Ego by Felix Assouline

It’s pretty risky to name a cigar Ego.  If your product isn’t wonderful there will be lots of bad puns based on the name.  And if your product is good, people might think its pretty bold of you to use that name.  In the case of cigars by Felix Assouline the name is justified.  Ego is a line of box pressed sticks form this below the radar producer who has experience in the business.  Having been in the retail and wholesale end of cigars in the late 90s, Assouline sold out a few years ago to spend more time with his family.  Recently, he along with his executive vice-president, Michel Malek reentered the business by opening a factory in Esteli, Nicaragua where they are producing all of their cigars.  To draw on his years of experience in the industry they hired as factory chief Juan (Papito) Gomez.

Our cigar for today is from their Ego line.  Each of the different shapes (there are 7) have a different.  While  I smoked a few different shapes in reviewing the blend, this review is based on the Trip which is a medium sized cigar in the line.  The cigars present nicely.  There is both a head and foot band, with the latter telling the shape name.  The cigar was nice and oily with a silky feel.  I had an earthy aroma.  It was firmly packed and I was concerned that this might adversely affect the draw, but it did not.  As are all of the Felix Assouline cigars this one was box pressed.  It punched and lit without a problem.

Construction was good, but with a single problem.  Initially, I was concerned about potential problems with the draw, but the firm pack did not hurt the draw at all.  It was open and easy to smoke.  The cigar produced a very nice speckled ash which held for about two inches.  The burn was cool, but sadly, uneven.  Despite a retouch, it quickly went back to an uneven edge.

The flavors of this stick were great and overcame any construction issues.  This cigar started out with lots of flavor.  There were notes of cream and chocolate with touches of cinnamon in the first third.  As the cigar smoked the cream gave way to a nuttiness with hints of nutmeg and spice.  The final third was mellow and full.  It wasn’t strongly spicy but there was some kick.  It reminded me of an earthy rich dark chocolate bar that had been spiked with pink peppercorns or a pinch of cayenne pepper. I would rate this smoke a medium bodied or ‘lunch’ cigar.  It was full in flavor but not overpowering.  I had a rich spice mixture but wasn’t too sharp.  It has a wonderful velvety mouth feel.  A complex flavor profile that I enjoyed thoroughly.

This is a boutique cigar that is only found in retail brick & mortar stores.  So, the price doesn’t vary widely.  The ‘Trip’ has a MSRP of $8.00.  While that might not be inexpensive, it is a reasonable price to pay for the wonderfully enjoyable smoke it will return.  For something this good, I think there is a lot of value.

I smoked a couple of the Assouline Ego cigars and definitely wish I had more in the humidor.  It was a pleasant smoek filled with lots full bodied flavor.  You can’t go wrong with these fine looking box pressed gems.