Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Negrito
Binder: Costa Rican Pelo de Oro
Filler: Brazilian, Nicaraguan, Dominican, (Fillers Aged 7 years)
Size: 5.9 x 52 Toro
Strength: Full
Price: $28.00
Date Released: September 2025
Quantity Released: 500 boxes of 26
Factory: ABAM, Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
This is a fancy cigar. Its presentation includes a fancy carbon fiber cigar box, a fancy carbon fiber cigar lighter, and a fancy carbon fiber cigar cutter. A box of 26 cigars plus two cigar accessories go for a modest $735.

This cigar has only been reviewed a couple of times, but it impressed those critics. The reviews occurred only a month or two after the cigar’s release. Now, 8 months after its release, and being reminded that the fillers have 7 years of aging, the cigar should be ready to show off its gams.

The construction is nicely done. Often, seeing how it’s done right forces the reality that not all cigars are done well. I recently bought a fiver of the Lure Habano in the Churchill size, and they were all squishy and spongy. I was very disappointed.

The wrapper glistens in the soft hospital lights where I spend my vacations spooning Filipino nurses and wishing I had never eaten Elmer’s glue as a kid. But aromas are so faint that I can barely report aromas of faint dark chocolate, soft cedar, mild cinnamon and clove, and premium barnyard.

My PerfecPunch clears the blow hole nicely. I put the cigar in my mouth for the first time, and I hear a crunchy noise as teeth meets cap. Again, reinforcing the serious nature of this cigar’s construction. In fact, the cigar is so heavy that I am unable to dangle the cigar comfortably. Flavors are vegetarian in nature with a side car full of rich earth, baking spices, black pepper, creamy avocado, and aged tobacco. The crazy thing about smoking a cigar with age, there is rarely the aroma or cold draw we like about foreplay.

This is a full tilt cigar and I’m reviewing it on just a bucket of strong coffee that gives me a false sense of control. That white paste from elementary school has consequences later in life. JFK Jr. wrote a manifesto on this subject.

Torch meets foot and an explosion of deeply rich flavors. This is what I’m talking about. If I spend a third of a C note on a cigar, I want an immediate smack in the gob. I take long slow puffs and the Octopussy delivers. It is so creamy that plotzing is necessary. The char line is sharp and the glistening wrapper is sexy.

Strength begins at medium. There isn’t that conk on the head you sometimes get from an advertised full-strength blend. That sudden jerk sends alerts that you’re in for trouble. The ash is delicate and with only half an inch of life, it falls gently onto my lap and burns my netherworld into submission. Sammy the Cat covers my mouth with his giant paw and I crumple into my gaming chair waiting for the screams to quiet.

The complex flavors are intermingled vanilla, café au lait, cedar, chocolate toffee, and mild black pepper. This blend starts with a serious dose of complexity. How rare is that. I know. If the blend can keep it up, this will be a stellar cigar.

As inch number one recedes, an incredible chocolate nougat or better yet, chocolate mousse kicks in.

I’m so old that the on my first visit to Europe in 1965, there were no barriers for viewing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. You could walk right up to it and do what you’d like. Of course, the French cop that protected it, might beat you to death while screaming go home Americans.

This cigar has put me into a completely different head space. I’m ruined for the rest of the day as I jauntily stare at the cigars I’ve laid out for late morning, after lunch, late afternoon, and after dinner. In the last year or so, I’ve revisited the gallery of Felipe Gregorio. The Maxamar 25th Anniversary became my #8 cigar of 2025. The Aphrodisiac became my #22 cigar of 2025.

Oh my, this is so fucking good. The cigar is advertised as full strength, but it moves up so slowly and evenly, that I barely recognize it is now in medium/full territory. This is the smoothest cigar I’ve smoked in ages. Spoiler alert: I stopped typing and went to Luxury Cigar Club. You can buy a three pack, five pack or the box. I bought the three pack and I will treasure them. Instead of $28 each, my promo code knocked 15% off reducing the price to $23.80. Still expensive, but not Euro expensive. This blend has sent signals to my aging brain that it is very special.

The blend is the opposite of a flavor bomb. The complexity, wealth of richness, and depth are the guiding light. If only I was a wordsmith. Or someone that knew everything about cigars, I’d have flowery word bombs to convey my experience. So far, this is a perfect cigar.

The crisp char line is remarkable. I’d love to show you a photo of me draped in an Armani tux, sitting at an exclusive men’s club that doesn’t allow Jews, and being attended to by a man named Godfrey. But I’m sitting in my shorts and tee shirt, draped in my bathrobe, sitting in front of my monitors, the desk strewn with coffee mug, water bottle, crap everywhere, and the sound of industrial fans and air purifiers overwhelming the calm of IRS agents breaking in my front door.

This is old fashioned full strength. It lulls me into a sense of calm and relaxation. Godamm it, I was smart enough to buy three more. I would have been very sad if they weren’t available. I just got these cigars yesterday. That’s right, no extended humidor time. For once, the aged tobacco did not require sleep in home detention. I’m going to keep extolling the wonders of this blend. I’d stop reading if I were you and just buy some. If you have Dr. Rod’s dough, buy the box and get all that carbon fiber stuff. But if you’re like me, a threesome put away for special times is the ticket.

First half is done. It took an hour.

I take my first sip of water. It swirls giving consent for the rich tobacco to explode on my palate like your first pearl necklace on a girl named Cloris.

I was 15 and I had my first girlfriend on a summer trip to Israel and Europe. We were sitting in the audience at our table for the Folies Bergère in Paris. I had no idea. The French didn’t give a shit about age, and served us champagne. My first time. The lights came down. Frieda leaned over, put her hand on my arm, and said, “You need to be an adult.” I looked at her and laughed. Why would she say that. The show began with a comic who spoke in English. Then a team of jugglers performed. And then a magician. The lights went down again, and I could see a blacklight was aimed at the forms of performers I could not clearly make out. I saw multicolored dots in pairs. I squinted. The lights came up and it was a gaggle of naked women dancers whose nipples were painted. The dancing began. I did a spit take with my champagne. I was going to get laid tonight.

I really spent the last bag of dimes I had to buy the three pack. But I get paid today so I will stand next to the mailbox hyperventilating.

Strength is full tilt but no nicotine. My eyes begin to water but I don’t care. What a way to start the day…fucked up on cigar tobacco and having a great time.

Creamy vanilla pods, milk chocolate, aged cedar, mild cinnamon and clove, café au lait, black pepper, and sweet dried peaches. Not big flavors but they have dug into the landscape of complexity and transitional depth. A serious cigar for serious men.

The second third makes me stupid. Really stupid with delight that something can taste like this. The one written review I found reveled in this cigar exactly as I’m doing right now. I don’t understand why the blogosphere is not covered in reviews of this cigar.

There is a companion blend called Felipe Gregorio Octopussy Coral Red. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Cameroon. It is the same price as the Maduro. As soon as I find more dough underneath the couch cushions, I gotta score a three pack.

OK. I’m going to stop going bat shit crazy over this cigar and just finish with you can purchase these cigars from non-sponsor Luxury Cigar Club. Ben at LCC is allowing a 15% discount with code KATMAN15.

Remember, a perfect rating doesn’t mean the best cigar of all time. It means no criticisms and a memorable experience.

RATING: 100 This might become my #1 cigar of 2026. But 7 months to go so we’ll see.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, felipe gregorio cigars, Felipe Gregorio Octopussy Sepia Nera | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, phil kohn