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:

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Blind Review: Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto

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The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto is manufactured by General Cigar Company at their HATSA, SA factory in Danli, Honduras.  Sancho Panza is a world renowned Cuban value brand, whose trademark was also registered in the USA in 1981.  Sancho Panza was recently revamped in 2022 under Scandinavian Tobacco Groups’ new creative director, Matt Booth, of Room 101 Cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
  • Binder: Nicaraguan (Esteli)
  • Filler: Dominican and Nicaragaun
  • Size: 5 x 50

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a sturdy well built maduro robusto.  It dons a double cap and is draped in a veiny rustic wrapper leaf.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The body of the cigar smells of chocolate.  It has a good cold draw with cedar and hot chocolate on the breath.

It takes a while for the cigar to toast, but combusts quickly.

At first puff the smoke is cedary and salty with a popcorn finish.  The cigar has a very toasty retro.  Lots of thick smoke production.  There is a noticeable graham cracker aroma off the foot of the cigar.  As the cigar heats up, my palate fills with pepper.  It handles the heat quite well.  The ash build-up is flaky.

As it progresses, there are beautiful nuances of cinnamon, clove, and wood.  Smoke production is stellar and leaves a creamy mouth feel, with a confectionary aroma.  The cigar develops a very leathery retrohale that is both savory and sweet. The ash build-up stiffens and looks flawless.

On the second third, the body completely drops out of the cigar.  The smoking experience is still very smooth and creamy with great smoke production.  There is cinnamon and clove on the retrohale with a cedary aroma, but as I said, my palate is left wanting.

The last third of the smoke sees the body of flavors return. My tongue is again coated with baking spices.  The cinnamon and clove also revisits on the retrohale.  The aroma is sweet.  As I smoke it to the nub the flavors become a little harsh with hazelnuts and black coffee.

Conclusion

The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto is a decent value smoke.  Those who know me, know that I have become quite the “bundle cigar” smoker in this current economy.  However, I wouldn’t put this specific cigar in my current rotation of Curivari Buena Ventura’s or New Cuba Corojos.  The Esteli tobacco in the blend really props the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto up a little, but I would rather spend the extra cash for an Eiroa Classic Prensado if you really like spiced nuances.  Even a Joya De Nicargua Antano Consul will give you the same mouth feel.  Anyway, when it comes to the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto I would likely be looking to spend my money somewhere else. Enjoy!

Final Score: 84

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Blind Review: Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro

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The Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro is manufactured by General Cigar Company at their HATSA, SA factory in Danli, Honduras.  Sancho Panza is a world renowned Cuban value brand, whose trademark was also registered in the USA in 1981.  Sancho Panza was recently revamped in 2022 under Scandinavian Tobacco Groups’ new creative director, Matt Booth, of Room 101 Cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
  • Binder: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
  • Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
  • Size: 6 x 52

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a very veiny double cap maduro toro.  It feels very lightweight in my hand, but is packed very well.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The body and foot of the cigar smell of honey and straw bales. The cold draw has some resistance, with baking spices on the breath. The cigar toasts very easily under a soft flame and combusts with ease.

The cigar offers lots of chocolate and graham cracker at first puff.  It has a mild salty and spicy finish. Very tangy.  The retrohale is habanero pepper complimented by a cedary chocolate aroma off the foot.  The smoking experience, however, is really dampened by the tight draw.  I have run into draw issues with lots of toros, and have steered clear of them for this very reason.  They burn well and handle heat well, just like the one I’m smoking today, but I find the draw on toros to frequently be a tug-of-war.  In this current cigar market, the toro is the “new” robusto, and I have seen many manufacturers cancel their more classical vitola formats to meet this current demand.  Many master blenders are also switching from rolling corona sizes, and opting for a 6×52 or 6×54 when they are constructing their samples and protypes.  Anyway, the ash buildup is superb so far, but the heat management requires a steady double puff pace.  Flavors are fainter, yet dominated by straw bales and pepper.

The second third debuts with stronger flavors.  I sense nuances of endive and chicory with pepper on the back end.  The smoke maintains its chocolatey cedar aroma.  The retrohale is now leathery.  More importantly, the draw has developed a little more give, which boosts the smoke production and I can now taste some sweetness on the finish of each puff.  I still find myself having to take two draws to maintain heat.  A perfume note of subtlety shines through.

