Cigar Info
In a nod to human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration, last year, Fratello Cigars unveiled The Lunar, a limited-edition cigar crafted in collaboration with Steve Altemus, a former NASA Deputy Center Director and founder of Intuitive Machines. This partnership celebrates Fratello‘s decade in the cigar industry and Intuitive Machines’ pivotal role in lunar exploration, specifically their historic Nova-C lander mission which marked a significant milestone in private space exploration by successfully landing near the Moon’s South Pole. The Lunar aims to encapsulate this monumental achievement and the collaborative spirit behind it.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Omar de Frias, founder of Fratello Cigars, expressed deep honor in commemorating such a groundbreaking moment in space exploration with The Lunar. The connection to space is personal for de Frias, reflecting on a tradition of marking successful NASA missions with a premium cigar. The Lunar represents a tribute not just to these achievements but to the enthusiasts and supporters of the Fratello brand worldwide.
The cigar itself is available in two distinct blends, Connecticut and Cameroon, each housed in 15-count boxes designed to commemorate the Nova-C mission. We reviewed the Cameroon a few weeks ago here. The Connecticut blend features a Connecticut Shade wrapper, balanced with a Mexican binder and a filler blend from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Cameroon, offering a rich and nuanced smoking experience. Additionally, a special edition Dominican Puro, aged for 6 years, will be presented in an 18 Count Lunar Humidor, limited to 175 pieces, further celebrating the mission’s success and the collaborative spirit between Fratello Cigars and Intuitive Machines. This release continues Fratello‘s tradition of honoring space exploration, following the acclaimed Navetta and Navetta Inverso blends.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexico
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Cameroon
Factory: La Aurora S.A.
Blender: Omar de Frias
Number of reviewers: 4 – Jessica (Stogie Sister) Sean F. (fullermaine) Chris M. (Chris) Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Price: $14.00
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: June 2023
Contributed by: Fratello Cigars
Initial Impressions – Fratello The Lunar Connecticut
Appearance: 93
“The wrapper is a very nice mottled, golden brown hue, with plenty of oil sheen. There are a few significant veins and a few noticeable blemishes, but the roll is even, and it feels consistent. It’s topped with a large, semi-sloppy double cap.” –Chris M. (Chris)
Aroma: 95
“The aroma of nougat blasts my nose, followed by a hint of hay.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)
First Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium
“It’s a mild, but interesting start. I get cream, dry cocoa, and a musty cedar all about even. The backbone is light, smooth earth. Every so often I get lemon on the finish. The earth starts to pick up closing in on an inch down, and gains a bit of a mineral note. Just past that and a light table pepper spice kicks in, heavier on the retrohale.” –Chris M. (Chris)
“The oak notes upon lighting don’t go away in this portion of the cigar.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The cream, dry cocoa, and smooth, mineral earth are currently out front, with the musty cedar just a touch beneath that. There is a slight honey citrus sweetness that runs throughout, which is the first sweet note I’ve gotten. The table pepper picks up slightly, but only leaves a slight burn on the retrohale.” –Chris M. (Chris)
“The second third is similar to the first, featuring more floral and cedar notes. The only change is just the slightest hint of an almond nuttiness. ” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Final Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“I was not able to detect any noticeable changes between the second and last third. Still getting almond, cream, hay, and tartness.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)
“Smooth mineral earth, musty cedar, and a new floral note lead this third. The table pepper is at a moderate level. Honey citrus sweetness has dropped back, and the cocoa is gone. A sometimes vegetal hay note joins the background.” –Chris M. (Chris)
Overall Impressions – Fratello The Lunar Connecticut
Draw: 86
“The draw was very open the entire time, making it hard to get a good mouthful of smoke.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Burn: 93
“Nice burn with the ash falling off by itself. A relight was needed at the end.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Construction: 91
“The cigar seemed lightly filled and had a very flaky ash. I had to relight it several times, possibly due to how lightly filled it was, and there was some wrapper cracking near the top, but it didn’t cause any problems.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Overall Strength: Mild-Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 89
“I would smoke this cigar again, just was hoping for another flavor note to enter the picture in the last third. ” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)
“Only thing going for this cigar was the notes and the draw. A nice mix of notes that include notes of honey, toast, oak, coffee, and hickory. Appearance and construction was poor. Appearance was veiny and bumpy. Construction of this cigar included unraveling and canoeing. Not a cigar I’d seek out or try again.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
“The flavor profile was decently complex for such a mild cigar. It wasn’t the type of profile I reach for, mild or otherwise, but it was pleasant enough. The construction was fantastic, the burn time solid, so I could see smoking this again if it was gifted to me.” –Chris M. (Chris)
“The flavor was slightly light and one note, but it was a nice sweet floral and cedar flavor. The cigar had a good creaminess until the final third, which transitioned into a heavy, bitter bite. The cigar smoked fast and seemed light, so I’m unsure if it was underfilled or mix-filled. I would smoke it again at the right price, but it is not the most complex stick.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 86
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Jessica | 95 | 97 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 87 | 95 | 90 | 90 |
| Sean F. | 85 | 95 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 100 | 88 | 75 | 85 |
| Chris M. | 93 | 95 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 85 | 97 | 95 | 88 |
| Lauren S. | 93 | 95 | 90 | 90 | 85 | 85 | 90 | 88 | 90 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here