#20 2024 Cigar of the Year

#20 2024 Cigar of the Year: Aramas A55 by Oz Family Cigars

SPECIFICATIONS

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, U.S. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Casa Carrillo
A55: 5 1/2 x 55
Price: $13.75

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: Aramas A55 by Oz Family Cigars
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 1 (2024)

The Details

Coming in at #20 on the 2024 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Aramas A55 from Oz Family Cigars.

The “Oz” stands for Ozgener and its the company founded by Tim Ozgener. If the name sounds familiar, the Ozgeners are the same family that owned CAO Cigars. It was at CAO where Tim worked alongside his father, the late Cano Ozgener. Eventually, the Ozgeners sold CAO to the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG). Once CAO was assimilated into the STG portfolio in 2010, Tim departed the cigar industry. He stayed away 12 years until 2022 when it was announced he was forming his own company, Ozgener Family Cigars. This past year, Ozgener Family Cigars became Oz Family Cigars.

The cigar’s name fits in with the theme of all of the Oz Family Cigars’ releases. So far, each Oz Family release has paid homage to either Ozgener’s family or heritage. Ozgener is proud of his Armenian heritage on his father’s side and his Turkish heritage from his mother.  In Turkey, a mountain known as Mount Ararat is significant to Armenian and Turkish culture. The Armenians have also called the mountain Masis. Aramas is basically a combination of those two names.

As for the blend it features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a combination of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf fillers. Production for the Aramas comes from Casa Carrillo in the Dominican Republic, the main production partner for Oz Family Cigars. The vitola names are all named for their ring gauge and are prefixed with the letter “A.” In this case, A55 measures 5 ½ x 55.


Since its release, Aramas has flown under the radar. This is an outstanding release from Oz Family Cigars The A55 fires on all cylinders with flavor delivering notes of mocha (a combination of chocolate and coffee), baker’s spice, and black pepper. Keeping to the “theme” of the medium cigar, this cigar had medium bodied flavors countered by medium strength.

For Oz Family Cigars, this is the first time they have landed on the Countdown. Meanwhile if you are keeping score on the Countdown this gives the Dominican Republic its second cigar on the 2024 Countdown.


 

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