Escobar Cigars launched in 2018. Most people know the name because of the rapper Nas. Fewer people understand what actually goes into the cigars, who the real driving force behind the brand is, or why a brand this young has built a following as serious as it has.
We’ve spent more time with Escobar Cigars than almost any independent review site. Four separate cigar reviews across the full lineup. Two exclusive interviews — one with co-founder David Gomes, one with the brand’s European ambassadors Takizala Kahuit and Daniel Ewané. This page brings all of it together.
If you want to know whether Escobar Cigars are worth your money, which blend to start with, or what separates one line from another — this is the only page you need.
What Are Escobar Cigars?
Escobar Cigars is a premium handmade cigar brand founded in 2018 by David Gomes and Michael McNaughton, with Nas — Grammy-winning rapper and genuine cigar enthusiast — as a co-owner and equity partner. The brand’s parent company is Puros Privados.
The core lineup — Connecticut, Habano, and Maduro — is blended by AJ Fernandez at his factory in Nicaragua. The Limited Edition Ultra Black is a collaboration with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (EPC) under the Casa Carrillo brand, using tobacco aged for five years.
The brand operates across two fundamentally different markets: the United States and Europe, each with its own regulatory environment, distribution structure, and consumer culture. That dual-market reality has shaped the brand in ways that most outsiders don’t fully appreciate — and it came up directly in both of our interviews.
The Story Behind the Brand: Exclusive Interviews
Interview 1: White Sharks, a Homeless Dog, a Passion, and a Rapper
David Gomes and Michael McNaughton met as teenagers, freediving and hunting for abalone in waters about three hours north of San Francisco — the kind of water where great white sharks are a genuine consideration. That friendship, built on real trust in real danger, eventually became Escobar Cigars.
The cigar origin story begins in Havana, 2007. Michael attended a friend’s wedding. He’d never smoked a cigar before. On a terrace, he puffed too hard, moved too much. A Cuban man told him to sit down and relax. “I felt the cigar relax me in a way I hadn’t felt before,” David explained. “It was at this moment that my passion for cigars started.”
The brand decision crystallized on the 4th of July 2017 in Nicaragua. Michael had no plans that year and invited David to join him. While there, Michael disappeared and came back waving a bundle of cigars. “This is what we are going to do,” he said. Both had stable careers and financial security. They chose to follow the dream instead.
By 2018 they contacted Morgan Smith — a mutual friend who worked at Warner Music — who connected them with Nas. That connection became the brand’s third co-ownership.
What came through most clearly in the interview was who Nas actually is in this partnership. The feeling online is that he’s an investor and brand ambassador with part ownership. That’s not accurate. “Calling him an investor and a co-owner ambassador is about as far from the truth as you can get,” David said. Nas reviews every blend, every graphic design, and every small detail of the company alongside David and Michael. “He is as big a part of the work as we are.”
David also spoke about their work in Nicaragua beyond the cigars. On every trip to the factories, they bring supplies to distribute to families with less. It’s not part of any marketing strategy. Sol-Hunter, David’s formerly homeless dog, tells the same story: “I would never in my life support and buy a puppy from a kennel as long as there are dogs that don’t have a home.”
The interview changed how we thought about the brand.
Interview 2: Two Markets, One Brand, Zero Compromises
The second interview went inside the operational reality of running Escobar across the American and European markets — with Takizala Kahuit and Daniel Ewané, the brand’s ambassadors for Europe and Africa.
Their own story is worth knowing: right after COVID lockdowns, Daniel simply messaged Escobar Cigars on Instagram. That became a Zoom call, then several conversations. Three weeks later they’d signed a contract. “It happened quickly, but it felt authentic — a relationship built on shared vision, passion for cigars, and mutual trust from day one.”
On the European market: Switzerland has surprised them with its premium-focused clientele. Germany has a growing new generation exploring boutique brands. European consumers discover Escobar through lounges, word of mouth, and curated presence in specialty shops — traditional advertising channels don’t operate the same way under EU regulations.
What the two markets want from a cigar is different. Americans look for boldness, variety, and brand storytelling. Europeans lean toward tradition, subtlety, and ritual — packaging and presentation carry more weight. But both ambassadors see the gap closing: “Americans are becoming more refined in their palates, and Europeans are becoming more open to new-world blends and brand energy.”
