France where the original Cro-Magnon remains were discovered. In addition to the core line sizes in the portfolio, Roma Craft releases limited sizes of the blend on rare occasions. One such vitola is the 6×54 box-pressed Blockhead. This seems to concentrate the espresso and oak and adds a hint of cocoa sweetness to the blend. I am also a fan of the box-pressed size. For anyone who enjoys a medium plus strength, full flavored maduro, I think you will find the Cromagnon Aquitaine Blockhead a definite enjoyment. See where an original boutique cigar comes from in this special blend.