‘Veiled Prophet cigars’

     

I feel like I may be the only Freemason who hasn’t yet sampled Hiram and Solomon cigars, but I’m a pipe smoker, so I plead nolo contendere. The company has expanded its offerings to include a line named for the fastest growing order in the Masonic family: the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm!

We call it the Grotto for short. Here’s what the cigar makers say about their new Veiled Prophet sticks in their publicity:


In spite of its name, the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm is not an occult or mystical organization, but entirely a fellowship association for Master Masons. The order was created in 1889 by LeRoy Fairchild and members of a Masonic lodge in Hamilton, New York. It grew out of an expressed desire of lodge members for diversions from the mundane concerns. Meeting for the first time in September of 1889, the order was originally known as the Fairchild Deviltry Committee. The idea proved a popular one, and the next year, members of the growing organization formally instituted the Supreme Council of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. From the beginning, membership was limited to Master Masons in good standing.


I’m not sure what is meant by “mundane,” but the cigars come in several shapes. The website shows a toro, named the Monarch, which is six inches in length and has a hefty 54 ring gauge. There also is a double corona, named the Grand Monarch, which measures a massive 7x60. On Facebook they also show what looks like a lonsdale, but their website doesn’t give specs on that.

The blend? It is said to consist of a Colorado wrapper from Brazil, binder leaves from Indonesia, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Paraguay, including some ligero, so I’m guessing this is a pretty full-bodied smoke. The publicity says the Veiled Prophet “elicits the aroma of cedar, coffee and caramel, finishing with hints of earth and pepper.”

It seems there is only one retailer in Manhattan who carries the brand, so check them out at Cigarillos on Spring Street in SoHo.