On Nas in the American market: “Nas isn’t just a celebrity putting his name on a cigar — he’s an owner who’s involved at every stage, from brand direction and product development to packaging and partnerships. Cigars have been part of his lifestyle for decades, so this is a genuine extension of who he is, not a licensing play.”
Escobar Cigars Reviews: Every Blend We’ve Smoked
We have reviewed all four current Escobar blends. Every verdict below was written at the end of the review session before this page existed. Nothing here has been adjusted to fit a narrative.
Escobar Connecticut Robusto
Vitola: Robusto 5×50 | Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut | Binder: Ecuadorian Habano | Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras | Strength: Medium | Price: ~$13.50
The Connecticut is the entry point to the Escobar lineup, and it earns that position through something specific rather than just being the mildest option available.
Construction was the first thing that stood out. Incredibly firm and evenly rolled, silky and oily to the touch, with no veins and no soft spots. What was particularly unusual was how carefully the wrapper had been applied — normally you can see the seam running the length of the cigar. Here it was almost invisible, as if the wrapper had been painted onto the binder rather than rolled around it. That level of craftsmanship is not standard at this price.
The first third opened with a creamy, slightly buttery texture. Sweet almond, cedar, light white pepper, hay, and dried herbs in the foreground. General sweetness, cream, and earthiness in the background. The retrohalation was smooth with woody nuances.
The second third is where the Connecticut separated itself. The buttery texture gave way to something creamier and richer. Hay, nuttiness, and cedar remained, but what lifted this section was a sweetness that’s difficult to describe any other way than the sweetness found in honeydew melon — sweet, mellow, and mouth-filling. It is the detail we still remember most about this cigar.
The final third maintained that creaminess. Anise, hay, grass, woodiness, almonds, and walnuts in the foreground. Fruitiness, coffee latte, hickory, and classic tobacco in the background. Burn was perfect throughout. Draw was airier than most — not loose, but open and easy.
Our verdict: A little underpriced for what it delivers. The airy draw and medium body make it the ideal starting point for newer smokers or anyone who prefers a lighter, more approachable smoke. For anyone looking for the best Connecticut in this price range, this is the one to reach for.
Escobar Maduro Toro
Vitola: Toro 6×52 | Wrapper: San Andrés Mexico | Binder: Nicaragua | Filler: Nicaragua | Strength: Full, bordering on medium | Price: ~$13–15
After the Connecticut earned its place on our value list, we went into the Maduro with one question: does the quality hold across wrapper styles? For some brands it doesn’t. The Connecticut delivers and the Maduro coasts on the name.
Not here. The construction was firm and evenly rolled with no veins, soft or hard parts. A thicker oily feel wrapped around the cigar like a blanket. The band gave off the feeling of a summer grill and sitting on a balcony at sunset — different from the Connecticut despite carrying the same logo.
The first third opened with a rich and creamy texture. Dark woodiness, black pepper, ground coffee beans, leather, and cashew nuttiness in the foreground. Raisins, dried fruits, and tea-like herbs in the background, balancing the darker dominant flavors in an incredibly good way. Retrohalation tickled with woody and peppery nuances.
The second third showed a lighter complexity. The dried herbs from the background moved to the front. The texture was still creamy but less rich. Hay, leather, general pepperiness, woodiness, espresso, roasted nuts, and creamy chocolate up front. Dried fruits, earthiness, and a sea salt-like saltiness in the background.
The final third rounded off the experience cleanly. Dark chocolate, oak-like wood, white pepper, espresso, dark roasted coffee beans, roasted nuts, and breadiness in the foreground. Grapes, raisins, classic tobacco, vanilla pod, and saltiness in the background. Draw was perfect — neither loose nor tight. Burn line nearly as straight as a wall, just like the Connecticut.
Our verdict: A little low in price — you get more than you pay for. The full body with dark flavors balanced by sweet fruity undertones makes it the right choice for smokers who want a serious maduro without going to maximum strength. Both Escobar core blends have earned a spot on our value list independently, which says something about how consistently the brand executes.
