The Altar Q by Oscar Valladares debuted at the 2018 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show. This monumental smoke takes its name from a stone altar carved in 776 A.D. and pays homage to the Mayan empire. The sculpture was discovered in the center of Copán, Honduras, in 1886.
It depicts the lineage of Mayan leaders and the divine right of Mayan King Yax Pac to the throne. Each side of the square block features four of his predecessors, with the combined reign of 16 sovereigns spanning an incredible 350 years. If you look closely at the cigar band design, you can see how this slice of Mayan history has been incorporated.
Oscar Valladares Altar Q cigars are only produced in one size — a 6 x 52 toro. They come in boxes of 16, with each stick representing one of the 16 rulers, bearing their image and name on the larger secondary band that runs down to near the foot.
Every little detail has been attended to. The cigars are loaded into four stacked cedar trays and laid upon curled tobacco leaves. They are placed in the same descending order of the Mayan kings on the stone, inside a box that replicates the imagery of the monument at Copán.
Rolled at Oscar Vallares’ factory in Danlí, Honduras, let’s learn more about a brand founded by three talented industry veterans in 2012.
Brand overview
Oscar Valladares, his brother Hector, and Bayron Duarte are the three names behind this boutique brand. Oscar previously worked for Rocky Patel for nine years, while Duarte boasted over 20 years of experience with the likes of General Cigar and Oliva Cigars on his resume.
Oscar left Rocky Patel and opened his cigar shop in Danli, employing a handful of rollers to provide fresh stogies. Shortly after, Duarte contacted Oscar and Hector about the potential of investing in a small factory in downtown Danli. Interestingly, Oscar had no money and had never intended to have his own factory. He persuaded Hector to take out a mortgage by using the magical words — “Do you trust me?”
The factory, named Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co., would produce all cigars for Oscar. Their first commercially available line was called 2012 by Oscar, using only tobacco grown in Mayan areas. Smokers instantly took to the unique packaging, wrapped in a tobacco leaf rather than cellophane.
Their smokes were introduced to cigar enthusiasts primarily through a collaborative effort with a man known as Jim “Island Jim” Robinson. Robinson liked Oscar’s cigars and wanted to be the first shop in the U.S. to sell them. “Island Jim” owned a small tobacco and coffee shop called Leaf and Bean in Pittsburgh. He bought 30 boxes and began a series known as LEAF that highlighted small artisans.
He wanted Oscar’s cigars to be his house blend and called it Leaf & Bean by Oscar. Oscar’s cigars quickly garnered attention on social media, and other shops began contacting Robinson to start selling Leaf & Bean by Oscar. Oscar didn’t want to sell his cigars with a shop name on it, so he shortened it to Leaf by Oscar.
Leaf by Oscar has now been expanded to four blend variations and is distributed worldwide. The company has also undergone numerous factory moves to increase production capacity and the amount of tobacco they can store and age. They now reside at the 25,000 sq. ft former home of Oliva Cigar Co’s Honduran operation, jumping from 20 workers to more than 100.
Oscar Valladares Cigars recently celebrated a decade of making exceptional smokes, and have become well-known for producing some of the most flavorful Honduran cigars on the market today.
Let’s see if the Altar Q cigar has carved some of Oscar’s traditional trademark flair, fine craftsmanship, and delicious flavors.
Cigar specs
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Length: 6
Ring: 52
Strength: Medium
Smoke Time: 60+ minutes
Cold draw
The Altar Q comes dressed in a shiny Colorado-shaded wrapper. There’s a slight oiliness to the touch as I see what the pre-light draw offers. The cute little pigtail on the cap is a nice visual addition, while I get a waft of caramel, cocoa, and subtle leather from the foot.
Pre-light puffs exhibit a lighter sweetness with a sugary candy-like sweetness, hay, and hints of orange peel.
First third
Taking the throne, the Altar Q is creamy and sweet on the palate, with epic hits of baking spice, mocha coffee, and cedar lingering for an age between draws. While there isn’t a flood of varied flavors, a generous amount of white pepper on the retrohale leaves a spicy tingle on the tongue.
It also merges well with the punchy, sweet profile and delicate cinnamon zest of the Sumatran sweetness.
Second third
The halfway mark retains the creamy consistency, but it’s markedly stronger. A bold woodsy note of toasty oak emerges while the creamy cedar goes up a notch, becoming the ruler.
Undertones of earth, grass, and hay flit in and out, with smoke still impressively purring from the foot, and the burn and draw very much on point.
Final third
As my smoking reign ends, the Altar Q takes a nutty turn. The creamy cedar is still coming forth, but the core profile is one of creamy cashews, leather, vanilla, and walnuts. It gives a real cohesion to the nutty, honey-like sweetness of the blend, with the white pepper on the retrohale still rearing its earlier bite.
So creamy and satisfying with just enough spice to keep it interesting, this great-tasting cigar ended as it began.
Conclusion
The creamy profile and medium-bodied flavors of the Oscar Valladares Altar Q cigars are easy to enjoy. A fantastic morning smoke with a cup of coffee or a pleasant match-up with an ice-cold beer on a hot afternoon, it offers comfort in abundance and historical significance.
Of course, you can celebrate Honduras’ rich Mayan culture by picking up a box of 16 Oscar Valladares Altar Q cigars from cigars.com.