My Weekend Cigar: RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead 1920
VIDEO CIGAR REVIEW: ROMA CRAFT INTEMPERANCE VOLSTEAD 1920
A Cigar That’s Never Met a Whisky It Didn’t Like
The Intemperance Volstead 1920 selection is the latest addition to RoMa Craft’s Intemperance brand. For this line, Skip Martin also introduced a hybrid Sumatra-wrapper. In case you were wondering, the line is named for the Temperance Movement and the Prohibition Era of the 1920s which eventually led to the prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. More specifically, it was the Volstead Act of 1920, sponsored by Senator Andrew John Volstead that passed Prohibition into law.
Offered in both regular and limited-production releases, the regular production cigars are named for people associated with the 1920s and the Prohibition Era, including notorious rumrunner, Bill McCoy, for whom the Short Perfecto reviewed here is named. After a soft “pre-release” launch earlier this year, Martin decided to swap out the pre-release Sumatra wrapper for a different wrapper of the same varietal to use in this selection.
Cigar Details:
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Nica Sueño S.A.
Size: 5”x 50 Short Perfecto
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra seed Hybrid
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Dominican Corojo, Nicaraguan
Presented in boxes of 24
RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead 1920 Bill McCoy Cigar Review
This Short Perfecto has a shiny, copperish-hued wrapper that’s even in color with a bit of exposed binder at the foot. The wrapper shows a few veins but nothing particularly bumpy. The cigar is firmly rolled and the tapered head is finished to a bullet-like point. After cutting (I used the angled Dickman cut), the cold draw was a bit stiff with a sweet tobacco flavor.
Once lit, earthy opening notes yielded to dark and sweet tobacco flavors. After settling in, the smoke was more earthy-spicy with a dry finish. Shortly afterwards, sweetness returned for an earthy spice/sweet tobacco combo. So, for this section the smoke was smooth, medium in body, and the flavors were well-layered.
At mid-stage, the sweetness exited as the body shifted to medium-plus. The cigar burned clean up to this point and the flavors were pretty well-balanced. The earthy spice was sharper, followed again by sweeter notes that smoothed it out. Leather and cedar notes also ensued, and at this stage the cigar was more complex than expected.
In the final act the sweetness was more nuanced with some leather dragging close behind. I got a very rich, combined mix of sweet tobacco, earthy spice, leather, and charred wood, which was impressive given that the cigar had about two inches left. I left it shortly afterwards, mostly so I could remember it fondly.
Was the RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead 1920 Weekend Worthy?
Impressive, for sure. RoMa Craft’s Intemperance Volstead 1920 Bill McCoy is a mostly medium-bodied smoke that progresses smoothly and hurls enough change-ups to hold your attention. I liked the Ecuador Sumatra hybrid wrapper with this core blend.
Overall, the cigar was well-balanced and I liked how the cast of flavors offered some novel intrigue. The way they suddenly appeared, disappeared, then reappeared reminded me of Bill McCoy trying to stay ahead of The Law. Even though perfectos aren’t the most popular shape, I’ve always liked their retro vibe. Sure, they’re not all gems, but Bill McCoy was a real champ. And since it’s also comfortably priced at under $10 MSRP, it’s certainly worth a shot. For old times’ sake, pair it with a good whisky.
Please Note: Gary’s review was based on two samples and that your mileage may vary. If you’ve already had an experience with this cigar please share your thoughts with a comment.