Escobar Habano Belicoso
Vitola: Belicoso 6×54 | Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran | Strength: Medium, bordering on full | Price: ~$14
Rolling a belicoso is one of the harder vitola challenges in the industry. The tapered head requires skill that separates competent factories from exceptional ones. The Escobar Habano Belicoso was evenly rolled without soft or hard parts, no major veins, with a slightly rougher and thicker oiliness that wrapped around it like a blanket — a type of oily feeling you don’t feel often.
The cold draw gave off malty and oats flavors. The wrapper smelled of hay and fruitiness, the filler of hay and dark chocolate.
The first third opened softly with a lighter creamy texture. General spiciness, cedar wood, citrus peel, nutmeg, and coffee beans in the foreground. Roasted nuts, florality, and a soft syrupy sweetness in the background. The retrohalation had a slight tickle with general spicy nuances.
The second third showed a new side. The texture became a little richer. Earthiness, oak, citrus peel, cacao, and pepperiness with a hint of herbs up front. General citrus, floral, espresso, anise, syrup-like sweetness, and minerals in the background. The retrohalation smoothed out with nuances of general woodiness and spiciness.
The final third offered the most memorable section of any Escobar cigar we’ve smoked. The texture grew into something rich and creamy. An almost unique coffee flavor — like a thick foam reminiscent of vanilla sugar — alongside dark woodiness, dried herbs, leather, nutmeg, and a chocolate combination sitting somewhere between cacao and regular chocolate. Earth, honey-like sweetness, saltiness, and raisins in the background. Retrohalation smooth with wooden nuances. The coffee flavor lifted the experience a level beyond what the first two thirds had suggested.
Our verdict: A complex cigar with well-balanced flavors and a citrus nuance that runs from start to finish. The coffee finish in the final third is what makes it stand out. A little low in price — you get more than you pay for. Best suited for the slightly more experienced aficionado who wants complexity and a richer flavor journey across all three thirds.
Escobar Ultra Black
Format: 6 7/8 × 54, box-pressed | Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés | Binder: Nicaraguan | Filler: 5-year aged tobacco from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic | Blender: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (EPC) | Strength: Medium to full | Price: ~$250 per box of 10 | Production: Limited edition
There is a special feeling about holding a 6 7/8 × 54 box-pressed limited edition cigar like the Escobar Ultra Black. A powerful feeling that deserves your attention.
Construction: firmly rolled and box-pressed with even corners. No major veins. A lighter oily feeling wrapped around the cigar like a thin blanket. The band felt like a statement — look closely and you see an image of a big city and its reflection in water. The feeling it produced: sitting by the water, watching the city while everything else rushes by. A cigar made to mark something worth marking.
The cold draw gave off malty and fruity flavors. The fruitiness felt like a teaser — a reason to light up sooner.
The first third was creamy and buttery. Nuttiness, cacao, creamy espresso, cedar, and hay in the foreground. Fruitiness, honey-like sweetness, saltiness, minerals, and anise in the background. Retrohalation smooth with nuances of hay and cedar wood.
The second third showed a completely different side — the cigar came alive. The texture became creamier and more remarkable. Hay, woodiness, dark roasted coffee beans, chocolate, and roasted nuts up front. Raisins, fruitiness, nougat, dried herbs, vanilla bean, and a cinnamon-like spiciness in the background. Retrohalation remained smooth throughout, with general woodiness.
The final third brought an interesting turn: the texture returned to something close to the first third — creamy with a buttery feel. Hay, grass, leather, chocolate, anise, ground coffee beans, and cinnamon in the foreground. Earth, fruitiness, citrus peel, saltiness, hickory, and a vanilla sugar-like sweetness in the background. Retrohalation smooth with general woodiness.
Smoke time: 85 minutes. Burn line even from start to finish, no corrections needed. Draw exactly where you want it from a premium cigar. Body medium to full, developing across the smoke — calm in the first third, building steadily into the second.
Our verdict: A complex cigar that develops constantly throughout the smoking process. Well-balanced flavors, medium to full body, and 85 minutes of smoking time means this cigar rewards patience and attention. Perfect for the experienced aficionado who wants to sit down and give a cigar the time it deserves — and a great next step for curious smokers ready to explore fuller territory.
Which Escobar Cigar Should You Start With?
