“Taking it back to our ancestors, one cigar at a time!” ~ Enid ‘Full Body’ Blanton
What Makes It Special
United States Air Force Veteran and Chicago native, Enid ‘Full Body’ Blanton, is a full time mother, wife, and miraculously, Illinois’ first African American female cigar brand owner. She was also named Destination Herf’s 2022 ‘Rookie of the Year.’ Enid started Ancestry Cigars in 2019, to honor her Grandmother, Marion H. Clifton (March 22, 1922 ~ October 8. 2018) and her Father, Ralf L. Thomson (February 17, 1928 ~ February 7, 2019). Even after losing her Mother, Merle A. Stephens (May 7, 1950 ~ July 1, 2021), Enid remains all in on her family’s cigar legacy, which also pays homage to slave bondage, and its intimate origins with tobacco cultivation.
Enid’s new cigar expression, The Educator, honors Enid’s amazing Mother, Merle A. Stephens, who taught in both Chicago Public and Private schools for forty three years, before retiring in 2015.
In addition to transferring Enid’s pain from her Mother’s loss into a cigar, this multi-dimensional blend also represents the 5,000 students Merle dedicated her life to, including Enid in third and sixth grade, and the schools she positively impacted throughout her incredible teaching career.
Merle, we love you, we thank you for everything, and we honor your legacy through this amazing cigar.
The Educator cigar is produced by Cordio Cigars’ tobacco farm in Santiago, Dominican Republic. It will be released as a 6×52 box press at the Premium Cigar Association’s (PCA) trade show in March 2024.
Whiskey Network is extremely lucky to experience exclusive access to the blend’s pre-release and unbanded 6×52 Toro. Stay tuned for the release of this amazing cigar, which will be marketed in Ancestry Cigar’s signature gold and Merle’s favorite shade of purple.
The Educator
Brand: Ancestry Cigars
Vitola: 6×52 Box Press
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican
Age: 3 Years
Body: Medium Boldness
Price: $12
Visual / Pre-light Draw
This pre-release Toro cigar is un-banded with an extremely oily, very toothy and veiny light brown Habano brown shade wrapper. There is a hint of fresh hay on the side sniff with floral and pungent minty eucalyptus over cocoa on the dry foot odor. There is no spice when prepping the head for a classic straight guillotine cut, which will help deliver the full flavor of the blend.
First Third
After a nice toasting of the foot, there are noticeable charred marshmallows or s’mores on the foot smoke odor. Then a cream puff of light to medium bold leatheriness with vanilla undertones on the perfect medium draw. There are extremely smooth vanillas on the retro-hale, with the softest hint of spice on the finish. Then a nice transition to citrusy tangerine notes over apricot notes, amazing! This cigar is blowing my mind with all these transitions, and I love it! Then another transition to nutty pistachios over notes of orange creamsicle. Then some tropical fruitiness develops over some eucalyptus. This is a very unique first third, with a perfect burn and white ash, and I can not wait to pair it with the bourbon.
Second Third
That perfect ash and burn is still going strong! Those charred eucalyptus and nutty notes start to dominate the experience, with some lingering fruitiness in the background. The retro-hale is even smoother with no spice, as a cream puff of toasted marshmallow flavors glide over the tip of the nose. Then a nice transition to charred leathery marshmallow notes that coat the palate, and that amazing ash falls off with dignity. Time to take it back to our ancestors, one pairing at time, and ‘wade in the water’ of life, with Uncle Nearest’s 1856 Premium Tennessee whiskey.
Final Third
Beautiful roasted and toasted nutty notes come to the forefront of the smoking experience. That amazing eucalyptus note remains in the background, while some charred leathery notes re-appear. The cigar notes are bolder and darker but the rero-hale remains smooth and creamy as can be. The cigar has transitioned to a leather bomb smoke, with nice hints of cocoa on the finish. This cigar is absolutely incredible, delicious, and one of the most complex cigars I’ve ever had, especially with that dominant eucalyptus flavor.
The Pairing
Nathan ‘Nearest’ Greene, a slave who was affectionately known as Uncle Nearest, is in fact the first known African American distiller on record. When the Civil War ended, Uncle Nearest remained, by popular demand, the head distiller at the Dan Call Farm in Lynchburg Tennessee, as a free man. Here he met a young apprentice, Jack Daniels, who purchased the farm. Their friendship, bonded by whiskey production, led to the opening of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, and possibly one of the greatest stories in American history!
“Uncle Nearest’s whiskey was soon known as far away as Huntsville and Nashville for its uncommon smoothness and character. Many believe he perfected what is known as the Lincoln County Process, where whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to aging in charred oak barrels–a process that defines Tennessee whiskey and makes it unlike any other distilled spirit in the world.”
This 100 proof Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Tennessee Whiskey, which has subtle notes of stone fruits, maple, and caramel corn, represents the year Uncle Nearest perfected the Lincoln County Process with his original recipe #7. Enid also revealed that Uncle Nearest is very dear to heart because her Great Grandmother, Mattie P. Clifton was also from Nashville.
Those creamy caramel pecan and cherry notes of the whiskey melt to fudge with nuts on top. In the final third, the pairing develops into a cinnamon sugary churro with melted fudge drizzled over it.
Cigar to the whiskey:
This mild but rich 100 proof Tennessee whiskey turns to pure candy by the cigar’s complexity. It’s like a cherry vanilla swirl bomb sucker, it’s pure bliss! With this part of the pairing we are like a kid in a candy store. In the final third, we get some additional powdered cocoa that lingers on the palate.
Whisky to the cigar:
Those creamy caramel pecan and cherry notes of the whiskey melt to fudge with nuts on top. In the final third, the pairing develops into a cinnamon sugary churro with melted fudge drizzled over it.
Overall, this is a very candylike and dessert-like pairing at the same time. It’s like being in a candy store inside of a carnival. You get the best of both worlds, with all the amazing treats, both worlds have to offer, rolled into one experience! With this pairing, our ancestors are smiling down on us, as we get to have our cake, and eat it too!
Acknowledgment & Live Pairing
Thank you Enid Blanton, for trusting us with your Mother’s story and family legacy. We look forward to the PCA 2024 release of this amazing cigar expression. Visit www.ancestrycigars.com to explore all of Enid’s amazing cigar expressions, which are named after Greek Gods.
Thank you Uncle Nearest’s Brand Steward, Nicole Carter, and Drew Estate’s ‘Dj Eli’ Legarreta for joining us on The Great Cigar & Pipe Show. This is my favorite live pairing episode to date! It was truly an epic experience, as we took a deep dive into the aligning histories behind these amazing brands, which can be viewed right here:
Photography by: James Archie
