Michael Carfagna

About Michael Carfagna

For 20+ years, Michael has been a cigar smoker and wine drinker, and takes a lot of pride in the palate he has acquired. He feels that drinking and smoking are the two best vices a man could ever have. Michael currently passes the time as an assistant wine and cider maker for two of the biggest names in the New York natural wine scene, as well as working a few shifts at an established Westchester cigar lounge. He can most likely be found sipping on something bubbly and firing up a Nicaraguan puro after a hard days work...and sometimes on-the-job, if no one is looking. As an avid reader and writer, Michael is very appreciative of the team at Fine Tobacco NYC for the opportunity to join the blind review panel.

Posts by Michael Carfagna:

Blind Review: Montecristo Platinum Robusto

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The Montecristo Platinum Robusto is meticulously crafted in La Romana, Dominican Republic by Altadis, a subsidiary of the British conglomerate Imperial Brands. This brand boasts a rich heritage, traditionally renowned as one of the most coveted Cuban cigars globally. Interestingly, it’s worth noting that the Montecristo brand has a dual existence, with the Cuban version under the ownership of Habanos SA, and a completely distinct Dominican counterpart under Altadis.

The Cuban iteration’s origins date back to July 1935, when Alonso Menéndez acquired the Particulares Factory. A year later, in July 1936, Menéndez established a new venture with a partner, christening it Menéndez, García y Cía. Following their departure from the turmoil of the Cuban revolution, Menéndez and García rekindled their brand in the Canary Islands and subsequently in La Romana, before eventually being acquired by Altadis S.A. The brand’s name is an ode to The Count of Monte Cristo, a masterpiece penned by Alexandre Dumas père.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Platinum Robusto
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Peru, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic
  • Size: 5×54

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a tipple capped maduro robusto.  The wrapper leaf is paper thin. The cap is a darker shade than the rest of the wrapper.  The cigar is packed tighter at the bottom and looser at the top.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The wrapper and foot smell like a combo of Cinnabon’s and hay bales.

The cigar has a very loose cold draw with molasses on the breath. Sweetness….

First puff is faint.  Sweet leather and mesquite.  Leather aroma.  Toasty retro. Great smoke production. Good heat maintenance. The smoke has a very light body to it that is dominated by cedar, leather, and baking spices. Burn line could be better.

Second third starts off with some canoeing that I have to touch up. The smokes body is still faint with nuances of leather, sweetened coffee and cinnamon. Ash buildup is flaky.  Good heat maintce and smoke production.  Burn line is still struggling. A little marshmallow as we go into the final stretch.

Last third needed another touch up for more canoeing.  The smoking experience is still very singular and airy.  Baking spices and leather nuances but nothing overpowering. Black coffee and pepper finish. Leathery retrohale and aroma.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Montecristo Platinum Robusto wasn’t a great smoke but it wasn’t an absolute failure.  The Montecristo Platinum Robusto is definitely an anytime smoke, but not a smoke for somebody looking for complexity or a thicker more flavorful body. Touch ups don’t bug me too much, I’m used to it at this point in the game, but I can see that bothering some people.  If you like leather and baking spices give the Montecristo Platinum Robusto a shot. Just don’t tell anybody I was the one that recommended it. Enjoy!

Final Score: 80

Blind Review: Zino Nicaragua Robusto

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The Zino Nicaragua Robusto is produced in Honduras at Davidoff’s Diadema Cigars de Honduras S.A., the same factory that is best known for making Camacho cigars. The Zino brand is under the Davidoff cigar umbrella with the Zino Nicaragua Robusto being a “brand-revamping” of sorts. Over the last decade, Davidoff has issued makeovers for their Camacho, Avo, Cusano, and Winston Churchill brands, etc… The Zino brand has always been associated with a premium cigar reputation and price-point. The Zino Nicaragua Robusto would be marketed more as a value smoke sold not only through tobacconists, but convenience stores as well.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Zino Nicaragua Robusto
  • Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
  • Binder: Nicaragua (Semilla 56 Seco)
  • Filler: Dominican Republic (San Vicente and San Vicente Mejorado Secos), Honduras (Olancho and Jamastran Visus) & Nicaragua (Ometepe Visus)
  • Size: 5×54

Blind Review Notes: Zino Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a spongy Connecticut wrapped Robusto with a triple cap.  It has a very lightweight feel in hand. The wrapper leaf is very striated but there is still this high quality silkiness and sheen to it.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar wrapper smells like hay bales and the foot is heavy on the cedar. The cold draw has some resistance with more heavy cedar on the breath. Some dankness there as well.

