Bleak Midwinter 5×54 Bullet ST. Paddy’s Day Exclusive

Drops Thursday, March 9th at 9pm CA time/12am est.

“There is no rest for me in this world. Perhaps in the next.”

In the Bleak Midwinter. This is an old hymn written by Christina Rossetti in 1872 about the event of Christ’s birth. It is also what is recited when one of the brothers from the show Peaky Blinders dies in the line of combat. It ALSO is the name of our St. Patrick’s exclusive cigar. The reference to the Blinders is where most of our inspiration was derived for this cigar. We have been working on Bleak Midwinter since last year, and I am excited to share it with everyone. While there is some mystery surrounding this cigar, there are a few things I can tell you about. Without further ado, let’s dive into it!

The cigar is exclusively released here at OGT, being produced in a very small batch format. If I had the opportunity, I would have chosen this stick to be dropped for our members in the OGT Cigar Society, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough to go around. That couldn’t have stopped us, however, from sharing this great blend. Bleak Midwinter has a measure of age on it; how much? It is unclear, however, what is clear is the yellowing of cellophane on the outside. The vitola is a dynamic, 5×54 Robusto Torpedo, or as we like to call it, a 5×54 bullet. In terms of the blend, it features a dark, textured Nicaraguan Habano Maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Who is the blender? That is the mystery. There is some information to be had, and if one was to follow the breadcrumbs, perhaps one could figure it out. But I think it is much more intriguing to let the source remain silent, don’t you?

Let’s talk flavor notes. Part of what I love about this cigar is the initial light-up and the transition of flavor as the cigar continues. It starts with some spice, leather, and sweetness. Imediety flavor hits the center of your palate in a dynamic of medium plus strength. A wave of earth, vanilla bean, oak, and muted sweetness continues with complimentary spice on the retro. As the cigar continues, the spice moves to the back while the initial leather note, raisins, and sweetness ramp up. I would say somewhere between the second and the final third a pleasant cocoa powder comes through. The draw on this cigar consistently is amazing, making an effortless pull and an overwhelmingly satisfying production of smoke. I would suggest pairing it with sherry cask-finished scotch to add a little contrast sweetness or a Compass Box Spaniard. Perhaps a sweet tea for nonalcoholic? If you have the opportunity to pair it with a rum soaked tiramisu, I think that might spark too.

Bleak Midwinter drops Thrusday, March 9th at 9pm CA time/12am est. We will be having a LIVE review on Instagram one hour before at 8pm CA time/11am est. Join us for a very special review and kick off, and don’t forget to pick up your bundle of Bleak Midwinter!