Fratello The Lunar Connecticut - Blind Cigar Review

Fratello The Lunar Connecticut – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

In a nod to human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration, last year, Cigars unveiled , a limited-edition cigar crafted in collaboration with Steve Altemus, a former NASA Deputy Center Director and founder of Intuitive Machines. This partnership celebrates ‘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. 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.

, founder of Cigars, expressed deep honor in commemorating such a groundbreaking moment in space exploration with . The connection to space is personal for de Frias, reflecting on a tradition of marking successful NASA missions with a premium cigar. represents a tribute not just to these achievements but to the enthusiasts and supporters of the brand worldwide.

The cigar itself is available in two distinct blends, 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 blend features a Shade wrapper, balanced with a Mexican binder and a filler blend from the , , 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 Cigars and Intuitive Machines. This release continues ‘s tradition of honoring space exploration, following the acclaimed Navetta and Navetta Inverso blends.

Vital Stats:

Vitola:
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin:
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade
Binder: Mexico
Filler: , , Cameroon
Factory:
Blender:
Number of reviewers: 4 (Stogie Sister) (fullermaine) (Chris) ()
Price: $14.00
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: June 2023
Contributed by: 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)

Aroma: 95

“The aroma of nougat blasts my nose, followed by a hint of hay.” – (Stogie Sister)

First Third
– Blind Cigar Review

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)

“The oak notes upon lighting don’t go away in this portion of the cigar.” – (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)

“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. ” – ()

Final Third
– Blind Cigar Reviewe

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.” – (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)

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.” – ()

Burn: 93

“Nice burn with the ash falling off by itself. A relight was needed at the end.” – (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.” – ()

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. ” – (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.” – (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)

“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.” – ()

Smoking Time (in minutes): 86

ReviewerAppear.Aroma1/32/33/3DrawBurnConstr.Overall
Experience
959788909087959090
8595909292100887585
939588888585979588
939590908585908890

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Fratello The Lunar Connecticut – Blind Cigar Review

Fratello The Lunar Connecticut
Summary
"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.)
Appearance
93
Aroma
95
First Third
89
Second Third
90
Final Third
88
Draw
86
Burn
93
Construction
91
Overall Experience
89
90
Very Good