B.A.M.F. Cigars, owned by Ismael Olivan, is known for sourcing some of the most exotic worldwide tobacco leaf on the market. This year, the company introduced a new blend at the 2023 PCA Trade Show, that features Italian tobacco in the filler and binder and formed the cigar into a unique vitola called a Botellita which measures 4 1/2 x 40 x 60. It kind of looks like a bowling pin. The cigar is named the “Mafioso” and comes packaged in 10 count boxes that includes a challenge coin and a bullet lighter. A box retails for $160.00 or $16.00/cigar. They are produced at the Rodriguez Olivan Cigars Factory, SRL in the Dominican Republic.
The company describes the blend as:
- Wrapper: Brazilian Cubra
- Binder: Italian
- Filler: Italian
For this review I sampled two of these, one was gifted to me by my good friend and BOTL Lou Piscitelli and the other was given to me by Ismael to review on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
Very interesting vitola the Botellita. It kind of looks like a bowling pin. The cigar wrapper is beautifully pressed to the shape of the vitola. The wrapper itself is shiny and medium to dark brown in color. It exhibits significant marbling and a few veins. The cigar feels firmly packed throughout the shape. A simple cap finishes the construction.
A single band adorns the cigar. It displays, front and center, a skull faced gangster holding two smoking guns along with the name “MAFIOSO” printed in gold along the bottom.
Running the Mafioso along the nose, I did not detect and pre-light aroma off the barrel of the cigar while the foot exuded a decent amount of floral notes.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. The draw felt a tad more open than I prefer and it offered notes of a growing pepperiness and savory notes.
Using my single flame Xikar lighter, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow as I drew in the first puffs of peppery spiced smoke to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- The journey starts of a decent dose of peppery spice
- White ash forms on top of a thin wavy char line
- Cedar notes add to the profile as the pepper pulls back a notch
- A hint of natural tobacco sweetness folds into the mix rounding out the early profile
- The smoke is thick and chewy
- Citrus peel notes form at the thickest part of the vitola
- Lots of oiling above the burn line
- Cinnamon notes add further dimension to the profile
- Slight off burn midway
- A mouthwatering bitter citrus component forms as the cigar tapers down midway
- Ash finally fell in a huge well-formed chunk revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Increased peppery spice with continued citrus notes in the final
- Medium in Strength
- Total smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes
Final Analysis
The B.A.M.F. Cigars Mafioso journey commences with a robust hit of peppery spice, setting the tone for an exhilarating experience. As the initial pepper subsides, cedar notes contribute to the flavor profile. The introduction of natural tobacco sweetness further enriches the blend, providing a well-rounded early profile. The ensuing smoke, dense and substantial, coats the palate with a chewy texture. At the vitola’s thickest point, citrus peel notes emerge enhancing the overall delight. Cinnamon nuances deepen the complexity, offering additional layers to savor. A mouthwatering blend of bitter citrus emerges, tantalizing the taste buds as the cigar progresses to its midpoint. The concluding stages unveil an intensified peppery spice, seamlessly intertwined with persistent citrus notes, culminating in a truly exceptional finale. I found this particular vitola to be fun to smoke as it gives you the thickness of a robusto and tapers down to a corona at the end highlighting the wrapper. These are worth checking out a fiver of, but if you want the added bonus of a challenge coin and lighter buy the box. I rate this a 92.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Touch-up Required; (-1) Flat but centered burn cone; (-1) Flaky Ash
Bonus Points: (+1) Extreme Ash; (+1) Significant Oiling above the burn line; (+1) Balanced and Consistent across multiple samples
Thank you, for what I consider , a great review!