Cigar Weekly

Dea Churchill

Published December 21, 2008
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)

I first remember hearing about Dea Cigars when I noticed a review in the Cigar Reviews forum titled, "Dea: Maybe the best cigar that you have never heard of...", which had been written by Cigar Weekly member Robert Tinning (gumby). Since Robert is a personal friend of mine, whose tastes I have come to understand are a lot like my own, I read the review with some interest. Around the same time, Cigar Weekly Editor Tommy Bender (TommyBB) contacted Mike Byelick (mdman) about doing a review of the Dea line.

The Dea line was conceived and created by Mr. Byelick (who graciously supplied the cigars for this review), owner of MD Cigars in Yuma , Arizona . When I asked him for some background information on the line, he provided me with the following write-up from Rich Perlman:

   Mike Byelick, the owner of MD Cigars in Yuma, Arizona, wanted to create a high-quality, mid-market blend that would retail at about $7 each, but that he could sell for less, perhaps $4-5. Thus, the Dea cigar was born.
   Byelick notes that "the trend for super strong cigars, I think, is tough for people like me who like loads of flavor, but not a powerhouse cigar that often gets to your stomach. I call it medium-bodied; strong-cigar smokers may call it mild, but it's more medium to me."
   Dea - the Italian word for goddess - is made in Nicaragua . Wrapped in a Nicaraguan-grown Rosado wrapper, the interior leaves are from Costa Rica and Honduras with a Sumatra-seed binder from Ecuador .
   The Dea line is made in three ultra-popular shapes: Churchill (7 inches by 48 ring), Robusto (5 x 50) and Torpedo (6 x 52). A Costa Rican-grown maduro-wrapped version to be called the "Dea Double Maduro" is also on the way.
   Best of all is the price: from $4.53 to $4.83 each, they're packed in bundles of 20 that run from $73.60 to $78.40 not including local sales and tobacco taxes.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil:  Nice oily sheen. The color was more of a Rosado. Very lightly veined, but slightly lumpy bunch. The draw was slightly easy, but not bad. Nice even burn with a firm ash. Overall, a nice looking cigar.

AnejoMoFo:  The pre-light draw of this Churchill showed some very light burly tobacco flavors, promising a mild smoke.

TommyBB: This Churchill sported a pretty Rosado wrapper that had slight veining and a couple of spots. These faults notwithstanding, it looked very inviting. It clipped cleanly, ready for the flames, drawing and lighting quite easily.

ronin: A very nice looking Churchill. A smooth wrapper, firm feeling with no tight spots, and a nicely finished cap.

SLR: Excellent wrapper, with thin veins and a smooth cap.  Well constructed. Perfect draw and perfect burn. Overall, a nice looking cigar.

Elk Twin: The cigars, hiding in the bottom of their bag, smelled of sweet earth, like a freshly turned field. A constellation of tiny water spots dappled one of the milk chocolate-colored wrappers. Squeezed lightly, they had a Charmin-like roll, springy to the touch. Dark, oily patterns followed the network of minute veins. Double cap. Good draw and an earthy pre-light flavor. No real taste on the lips or tongue.

Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil: Thick, spicy smoke. Nothing subtle about this one.

AnejoMoFo:  An interesting mild to medium cigar that had elements of the Nicaraguan flavor profile. A smoky 'campfire' finish developed early on, and gained prominence in the beginning of the second third of the cigar. Faint notes of blueberry accompanied some classic coffee flavors, which developed into an espresso character near the end.

TommyBB:  This was the mildest cigar I'd smoked in years. It wasn't a bad cigar, and had flavor. But I almost had to concentrate to find that flavor. On the positive side, the aftertaste and finish weren't overpowering when I smoked the two samples on consecutive nights sitting out on the deck. Having a glass of water with this cigar was all the accompaniment needed. And it could be said that anything more might overpower the mild, slightly sweet flavor of the cigar.

ronin: I clipped it using my SAK. The cap clipped cleanly and evenly. I used a torch to light it. It lit very evenly, and burned with a nice cone shape throughout the smoke. At about the midway point, it began to burn a little unevenly. But it corrected itself, and from thereon, I had no other issues with the burn. The cigar produced volumes of smoke. A good draw with slight resistance and a pleasant sweetness with medium body were exhibited.

SLR:  This was where this cigar shined. It was an excellent, well balanced cigar with sweet earthy flavors. It was not strong, yet had loads of great flavors. This cigar will appeal to a wide audience.

Elk Twin: The first few puffs had an oily sharpness, and a finish that tasted a bit green. But the greenness went away fairly soon. The resulting flavor was light in both style and depth. No real power or complexity, although the light tastes that came through were pleasant. Sugar cane and baled hay. Smooth, unless I smoked too fast, in which case I got a small bite. The finish was thin and a bit syrupy like molasses. Halfway through, the depth of flavor increased incrementally. Good even burn and a medium gray ash that did not flake.

Summary Comments

Fishin' Phil:  If you are looking for a spice bomb, this is it! If you are looking for subtle nuances, look elsewhere. There are times that I'm looking for spice, and at those times, I would definitely reach for this cigar.

AnejoMoFo: A nice medium strength smoke. While not particularly exciting, this cigar periodically showed some quality flavors. An even burn and plenty of smoke made for a relaxing experience, albeit totally lacking in complexity and intensity. This churchill would be a welcoming introduction for the initiate cigar enthusiast or the first time smoker.

TommyBB:  To reiterate what I stated in my earlier comments, this was a pretty, well made cigar with a smooth cap and lovely Rosado wrapper. I was initially taken aback by the mild, delicate flavor of this cigar. It was not unpleasant by any means. A nice smoke, but one that requires a bit of attention when being smoked.

ronin: A very nice cigar. Not a shape I usually smoke, but I really enjoyed the time spent with this cigar. It provided two hours of relaxation and enjoyment.

SLR:  Outstanding cigar. Rich and well balanced. These smoke great right out of the box.

 

Scores

Review Results

Final Score: 37.5 out of 50 - 4 Stars -- Excellent  

My own impression of this cigar is that it hits the mark that Mike was looking for when he created the Dea line. To my tastes, it is on the mild side of medium-bodied, yet flavorful and complex. You may have to concentrate a little to pick up on all of the flavor nuances in the smoke, but it's well worth the effort. An excellent morning cigar with a good cup of coffee!

Available exclusively from MD Cigars: http://www.mdcigars.com/dea.htm

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