“You are not only smoking a great cigar, you are smoking a piece of history!”
~AJ “BIG BEAUFORD” Founder, Big Kuntry Cigars
What Makes It Special
Big Kuntry Cigars founder and Panama Canal ‘Operation Just Cause’ combat Veteran, AJ “Big Beauford”, created his cigar line as a tribute to his Grandfather, Big John Reeves, who raised AJ in the countryside. Big John was a Seville, Florida pig farmer and Seaboard Coastline Railroad worker, who loved farming while smoking pipe tobacco and cigars. After a near death trucking accident in 2016, AJ decided to pursue his passion for cigars, in honor of Big John, family and friends “who all paved the way” for his charming down-to-earth nature and humble success.
Big John once told AJ, “A thousand mile journey starts with a single step”, and AJ hasn’t skipped a beat since. Listening to AJ’s American story on his first October 2022 Great Cigar & Pipe Show appearance, and the GC&PS Chooches’ enthusiasm for his cigars, compelled me to order a sample pack. “Cousin Frank” Minutillo described Big Kuntry Cigars as “a boutique cigar brand that truly steps up the game.” I immediately fell in love with these cigars, especially the Maduro blend. This cigar features a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper, over Nicaraguan fillers from Jalapa, Condega, and Esteli, and an Indonesian binder, all aged three years.
The cigar’s Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper leaf is grown in the volcanic soil of the San Andres Valley, and can be traced back to ancient Mayan carvings in Veracruz. Known as “Morron” or “Negro”, for its dark brown color, this tobacco is stalk-cut (entire plant) versus primed (leaves picked off the plant two or three times), and so it is thicker, naturally sweet, and earthy. The Nicaraguan fillers will provide a leathery spicy punch, while the thin and mild Indonesian binding tobacco will give the smoker a very unique and aromatic experience.
Big Kuntry Maduro
Vitola: Toro 6×52
Filler: Nicaraguan Jalapa, Condega & Esteli
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Indonesian
Age: 3 Years
Body: Medium to Full Boldness
Price: $11.50
Visual / Pre-light Draw
Nice oily dark chocolate brown and pig tailed wrapper with a semi-closed foot. It has a unique fresh wet hay exterior odor, toothy veins, but overall it is smooth to the touch. There are more nice wet hay notes over subtle floral notes on the dry foot odor. AJ’s humble circular red yellow and black band displays Seville, Florida over a cool cigar. The cigar’s brand name, Big Kuntry Cigars rests over three patriotic red stars, and Established 2020. Its secondary black foot band identifies its Maduro wrapper, and slides right off. The side of the band and the cigar’s wrapper pattern are hypnotizing as you rotate the cigar, indicative of a hypnotizing smoking experience. There is no spice while prepping the head for a nice Colibri V-cut. The dry draw produces bold Raisin Bran cereal notes over subtle orchard fruits.
First Third
Creamy cocoa on the foot smoke odor and first palate coating cocoa puff. There are nice baking spices that are very brief but enjoyable on the retrohale. The cigar’s even burn and ash are near perfection, with transitions to awesome spicy leathery notes, which remain creamy on the palate. This is a very complex first third with dark orchard fruit notes and vanilla on the finish. Absolutely mouth watering and delicious!
Second Third
There is a big and noticeable transition to dry vanilla frosted oats. The cigar’s already excellent draw opens up even more, producing even more palate coating sweet and leathery flavors. Its beautiful spice mellows, the retro becomes creamier, and packed with a very bold flavor of baseball mitt leather, while the ash finally falls off with dignity. This is AJ’s favorite smooth Jazz track by Brian Culbertson. I DIG!
Final Third
The band comes off no problem, time to dig deep into this now bolder Maduro. The spice on retro has nearly disappeared, allowing those creamy leathery notes to dominate. The ash’s second chapter is lengthy and everything just comes together, producing a very unique, enjoyable, and consistent creamy leather bomb smoking experience. Overall, this cigar is my jam! Bill, who prefers Connecticut broadleaf wrapped cigars, thoroughly enjoyed it. I nubbed it and absolutely loved it!
This WBSE Rickhouse pick originates from the light whiskey’s current home-base at Cat Eye Distilling in Bettendorf, Iowa. It was aged for seven years in a used charred barrel, and bottled at 64.5 ABV on July 13, 2022, after receiving an overall rating of 95 by Publisher Bill Varnell
The Pairing
Facebook’s BEST Whiskey Bourbon & Scotch Enthusiasts group has grown to nearly 48,000 members since 2014. Founders Bill Varnel, aka “The Voice of Reason”, and Chad “The Chadmin” Cadden have since published The Whiskey Network Magazine in 2020, and recently launched their WBSE Rickhouse website: WWW.WBSERICKHOUSE.COM. This is a direct to consumer online store, featuring single barrel picked and bottled whiskies, personally selected by Bill and Chad, who recently appeared with AJ on The Great Cigar & Pipe Show. Be sure to check out this incredible and hilarious live pairing episode here:
This WBSE Rickhouse pick originates from the light whiskey’s current homebase at Cat Eye Distilling in Bettendorf, Iowa. It was aged for seven years in a used charred barrel, and bottled at 64.5 ABV on July 13, 2022, after receiving an overall rating of 95 by Bill and Chad. The nose is floral with honey sweetness. On the palate there is rich caramel, butterscotch, with a long finish consisting of Crème brûlée and baking spice. When paired with this Big Kuntry Maduro, the drink to the cigar produced bold candied and spicy peanut buttered baseball mitt leather notes, drizzled over with caramel. The cigar to the drink then produced creamy apricots over candied toffee flavored popcorn, with nice chocolate spice on the finish.
Overall, this is a caramel corn bomb pairing, reminiscent of being at a summertime carnival, enjoying a bag of caramel corn over roasted sugar glazed almonds. The boldness levels of these two amazing products match and marry perfectly, which is ideal for the creation of a perfect pairing. So Jazz up your next pairing, with this banger of a bottle, and get your summertime carnival on with this Big Kuntry Maduro. Be sure to shop www.BigKuntryCigars.com for all of AJ incredible cigar expressions.
OBTAINIUM HISTORY & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“OBTAINIUM Light Whiskey came into existence in 1968 because consumers were moving away from Bourbon and more into clear spirits such as vodka or gin. Light whiskey is distilled between 160-190 proof. Contrast that with Bourbon or American Rye, which tops out at 160 proof. It must be aged in used, charred oak barrels or new, uncharred oak. Most distilleries didn’t let it age for very long. Sourced from MGP in Indiana, Light whiskey fell out of flavor, and stocks were left hanging around, mostly ignored and forgotten, UNITL NOW!” ~ Cat Eye Distilling
Thank you Bill and Chad for all your contributions to our WBSE community, and for providing us access to these amazing whiskey picks, for our enhanced enjoyment. You guys are definitely taking the game to the next level!
Thank you Big John for paving the way for AJ and the rest of the family. This is a true American story, filled with family tradition and history. Whiskey Network Magazine’s staff and Great Cigar & Pipe Show crew could not be more proud of you AJ. Your ability to overcome adversity and willingness to honor others is true leadership and inspiring to us all.
Photography by: James Archie
