The 1894 references the year Topper Cigars was apparently founded by B.P. Topper, which is two years earlier than previously thought, due to a letter Chris Topper acquired that was written by his great-grandfather in 1921, the letterhead of which states the company was started in 1894 and not 1896 as is on almost every box of Topper cigars. This discovery makes Topper the oldest continuously owned brand of cigar in America!

This moved Topper president, Chris Topper, to make a special 130th anniversary cigar. In a departure from their trademark use of CT Broadleaf as a wrapper, Chris came across a Habano tobacco grown in the Sugar Valley area of Pennsylvania that piqued his interest. Both because it was Habano grown in the US and because Pennsylvania was where Topper Cigars started. According to Chris, the Topper 1894 it is the first cigar in the industry to use this Sugar Valley PA Habano wrapper. Not willing to totally depart from the company’s famous use of Broadleaf however, the filler is US Broadleaf seed grown in the Dominican Republic!

The toro vitola is presented as a 6 x 54 and features a velvety medium brown, slightly mottled wrapper with some veins. The wrapper’s texture feels luxurious in hand, creating an anticipation of the complex aromas and tastes that await.

The draw and construction are on point with little ned for touch ups or relights. I picked up notes of cream, cedar, and a tangy spice from the Habano along with notes of dark cocoa, earth, and a black grape kind of sweetness from the Broadleaf filler. These flavors combine into a mélange of cream, orange zest, baking spice, and cedar on the finish. It is to me medium to medium + in body and medium in strength. It pairs well coffee, and is excellent with bourbon such as Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

While I typically favor bolder, richer cigars, the Topper 1894 Toro is very good, and (bonus!) attractively priced at $10.50. It is definitely not just blowing smoke, but a very enjoyable experience that I have already repeated several times. Highly recommended.