A Surprisingly Nice Find!

Cigar Reviewed: Hiram & Solomon Master Mason Toro

My wife is out of town, and she came across an event mentioned on Instagram. She suggested I got to it. It was a great deal: $45 for two cigars, two beers, and some food. I didn't have much going on, so I got a ticket and went over.

What neither of us realized, though, was that this was a Cigar Social for a local Mason Lodge. And, with things reopening post-pandemic, there were a lot of people excited to have a reason to get out. There wasn't any room in the smoking area, so I enjoyed the other offerings and then took the cigars home to enjoy on the deck.

The pack had two different cigars, both from Hiram & Solomon. There was a Master Mason Toro 6x52 and a Veiled Prophet Monarch 6x54. I decided to have the Master Mason first and save the Veiled Prophet for later.

This was my first experience with the Hiram & Solomon brand. Not being a Mason myself, I found the promotional packaging a bit too reliant on society imagery. I'm sure that speaks to the target audience, particularly for charity events and such, but I was expecting the quality of the cigars to be lesser. My experience is that much leaning into the gimmick means the product may be of lower quality.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong! The cigars had a great feel when I pulled off the cellophane. I loved the grip of the wrapping. The cigar itself was firm and consistent throughout.

I really loved the flavor on initial light-up. The smoke was light and aromatic, with a creamy start and peppery finish. It had some jammy fruit notes as well, which was nice. The flavor developed darker tones as it went on, transitioning to a more earthy profile about halfway through. That just intensified through the last third.

Also, I was quite impressed with how well this stayed lit. There was a healthy breeze on the deck this afternoon. I anticipated having to re-light a few times, but this burned consistently.

Overall, despite initial suspicions, I found this one a was quite satisfactory, and would make a good smoke for summer evenings!