Small Batch Chronicles is our dedicated livestream series highlighting premium craft and boutique cigars from the scenic heights of Northeast Georgia. Each episode, filmed in the comfort of Mount Yonah’s Exclusive Gym and Cigar Sanctuary (MY Gym), features two exceptional small-batch cigars, exploring their unique characteristics, brand stories, construction details, and flavor profiles.
We complement these insights with pairing suggestions and cigar science to enhance your appreciation of these artisanal creations, bringing the sophistication of Helen, GA’s emerging cigar culture to enthusiasts everywhere.
Our second episode explores two distinct expressions from Black Label Trading Company: Lawless and Last Rites. These cigars demonstrate how a single boutique brand can create dramatically different experiences through wrapper selection and blending expertise.
Black Label Trading Co – Lawless Robusto Real (5 x 50)
Specifications
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Strength: Medium Plus
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Oveja Negra Factory)
- Smoking Time: Approximately 1 hour
Brand Story
Black Label Trading Company creates hand-crafted premium cigars in small batch, highly limited quantities. The brand embodies a rebellious spirit with distinctive blends that challenge conventional expectations. Their cigars are produced at the renowned Oveja Negra Factory in Nicaragua, ensuring meticulous attention to quality and construction.
The Lawless name perfectly reflects the brand’s independent approach to cigar making, breaking free from industry norms to create unique expressions. Like the mythical dragon that bows to no authority, Lawless represents an untamed spirit in the boutique cigar world, embodying Black Label’s philosophy of creating distinctive smoking experiences that stand apart from mainstream offerings.
Flavor Profile
Through our Ayurvedic lens, Lawless offers a beautiful balance of complementary tastes. Bold flavors of dark fruit, earth, and cocoa dominate the experience. A mix of cinnamon and pepper back up the almost meaty, chewy finish.
The Rosado (“rose-colored”) wrapper is a Cuban-seed variety known for its unique hue and rich flavors. This wrapper was initially very difficult to grow outside of certain regions in Cuba, making the Habano Rosado a gorgeous and relatively uncommon strain that typically appears in limited editions.
Cigar Science
- Rosado Wrapper Magic: The distinctive rose-colored hue isn’t just for looks – it indicates a specific level of maturation and sunlight exposure. These wrappers require precise growing conditions to develop their characteristic reddish tones without becoming too dark. The pigmentation is directly related to the concentration of natural oils and sugars that deliver flavor.
- Fermentation Science: The rich dark fruit notes come from specific compounds called esters that develop during fermentation. For Lawless, the fermentation process was likely carefully monitored to promote these fruit-forward esters while preserving the earth and cocoa characteristics.
- Combustion Chemistry: The “chewy” mouthfeel happens because of the balance of oils and proteins in the tobacco leaves. When heated, these compounds create a thicker smoke with more suspended particles that literally have more weight on your palate.
- Cinnamon Compounds: The cinnamon notes aren’t from additives – they’re natural flavor compounds called cinnamaldehydes that occur in certain Nicaraguan tobaccos, especially when grown in specific soil conditions.
Recommended Pairings
Coffee Pairings
- Butter Coffee: The rich, creamy texture enhances the “chewy” quality of Lawless, creating a luxurious smoking experience while amplifying the cocoa notes and softening the pepper characteristics.
- Medium-Dark Roast Ethiopian: The natural berry notes complement the dark fruit flavors in Lawless.
- Guatemalan Coffee: Its chocolate and spice notes enhance the cocoa and cinnamon characteristics.
Spirit Pairings
- Aged Rum (like Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva or Zacapa 23): The sweetness complements the fruit notes in the Rosado wrapper.
- Irish Whiskey (like Redbreast 12): Its fruit-forward character and subtle spice create harmony with Lawless.
- Reposado Tequila: The slight oak aging mirrors the earthy qualities while complementing the cigar’s medium-plus body.