The cigar toasts and lights effortlessly.

First puff is all cedar and leather. White pepper and some sweetness growing on the finish as the smoke progresses.  Even burn line.  Great smoke production.  Good heat maintenance. Chocolate and leather aroma. The retro hale is the same, just with some added pepper. Ash build up is flaky and delicate.  A lot of tangy sweet notes dominating a good bodied smoke.

Takes awhile to reach the second third.  The cigar is a slow burner.  Flavors remain singular.  The smoke has some great body to it and is the perfect after breakfast smoke so far.  Lots of leather and sweetness.  Fantastic construction. It’s a sweet and spicy retrohale and aroma throughout. I’m really enjoying it.

Last third has a spicy toast that coats the palate.  Still lots of leather. My favorite.  Some hazelnut and coffee notes as expected. Heat trouble going into the nub as expected from lighter tobacco leaves.  I still keep returning though as the cigar proves to be a great start to my morning.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Zino Nicaragua Robusto was a great smoke to start my day with.  I’m not a mild cigar smoker, but the Zino Nicaragua Robusto made up for that by providing a thick body which carried great flavors.  The construction was also decent and I would have no problem recommending this cigar to any smoker at any level. Enjoy!

Final Score: 85

Blind Review: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

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The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is made by Plasencia Cigars at Plasencia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is an extension to Plasencia’s regular Alma Fuerte line, changing the original’s wrapper to a lighter leaf that has been aged for 10 years.  The toro vitola we are reviewing today is named for Eduardo Plasencia, who was one of the first family members to grow tobacco after leaving the Canary Islands for Cuba in 1865. This new extension blend is also offered in Plasencias’ trademark hexagon vitola as well.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Colorado Claro)
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 6 1/4 x 54

Blind Review Notes: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a triple capped box press toro. The cigar is graced with a light chocolate wrapper that resembles a cracked sidewalk.  The body and foot of the cigar smell of sweet cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is loose with alot of cedar on the breath.

First puff is very light and sweet, with the slightest spice on the backend.  Ideal smoke production! Retrohale is hot and spicy. Flavors progress to leather, sweet cream,  and more spice then at first.  Theres also a flavor that reminds me of NYC tap water with ice. Perfumey retrohale with a salty mouthfeel.  Then a marshmellow retrohale, with fruity notes.  Lots of mini-transitions, as you can see.

By the second third, I realize the cigar reminds me a lot of vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.  So good I have to slow my pace down. The cigar is burning too hot! Billowing smoke production.  Ash build-up looks like a stack of coins. Lots of lingering sweetness and cedar.  Hot leather retro with a continued vanilla nuance.

Last third needs a touch up.  The cigar is burning a little wonky.  What a shame! The cigar needs more then one touch up.  The flavor profile stays sweet with the spice picking back up.  Leather, cedar, vanilla, pepper. Tingling baking spices on the tongue. A sea of nuanced flavors, but I am dissapointed in the construction issues that keep distracting me. The retrohale is toasty hazelnut.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, was a light strenght/medium body cigar with layers of different flavors.  If not for the combustion issues on the last third, this cigar would have easily achieved a 90+ score.  Unlike the maduro version of this cigar, which was released before the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, it has a lingering sweetness.  I find this same flavor to be present on the Plasencia Alma del Campo cigar.  I still prefer the maduro version of this stick, regardless of the situation. Plasencia in my mind is the undistibuted champ of tobacco farming and his aging and fermentation process take his cigars to the next level, seperating them from the rest of the market place.  All that said, give the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I a try, and let us know what you think.

Final Score: 86

Blind Review: Camacho Factory Unleashed 3

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Camacho Cigars was founded in 1962 by Simon Camacho. In 1995 it was aquired by the Eiroa family. In 2008, Camacho and its Rancho Jamastran factory in Danlí, Honduras were sold to the Oettinger Davidoff Group, and that is how we arrive today at the present manufacturers of this Camacho Factory Unleashed 3. The Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 is once-a-year release and the third of its kind, hence, the number “3” on the band. They are annually released in one size format only and of course in a limited quantity.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Camacho Factory Unleashed 3
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
  • Binder: Honduras
  • Filler: Dominican/Honduran
  • Size: 6×50

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a double capped toro with a rustic-toothy wrapper and a light weight feel. The cigar has a shaggy foot and is packed on the looser side. The body smells of hay and incnece. The foot smells of chocolate and cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is snug with leather, spice, and salt on the breath. First puff is popcorn, salt, and leather. The retrohale is the same just toasty and spicy. The cigar progresses to a chocolate spice cake, however, the snug draw calls for a double puff on every draw. Smoking on a soppy humid day also doesnt help the experience.

