It’s one of my favorite traditions…Sunday morning, sun barely up, me barely up, bacon seasoned and put into the oven, fresh coffee in my cup, chill music playing on the back porch while I light up a cigar. A recent possible addition to my Sunday morning rotation is the Jas Sum Kral Toothpick 2.0 Connecticut. Toothpick 2.0 is the “budget” line of cigars from JSK…although really none of their blends threatens to break the budget at all. It is a mixed filler stick, probably Nicaraguan mostly or totally, although I don’t think that ever gets stated as a fact. It has been available with Habano or Maduro wrapper options for some time, but now the Connecticut Shade version is shipping.
The wrapper of the Toothpick 2.0 Connecticut wasn’t perfect, although I wouldn’t expect it to be for a price point under $4. It had an even and smooth feel under my fingers and a clean grassy aroma to it. The foot had a little more earthiness, but certainly not “in your face.” The cold draw had a bit of a sweet note, which was nice, but mostly hay and light earthiness.
Once lit up, the Toothpick 2.0 Connecticut had notes of citrus, hay, and almost a papery note. It definitely started off in the milder range in terms of body, although with a slight pepper hit on the retrohale. True to mixed filler form, it did burn fairly rapidly and a little hot, which did have the effect of making the body seem to increase in short order. In the end, I liked this blend…but I didn’t love it. It is my least favorite of the Toothpick blends and my least favorite of the Connecticut Shade releases from JSK. That said, the price point is fantastic so it might have a semi-regular place in my humidor.
