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:

Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto

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The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is manufactured by Villiger Cigars at the Tabacalera Palma factory in the Dominican Republic. Villiger Cigars has been a family owned Swiss company since 1888 with distribution in both Europe and America. To be more specific, Villiger Cigars North America is the premium cigar division of Switzerland’s Villiger Söhne AG, one of the world’s largest producers of machine-made cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
  • Binder: Dominican 
  • Filler: Dominican 
  • Size: 5×48

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a super flat box-pressed cigar.  It is packed on the looser side.  The filler tobacco shows some gaps.  It has a nice dark chocolate colored maduro wrapper with a double cap. The cigar is toothy and rustic looking to the eye.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar has a cedary aroma to it. The cold draw is very loose with a super-sharp spicy cedar on the breath.

The cigar toasts and lights in a matter of seconds. No hesitation whatsoever.

The first third has very faint flavors at combustion.  There is some cedar and spice present, similar to the cold draw. It handles the heat very well for a lightly packed cigar.  The cigar gives off a very chocolatey aroma, with a peppery retro hale.  So far it is very pleasant.

The second third is still very airy in body.  However, it continues to maintain good heat and burns consistent with lots of smoke production.  There are some developing forward-notes of coffee with a spicy finish.  The aroma is still chocolatey with a retrohale reminiscent of fresh baked bread. As it burns, there are bolder flavors of hazelnuts and leather, with a fruity finish.

The last third stays very singular in flavor.  Not much change.  More spice, fruit, and cedar.  The burn maintains its phenomenal performance and smoke production.  There is a BBQ aroma coming off the foot. The retro is more faint now, but it helps enhance an espresso nuance that is present.

The finish is harsh with hazelnuts and wine oak.  The cigar burns hot and makes a poor exit.

Conclusion

The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is best described as a cigar you would give to a novice smoker who is just getting the hang of spicier and/or more peppery cigars. For a tiny smoke, it has some nuance and body, but not too much.  It is not intimidating, and smokes with ideal obedience.  The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is a fool-proof smoke I would definitely pass along to someone beginning their cigar journey who needs a reference point in the maduro category. Enjoy!

Final Score: 80

Illusione Oneoff Pyramides

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Illusione Oneoff Pyramides are made by Illusione Cigars. They are manufactured in Aganorsas’ world renowned factory in Nicaragua known as TABSA.  Originally produced in 2001 by Plasencia for the former airline CEO, Andrea Molinari, OneOff was branded with a very unique “peace sign” logo which also donned his fleet of jets.  When the brand was no more, Dion Giolito of Illusione acquired the mark for one very important reason- OneOff was actually the cigar that inspired him to start his own boutique company which would manufacture similarly unique small-batch cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Illusione OneOff Pyramides
  • Wrapper: Honduran
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 6 1/8 x  52

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a very eye-catching triple-capped pyramides with a traditional tobacco brown hue like my favorite pair of union work boots. The wrapper leaf is very rustic and toothy, scattered with the veins and inner workings of the leaf. A true specimen of botanical glory for any plant lover to geek out over. Because of the lighter shade, you can make out every detail of the tobacco leaf, giving the impression that the wrapper was primed, dried, cured, and rolled for me all just yesterday. It has a very nice weight in the palm of my hand, and is constructed firm from top to bottom. It feels that it was bunched very well.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The whole cigar and especially the foot smells like scattered rye straw that got damp in the rain. It also has the typical notes of cedar but there is also some pine and sweetness present as well.

The cold draw absolutely floors me. I was not expecting this. It was like walking into a well kept humidor at your local B&M. It is that very floral and perfumey dampness that arises when aging tobacco and cedar siding gets married under humidity. If you’re a fan of the movie, “Midnight in Paris,” and are a sucker for nostalgia- this cigar will instantly inspire thoughts of your first journeys into the cigar world. All this reminiscing makes me very excited to light this cigar up. A simple V-cut and single torch flame, and we’re off to the races!

As I toast the cigar the initial aroma reminds me of building a fire. Not that campfire smell you normally come across, but that specific smell you get when you’re working with an actual fireplace. It lights and combusts perfectly. First puff is super smooth. Just what the doctor ordered after a hard day’s work.

