Brick House Double Connecticut Short Robusto Review

Overview

The Brick House Connecticut Double Connecticut Short Robusto is a masterclass in restraint—a cigar that proves mildness need not be synonymous with blandness. Launched circa 2019 as part of General Cigar’s Brick House Connecticut sub-line, this vitola represents a thoughtful recalibration of what an everyday Connecticut-shade smoke can be. The defining innovation is the ‘Double Connecticut’ construction: both the silky, golden-straw Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and the Nicaraguan Jalapa binder are grown from Connecticut-seed leaf. This dual application creates a rare coherence of flavor, binding the profile from wrapper to binder in a way that single-wrapper Connecticuts often cannot achieve. Produced at General Cigar’s HATSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the blend uses long-fillers from Jalapa and Estelí that have been aged a minimum of two years before rolling. The result is a cigar that, at 4.5 x 54, delivers a 45- to 55-minute session of elegant, accessible complexity. In an era where intensity often dominates the conversation, the Double Connecticut Short Robusto asserts that subtlety, when executed with precision, is its own form of power.

The smoking experience opens with a creamy sweetness—fresh cream and toasted almonds—that immediately signals the cigar’s refined intent. Light cedar and hay notes emerge mid-way through the first third, joined by a pastry-like quality on the retrohale that speaks to the inherent sweetness of the Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. Pepper is virtually absent, making the first draws disarmingly approachable yet never simple. As the cigar progresses into the second third, the profile gains gentle complexity: cashew, light honey, and dried grass introduce themselves, while a subtle floral note—reminiscent of white tea or chamomile—weaves through the mid-section. The creaminess remains a constant throughline, never cloying, never monotonous, anchoring the experience in a quiet decadence that seasoned smokers will recognize as the signature of careful blending.

The final third shifts to a warmer, earthier tone, with mild leather and white pepper appearing on the retrohale. The sweetness recedes to a gentle vanilla finish, and the construction heat remains controlled even as the nub approaches. The burn is immaculate for the price point: a razor-even line producing a firm, chalk-white ash that holds for a full inch or more before releasing cleanly. The draw is open and effortless, yielding generous, creamy smoke volume without any hint of looseness. This is a Short Robusto that does not punish the smoker for haste—it rewards those who take the full 45 minutes with a consistent, well-regulated journey from first light to last.

The Double Connecticut Short Robusto is a quiet triumph in General Cigar’s mainstream portfolio. It is not a beginner’s cigar by accident; it is a deliberately mild cigar that demands a refined palate to fully appreciate the interplay of cream, nut, and floral notes. At under $11, it embarrasses many premium-tier Connecticuts three times its price, offering a level of nuance and construction integrity that is rare at this tier. For the smoker who values elegance over horsepower, this is not just a value play—it is a benchmark. The Brick House name has long stood for reliability; with the Double Connecticut, it stands for sophistication without pretense.