From the Back of the Humidor — Veritas 412 Revisited

I dug deep into the humidor for my Friday evening smoke and came up with a Veritas 412 — a boutique cigar I used to enjoy regularly at Olde Towne Tobacconist at the Farm. I still had a couple tucked away in the back, sticks I picked up at the now-closed shop and had been aging for the past two years. It felt like the makings of a nostalgic evening.

The Veritas 412 is a 6 x 54 toro featuring a dark, slightly mottled Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder and a blend of Pennsylvania and Nicaraguan (Estelí and Condega) filler tobaccos. The cigar is firm, smoothly rolled, and even after two years in the humidor, it retained a nice oily sheen. The “412” name is a nod to the Pittsburgh area code — home to founder Chris Weber.

The cigar opens with a pepper-forward profile, likely driven by the Broadleaf. Dark chocolate and cocoa notes quickly take center stage, becoming the dominant flavor. A subtle dark fruit sweetness and a hint of coffee round out the profile as the smoke progresses. It’s a bold, dense cigar that remains fairly consistent over its roughly 90-minute smoking time.

The cellophane had taken on a golden hue, a subtle indicator of its age. Despite the time in the humidor, performance was flawless. After the initial toast and light, I never needed to touch the flame again. Smoke production was thick and steady, the burn line even, and the ash held firm.

Smoking the Veritas 412 brought back memories of Friday nights at the brewery-based cigar lounge. The lounge at 1781 Brewery has been closed for nearly two years now, but those evenings still come to mind easily. Back then, the 412 was usually paired with a craft beer. This time, I went in a different direction and poured a glass of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.

This particular bottle was Batch A124, released in January 2024. At 119 proof, it’s still a bold pour — even if on the lower end for the series. The bourbon held its own alongside the cigar, offering rich notes of brown sugar and caramel up front, followed by charred oak and a cinnamon-laced finish. A few drops of water softened the spice and brought forward more sweetness, complementing the cigar nicely.

As for Veritas Cigars, their current status is something of a mystery. The brand, founded in 2011, rode the boutique cigar wave with a number of well-regarded blends, including the 412. Production at one point moved to Fábrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, a respected factory known for Black Label Trading Company releases. In recent years, however, the brand has gone quiet — its website offline and social media dormant.

Smoking the Veritas 412 was both nostalgic and a bit bittersweet. It made for a perfect spring evening on the porch — good cigar, good bourbon, and time to reflect. Finding these in the humidor brought back memories of the brewery lounge and the people who made those nights enjoyable. And as I smoked, it dawned on me that I may not come across these again anytime soon. For now, I think I’ll let the last one rest a while longer.

Cheers!