Black Label Trading Co – Last Rites Robusto (5 x 54)
Specifications
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro
- Binder: Honduras
- Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras
- Strength: Full
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Oveja Negra Factory)
- Smoking Time: Approximately 1 hour
Brand Story
Within Black Label Trading Company’s portfolio of rebellious offerings, Last Rites represents one of their boldest expressions, with a name that evokes finality and intensity. This cigar further showcases the brand’s blending expertise and commitment to creating distinctive experiences.
The name “Last Rites” suggests a final, powerful experience – much like the religious ceremony performed at the end of life. This fits perfectly with its position as one of the brand’s strongest, most complex offerings.
Like the Three Fates of Greek mythology who determine the course of mortal lives, Last Rites delivers a predetermined journey through intense flavors, exemplifying how Black Label Trading Company creates cigars that tell a story through smoke.
Flavor Profile
From our tactical analysis perspective, Last Rites presents a strategically designed flavor progression. Intense dried fruit flavors are blended with bitter cocoa and black pepper in this full-bodied offering. Hints of cedar are mixed with intense star anise and black cherry on the complex, chewy finish.
The dark Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper contributes significant richness to the overall experience, while the combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers creates a complex interplay of flavors that evolves throughout the smoke.
Cigar Science
- Maduro Development: The Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper gets its intense dark color through extended fermentation at higher temperatures. This process breaks down chlorophyll and transforms sugars into more complex compounds, creating those intense dried fruit and bitter cocoa notes.
- Cross-Country Complexity: The combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos creates what blenders call “tension” – the natural characteristics of each country’s tobacco pull against each other, creating a more complex flavor profile.
- Nicotine Strength Balance: Last Rites achieves its full-bodied classification through strategic leaf selection. Tobacco leaves from higher on the plant (ligero leaves) naturally contain more nicotine and oils. Master blenders balance them with leaves from the middle and lower parts of the plant to create strength without sacrificing smoothness.
- Anise Flavor Development: The star anise notes come from natural compounds in the tobacco called anethole and estragole. These develop most prominently in tobaccos grown in specific mineral-rich volcanic soils.
Recommended Pairings
Coffee Pairings
- Butter Coffee: The creamy, somewhat sweet qualities create a pleasing counterpoint to the bitter cocoa and black pepper notes, while helping temper the full strength without diminishing the complex character.
- Dark French Roast: The intensity stands up to Last Rites’ full-bodied character.
- Espresso: The concentrated bitter-sweet profile matches the cigar’s cocoa notes.
- Cold Brew with a splash of bourbon: Creates a perfect match for the anise and black cherry finish.
Spirit Pairings
- Port Wine: The dried fruit notes in both the port and the cigar create a wonderful resonance.
- Bourbon (particularly higher-proof options like Booker’s or Stagg Jr.): The vanilla and caramel notes balance the intensity.
- Islay Scotch (like Ardbeg or Laphroaig): For adventurous palates, the smoky peat creates an interesting counterpoint to the maduro wrapper’s richness.
Enhanced Tasting Techniques
Premium Olive Oil Ritual: Taking a small “shot” of high-quality, single-origin olive oil before or during these cigars can enhance the experience:
- With Lawless: A fruity, grassy olive oil complements the rosado wrapper’s complexity.
- With Last Rites: A robust, peppery olive oil with bitter notes creates a natural bridge to the full-bodied intensity.
- The fatty acids in the oil help your palate handle stronger flavor profiles without fatigue.
- The oil’s coating effect allows you to experience complex notes more fully.
Tactical Breathing Approach: Before lighting either cigar, we recommend incorporating a tactical breathing technique that enhances both the physical and mental aspects of cigar appreciation. This simple exercise—inhale deeply for four counts, hold for four counts, then exhale slowly for four counts, repeated 3-4 times—serves multiple purposes:
- Palate Preparation: The controlled breathing helps clear your olfactory senses and prepare your palate, much like a reset between wine tastings.
- Sensory Enhancement: This brief meditation increases your awareness of the present moment, allowing you to detect more subtle flavor transitions throughout the smoke.
- Smoke Control: The breathing technique creates better control over your smoking cadence, preventing overheating the cigar which can mask delicate flavor notes.
