Stogie Reviews: Casa Gomez Benjamin

8 Jul 2010

Casa Gomez Benjamin If you’re a cigar smoker, I can virtually guarantee you’ll be impressed by the wrapper on Casa Gomez. The Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut leaf is a beautiful warm brown with barely a vein visible from head to foot. The pre-light scent is light, reminiscent of outdoors with hints of grasses.

From the first puff, it’s apparent that Casa Gomez is a mild to medium smoke. But that doesn’t mean it’s light on taste. The blend was recently tweaked to add a little more zip, with Nicaraguan tobacco being added to the Dominican filler that’s encased by a Honduran binder. The stick’s first half has a little stronger kick than the second.

The pre-light aroma is reflected in the flavors, which present a little straw and hay, some pleasant grassiness and, in the final third, a touch of sweetness. Nothing is overpowering, creating an overall sense of balance and equilibrium.

The Benjamin, named for the current head of Casa Gomez, Benny Gomez Jr., is a torpedo (6.5 x 54). Others in the four-vitola line also sport family monikers (i.e., “Lorens” and “Junior”). Dominican rolled, the cigars have first-rate construction and produce volumes of thick, creamy smoke.

Casa Gomez isn’t an easy cigar to find. I was given several samples at an event promoting the label recently at my buddy Arnold Serafin’s shop in Spring Hill, Florida. Retail prices for the four sizes range from $5.50 to $6.50.

Gomez and his son, Loren, told me they’re gearing up to get their sticks in more shops and will again have a booth at the upcoming International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers convention. They said they’re also working on the firm’s website and hope to have it more functional soon.

This is a fine cigar, well worth searching for. If you are a fan of milder smokes, it will hit the spot; if you generally prefer stronger sticks, the Casa Gomez will give you a satisfying change of pace. I rate it four stogies out of five.