A Quality Gordo Maduro From Erez

Erez Cigars targets their products at the premium segment of the cigar market and uses the internet as its primary sales channel. Their cigars are all hand rolled and sent from the factory direct to the smoker.  I met Yaniv Erez at the 2013 IPCPR where he was promoting his brand of Dominican cigars. Yaniv states that the Reyes Family, with over 150 years in the tobacco business, grows the leaf for his cigars. Yaniv gave me a cigar that contained “Criollo 98” tobacco.  Wikipedia notes that criollo (“native seed” in English) was a type of cigar tobacco that emerged around the time of Columbus.  Criollo 98 is a hybrid tobacco that was developed in Cuba to resist the dreaded Blue Mold. Good to know!

This was a Gordo cigar, 6 X 58, that was very attractive with a dark wrapper that was not oily and bands that were simple but elegant. The wrapper is Bahia, the binder Criollo 98 and the filler a blend of Cubano San Vicente, Olor Dominicano and Criollo 98. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to smoke this cigar which gave me flavors of coffee, nuttiness and leather. The smoke volume was acceptable, as was the draw. The flavor was medium to full bodied with a moderate aftertaste. I liked the cigar’s appearance and flavor. The suggested retail price of $9.5 could be considered a little high since there is no middleman.  I give it a 4.0 out of 5.