Every once in a while, a cigar comes along where the story begins well before the flame ever touches the foot. Sticks Cigars El Bombero is certainly one of those cigars. Created to honor first responders especially those who lost their lives in horrific 9//11 attacks.
From its elaborate fire-alarm-station packaging to its firefighter-inspired band, El Bombero makes a strong visual statement. But there is considerably more behind the presentation than clever marketing. This cigar represents the convergence of two passions for Sticks Cigars’ Daniel Nina—the fire service and premium cigars—and serves as a tribute to the men and women who answer the call when others are running away.
Daniel Nina describes the blend as:
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
- Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
- Filler: Nicaraguan Fillers Viso Leaf
The cigars were blended and crafted in collaboration with Rockefeller Cigars through American Caribbean Cigars in Nicaragua. They are expressed in 2 vitolas:
- Box-Pressed (5 x 56) Robusto – MSRP $18.00/Cigar
- Box-Pressed (7 x 56) Toro – MSRP $20.00/Cigar
- Complete Box MSRP $435.00 (The box contains 12 cigars (8 Robustos and 4 Toros).
For this review, I smoked both the Toro and Robusto, which provided an interesting look at how the blend expresses itself through two different vitolas.
El Bombero – A Tribute to the Brotherhood
The name El Bombero translates to “The Firefighter” in Spanish, and for Daniel Nina that name carries personal significance.
According to the message accompanying the cigar, Nina has proudly served as a firefighter with the Elizabeth Fire Department since 2012. He explains that El Bombero represents two of the greatest passions in his life: the fire service and the culture of smoking fine cigars.
That connection explains the extraordinary packaging. Rather than a conventional wooden cigar box, El Bombero arrives in a bright-red presentation designed to resemble a vintage fire alarm station. A peaked roof gives it the appearance of a miniature firehouse, while large white FIRE lettering runs vertically along the exterior. The box holds 12 cigars (8 Robustos and 4 Toros).
The front is framed with silver architectural trim surrounding a simulated fire-alarm pull station. A raised handle is marked “PULL HANDLE,” with the playful instruction “PULL LEVER TO SMOKE” below it. A ladder and fire hydrant flank the El Bombero logo near the roofline.
Then there is the number 343 prominently displayed on the front. That isn’t an arbitrary number. It represents the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Nina dedicates El Bombero to their memory as well as to the men and women who continue to put on turnout gear and answer the call every day.
In his accompanying statement, Nina describes the cigar and its box as symbols of honor, pride, sacrifice, and tradition. He specifically expresses the hope that smokers will keep the box after the cigars are gone as a reminder of the fire service, the courage behind the badge, and the brotherhood and sisterhood shared by those who serve.
The tribute also extends beyond the presentation. According to Nina, a portion of the proceeds from every El Bombero cigar is donated to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, supporting families of fallen and injured first responders.
Once you know that story, the package takes on an entirely different meaning. Yes, it has tremendous shelf presence and is almost guaranteed to start a conversation in a humidor. But this isn’t simply packaging designed to attract attention.
The Bands
The El Bombero is dressed with a bold fire-engine red, white, black, and silver band built around a Maltese-cross/fire-service badge motif. The center displays the El Bombero name over a firefighter helmet, flanked by a ladder and fire hydrant, with another helmet positioned below. Sticks Cigars branding appears across both wings and at the top. Embossed silver edging and multiple red and black pinstripes give the band a substantial, almost badge-like appearance that ties directly into the elaborate packaging.
A footer band has been added since I received the samples, which uses the same colors and boldly declares this as Rock-A-Feller Cigars creation.
The El Bombero Toro
Pre-Light Examination
The Toro presents itself with a dark brown wrapper covering a soft box-pressed frame. There are some noticeable veins running along the leaf along with a light sheen, and the cigar is finished with a well-applied cap. The cigar is packed well and has no noticeable soft spots.
Running the barrel along the nose, I picked up a fine barnyard note along with one of those aromas I absolutely love in premium tobacco—that distinctive fragrance you get when smelling fermented leaf directly off a pilón in the factory. There is something about that rich fermented tobacco aroma that immediately transports me back to visits to cigar factories. The foot offered a slightly smoky wood note.
I opened the cap using my CigarMedics Baller cutter. The cold draw was rather open and delivered notes of natural sweetness accompanied by a cinnamon-like spice. With the examination complete, it was time to turn El Bombero loose.
