7-20-4: Factory 57 Dog Walker Cigars

Founded by Kurt A. Kendall, owner of Twin Smokes Shop in New Hampshire, 7-20-4 cigars honor the old R.G. Sullivan "7-20-4" cigar factory located on 724 Elm St. in Kendall's hometown of Manchester, NH. Sullivan's company was established in 1874 and at one time was the leading manufacturer of 10-cent cigars, before the Cuban embargo caused the factory to close in 1962. Kendall's 7-20-4 brand revitalizes the factory's tradition and prestige with a range of approachable cigars comprising premium tobaccos across an array of vitolas.

Released in 2014, the Factory 57 expanded 7-20-4's core lineup to four cigars, and like so many of Kendall's blends, it's name hearkens to Sullivan's original 7-20-4 factory: "Factory 57" refers to the official designation given to 7-20-4 by the United States government as a licensed cigar manufacturer. As a blend, the Factory 57 highlights a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper from Jalapa, a Costa Rican binder, and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Colombia, and it's available here in Kendall's signature 4.25" x 40 Dog Walker vitola. The size originated at the onset of the 7-20-4 blend when Kendall intended to create a 5" x 40 size that featured a closed foot; instead, the specifications were lost in translation, and he received boxes of cigars with a shaggy foot. Not to let them go to waste, Kendall cut them 3/4" shorter and dubbed the size the "Dog Walker" — a term he coined in retail when aficionados wanted a short, 20-minute smoke.