The last third opens up with cinnamon notes as well as some green bell pepper on the finish.  Other then that, the draw has completely opened up and the burn picks up its pace.  The flavors can be harsh at times and reminiscent of roasted hazelnuts and whole espresso beans.  The aroma is leathery as well as the retro.  Something is telling me I should have tried smoking this stick backwards…

Conclusion

The Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro was smoked a couple days after I had reviewed the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto which scored four points higher.  The difference in rating solely came down to the pesky draw of the toro vitola.  That being said, the last third was spot on with its expression of  Connecticut Broadleaf, which I reluctantly suspected was in the blend.  When it comes to the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro, I wasn’t joking when I said it was better smoked backwards.  I would also like to revisit this blend in a smaller format since I am a big fan of Connecticut broadleaf.  Matt Booth may have hit the nail on the head idea-wise, but I couldn’t in good faith hand the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro to someone else.  The cigar industry has been growing since the last boom, and even the “value” AKA “bundle” cigar market is loaded with lots of better options that are far superior in construction and flavor delivery. Enjoy!

Final Score: 80

Blind Review: CAO BX3 Gordo

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The CAO BX3 Gordo is manufactured by General Cigar Company in Nicaragua. CAO dates back to 1968 when Cano Ozgener began a pipe and humidor business in Nashville, TN, before venturing into cigar manufacturing in the 90’s.  A very popular brand during the last cigar boom, CAO received much acclaim for their multi-national blends and highly rated maduros. This popularity eventually lead to them being acquired by General Cigar Company, an umbrella that the brand  is still under today.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: CAO BX3 Gordo
  • Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
  • Binder: Brazilian Arapiraca
  • Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Honduran, Mexican, Nicaraguan
  • Size: 6 x 60

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a very toothy maduro toro with a really thick ring gauge and a double cap.  The wide ring gauge makes the wrapper leaf more bespoke fitting and delicate compared to other maduro toros I’ve smoked.  Its almost as if there is a 3 dimensional visual experience to the cigar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The body and foot of the cigar smell of honey, chocolate, and dried urine.  Don’t be offended or intimidated, its a compliment and par-for-the-course when dealing with well fermented tobaccos.

The cigar has a nice loose cold draw with spicy cedar on the breath.

It takes a while to toast the thick ring gauge with a soft flame as you can imagine, but combusts well with a few good slow draws.

The first puff is a flavor bomb of chocolate, cedar, raising, and pepper.  Its is spicy, hot, and toasty on the finish.  There is a leathery aroma to the smoke as well as on the retrohale.  It has phenomenal smoke production, and a nice thick ash build-up.  It handles the heat well. Two inches into the smoking experience, however, and the flavors get muted.

Second third begins with the flavor profile still dainty for what appeared to be a flavor bomb.  It turned into a genuine smooth smoke though, and I’m very impressed with how well it takes the 36 degree Fahrenheit November morning temps. There is a little bit of wood on the finish of each puff.  There is cedar on the retrohale and a sweet confectionary aroma in the air.  In frustration trying to get back to my first high, I take full liberty to puff away on the stick trying to stoke up a return to flavor-ville. The cigar is burning hotter then it should, but I can make out leather, earth, and wood with a nice sweetness on the finish.

The last third opens up with black coffee and espresso.  There is a sweet leathery aroma in the air, but nothing on the finish of my puffs.  Before I call this cigar a dudd, this lingering sweetness I’ve been getting throughout, picks up the lead and I can taste sweet straw bales.  I have to admit, the last third really saved the cigar review for me.  Even as it approached the nub, and the flavors tried to be harsh, the cigar stayed smooth and enjoyable.  I also have to admit, that smoking this cigar with very little food in my stomach, could have made a turn for the worse, but the fact that this cigar displays an awkward self control made it a very enjoyable experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CAO BX3 Gordo wasn’t that bad of a smoke.  I am not a fan of big ring gauges, long vitolas, or cigars that take a 2 hour or more commitment- So, my final score is really just based off my own bias.  This should by no means dissuade those of you who like cartoon shaped cigars from trying the CAO BX3 Gordo.  I would actually hand this off to anyone looking for something new and interesting, just perhaps in the robusto size CAO also offers in this blend.  The CAO BX3 scored the highest for me in the construction, smoke production, flavor nuances, heat control, and  smoking experience categories.  Give it a shot, and let us know what you think. Enjoy!

Final Score: 86

Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X

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The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X is manufactured by Platinum Nova Cigar Company at their factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.  Platinum Nova Cigar Company is owned by Amer Rustom and headed by two cigar retail veterans Leonor “Leo” Abzaradel and Aurelio “Ari” Riego. Their website states that their cigars use 10-15 year aged tobaccos and the cigars then stay in an aging room for a minimum of three years before being released.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Habano 2000
  • Binder: Dominican HVA
  • Filler: Dominican 
  • Size: 5.75 x 50

Appearance & Construction

Triple cap rosado wrapper.  Very lightweight in my hands.  Packed not too loose, and not too tight either. The cigar has a nice chocolate and cedar aroma.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is on the looser side.  Sweet cedar on the breath.

