Loren (Corona), 6.5" x 44 ring gauge / ~$5.50
I always enjoy being able to introduce people to something new and different, and I am betting that a large percentage of our readers here on the Tiki Bar have not heard of Casa Gomez. I first heard of them when Loren Gomez (@CasaGomezCigars) accompanied @LCDCcigars and @Cigarita on their recent trip from Florida to Louisville. One of the stops they made was at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga and I got time to talk with Loren about his family's business. Loren's grandfather, Benny Sr., started in the cigar industry in Cuba before having to flee in 1961; he continued his trade in the U.S. with La Roma Cigars in a factory that was later bought by Ernesto Perez Carrillo, Sr., who changed the name to El Credito. The current Casa Gomez brand has been on the market for about 5 years, although distribution is somewhat limited. The cigars are made in the Dominican Republic in the La Tradicion Cubana factory, overseen by Luis Sanchez. This Natural wrapped version was blended to Benny Jr.'s taste and features Dominican filler, Honduran binder, and an Ecuadorian shade wrapper leaf. This review sample is the second of these I smoked. I would like to also take this opportunity to thank Loren Gomez for taking time to talk with me and for providing the review samples.
For a cigar that retails in the $5-6 range, I have to say that the initial appearance is excellent...something that is not always easy to achieve with a light-colored wrapper. I could find no serious flaws in construction of mis-coloration or anything that would detract from the appearance. The band was fairly simplistic, but it was still attractive. Sniffing the body of the cigar, I smelled a clean hay aroma; on the foot, I got more hay along with a bit of earthiness. All the aromas were somewhat understated and subtle. I cut the head of the Casa Gomez with my Xikar MTX and got a very good draw; cold draw flavors were of hay, natural tobacco, and a touch of molasses sweetness.
The cigar lit up quickly and easily with a single flame torch lighter; my initial impression was that this is a traditional mild cigar...some grassy notes, a little bitterness and a hint of sweetness. Not bad...but also not something I gravitate toward normally. After I few more puffs I got a mild peppery burn on the retrohale. By midway through the first third, all I was really getting was a hay and grass flavor, though. Construction was great so far and the smoke was creamy and mild-bodied.
During the second third the draw did tighten up a bit at one point, but it seemed to correct itself after a few minutes. I was still getting mostly grassy flavors, but some earthiness crept in to the profile as well, which I found kept me interested.
The final third was a bit of surprise. The body tamped up to the medium level and the overall flavor profile became much more earthy although there were still sweet flavors from the shade wrapper in evidence, too. I found the Casa Gomez Natural to be a very good cigar overall, with a good progression of flavors and a decent amount of complexity. It would be good choice to enjoy during the morning with a cup of coffee. For newer smokers, it should offer a mild enough body and strength level to not overwhelm, and for more experienced smokers it should be flavorful enough to enjoy early in the day.
Body: 5/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
Have you tried this smoke and want to share your own experience? Please leave a comment below...
For a cigar that retails in the $5-6 range, I have to say that the initial appearance is excellent...something that is not always easy to achieve with a light-colored wrapper. I could find no serious flaws in construction of mis-coloration or anything that would detract from the appearance. The band was fairly simplistic, but it was still attractive. Sniffing the body of the cigar, I smelled a clean hay aroma; on the foot, I got more hay along with a bit of earthiness. All the aromas were somewhat understated and subtle. I cut the head of the Casa Gomez with my Xikar MTX and got a very good draw; cold draw flavors were of hay, natural tobacco, and a touch of molasses sweetness.The cigar lit up quickly and easily with a single flame torch lighter; my initial impression was that this is a traditional mild cigar...some grassy notes, a little bitterness and a hint of sweetness. Not bad...but also not something I gravitate toward normally. After I few more puffs I got a mild peppery burn on the retrohale. By midway through the first third, all I was really getting was a hay and grass flavor, though. Construction was great so far and the smoke was creamy and mild-bodied.
During the second third the draw did tighten up a bit at one point, but it seemed to correct itself after a few minutes. I was still getting mostly grassy flavors, but some earthiness crept in to the profile as well, which I found kept me interested.
The final third was a bit of surprise. The body tamped up to the medium level and the overall flavor profile became much more earthy although there were still sweet flavors from the shade wrapper in evidence, too. I found the Casa Gomez Natural to be a very good cigar overall, with a good progression of flavors and a decent amount of complexity. It would be good choice to enjoy during the morning with a cup of coffee. For newer smokers, it should offer a mild enough body and strength level to not overwhelm, and for more experienced smokers it should be flavorful enough to enjoy early in the day.
Body: 5/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
Have you tried this smoke and want to share your own experience? Please leave a comment below...
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