Second third is more of a camp fire/ mesquite profile but still very spicy and sweet. The retrohale is hot. The draw is still struggling. Humidity is killing me.

Last third is coffee taken light with one sugar. Retrohale is a spicy campfire profile. There is also a distinct Nilla Wafer nuance throughout the whole experience. The finish is bitter-sweet. Damp atmosphere did this smoke no help.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 is just as good a last years release. Its also probably my favorite cigar of theirs to-date. However, I would just recommend you smoke the Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 on a drier day. Before this blind review I had smoked a lot of Camacho Factory Unleashed 3’s. Its a great cigar for the price and complexity it delivers. I haven’t had any construction issues with it until now. Im going to simply blame the heat wave for the lower score.

Final Score: 86

Noble Cigars Act One Toro

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Noble Cigars seems to be a new outifit in the boutique cigar market that is headquartered in Lakeland, FL. Production appears to be out of the Domincian Republic. I heard a rumor the cigars are manufactured out of La Auroras’ factory, however, their web presence doesnt really verify that grape vine. Noble Cigars, also seems to be a partnership between three cigar entusiatsts: Elizabeth Santos, Eddy M. Santos, and Jon Gjebrea. The cigar company is obviously in their budding stages, from their tiny SEO impression, but after being ever-so-slightly impressed by the Noble Cigars Act One Toro, I’d say they’re worth checking out.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Noble Cigars Act One Toro
  • Wrapper: Broadleaf Claro
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 6×52

Blind Review Notes: Noble Cigars Act One Toro

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a sturdily packed habano toro with a triple cap.  It dons a very rustic striated wrapper that not only looks like a weathered leather jacket but feels like one too.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigars wrapper leaf smells of hay and straw bales with lots of sweet chocolate on the foot. The cold draw has some resistance with lots of dank cedar and pepper on the breath. The cigar toasts very nicely, but needs a good fire to combust.

First puff is leather, cocoa and pepper steak. A little microwave popcorn.  Tongue tingling Pepper.  Woody back notes.  The tobacco really wets the palate. There’s something very earthy and planty about the taste on the front end. There is a lot going on here.  Trying to find some harmony.  The pepper really gets in the way. The thickness of the wrapper leaf doesn’t add to he straightest burn line but the cigar self corrects with ease. First third ends with a lot more leather and a nice peanut note that compliments it quite nicely. 

Second third opens ups with the pepper falling out of the flavor profile completely.  I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing yet.  Lots of leather cocoa, nuts, some baking spices, and this planty backbone I want to compare to moist coffee grounds that were left in their drip filters.  The ash build up is solid.  I have to monitor the heat a little bit. I might be enjoying the smoke a little too much.  I’m really just trying to make sense of the cigar. The cigar is a slow burner and should be treated with respect.  I’m still in awe of the wrapper leaf.  It feels like it just came off a pilon. Leather retro with chocolate aroma. Smooth body.

On the last third the beautiful ash build-up breaks off in my lap.  Not the best impression I want to make in front of a tough crowd at a nice cigar lounge I’m a guest at for the day. The flavor profile mellows out more.  The baking spices, mainly cinnamon, and the leather lead the pack.  Black coffee on the backend. A nice hot cocoa note has been coming in and out throughout the smoking experience.  Sweet chocolate aroma.  Leathery retrohale. The tobacco goes through phases of drying out my palate and resetting it. A very woody finish.

Conclusion

In conclusion I found smoking the Noble Cigars Act One Toro to be a little boring.  If you know me by now, you know I’m bias to shorter smokes.  However, I found nothing really wrong with the Noble Cigars Act One Toro.  The cigar does what’s it’s supposed to do.  It smoked beautifully and offered some minor complexity and nuances, but not much. Perhaps it just needs more time in the aging room? However, the wrapper leaf is truly something to behold. It’s like a suit of armor! The Noble Cigars Act One Toro may not be for me, but it’s definitely for some one else. My American palate would of course enjoyed a little sweetness to add into the mix, or even a little bit more body to the smoke. It was smooth and woody like a small camp fire, with nothing loud outside of the first third.  Enjoy!

Final Score: 87

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