Penn Standard 'Double Standard' 12-Cigar Flight Sampler

Penn Standard hails from young stud blender Raymond Pages out of Esteli, and both blends have the cigarheads buzzin. Offered up in the gorgeous, dark original Broadleaf and the stunning, buttery Gold Standard Connecticut, these blends have a lot to offer.

Penn Standard Broadleaf features a luscious, dark, genuine PA-grown Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, an oily beauty with some nice mottling and tooth. The binder is Habano-seed Esteli-grown leaf; the multi-country fillers are a recipe of Habano Esteli and Habano Condega grown in the jet black volcanic soils of Nicaragua together with Habano Copan from Honduras. Off the bat there’s nice sweetness on the lips with a refined flavor that’s smooth and almost chocolatey together with some spices, yet zero bite and no harshness. The ash is grey and holds firm, developing layer after layer before falling off in large chunks as it progresses. The smoke clouds billow with copious amounts of smoke. Warmer, creamy and smooth with a baked bread aroma, it burns slow with continued spice and strength throughout. Into the second half there is natural tobacco sweetness, hints of coffee, cocoa and leather with a pronounced hickory note and a mellow, pleasant finish on the palate. On the fuller side of medium to full bodied, this complex yet balanced prime steak is solid through and through.

Gold Standard is a Connecticut shade wrapped cigar but it's no mild airball. If you like a bit more character than your standard Connie, this medium-bodied blend will impress. First thing that catches the eye is a grade-A Connecticut Ecuador wrapper that's practically flawless... seamless and beautiful with a golden color, slightly oily sheen, and attractive toothiness. The long filler blend includes five-year aged Pennsylvania and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The combustion and burn are razor sharp, producing a firm white ash that holds for a solid inch plus. Off the bat there are pronounced floral notes and undertones of bread and toast with an almost latte-like flavor. Then spice becomes more prominent along with notes of ginger, earth, and cream of wheat. By the midway point the spice remains but there's an added salty component and the complexity starts to show itself, as the flavor and strength continues building. By the final third there are soft notes of cedar which marry well with the spice and floral component. Overall, Gold Standard is more on the medium side of mild-medium in strength, yet stays very very smooth and well-balanced throughout. An exceptional choice for those that don't want a full-bodied powerhouse in strength but don't want to sacrifice flavor and complexity.

Each 12-cigar Double Standard combo includes:

• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Edmundo (5.5"x54)
• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Colada (5.6"x46)
• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Box-Pressed Magnum 54 (6.5"x54)
• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Belicoso Grande (6"x56)
• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Doble Toro (6"x60)
• 1 x Penn Standard Broadleaf Mysterium Tremendum (7"x52)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut Box-Pressed Bullpup (5.5"x55)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut Delicado (5.6"x46)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut Robusto (5.5"x52)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut 660 (6"x60)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut Box-Pressed Sublime (6.5"x56)
• 1 x Gold Standard Connecticut Esplendido (7"x54)