It takes a while for the cigar to toast and light.  At combustion I can make out the presence of a tiny pinhole tunnel. Hope this doesn’t effect anything.

The first third is bold with lots of jalapeno pepper, espresso, and hay bale sweetness.  It is a very pleasant smoke on first introduction.  I find the cigar to be a little delicate, even with my notorious slow smoking pace.  I recommend babysitting the heat factor.  However, there is still lots of flavor development throughout the first third, such as chocolate, hazelnut, wood, and earth with a black coffee finish.  Leathery retrohale. I like it!

The second third finally reigns in the heat.  I don’t have to tip-toe around my puffs.  The cigar is more nuanced with pencil shavings and leather and a strawberry hard-candy finish.  The smoking experience is definitely on the creamy side. There is still leather on the retrohale as well as in the smoke aroma.

The last third is very leather forward.  The cigar is very creamy, but begins to burn hot again.  Harsher flavors begin to develop like espresso and hazelnuts.  The retrohale and aroma are still leathery.  The cigar finishes fairly bitter with notes of raw garlic!

Conclusion

What can I say?! The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X was a bit of a roller coaster ride.  I love heavily nuanced cigars and flavor bombs.  The cigar blend also concealed some tobacco varietals I had never tried.  To me its worth being curious over, minus the heat problems and nasty finish.  It’s a $22 stick with not as much clout as a Davidoff, but if you feel like being a big spender for the weekend- why the hell not?!  If your a fan of leathery flavor notes, or just want to to swap out your usual Ecuadorian shade wrapper cigar for a change-of-pace, I wouldn’t hesitate recommending the Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X.  I’m a picky smoker, with picky habits and I usually classify cigars into tow categories: “Boring!,” and “Not Boring!” The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X falls into the “Not Boring!,” category. It’s also more affordable and more flavorful then the Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro I had previously reviewed. Enjoy!

Final Score: 84

Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro

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The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro is manufactured by Platinum Nova Cigar Company at their factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.  Platinum Nova Cigar Company is owned by Amer Rustom and headed by two cigar retail veterans Leonor “Leo” Abzaradel and Aurelio “Ari” Riego. Their website states that their cigars use 10-15 year aged tobaccos and the cigars then stay in an aging room for a minimum of three years before being released.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro
  • Wrapper: San Andres
  • Binder: Dominican San Vicente
  • Filler: Dominican Piloto
  • Size: 6×50

Appearance & Construction

Triple cap maduro wrapper.  Air-tight, seamless construction.  Reeks of chocolate and hay bales.  Its packed fairly well.  A delicate beautiful foot. If you have a foot fetish, forget how this cigar scores at the end, and just go and buy the stick NOW!

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar has a tight cold draw.  Very faint bitter spice on the breath.  My lips and tongue actually feel like I just licked hot sauce.  I’m intrigued.

It takes a while for the cigar to toast and light, but it eventually combusts beautifully.

The first third is faint in flavor like the cold draw.  I can barely make out flowers and mesquite.  It has a chili pepper finish. There is almost no smoke production, unless you take deep double puffs. I also find myself having to babysit the smoking heat as a consequence of this.  The cigar gives off a very nostalgic hot chocolate aroma.  After I auger myself a better smoking port by employing my trusty drill bit, the flavors are still hollow. However, I can now taste a very nostalgic nuance- NYC deli coffee in the blue and white Greco-Roman cups! The retrohale is non-existent.

The second third is more of the same- BORING!  There are faint hints of chocolate with some spice on the finish.  The aroma is still hot chocolate with some added cedar.  Some chili pepper on the retro.

The last third gives off a chocolate habanero aroma.  The retrohale is MIA again.  The cigar is very wood polish forward on the palate with the same chili pepper finish. The cigar gets a little stronger as it dies down with earth, black coffee, and hazelnuts on the tongue. Nothing to write home about.

Conclusion

The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro retails for approximately $350 for a 12 count box.  If this sample I received was just a flawed stick, I still couldn’t see myself risking the hard cash in hopes of the other 11 cigars in the box to be outstanding.  Spicy-sweet is normally my go to when it comes to cigar shopping.  The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro seemed promising with its solid construction upon initial inspection, and the tight draw didn’t scare me one bit as a veteran smoker.  However, when a cigar opens up with that mesquite intro that gets my tastes buds going, but then fails to deliver, I don’t get sad, I get angry.  The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro was a waste of time. Enjoy!

Final Score: 76

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