“Taking it back to our ancestors, one cigar at a time!” ~ Enid ‘Full Body’ Blanton
As we reflect on the varied cigars Whiskey Network featured in 2023, the most memorable and complex-flavored cigar, by far, is The Educator by Ancestry Cigars.
Yes, here we have a boutique cigar company quickly rising to the top. Congratulations!
United States Air Force Veteran and Chicago native, Enid ‘Full Body’ Blanton, is a full-time mother, wife, and Illinois’ first African American female cigar brand owner. Destination Herf (a four-day cigar festival in Miami) named Enid its 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 her mother, Merle A. Stephens, who taught in both Chicago public and private schools for 43 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 special Whiskey Network 2023 Cigar of the Year.
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 have experienced exclusive access to the blend’s pre-release and un-banded 6×52 Toro. Stay tuned for the release of this outstanding cigar, which will be marketed in Ancestry Cigars’ 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
Aside from The Educator’s perfect construction and draw, the cigar has many unique, memorable flavors and transitions. In the first third we get smooth leathery vanillas that transition into citrusy tangerine over notes of apricot. Then another transition to an incredible and memorable tropical fruitiness over notes of tingly eucalyptus.
Into the second third, those charred eucalyptus and nutty notes dominate the incredible cigar smoking experience, with lingering fruitiness on the finish. The spiceless retrohale only gets smoother throughout the smoke, as notes of lightly toasted and leathery marshmallow flavors glide over the tip of the nose.
In the final third of the cigar, beautiful, roasted, and toasted nutty notes appear, as its unique eucalyptus flavor lingers in the background.
This is a leather smoke bomb cigar, with additional nice hints of cocoa on the finish. An obviously easy pick for our Whiskey Network 2023 Cigar of the Year. We not only have a complex and flavorful cigar, we have a special dedication to a noteworthy woman, Merle Stephens, and her beloved ancestors!
We at Whiskey Network love this brand, along with everything and everyone it represents. We greatly appreciate Enid and her team’s dedication to both the cigar industry and community, through this amazing Educator cigar. It pairs beautifully with the history and flavor profiles of Uncle Nearest’s 1856 Tennessee Premium Whiskey.
Uncle Nearest 1856 Tennessee Premium Whiskey:
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 were like a kid in a candy store. In the final third, we got some additional powdered cocoa that lingers on the palate.
Whiskey 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 candy 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 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!
Congratulations to the team over at Ancestry Cigars!
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 incredible cigar expression.
Thank you Uncle Nearest’s Brand Steward, Nicole Carter, and Drew Estate’s ‘Dj Eli’ Legarreta for joining us recently 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 at the link below:
Photography by: James Archie