As I travel through the first third, again, the aroma coming off the foot of the cigar is really unique. It is like cotton candy being made in the distance at a state fair. On the palate, there is milk chocolate and the unmistakable flavor of popcorn on the finish. As it progresses and the oils begin to heat up, I retrohale, and notice some white pepper building in the body of the smoke. The smoke coming off the foot is losing the cotton candy, and becoming a more refined and typical scent of wood and hazelnuts. The saliva in my mouth is becoming sweet, and as I rest the cigar in between draws, I can still taste popcorn. The taste of the walk-in humidor reemerges as the first third burns away and I enter the second third. I am enjoying this experience. It is romanticism in the form of smoke. I am also reveling in its solid construction. It has a tight draw, not because of stems, but because of how well packed with filler this cigar is. All that tobacco being siphoned through a mountain-peak-top may also have to do with the tight draw. Needless to say, when a cigar is built like Fort Knox, I find you can just be yourself while smoking it, and don’t have to babysit the burn line and temperature too much. As the kids say nowadays, “I’M CHILLIN’!”

Second third still has great smoke production with a nice ash build up. There is more spice like nutmeg and black pepper with the popcorn still in the background. I have to note once more, that what makes this cigar amazing, is the smoke leaving the foot. It has now morphed into a very confectionery aroma, like the frosting on a chocolate cupcake. The retrohale is spicy.

The last third, the draw loosens up a little. As the cigar moistened, I kept massaging the cap between my fingers and this technique has been fairing me well throughout. I notice some harshness and resin buildup, however, and have to purge the last third a few times to keep the love in the air. The purging refreshes a new palate intake of coffee made with heavy cream. I also recognize my abuelita’s perfume (for you gringos: it smells like grandma’s house!). The popcorn has faded and I’m now getting soil and coffee grounds. The retrohale is all leather jackets and hazelnuts from here on out. The aroma of the cigar fading away in my ashtray smells like a bag of marshmallows. What a trip!

Conclusion

The Illusione OneOff Pyramides was phenomenal. I haven’t smoked a cigar like this in a while. The price tag is worth every penny in my opinion. The experience alone is also well worth you’re time. I only deducted points for the harshness I had to battle through on the last third. I personally would like to smoke through other vitolas in search of the blend that can go the distance. If you’re a hopeless romantic or just flat-out-bored with what you’ve been smoking in your usual cigar rotation, the Illusione OneOff Pyramides is for you. Lastly, I have to repeat myself: THE SMOKE COMING OFF THE FOOT OF THE CIGAR, MAN! If you’re into lighting incense, throw out your whole DIY ashram set-up and just replace it with a couple of Illusione Oneoff Pyramides. Your gods will actually be happy you gave them a more worthy smoke-offering for once. It’s one thing when a cigar tickles your palate, but a whole other thing, when you can get absolutely seduced and carried off in a fantastical cloud of smoke. Enjoy!

Final Score: 90

Blind Review: Cain F 550

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Cain F 550 cigars are handcrafted by the Oliva Cigar Company in Nicaragua. Oliva Cigar Company, founded in 1995, is Nicaragua’s second largest grower of tobacco and one of the largest cigar makers in the world. The Cain line of cigars, first appeared in 2009, and are meant to bring ligero tobacco into the focal point of your smoking experience. The F series uses more (32%) of the stronger ligero from Esteli in the filler, as opposed to the other Cain cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Cain F 550
  • Wrapper: Colorado Maduro
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 5 3/4 x 50

Appearance & Construction

This toro cigar is a nice milk chocolate brown in complexion with a seamless wrapper. Its almost as if the wrapper leaf was just slipped onto the binder and filler like a stocking. It has a single cap, and is rolled tight. It feels sturdy, and packed fairly even from top to bottom. It has a faint hint of cedar and chocolate aroma on the body and foot of the cigar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar has a very tight cold draw, with cedar and cold steel on the breath.

It combusts beautifully with a very even light. The type of light-up where you know the construction was absolutely flawless.

The first third tastes of mahogany and spice. The tight draw is not as distracting as I would have assumed. I am just basking in the construction as I sit back and relax. This cigar is built like a battleship. Its great when cigar can put a veteran smoker at ease. I don’t foresee any burn issues in my future. More chocolate aroma off the foot. Zesty cedar and spice on the backed. Faint Strawberry on the retrohale.

Second third turns into a very woody smoke, however, its creamier with lingering spice.  The ash build up is spectacular and almost picture perfect. It still has a tight draw, bust as I mentioned, you don’t have to suck the life out of it. The cigar is managing the heat very well.  Still a chocolatey aroma off the foot. Lots of wood on the retro.

Last third, is still woody. There is less spice, but still creamy. Great smoke production with volume.  Strawberry and hazelnuts on the back end. The flavors get grippier like wine tannins as the cigar burns towards the finish line. Popcorn on the retrohale. Chocolate frosting aroma off the foot. Spice returns as the cigars ends.

Conclusion

The Cin F 550 was a great smoking experience. This was my first Cain ever, though not my first Oliva. Oliva always has a way of pleasing the critics. The Cain F 550 wasn’t a complex smoke, but very enjoyable with a steady change in flavor. If you like chocolate, wood, and spice, then you’re definitely in for a treat. The MSRP is also very appealing for a well built toro such as this. I would absolutely recommend the Cain F 550 to anyone looking for Nicaraguan puro with body, texture, and reliability.  Enjoy!

Final Score: 82

Blind Review: AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto

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The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is manufactured by AJ Fernandez. AJ Fernandez, is the grandson heir to the famed Cuban cigar brand San Latano, thus, making AJ a third generation cigarmaker. Before establishing himself as an individual force-to-be-reckoned-with in the cigar industry, AJ shined as a partnering manufacturer for Cigars International and Rocky Patel. Today, AJ owns and operates one of Nicaragua’s biggest premium cigar factories, producing some 9 million cigars a year, and currently selling its products in more than 32 countries.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto
  • Wrapper: Cameroon
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 5.5 x 54

Appearance & Construction

A soft box-press rustic robusto with a wrapper leaf that looks like crust-punk patch-work.  Its striated and delicate.  I notice it doesn’t fully cover the binder/filler. There is the slightest centimeter of binder/filler protruding out from this wrapper at the foot. I wonder if that was done on purpose? It is packed very loose with a double cap, and feels very light weight in my hands. Strong cedar and chocolate aroma coming off the body and the foot of the cigar. So much so, you don’t even have to hold it close to your nose.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is super loose and airy with faint dark chocolate on the breath.  It toasts and combusts well.

At first puff I am blown over by a BBQ pit smoker. Nice and strong mesquite. However, that flavor bomb dies down and the cigar become more subdued fairly fast. Whatever the blend is, it makes me salivate a lot.  A good sign of premium tobacco. There is spice and the unique farming taste of freshly picked sweet field greens. If you’ve ever harvested broccoli leaves or cabbage stem leaves before the actual brassica grows to full maturity, then you have a clue of what I’m talking about. There is wood, spice, and fruit on the finish of each puff as well as  on the retrohale. So far, it handles the heat well, and I don’t necessarily have to pace my smoking speed. There is lots of leather also on my palate as the tobacco oils heat up, and a nice nutmeg aroma coming from the foot.

The second third opens with a sweeter and even lighter profile. Leather forward with spice on the finish.  Lots of pencil shaving taste developing. Not my go to “woody note” as a cigar smoker. There is still nutmeg aromas coming from the foot, with some nice hot mesquite on the retro.

The last third begins to get harsh. This happens to be a reoccurring theme the more I smoke loosely packed cigars, as well as a reoccurring issue with box pressed cigars. Where’s the cigar forum “bro-science” to help explain this away for once?! I’m experiencing some savory notes like cumin. There are also earthy tones with lingering leather. Still a nice spice on the finish with the hospitable nutmeg aroma on the foot.  Spicy retro with hints of vegetable. Not my cup of tea.

Conclusion

The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto was alright. Not my go-to smoke even at the attractively low MSRP. The last third ruined it for me. However, if you’re a big fan of leather, spice, and pencil shavings, then the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is for you. I wont say its the best expression of Cameroon wrapper on the market, even at this price point, but the sweetness was there. With so many people in the market experimenting with this specific wrapper leaf nowadays its hard to tell who is actually sourcing real Cameroon from African terroir and who isn’t. I’m not saying the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto will steer you in the wrong direction, I just think Fuente is still the king of Cameroon at the end of the day. It’s a totally different smoking experience to be sure, but a much better one at that, and with a comparable price tag depending on which Fuente mark you choose from. ENJOY!

Final Score: 82

Blind Review: Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro

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The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is manufactured in the Dominican Republic By Room 101 Cigars.  Room 101 is a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Matt Booth in Los Angeles California in 2003, initially crafting custom jewelry.  The cigar brand was founded in 2009, and has had help with the manufacturing and distribution phases through a long list of  recognizable cigar industry faces such as Camacho, Davidoff, Caldwell, La Pallina, AJ Fernandez, Adventura, and most recently General Cigars.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
  • Binder: Indonesian
  • Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania
  • Size: 6 x 55

Appearance & Construction

Grape and apple harvest in Upstate New York is soon upon us!  I will be busier then ever.  This is a good and a bad thing.  Good, because I make the most income around this time of year.  Bad, because I don’t have that much time to smoke.  I’ve tried to be a tough guy on an apple ladder with a stogie hanging out of my mouth while delicately reaching into the tree of knowledge of good and evil and almost died in the garden of Eden before even having a chance to be cursed and banished for all of eternity.  I’m older and wiser now, plus, haven’t you heard silly rabbit? Tricks are for kids! That being said, I binge smoke up until the workload becomes an all-consuming fire.  Review cigars will just have to get included in this offensive troop surge, also known as my “pre-harvest rotation.”

Tonight, I curl up next to a gorgeous toro that feels like a baby’s breath in my hands.  The construction off-the-bat looks superb, almost like it came out of Perdomo’s factory.  For fans of Perdomo cigars, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  The cigar itself has a very sweet cedery aroma, with hints of mint tea with honey.  NOTE: fans of mint tea with honey, know exactly what I’m talking about! The wrapper leaf is a light brown with a rustic countenance.  It has a single cap.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is as loose as can be but with tons of weight on the palate.  TONS OF PEPPER! The leaf and construction, as mentioned, are perfect but also delicate.  It doesn’t take long to toast and combust the cigar. At first puff, the cigar is very pepper forward. Chili pepper! There are nice hints of baking spice and nougat at times depending on your smoking speed. Nougat on the retro as the cigar heats up. The tobacco keeps my palate wet, and is very reminiscent of drinking chocolate milk. The aroma coming from the foot smells like someone just baked brownies.

The second third opens up like the first day back to school.  The smoke production has been nothing but outstanding so far, but the mouthfeel is chalky with hints of pencil shavings.  There is still this lingering cocoa note.  As it progresses, I’m getting stronger notes of copper pennies, and black coffee.  The pepper which was very dominating throughout, begins to fade.  There is a tongue gripping floral and perfume note. Same on the retrohale. The cigar beigns to burn a little hot, and I take longer pauses in between sips. The foot aroma is similar to birthday cake.

The last third becomes harsh.  I also have some burn issues from the tobacco oils pooling on certain wrapper leaf spots.  The ash was solid on the first third, but for the last two sections, its becoming quite flakey.  Im getting burnt hazelnuts as the only tasting note.  Same on the retrohale. Some hints of cedar off the foot aroma.  The smoke singes my tongue and dries out my palate even after purging the cigar a couople times.  Theres no hope!

Conclusion

The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro reminded me a lot of a spicy corojo cigar with some unusal cupcake shop flavors.  I found the diverse tobacco blending to be quite the experience, until the last third.  It’s not that I’m bias towards larger vitolas, but I just hate smoking big cigars that cant go their advertised distance.  I find this to be the case alot of the time.  The MSRP on the Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is quite attractive for a larger well-packed cigar, but there are simply other bargain big sticks more worth your time. They may not be as nuanced, but will defintely burn better on the last half. Enjoy!

Final Score: 79

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