Final Grade: A

This cigar is wrapped in a Criollo 98, has a binder of Olor Dominicano, and has filler of Cubano San Vicente, Olor Dominicano and Criollo 98.

This cigar started off with a smokey oak flavor and just your average woody notes. A short while into it there was a hint of leather and bitter cream added to it, along with a very subtle spice similar to paprika. Getting closer to the end I got more leather and cream, with the spice getting less. At the final moments, the oak flavor came back and dominated the pallet. The aroma for this smoke was mildly sweet.

The construction on this smoke was pretty good. Produced a good smoke and had a fair draw. It burned ………(continue review here)

Thank you to Erez for sending this in for review.

I picked an Erez cigar out of my humidor for review. I figured I should because the day was nice and I have a feeling there will be less of those.

This cigar is make with a Connecticut shade Ecuadorian wrapper, a Criollo 98 binder, and Cubano San Vicente, Olor Dominicano and Criollo 98 fillers. The wrapper on this looked even and had some veins; nothing too out of the ordinary. The construction felt nice and firm.

The first puff of this smoke offered a toasty flavor followed by a bitter cream. About a fourth of the way through the creamy drew back and became similar to a salty butter. At about the halfway point almonds came into the mix, which added a very nice touch. To make this better, the cream and butter aspects evened out. The after taste of this smoke was a simple toasted and creamy flavor. The aroma was toasty and had a hint of sweet throughout.

The draw on this was nice and even. The burn started off……(continue review here)

Following is an excerpt from a Review done by Andrew over at CigarDigs:

Appearance and Construction: At first glance, this cigar looks like a typical Connecticut Cigar. The cigar’s construction appeared to be as good as I have ever seen. There are minimal veins within the wrapper and the coloration is uniform through out. All of this is noticed after I took off the bands. Erez Cigar’s boast some of the largest bands I have ever seen on a cigar. These bands literally take up almost 60% of the Cigar. Don’t get me wrong, they are beautiful and classy bands. My personal opinion of banding is that I am not too impressed with larger bands because it’s quite possible that the bands are hiding something. This isn’t the case here. I was very impressed with the cigar up to this point.

Smoking Notes: The cigar lit with ease and started out more mild than I was expecting. After about a quarter of an inch into….(Continue article here)

ShibumiCigar’s “Diary of a Madman” reviews the Erez Double Corona Maduro:

Pre-light, straight cut 85° sunset. This cigar has a dark brown, rough and toothy wrapper with a light fermented scent to it. It’s flavor profile is different than what i’m used to, but still very tasty. The first thing that hit me was the bread like note. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted that in a cigar, but I thought it worked well.

About 1/2 through, the cigar changed to a full nutty flavor with a mineral-like finish that left a great taste in my mouth. Overall, It’s a good after lunch/dinner cigar, medium body. A good 1st cigar if you’re going to smoke more than one.

I met Yaniv Erez at the IPCPR and I have to say he is very enthusiastic about his cigars. He has a good cigar. I’m a fan. (see the article here)

Regards,
ShibumiCigar

I want to thank Yaniv at Erez Cigars for the great partnership on this promotion. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the coming weeks. Martin – Flawless Crowns

Smoking a new cigar brand is one of the joys of being a cigar aficionado or enthusiast — it offers you the chance to try something new and possibly discover your new favorite cigar.

New to the cigar world is Erez Cigars, a line of cigars made by the Reyes Family using 100% Dominican tobacco.

Two cigars were smoked for this review, one 6″ x 50 toro and one 6 1/2″ x 54 belicoso, both sent by Erez Cigars. MSRP on the cigars is $7.50 for the toro and $9.50 for the belicoso.

The Erez Habano Edition is wrapped in a Criollo 98 wrapper and features an Olor Dominicano binder and Cubano San Vicente filler.

The cigar features two bands – the standard Erez band at the top, and a second band at the foot that indicates the wrapper being used. The Habano Edition features a rich brown wrapper has some veins…….(continue review here)

Following is a review by Martin over at Flawless Crowns “Luxury Fit For A King”:

When I first started smoking I gravitated towards Connecticut wrapped cigars; I found them to be more mild and smoother smokes. Since then I have graduated to cigars of all strengths and flavors but I didn’t forget my early days as a smoker and once in a while I will grab a Connecticut shade wrapper to start my day……….

While the Rocky Patel Connecticut and NUB Connecticut have been my personal favorites thus far, I must say that the Erez Toro is hands down the best Connecticut wrapped cigar for your money.

Erez is a new company based out of Miami and uses nothing but Dominican grown leaf to make their cigars. I got to meet the honorable Yaniv Erez, President of Erez Cigars, last week at an event at Cigar Inn.

He was nice enough to give me a detailed overview of the line. All of their cigars are full-bodied and are impeccably constructed. Needless to say I was excited to get into this cigar. (read the rest of the review here)

Each type of cigar, referring to the wrap (Conneticut, Habano or Maduro) as well as type (Robusto, Toro, Churchill…etc) should be smoked in unique fashion. Clearly, thicker cigars, like the Gordo, necessitate more time, which could mean smoking for an hour or more. Thinner cigars, like the Robusto, can take anywhere from twenty to forty-five minutes in total, which should be adequately accounted for when choosing your preferable cigar.

Briefly, pertaining to the cigars available at Erez Cigars, Conneticut cigars are best for after meal smoking, the most popular time to enjoy a cigar due to its thorough and balanced nature. Habano cigars, also available here, are significantly stronger than most cigars and are known for this trait. Our last featured cigar type, Maduro, is known mostly for its sweet quality making them a perfect treat for any time of day.

How to Smoke a Cigar

In order to truly appreciate cigars and the art of smoking, there are several fundamental steps to follow. Ask the most experienced smokers and they will tell you, “Smoke slowly and do not draw too frequently, that will only spoil the taste by making it too hot”. Take about one moderately long draw a minute, but do not inhale. Cigar smoke is most enjoyed latent in the mouth, in company of the taste buds; inhaling cigar smoke will only make you cough. Enjoy your smoking experience, set the correct atmosphere to smoke in for superior enjoyment.

Exhaling

Each person should smoke and exhale in a manner that is most comfortable to them. Beginner smokers, or those who find a regular exhale most comfortable, just hold the smoke and release it in a normal breathing pattern. Some more experienced smokers blow the smoke out in a circular formation for more enjoyment.

The art of blowing an “O” is mastered with practice. Keep your lips tight in a circular, open manner and release small portions of smoke at a time. Keep your tongue adjacent to the floor or your mouth throughout the entire maneuver. Be sure to drag a significant amount of thick smoke and only manipulate the size of your mouth marginally (from open to less open) as you push the smoke through your mouth. Keep the atmosphere correct; blowing smoke circles in the wind is almost entirely impossible!

When to Put it Out

The last, most significant aspect of smoking cigars is when it is time to put the cigar down and call it a day. A good indication of when to put out your cigar is when the usual smoking maneuver brings too much heat, leaves or aftertaste to the experience. This usually occurs as the cigar is within the final two inches of its initial size. Cigars do not have to be put out like cigarettes (crushing it on an ashtray or under your foot). To properly put out your cigar just allow it to stop burning by itself inside the ashtray. Make sure to dispose of the cigar shortly after your session is over to avoid filling your surrounding atmosphere with a sour odor of cold tobacco.