Every cigar in the Escobar lineup is well made. The question isn’t which one is best — it’s which one is right for you.
Connecticut Robusto is the entry point and the right starting cigar for anyone new to the brand or new to premium cigars in general. Medium body, an airy draw, and the honeydew melon sweetness in the second third make it accessible and memorable in equal measure.
Maduro Toro is for smokers who want to explore darker wrappers without going into maximum strength territory. Full-bodied but balanced, with fruity undertones keeping the darker flavors from ever feeling heavy. A great everyday cigar for the intermediate smoker.
Habano Belicoso is for the more experienced aficionado who wants complexity and a flavor journey that develops across all three thirds. The coffee finish in the final third is one of the more memorable moments in the Escobar lineup. This is the cigar that rewards attention.
Ultra Black is for smokers who have the experience and the time. At 85 minutes with constant development from first third to last, it asks something of you. Give it the right occasion and the right pace and it delivers everything the collaboration between Escobar and EPC was designed to produce.
Escobar Cigars vs the Competition
Escobar sits in an interesting competitive position. The core lineup is priced between $13–15 per stick — a price point where the category is crowded and the quality range is enormous.
The construction across all four cigars we reviewed consistently outperformed the price. The seamless wrapper application on the Connecticut, the thicker oily feel of the Maduro, the oiliness of the Habano wrapper, the box-pressed corners of the Ultra Black — these are details that typically cost more to guarantee. Every single cigar came back with the same verdict: a little low in price, you get more than you pay for. That consistency across four different blends and formats is harder to achieve than it looks.
The brand ambassadors said it directly in our second interview: the AJ Fernández trademark adds confidence. Consumers know what that name means. For a brand that can’t lean on traditional advertising in Europe and competes on product and word of mouth, that assurance matters.
Escobar Cigars: Full Lineup at a Glance
Connecticut — Medium body. Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. Blended by AJ Fernandez. ~$13.50/stick.
Habano — Medium to full body. Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. Blended by AJ Fernandez. Available in Robusto, Toro, Belicoso, Gordo, and Corona. ~$14/stick.
Maduro — Full body, bordering on medium. San Andrés Mexico wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler. Blended by AJ Fernandez. ~$13–15/stick.
Ultra Black — Medium to full body, developing across the smoke. Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, 5-year aged fillers from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic. Blended by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (EPC). Box-pressed 6 7/8 × 54. Limited edition, ~$25/stick.
FAQ about Escobar cigars
Escobar Cigars has three co-owners: David Gomes, Michael McNaughton, and Nas. All three are actively involved. Every blend, graphic design, and detail of the company is reviewed by all three together. “He is as big a part of the work as we are,” David Gomes said of Nas in our interview.
The core Connecticut, Habano, and Maduro lines are blended by AJ Fernandez. The Limited Edition Ultra Black was blended by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo (EPC), using five-year-aged tobacco from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
The core lineup is made at AJ Fernandez’s factory in Nicaragua. The Ultra Black is made under the Casa Carrillo banner.
In all four published reviews on this site, every Escobar cigar came back with the same conclusion: a little low in price, you get more than what you pay for. That verdict was written at the end of each review session, before this page existed.
The Ultra Black has a medium to full body that develops across the smoke. The Maduro is full-bodied, bordering on medium. The Habano is medium, bordering on full. The Connecticut is the mildest at medium body.
The Connecticut Robusto is one of the more accessible entry points we’ve reviewed at this price. Medium body, approachable flavor profile, and consistent construction quality. The Maduro and Habano are better suited for smokers with some experience.
All VDG Coverage of Escobar Cigars
Reviews:
- Escobar Connecticut Robusto review
- Escobar Maduro Toro review
- Escobar Habano Belicoso review
- Escobar Ultra Black review
Interviews:
- Interview with David Gomes: White sharks, a homeless dog, a passion and a rapper
- Interview: Two Markets, One Brand, Zero Compromises
If this post answered one question, there are dozens more worth exploring. Over the years on VDG Cigars, every major topic in the premium cigar world has been covered — beginner guides, storage, palate training, troubleshooting, pairing, brand deep-dives, and original interviews with founders. It is all collected in one place: The Complete Cigar Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Premium Cigars.
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