Ventura Cigars announced Archetype cigars back in 2016, and the range is inspired by famous psychologist Carl Jung and influential mythographer, Joseph Campbell.
Both these figures described “archetypes’’ as repeat characters that recur in the dreams of people and the myths of many cultures.
The Archetype range aims to tell heroes’ journeys and to form a kind of story-telling art through the range. For this reason, the series was split into two categories, “Chapter One’’ and “Chapter Two.’’
Appropriately, the first cigar in “Chapter One’’ is the Archetype Dreamstate, which provides us with the first glimpse into this impressive series.
Which company owns the Archetype range?
Ventura Cigar, a California-based cigar company, owns the Archetype range alongside other cigar brands such as Case Study and Psyko Seven.
Although the company does not have a factory of its own, the guys work with famous cigar companies such as Drew Estate and Oliva Cigar Co to create their masterpieces.
What other cigars are in the Archetype range?
Although I will focus on the Archetype Dreamstate cigar, the Archetype range has five unique blends to choose from, which I dearly recommend for anyone that wants to explore the range.
Sage Advice
Sage Advice boasts seven types of tobaccos throughout the fillers and is accompanied by a Dominican binder and Cuban-seed Habano wrapper. The cigar produces flavor notes of coffee, dried fruit and a hint of zest.
Strange Passage
Strange Passage is the final smoke from the “Chapter One’’ part of the Archetype series. This full-bodied cigar boasts a variety of flavors including coffee and earthy tones.
Initiation
Initiation is part one of two from the “Chapter Two’’ of the Archetype series. This flavorful stogie has notes of orange, sweet tobacco and white pepper, with an undertone of cream throughout.
Axis Mundi
For a grand finish, the Axis Mundi is the final cigar from the Archetype series. The name of this stick translates to ‘center of the world’ and is said to represent a connection between heaven and earth.
What is the Archetype Dreamstate?
The Archetype Dreamstate is a premium cigar from Ventura. As the name suggests, the cigar takes you on a near-mystical journey and boasts a wide selection of flavors.
The stogie has is golden brown in color, with a smooth wrapper that boasts no noticeable wrapper seams.
What is the blend profile like?
The cigar boasts a golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a Dominican San Vicente binder, and a filler blend from multiple countries. The blend itself has not been publicly disclosed; adding to the mystery and intrigue surrounding the cigar.
Looking at the flavor profile
This cigar had a huge variety of flavors that I was extremely impressed with. Below I’ve put together the flavors I experienced throughout each part of the smoke.
First third
When I first smoked this mysterious smoke, I was hit with delicious notes of cedar and natural tobacco that remained in the background. The contrast between these flavors provided a perfect level of sweetness that paired well with creamy undertones.
Second third
As I worked my way through the smoke into the second third, the tobacco notes became more dominant and were accompanied by a stronger flavor of toast and an airy hint of white pepper. At this point, the creamy undertone had notably faded.
Final third
When I reached the final third of this cigar, the notes of cedar were still strong but balanced well with the natural tobacco.
Although I enjoyed the palate of flavors while smoking the Archetype Dreamstate, I couldn’t actually detect a dominant flavor that remained throughout the cigar.
As I mentioned, the creamy undertone faded into the background pretty early on, but the natural tobacco stilll provided us with the perfect amount of sweetness and balance throughout.
How does the Archetype Dreamstate draw?
The Dreamstate had an impressive and well-balanced draw. When burning, the ash was nearly silver in color and firm, so it came cleanly off the cigar.
If you’re a beginner, this cigar has a low maintenance draw, which means you can easily identify the flavors we’ve discussed above.
What is the strength profile like?
I would say that the Archetype Dreamstate has a gentle to medium strength, with no overwhelming tobacco or nicotine notes.
Although I have discussed the cedar, white pepper, and tobacco flavors I experienced, this cigar is not flavor heavy – so if you’re looking for a total flavor bomb, this may not be the cigar for you.
However, as the flavors and strength change throughout the cigar, you can understand why the creators deem it a “story-telling experience.’’
Final thoughts!
Overall, this cigar is really impressive and is ideal for smokers who are searching for a demure smoking experience, with the opportunity to recognize contrasting flavors.
As Ventura Cigars intended, this cigar is perfect for those who crave an undistracted smoking experience to escape into a story.