Stogie Reviews: Felipe Gregorio Imilchil 30/70 Amir

We all recognize Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic as the top growers of premium tobacco. Indonesia, Cameroon, and a few others might also make the list. But Morocco isn’t a country widely associated with cigars.

Miles away from mainstream (literally), Felipe Gregorio—a cigar maker with a résumé that includes selling helicopters in the Middle East and crafting a blend for Frank Sinatra—has branched out to cultivate tobacco in northwest Africa.

True, his path to cigardom took a fairly traditional route through Honduras and Nicaragua. But now, with a Dominican factory (Tabacalera Real de Felipe Gregorio) and a boutique shop in Miami, Gregorio is growing tobacco in Morocco for his “Moroccan Series.”

This unique line of cigars includes four different blends named for the region of Morocco in which their tobacco is grown. Imilchil, according to Felipe’s website, is a village in central Morocco that’s “located at an elevation of 2,119 meters in the valley of Assif Melloul (‘white river’). The tobacco grown at this altitude is very sweet.” The blend features 30% Imilchil tobacco, a Connecticut wrapper, and olor leaves from the Cibao Valley. Four vitolas are available.

I sampled two Amirs for this review. Measuring five inches with a 54 ring gauge, this plump robusto has a rough foot that exudes sweet aromas of honey. The pale wrapper is extremely delicate and prone to tears if mishandled. Thankfully, the double bands are loose and easy to remove and the cap clips neatly.

While toasting the foot, the Amir yields a unique incense-like resting smoke that’s aromatic and floral. The taste, intensely cedary at first, settles into a mild profile of vanilla, almond, and steak seasoning. Sharp on the finish, the combined effect, oddly enough, reminds me of jasmine rice.

The Amir’s outstanding construction enables you to enjoy this distinctive flavor without worrying about combustion deficiencies. Its burn is nearly perfect, its draw clear, and its gray ash holds strong.

While I may not remember these physical properties several weeks from now, I won’t soon forget the Imichil’s one-of-a-kind taste. Such a matchless, enjoyable flavor easily makes this my favorite Felipe Gregorio to date. So, for a unique experience on the mild side of the spectrum, I highly recommend purchasing a box for $130 at Casa Felipe (the Imilchil 30/70 Amir’s exclusive online distributor). It earns four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys