“Full of sweet earthy notes” EGO by Felix Assouline Cigars Review.

Brand History:

Felix Assouline first started out in the cigar business in 1997 on the retail side.  His first store in Dania Beach, Florida sold all the premium brands and launched him into three additional stores in South Florida over a six year span.  During that time he also ran a successful wholesale cigar business.  Felix’s passion for a great smoking cigar drove him to try every cigar he possibly could and, as he did, he developed an intricate knowledge of cigar construction and how different leaves affected the flavor of the cigar.

With that insight, Felix opened his own factory in Danli, Honduras in 2004 and began making his own cigars.  He introduced two successful brands, one of which being the original EGO, which received a 90 rating in Smoke Magazine in the September 2006 issue.

In 2007, Felix decided to sell everything and focus all his attention on his greatest love, his family.  After enjoying incredible family moments over the next six years, he decided it was time to get back into the cigar business.  This time, Felix wanted to focus all his efforts on fulfilling a dream of creating his own blends to achieve one goal: create the best premium cigars on the market.

The result is four newly introduced premium cigar brands.  Made in their factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Capital of Tobacco, these cigars marry the perfect mix of tobacco from the richest fields in Nicaragua and Honduras.  Each blend is created to enrich the smoking experience and leave every aficionado wanting more.  Through careful craftsmanship, they roll their cigars the traditional Cuban way and then take the extra time to box press the cigars to fuse the flavors of the different leaves together.  The results are the distinctly rich flavors found in each of their brands.

 Appearance:

The cigar has a leathery texture with an oily, dark brown and hearty wrapper.  The pre-light smell was great, full of sweet earthy notes.  It was somewhat reddish in color overall with a box-press that was a little solid.

 

Journey Profile:

1^st quarter: A very smooth draw produced plenty of dense and flavorful smoke in the air.  There were some sweet and spicy undertones present and the draw revealed some undertones of cocoa and woody notes.  2^nd quarter: The cigar transitioned into a creamy texture with some spice present in the nose.  Woody notes along with soft spice continued to flow through to the palate and in the aroma.  Full flavored smoke also came through to the palate.  3^rd quarter: Its continuously developing flavors as a subtle, medium body gave a long lasting impression.  Light and nutty characters were very pronounced through this portion of the cigar along with a hint of coffee notes.  4^th quarter: There were lots of rich tobacco notes and an alluring aroma.  Its underlying sweet texture stayed consistent to the finish and while there was definitely some complexity, the portions of bold flavor were not overwhelming.

 

Final Thoughts:

Overall, the EGO by Felix Assouline Cigars offers great construction and an even burn that held on to a good ash.  It is a medium body with plenty of rich full flavor that continues to develop and intensify down to the nub.  It is a great cigar that offers solid flavor and a rich full body.

 

  

Myron Gooch Sr.

Reviewed at: The Man Cave.

Time Smoked: 1 hour 25 minutes.

Cost: $10.00

 Wrapper: Habano Criollo 98.

Binder: Indonesian.

Filler: Honduran and Nicaragua.

Size: 61/2” x 58

Rating: 89