- Appreciation Ritual: Like toasting and lighting, this becomes part of the ceremonial aspect of premium cigar enjoyment, heightening the overall experience.
This approach is particularly valuable with complex offerings like Lawless and Last Rites, where numerous flavor notes can be missed without intentional focus. The technique transforms a casual smoke into a deliberate sensory exploration.
Comparing the Experiences: A Study in Contrasts
What makes this pairing particularly fascinating is seeing how Black Label Trading Company creates two dramatically different expressions while maintaining a cohesive brand identity. These cigars serve as perfect counterpoints, creating a comprehensive study in the blender’s art:
Wrapper Science & Sensory Impact
The Ecuadorian Habano Rosado on Lawless versus the Ecuadorian Maduro on Last Rites creates a textbook demonstration of wrapper influence.
The Rosado’s natural oils deliver brighter fruit notes with greater aromatic complexity, while the Maduro’s extended fermentation transforms those same compounds into deeper, more concentrated flavor molecules.
This creates not just flavor differences but textural contrasts – the Rosado presenting a more refined mouthfeel compared to the Maduro’s substantial, chewy density.
Strength Architecture
The progression from Lawless (Medium Plus) to Last Rites (Full) reveals how blenders strategically build strength profiles:
- Lawless: Achieves its medium-plus classification through balanced ligero-to-seco ratios in the filler, creating a strength that supports flavor rather than dominating it
- Last Rites: Employs higher proportions of ligero leaves and locations higher on the tobacco plant, resulting in significantly increased nicotine content and oil concentration
Flavor Spectrum Exploration
These cigars occupy different regions of the flavor wheel while maintaining familial connections:
- Shared DNA: Both feature cocoa notes, pepper elements, and fruit characteristics
- Divergent Expression: Lawless presents these as brighter, more distinct flavor points, while Last Rites merges them into a more integrated, concentrated experience
- Temporal Evolution: Lawless maintains more consistent flavor throughout the smoke, while Last Rites demonstrates more pronounced transformation from first light to final third
Construction Philosophy
Despite their flavor differences, both cigars share Black Label Trading Company’s commitment to impeccable construction.
The draw resistance, burn line consistency, and ash structure demonstrate the advantage of both being produced at the Oveja Negra Factory.
Both employ what master rollers call a “Cuban-style” triple cap application, though Last Rites requires slightly thicker wrapper leaf to support its more robust blend.
Blending Intent
Perhaps most fascinating is how these cigars represent different facets of the same blending philosophy—one emphasizing accessibility without sacrificing complexity (Lawless), one pushing intensity while maintaining balance (Last Rites).
Through careful component selection and proportioning, Black Label Trading Company demonstrates how to create dramatically different experiences while maintaining a distinctive house style.
Through our approach that combines Ayurvedic flavor analysis with tactical precision, we can appreciate how these cigars function as complementary experiences—Lawless serving as an excellent introduction to the brand’s style before advancing to the more demanding but rewarding Last Rites.
Together, they showcase the remarkable range possible within a single manufacturer’s portfolio.
About the Blog
This Small Batch Chronicles blog post is part of our ongoing commitment to educate and inform cigar enthusiasts about exceptional boutique offerings across Northeast Georgia. Each featured cigar from our livestream—recorded in the serene setting of MY Gym’s premium cigar sanctuary near Mount Yonah—receives this comprehensive treatment, creating a valuable resource for both new and experienced aficionados.
We believe that understanding the story, science, and sensory experience behind each cigar enhances appreciation and enjoyment. By documenting these details, we hope to contribute to the preservation and celebration of the craft cigar tradition while highlighting the growing premium cigar culture in Helen, GA and surrounding areas.
Follow us on Instagram @trcigars_and_cafe for upcoming Small Batch Chronicles livestreams and other mountain lifestyle content. Remember, as we say at MY Gym: “Strength in body, peace in mind, pleasure in moderation.”
In strength and serenity,
Tim & Vie
Founders & Master Trainers
Mount Yonah Speakeasy Gym and Cigar Sanctuary
