Today, we review the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Natural, the fourth installment of Protocol’s Lawman Series. The Lawman Series is an extension of Protocol Cigars’ cigars and law enforcement theme. The Lawman Series pays homage to some of the historical figures in law enforcement. This series is a more premium offering in the Protocol Cigars portfolio. This is reflected in both the blends and the corresponding packaging. Phoebe Couzins is the first installment of the Lawman Series that pays homage to a female. As with all of the Lawman Series releases, Phoebe Couzins comes in Natural and Maduro blends. Today, our focus in this assessment is on the Natural blend.

Phoebe Couzins was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She became the first woman in United States history to graduate from a law school and later one of the first female lawyers in the country. In 1887, she became the first female U.S. Marshal in the country. Couzins was also a women’s rights activist. She was a member of the St. Louis Woman Suffrage Association, where she drew attention as a public speaker.

To date, the Lawmen Series has four installments, each released in Natural and Maduro lines.

• Protocol Sir Robert Peel (Natural and Maduro)
• Protocol Eliot Ness (Natural and Maduro)
• Protocol Bass Reeves (Natural and Maduro)
• Protocol Phoebe Couzins (Natural and Maduro)

Let’s break down the Phoebe Couzins Natural without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Protocol Phoebe Couzins Natural – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Phoebe Couzins Natural features a Ecuadorian Sumatra Rosado wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and all Nicaraguan fillers. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Rosado
Binder: Jalapa
Fillers: Ligero Esteli, Viso Esteli Corojo, and Viso Condega
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: San Lotano

Vitolas Offered

Both blends of the Phoebe Couzins have been released in one size—a 6 x 52 box-pressed Toro. This is the same size and format that the other installments of the Lawmen Series were first released in. The cigars come in ten-count boxes.

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Sumatra Rosado wrapper of the Phoebe Couzins Natural had a medium-brown/dark-caramel color to it. Normally rosado brings some level of a reddish tint, and in this case there was a subtle amount in the overall color scheme. There was a slight bit of oil and a very slight amount of mottling on the surface of the wrapper. There were some thin veins also on the wrapper’s surface. Any visible wrapper seams were minimal. The cigar itself has a square press shape.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Phoebe Couzins Natural, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was detached from the cigar, it was time to commence the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of cocoa and natural tobacco. From a flavor standpoint, this was a simple pre-light draw, but one that was still satisfactory in my book. At this point it was time to remove the footer ribbon of the Phoebe Couzins Natural and begin the smoking experience.

Tasting Notes

The Phoebe Couzins Natural picked up where the pre-light draw left off with more notes of cocoa and natural tobacco. In addition there were notes of white pepper and earth that entered the equation. Early on the combination of cocoa and natural tobacco moved to the forefront while the pepper and earth settled in the background. Later in the first third the natural tobacco notes took over as the sole primary note. Meawhile there was an additional layer of white pepper on the retro-hale.

The second third of the Phoebe Couzins Natural saw the natural tobacco notes remain in the forefront. Meanwhile there was an increase in the earth and pepper notes. The pepper notes also increased on the retro-hale where they delivered a sharper spice. By the end of the second third, the earth notes displaced the natural tobacco as the primary note.

There wasn’t much change in the final third. The earth notes remained primary and the three secondary notes of pepper, cocoa, and natural tobacco. As the Phoebe Couzins Natural came to a close, the cigar the cigar had a soft, cool nub.

Burn

On each of the samples of the Phoebe Couzins Natural, the burn started out low maintenance, but by the second third it required frequent touch-ups to keep a straight burn path and burn line. By the final third, the burn was low maintenance again requiring less touch-ups.  The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color scheme. This was an ash that was skewed toward to looser side. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Draw

Overall the Phoebe Couzins Natural had an open, but not loose draw. Normally I do like a touch of resistance to the draw. In the end, the open draw did not result in any adverse effects.

Strength and Body

Overall I found the Phoebe Couzins Natural to be a bolder cigar than its Maduro counterpart. This was a cigar that started out both medium to full in strength and body. There was a nominal increase in intensity for both attributes, but in the end both the strength and body remained medium to full.

In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overpowering the others.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The comments on banding and packaging are the same as for the Maduro:

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

While both the Phoebe Couzins Maduro and Natural come in with the same score, I’m giving a slight edge to the Natural. In the end while I found while the Natural had a little less complexity than the Maduro, the Natural produced better flavors overall. While I have been disappointed with the majority of Sumatra wrapped cigar over the past year, the Phoebe Couzins Natural surprised me and actually had me coming back for more.  This is a cigar that I would recommend to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast, but I certainly wouldn’t discourage a novice from trying. This is also a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors:  Cocoa, Natural Tobacco, Earth , Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy One
Score: 89

REFERENCES

News: Protocol Phoebe Couzins Set to Release
Price:  $12.55
Source: Protocol Cigars
Brand Reference: Protocol

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating

 

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