Video review HERE.
(Description taken from halfwheel.com website)
At the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show, West Tampa Tobacco Co. unveiled its second food-inspired cigar, the Devil Crab. The cigar is named after a croquette-style dish made from sautéed blue crab that is then rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. While every person’s version of how the crab is prepared varies, common ingredients in the sauce include tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices, with the sauce referred to as a Cuban-style enchilada or sofrito sauce known as chilau. The dish got its devil name from the spicier versions of the preparations.
The dish grew in popularity during the 1920s in Ybor City, a part of Tampa. that was home to Cuban, Italian and Spanish immigrant communities as well as a large number of cigar factories. Specifically, the handheld food took hold during a strike at cigar factories, as blue crabs were abundant and therefore inexpensive, making them attainable in a time when money was tight.
As an added touch to the release, each box of cigars comes with a recipe card for devil crab, so you can make the dish at home.
For now, the cigars are described as a limited production, though specifics as to how many boxes were produced have not been disclosed. The company did say that more could be made depending upon their reception. As for the blend, it is completely undisclosed, much like a guarded recipe for one’s own devil crabs.
The company did not disclose the blend of the cigar, but it is made at Garmendia Cigars Co., which makes the company’s core Black, Red and White lines. It’s offered in a single 4 1/2 x 60 double perfecto vitola.
The cigar is nicely made and has a curled pigtail cap. It has an average feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was very tight. I had to wait for the cigar to open. It did after about 2 minutes 15 seconds. The initial flavors were plum, cedar, light brown sugar, leather, and black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7. The sweet notes are quite light.
At the first third (19 minutes) the plum notes are a little sweet/tart. Almost like there's some citrus peel in the mix. There is very light brown sugar. So, once you get those flavors it's almost like a switch is flipped and the earthy, leathery black coffee takes over. The finish is black coffee with minimal sweetness and very good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. This cigar is not really grabbing me. It's cool looking but not that great tasting. I rated the first third 91.
Moving through the second third (36 minutes) the ash is still intact. Now the notes are citrus peel with very light brown sugar, and a lot of earthy, leathery black coffee. There is more citrus peel than brown sugar. I rated the second third 89.
The cigar lasted 55 minutes. The cigar now had citrus peel and a lot of earthy, leathery black coffee. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. There's no sweetness to speak of. I rated the final third 85. I like most cigars from Rick Rodriguez and West Tampa but this one was a miss for me.
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