Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition

Every year, the letters TAA begin popping up on this website and others with a fairly impressive frequency. It used to be in and around January, which is when the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) held its annual meeting, but it has since shifted to the late summer and early fall, as the organization moved its get-together to late October. The reason for those letters popping up is because of the numerous cigars made for the retail members of the organization by the associate members, which are largely cigar manufacturers.

The TAA is a group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, about 80 retailers, many with multiple locations, as well as 40 or so manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants. The TAA also has what is referred to as the Exclusive Series program, cigars or vitolas made exclusively for the group.

In 2019, Nat Sherman produced a limited edition of its Timeless line, which it aptly called the Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition. Like the rest of the line, it is a Dominican puro, but offered in a 6 x 49 toro for TAA retailers. Production was limited to 1,500 boxes of 10 cigars, a total run of 15,000 cigars, with the cigars made at the Quesada’s TABADEX factory. They were priced at $14.50 per cigar and $145 per box.

“We are offering this incredibly special cigar to an equally special group of retailers,” said Michael Herklots, the then vp of Nat Sherman International, in a press release at the time of the cigar’s announcement in March 2019. “This project has been in the works for just over a year, and the cigars are enjoying their final stages of cold aging, preserving the tobacco’s rich characteristics while allowing proper marriage of essential oils, and balancing of humidity.”

There would be one more Nat Sherman TAA release in 2020 before Altria shut down the Nat Sherman brand’s cigar business and its retail store in September 2020, The Timeless brand lives on, however, as Herklots and Brendon Scott acquired the brand from Altria and made them part of their new company, Ferio Tego, alongside the Metropolitan, Epoca, Host, and Ancora lines.

Here’s what I said about the Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition when I reviewed it in September 2019:

While I enjoyed the bulk of what the Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition had to offer, the earthiness and terroir proved to be a bit too much at times, particularly in the final third where it—and possibly some other odd flavors—took over the profile to the point of costing the cigar a couple of points in each sample. While none were overly problematic, I was a bit concerned by the variance in the roll and draw, which is exhibited by the wide variance in smoking time, as it makes me wonder just how wide it is across the entire batch. I’ll be intrigued to see how this performs when I inevitably redux it down the road; if the terroir matures and develops a bit, this could be a much different and more enjoyable smoke than what I was able to get out of it now.

• Cigar Reviewed: Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Quesada Cigars
• Wrapper: Dominican Republic
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 49
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $14.50 (Box of 10, $145)
• Release Date: May 2019
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

This Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition arrived to me without a cellophane sleeve, so I’m not surprised there is not much in the way of oils on the wrapper leaf. The cigar has a bit of a waxy texture to it, along with a bit of a parchment feel. The veins are small enough they don’t add much to the texture. The cigar is still quite firm, particularly at the foot, where I find little in the way of give. It still looks great, with flat seams, a trio of bands, and no visual imperfections. The foot has an aroma that doesn’t immediately generate memories; it’s slightly sweet and slightly grainy, making me think of a cereal of some sort. The cold draw is smooth and easy, maybe a touch open, and has a similar taste as the aroma, just a bit milder. Due to a powdery sensation I get after a couple of draws, there’s also something that reminds me of baseball card bubble gum.

The first puffs have an interesting creaminess to them, as there’s also a bit of a mouth-drying aspect as well. The flavor is pretty mellow, but the body of the smoke is rather full, which delivers a good amount of sensation on my taste buds. Beneath that, I get a dry, almost dusty earth flavor and maybe a touch of cocoa powder. Beyond that, the Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition feels like it is struggling to deliver a defined flavor profile. Retrohales don’t offer a ton, but they do reinforce the initial flavor of creaminess while adding a touch of pepper. I haven’t looked back at my notes to see what it offered six years ago, but I have to imagine that my list of flavors then is a good bit longer than it is now. The creaminess continues to drive the first third before a bit of dry pretzel and a mix of black and red pepper join in as the second third gets underway. That change makes the flavor more lively, though not more nuanced. The pepper begins to edge out the creaminess as the leading flavor and sensation as the burn line reaches the midway point, giving the cigar a more assertive flavor than it has had thus far. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-full, and strength is mild. Construction is very good with no issues.

The second half of the Nat Sherman Timeless 2019 TAA Limited Edition starts with more of a physical sensation from the black pepper, which is dry and a bit thin on the palate, but leaves a fairly long-lasting tingle on my taste buds. There’s some drying of my mouth happening as well. The creaminess does its best to hang on through the second third of the cigar, though it eventually gets overtaken by the pepper and a little touch of dry earthiness. As the final third gets underway and the peppery flavor seemingly destined to take the cigar to its conclusion, a bit of creaminess comes back into the equation, and then suddenly surges in, almost reaching the levels it was at in the first third. The pepper holds on to give the cigar some complexity and duality for a good chunk of the final third, before it begins to bow out, the creaminess thickens up, some heat comes into the equation, and the cigar comes to its conclusion. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is medium-minus. Construction remains very good, with plenty of smoke, a smooth draw, an even burn line, and no combustion issues. The cigar smokes quicker than I expected, taking about an hour and 45 minutes.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.