Brick House Double Connecticut Torpedo Review

Overview

In the pantheon of everyday premium cigars, the Brick House Double Connecticut Torpedo occupies a quietly distinguished corner. From the storied HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras—a facility long synonymous with J.C. Newman’s commitment to craftsmanship—this vitola represents a deliberate pivot from the brand’s original, fuller-bodied legacy. Where the classic Brick House draws strength from a dark, oily wrapper, the Double Connecticut line introduces a softer, creamier counterpoint, engineered specifically to capture the nuance of the Connecticut shade market. The result is a cigar that feels less like a compromise and more like a masterclass in restraint.

The torpedo’s visual appeal is immediate and understated: an Ecuador-grown Connecticut shade wrapper of pale golden tan, silky to the touch with a light sheen and almost no visible veins. It is the kind of wrapper that telegraphs elegance before the first draw. Beneath it lies a Nicaraguan binder and a carefully curated blend of long-fillers from Jalapa and Estelí—tobaccos that have been aged a minimum of two years before meeting the roller’s bench. The construction is exemplary for the price point; the torpedo head cuts cleanly, the draw offers a gentle resistance, and the burn line remains arrow-straight, producing a firm, pale grey ash that holds well past an inch. This is a cigar that behaves with a discipline rarely found in the eight-to-eleven dollar range.

Flavor-wise, the Double Connecticut Torpedo defies the stereotype that Connecticut shade wrappers yield monotony. The first third opens with fresh hay, light cream, and toasted almond on the cold draw, then settles into a smooth, creamy cedar note with a mild white pepper on the retrohale. By the second third, the creaminess deepens into buttered toast, with emerging notes of cashew and a whisper of vanilla bean. A subtle earthiness—likely the contribution of the Estelí filler—builds beneath the sweetness, providing a structural counterbalance that keeps the profile from becoming cloying. Dried chamomile notes add complexity without aggression. In the final third, the experience shifts gently upward: a light espresso roast, a touch more pepper, and a nutty, drier finish with white oak and a clean, sweet tobacco exhale. The strength remains restrained throughout—a mild-medium (2/5) that never tips into harshness, even at the nub.

This is a cigar that punches well above its class. HATSA’s execution of Nicaraguan filler beneath a Connecticut shade wrapper is underrated in a market crowded with similar offerings. The Double Connecticut Torpedo is the cigar you hand to a skeptic who equates Connecticut with boredom—it has just enough Nicaraguan backbone to engage the experienced smoker while remaining entirely approachable for the newcomer. It is honest, dependable, and remarkably refined for an everyday smoke. In a landscape where value and quality often feel mutually exclusive, this Brick House stands as proof that they are not.