Descending Shadows - By HDA Cigars
- Jay Grubby
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
The Leaf
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica de Oveja Negra
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Toro (6 x 52)
Body: Medium-Full
Strength: Medium-Full
Purchased At: Provided by HDA Cigars for review.
Personal Rating: 8 / 10 — A Solid Companion.
If you like this, you might also like: Padron 1964 Maduro, Crowned Heads Mil Días Maduro, Warped La Hacienda
What We Do Here
The beauty of cigars isn’t just in the smoke... it’s in the ritual, the memory, the lore. Each review starts with the basics: how it smokes, how it tastes, whether it’s worth lighting up again or buying a box. Then, for those chasing the full story, we peel back the layers, deeper notes, subtleties, and the craft behind the leaf. At the end, we leave you with a little folklore to match the mood. Because around here, the smoke always carries a story.
Casual Take
The Descending Shadows by HDA is a rich and flavorful cigar with a dark edge. You’ll get notes of chocolate and roasted coffee right away, layered over earthy tones and a pleasant minerality. Black pepper shows up most on the retrohale, giving it just the right kick of spice. There’s also a subtle dried fruit sweetness, something like figs that rounds out the profile beautifully.
Construction is flawless: sharp burn, steady draw, and smoke output that stays consistent from start to finish. This cigar is both bold and approachable, perfect for a quiet evening or a thoughtful moment with a drink in hand.
Deep Burn
Right off the rip I'll say this...a 52 Ring Gauge is about as large as I enjoy. If HDA told me they made this in a Corona Gorda (6 x 48) I might lose my mind and sell a kidney. From the first light, Descending Shadows makes its presence known. Dark cocoa and roasted coffee are front and center, carried by a deep earthy backbone. A touch of mineral note comes through early, adding a grounding quality that feels unique without being distracting. Black pepper sits firmly on the retrohale, sharp enough to balance the richer tones.
As the cigar opens up, the flavors deepen. Chocolate shifts into something darker, more bitter, while roasted coffee lingers across the palate. The minerality continues, now paired with cedar and a faint dried fruit sweetness. Figs, maybe even dates. That fruit note flashes in and out between the heavier notes. The transitions are smooth, sliding from one tone to the next.
The final third delivers a more intense experience. Pepper grows bolder, earth turns denser, and chocolate takes on a bitter richness, almost like 90% dark cacao. That dried fruit sweetness still whispers in the background, but now it feels like a memory, fading as the smoke deepens. The finish lingers long, earthy, and spiced. An ending as brooding as its name suggests.
The Heart of the Leaf
The Descending Shadows is a cigar built on depth and familiarity. It’s not loud or showy; instead, it moves with confidence, revealing subtle complexity in layers. The balance of dark chocolate, pepper, and subtle dried fruit makes for a consistent smoke. Of the cigars in their core line, this is the least complex or nuanced I've had. That's not a bad thing by any means. If you want a straightforward smoke that has all the usual elements of a predominantly Nicaraguan blend, this does it well.
HDA’s craftsmanship shines here. The burn line is razor straight, the ash holds strong, and every puff feels deliberate. It’s a cigar for moments when you want to slow down and sink into the shadows. Reflective, bold, and satisfying.
This is another win for HDA Cigars, and proof that their veteran owned, detail driven approach is more than just talk. Descending Shadows easily earns an 8/10 score, A Solid Companion
The Lore
There’s an old superstition among soldiers that shadows carry the weight of memory. When the sun sets and the world turns dim, the shadows are said to lengthen not just from the body but from the soul. Each shadow carries what a man has seen, done, or endured, stretching out behind him like a story he cannot shake.
The Descending Shadows smokes like that legend has come to life. Each draw unfurls dark richness of earth, coffee, and chocolate like steps deeper into a memory. Pepper cuts sharp, like moments that sting but cannot be forgotten, while the faint sweetness of dried fruit lingers like echoes of what once was.
By the end, the cigar leaves you with a finish that lingers, shadowed but not bleak. It is a reminder that every man carries his own darkness, but within it, there is also strength, depth, and meaning. Smoking Descending Shadows is like embracing that truth: that our shadows don’t just follow us...they define us.
The cigar in this review was graciously provided by HDA Cigars. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