The Toro Journey
After warming the foot with my dual-flame torch, I drew in the introductory puffs. The cigar immediately connected with the cold draw, delivering cinnamon spice accompanied by a pleasant natural sweetness. As the cigar settled into the journey, those two characteristics established the foundation of the profile.
Around the midway point, an almond note began to develop. Cream soon joined the mix, smoothing the profile while the spice became more refined. A subtle fruit nuance worked its way into the background, providing another layer without overwhelming the core flavors.
The combination of cream, almond, fruit, cinnamon spice, and natural sweetness made the middle portion of the Toro the most nuanced part of its journey.
Moving toward the final third, the spice began to increase again. It gradually became more prominent on the palate while some of the underlying sweetness remained present.
The Toro ultimately proved to be the smoother and sweeter expression of El Bombero, emphasizing cinnamon, almond, cream, and fruit before allowing the spice to take greater control toward the finish.
Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 45 minutes and provided a medium strength experience. I rate this a 93.
The El Bombero Robusto
Pre-Light Examination
The Robusto carried the same dark brown appearance but presented itself somewhat differently than the Toro. I noticed fewer veins and a bit more sheen across the wrapper, giving this vitola a slightly cleaner exterior appearance. The cigar is packed well and has no noticeable soft spots.
The Robusto Journey
Where the Toro eased me into the experience with cinnamon and sweetness, the Robusto came out of the firehouse with the siren running. The opening puffs delivered an immediate pepper strike across the palate. Savory notes quickly joined the mix, giving this vitola a noticeably more assertive introduction.
A light gray ash began forming atop a thin and even char line while the cigar produced a full volume of smoke.
Early in the first third, a tangy component joined the profile, adding some brightness against the pepper and savory foundation. As the first third approached its conclusion, mild fruit notes began to develop.The ash eventually dropped, revealing a flat but well-centered burn cone.
Earthy notes then worked their way into the profile, adding depth as the cigar continued toward the midway point. A subtle almond nuance followed, providing an interesting connection to what I had experienced in the Toro. Cinnamon eventually joined the mix as well. This was where the common DNA between the two vitolas became increasingly evident. They arrived there by very different routes, but almond, cinnamon, fruit, and spice could be found within both expressions of El Bombero.
As the Robusto approached the final third, the early spice began to return. A slight wave developed along the burn line, though it never became enough of an issue to significantly detract from the experience. Cracker notes entered during the final portion of the journey, bringing a dry, toasted-grain quality to the profile. The spice continued to increase alongside the cracker note, carrying the Robusto toward its conclusion.
Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes and provided a medium strength experience. I rate this a 92.
Final Analysis
Smoking the Sticks Cigars El Bombero in both the Toro and Robusto demonstrated once again just how much vitola can influence the way a blend presents itself.
The Toro was the smoother and somewhat sweeter of the two. Cinnamon and natural sweetness established the early profile before almond, cream, and a touch of fruit added additional layers through the middle. The spice was present but more refined until it began building toward the final third.
The Robusto was considerably more assertive. It opened with pepper and savory notes before transitioning through tangy fruit, earth, almond, and cinnamon. Cracker notes and renewed spice defined the final portion of the experience.
What interested me most was where these two journeys eventually intersected. Both cigars displayed almond, cinnamon, fruit, and an increasing spice component, but each emphasized those characteristics differently. The Toro showcased the sweeter and creamier side of the blend, while the Robusto leaned toward pepper, earth, savory spice notes.
If your palate gravitates toward a smoother profile with sweetness and cream playing larger roles, I would lean toward the Toro. If you prefer a more assertive cigar with an early pepper strike and a savory, earthy backbone, the Robusto may be the better choice.
Beyond the smoking experience, however, El Bombero has something many cigars don’t—a genuine story behind its presentation.
The fire-alarm box isn’t there simply to look cool on a retailer’s shelf. The firefighter imagery isn’t merely branding. And that little 343 plaque on the front may be the most important detail of all.
- It represents remembrance.
- It represents brotherhood.
- And it represents the men and women who answer the call.
Daniel Nina closes his message by hoping that when the smoke settles, owners will keep the box as a reminder of the fire service, the courage behind the badge, and the brotherhood they swore to protect. I suspect quite a few people will.
When the last El Bombero has been smoked, this is one cigar box that deserves to remain.
