JC Newman

September 21, 2024

Southern Draw Rose of Sharon Salomon (7 1/8 x 58)





Video review HERE.


(Description taken from cigar-coop.com website)

Southern Draw Cigars announced it will release a 7 1/8 x 58 Salomon line extension as an exclusive to Casa de Montecristo (CDM) stores. The cigars will launch the weekend of the Texas Cigar Festival in Houston on April 12-13, 2024.

“As Southern Draw Cigars celebrates a milestone, ten years of serving our valued retail partners, we are thankful that we get to kick off a year-long celebration with a Casa de Montecristo Exclusive offering what we believe is up to the task, given their high standards and the amazing Exclusives that have preceded ours.  Planning began over two years ago, then patiently producing the cigars at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez de Nicaragua, SA and confidently delivering these customized boxes to Casa de Montecristo makes this new release so much sweeter than anything that has come before, and we are deeply honored,” said Sharon Holt, aka “the Boss Lady “of Southern Draw in a press release.

“We are thrilled to partner with Southern Draw on the latest addition to our Casa de Montecristo portfolio of exclusive cigars. At our upcoming Texas Cigar Festival in Houston Texas on April 13, our valued guests will be the first to experience this new release, a unique shape of Southern Draw’s beloved Rose of Sharon blend,” added Sherri Sieminski, CEO of Casa de Montecristo.

Produced at Tabacalera de AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A., the blend for the Rose of Sharon features an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero tobaccos.

The Rose of Sharon Salomon will debut at the Pre-Party event of the Texas Cigar Festival at the Casa de Montecristo 1960 location in Houston on April 12th from 6-10pm and will feature a food truck, DJ, and box signing by Sharon Holt. The commercial launch of the Exclusive will be at the Texas Cigar Festival on April 13th.

“The heart of our business has always been putting humble people at the center and honoring those that have molded our lives. The Rose of Sharon has long been considered the ‘heart’ of Southern Draw Cigars, so quite fitting that Casa de Montecristo selected the classic Rose of Sharon blend and commissioned this Salomon size that will only be available at their lounges and retail stores. A beautiful reminder of the grace that Sharon, the blend’s namesake, has bestowed upon each of us at Southern Draw Cigars,” added Robert Holt, Managing Member of Southern Draw Cigars..

The Rose of Sharon Salomon is priced at $12.17 per cigar or $146.04 for a 12-count box.


The cigar is golden brown and has a nice feel in the hand.




The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were apple, lime, brown sugar, and black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Pretty good start.



At the first third (35 minutes) the apple and lime sort of come across as citrus peel with brown sugar. There is also some chewy nutmeg and light cream in the mix. The finish is black coffee with good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. The cigar is burning slowly. Nice burn time. The cigar could use more sweetness. I rated the first third 92.




Moving through the second third (1 hour 10 minutes) the sweetness went up a little. There are primarily the same notes. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. I rated the second third 93.




The cigar lasted 1 hour 42 minutes. The cigar now has some decent sweetness but the black coffee has greatly increased. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. The sweet notes are now best described as citrus peel and brown sugar. While they are nice the black coffee is the dominant flavor. I didn't have the nutmeg or cream any more. The enjoyment of the cigar went back to the way it was in the first third. I rated the final third 92. These cigars are beautiful and only available at Casa de Montecristo. If you are a fan of the Rose of Sharon line check these out.




Overall Score: 92.33

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