The Frank Redux 1 uses the same 7 5/8 x 49 box-pressed double corona vitola as original, as well as a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, dual Nicaraguan binders and Nicaraguan fillers. Johnson said that the redux version has a blend that is similar to the original, but did not go into what kind of differences may exist between the two, for instance due to different crops of tobacco being used.
Beyond the bullet points of the The Frank Redux 1, it marks the return of The Frank, the 2008 release that kicked off the Monster Series, one of the most well-known and most coveted annual limited editions in the cigar industry over the last decade.
The Monster Series became known for its pre-Halloween release date, with cigars packaged in 13-count boxes designed to look like coffins, limited to just 666 boxes or cigars, and limited to just 13 retailers around the country that were known as the Unlucky 13. The series would go to become an annual release, with each subsequent cigar named for either a classic or modern movie monster. While subsequent releases would retain the 666 coffin-style boxes, Johnson would begin releasing cigars in more traditional-style boxes to meet consumer demand. He has also created a number of extensions to the line, such as the recently released Monster Mash, a sampler of all the previous Monster releases in a slightly shorter vitola than the original, which also included a new release known as the Tatuaje Creature. There has also been the Pudgy Monsters, Little Monsters, and a trio of versions under the name Skinny Monsters, including the Skinny Monsters Lanceros and Skinny Monsters Cazadores.
For this release, Johnson is creating 5,000 coffin dress boxes, each containing 13 cigars, making for a total run of 65,000 total cigars.
– Halfwheel
Bought from –
Gifted by The Cigar Collective
Information:
Wrapper: USA (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father S.A.
Aging (if any): 2021 release (4 years)
Single (MSRP): $13
Box (MSRP): $169
Availability: 5,000 boxes
Size:
7 ⅝ x 49
Band/Packaging:
The first of some of the most unique and awesome boxes out there. Each coffin in the Monster series fits well with its paired monster. The band sports the classic simple Tatuaje band in olive green, as it signifies Frankenstein.
Wrapper:
Chocolate brown, rustic, veiny
Construction:
Well packed, no issues
THE REVIEW
Cold draw:
Very open, lots of cocoa, earth, brown sugar
First third:
Black pepper, earth, mocha, cedar, slight menthol, cocoa
Retro:
Cocoa, earth, mocha
Second third:
Cocoa, coffee, cedar, earth, fudge, natural tobacco
Burn:
Excellent, no issues
Smoke:
Thick smoke, large clouds
Final third:
Cocoa, chocolate, fudge, earth, cedar, espresso
Retro:
Earth, espresso, black pepper, tobacco
Duration:
1 hour 34 minutes
Conclusion:
The Frank opens up with pepper, a lot of earth, and a mocha note. These carry throughout the first third along with cedar and a interesting menthol note. Not really of interest to me. As the first third burned a nice cocoa note entered, which became more prominent in the second third. This is where this blend really shined for me. Notes of that cocoa, coffee, cedar, and earth, which morphed into a fudge note. Very delicious. On the back end was a natural tobacco sweetness. The final third was fairly earth forward, and at points seemed a bit muddy, nothing to write home about. While the first and final third of this let me down a bit, the middle third was really enjoyable and carried this blend. Will certainly be trying more of these to see if more aging might do more justice to the first and final third.
