Martinez Hangry Prelight
Don Antonio Genaro Martinez founded Martinez Cigars in 1974. Don Antonio started his journey in cigars in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, as a second-generation cigar roller. The small but mighty cigar factory opened its doors on 29th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, New York. Don Antonio eventually retired in 2001, leaving the factory to be run by his son, Jesus Martinez. Today, Martinez Cigars is one of the few remaining cigar factories in the Northeastern United States.
Luxury Cigar Club and Martinez Cigars released Hangry in March 2021. It was a collaborative effort meant to showcase domestic cigar talent and the high-quality tobaccos used. Hangry is available in only one vitola, a 7 x 44 Lonsdale. The blend is composed of a 5-year-aged Mexican San Andres wrapper, over a Nicaraguan Jalapa 2016 binder, and Nicaraguan Seco and Viso Esteli 2018 fillers.
The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with a ton of visible tooth. The wrapper has a light oily sheen and some small veins. The aromas are of cask and spiced rum. The draw is perfect with notes of oatmeal.
Martinez Hangry First Third
The Hangry opens up with medium plus smoke output. The notes on the palate are whiskey cask, cocoa powder, and rich earth. The retrohale shows strong espresso, mocha, and a blend of black and white peppercorns. The strength of flavor is full. The finish is medium with notes of whiskey cask. The overall profile is bold, but balanced, with a subtle sweetness. The ash is tight and very toothy, the burn line is strong, and the draw is perfect.
Martinez Hangry Second Third
The palate notes are oak, apple wood, green bell pepper, and rich earth. The retrohale reveals notes of mocha, cream, and a blend of muted black and white peppercorns. The strength of flavor is medium-full. The smoke output is medium. The finish is medium, with notes of apple wood and white peppercorn. The overall profile has calmed down significantly. The earthy and vegetal notes have increased while the pepper flavors are diminishing. The ash, burn, and construction continue to be flawless.
Martinez Hangry Final Third
The flavors on the palate are apple wood, green bell pepper, savory herbs, and rich earth. The retorhale tones are drip coffee, vanilla, and muted black pepper. The strength of flavor remains at medium-full. The smoke output remains at medium. The finish also remains at medium with notes of green bell pepper. Apple wood and green bell pepper are the dominant flavors in the profile. The ash, burn, and construction have remained perfect. Past the band, the flavors were very consistent. I smoked this one down to the nub.
Martinez Hangry Conclusions
Luxury Cigar Club and Martinez brought us a killer collaborative cigar with the Hangry. The flavor profile featured rich, woody notes, earthy elements, and a distinct expression of sweetness in each third. The flavors themselves were not exactly unique, but this cigar was much more than the sum of its parts. The construction was top-tier, and I absolutely loved the vitola. I wish Lonsdales were more popular, as we all need more of them in our lives. This cigar was a pleasure to smoke, and I’m so excited to try more from the NYC legends, Martinez Cigars.
