Wrapper : Connecticut
Binder : Connecticut
Filler : Dominican and Honduran
Source : bought from local store
Here we are once again, this time with a review of the Casa de Garcia, a budget stick. These are available in five sizes and three wrapper choices, which I go over in the video.
You should be able to get these sticks for about $1 a piece, $1.50 at the most. Most of them tend to be constructed decent but you will find some with a hard draw or burn issues from time to time. Flavor profiles change between sticks also, with most of them giving a base nutty flavor with a bit of pepper and spice. Some of the sticks I smoked gave a lot more pepper than others, so be forewarned, they are not all exactly the same. All of them are mild bodied with a mild-medium flavor, unless you get that super pepper kick.
As a budget stick, I was impressed. I have not found another cigar at around $1 that I have liked as well. I will definitely be picking some more of these Casa de Garcia‘s up to keep around. I also mentioned in the video I would like to try all the sizes and wrapper choices. At $1 a piece you would be looking at $250 to try them all. Not bad in my book.
AUDIO –> Right-Click: Save As
Thanks for the review Mike. Bonita Smoke Shop has all three wrappers.
Mike I think a lot of people think inexpensive means crap but reality it doesn’t, yes most inexpensive cigars taste aweful but I have some decent inexpensive smokes. Keep up the great job oh were the heck was the intro music? Just messing.
$250, or $25? Woah!
http://www.niceashcigars.com has all 3 wrappers at $24 or their sister site http://www.cigarsatyourprice.com u can offer them $23 and they’ll accept it at that price.
cheers
Great review Mike, check out the JR Cigars website Casa de Garcia about $19 a bundle. You are looking out for the low budget joe. Keeps it up with the review….
Slippery Rock Cigar has The Casa De Garcia Connecticut, Maduro and Sumatra $ 25 a bundle.
nice review mike,i will have to give these a try for the price.
are these easily found?
i got a bundle of these from the local cigar shop and i was highly disappointed. it was like sucking on air and i constantly had trouble with the wrapper fall off. I will never get those agian. you may want to try predomo fresco for around 2$ a stick.
I picked up a bundle of these from the JR Cigar site after your review, and have had 4 or 5 already. Unlike some other budget smokes these don’t feel light in your hand. So far all draw and burn well. I get the nutty flavor in the beginning, but not much after the halfway point. I’ve yet to get any spice or pepper. Still, for the money these will be tough to beat. Thanks for reviewing them, Mike!
I’ve seen these cigars at a few places and I was wondering if they were good budget sticks. I’l have to try some of these as I am always looking for a good tasting yard cigars.
These are probably my favorite mild cigar. I never had any idea they were so cheap! I bought mine years ago and they’d been sitting at the bottom of the humi, and after I had one, I was like… wow! I’ve got to find out where to get a box! Thought they’d be a $5 stick, but now see I can get a bundle of 20 for $25 !! Just goes to show that the only difference between a $5 cigar and a $1 cigar, is 4 dollars.
Enjoyed your review. I’m also on a cheap smoke journey, not by choice.
I picked up a Cuban Segundos churchill at a local shop, found the price on line was 60 bucks for a box of 50.
Don’t know if I had a fluke but it was really tasty for a mixed filler.
This factory makes several of my favorite cigars and when I was looking for a budget every day cigar I had to try the CASA DE GARCIA. I have been smoking them ever since. Nice tast good construction and nice burn. Just note about oberts comment . The wrapper comming off is not from poor construction its from temperature change after taking them out of the humidor.
Try this cigar, you will buy more !
I bought a bundle last week in the maduro wrapper.
I knew I was in for a treat when I took a whiff of the foot. Smelled like it’s been aging for a while because I remember that scent. I smoked the robusto relatively fast since I was in my apartment but it was really a nice smoking cigar. Not much spice, just a mild woody smoke with no bitterness. I had no wrapper problems and it burned sharp and draw was perfect. Maybe I picked a good one. I will buy it again.
Found these stogies in Smoke Shack. Mike your review is right on the spot not a bad smoke for a buck 57 a piece. With money being tight I will definitely getting more of these the next time i shop.
Mike – Holy crap! Based, largely, on your review, I bought 20 of the Casa De Garcia Toro Maduro (5.5 x 50). I paid $23.10 for 20 (JR Cigars). Unreal. I’ve smoked $15.00 cigars that aren’t as good as these, which cost less than a buck and a half. These babies have become my new “go to” smoke. Not perfect, but damn good. I’d love to get my hands on their “sumatra.” I’ll find those and get back to you. Wow. Thanks for the recommendation, Mike.
glad you enjoy them!
It isn’t an EPC New Wave but for the price, you cant go wrong.
I am ordering these, in Belicoso size as JR had a good $23 deal, with optional 10 churchills for another $6. I do not smoke much, but when I get the urge, paying $5 and $10 for a stick at Specks isn’t my idea of a good deal, not when a gallon of milk is $4 and $5 and the 14 year old guzzles one down per evening, to say nothing of the other three at home. But this deal was hard to pass up. When they come that first draw will be my first in about four or five months. I am wondering, Mike (or Sal or ?) what is a Connecticut wrapper? Is that an American wrap around a Honduran seed based tobacco leaf? I am very familiar with the leafs and how large they are. Few people know that the Pennsylvania Amish in Lancaster are some of the most proficient growers of tobacco, though they don’t smoke. I grew up there and live in Texas now — haven given up on the Eagles the Flyers the Phillies and the traffic. OK, just kidding. But is the filler for a fine cigar South American when the wrap is … dare I say … from the Connecticut hills? Why? Also, is it really a Catholic sin to smoke one of these prior to noon? Father John Peter Whathisname told the altar boys that back on Orange Street — St. Anthony’s back in the day. He also served as the B-ball coach. Fine man. He would have personally hung any priest, I believe, had he learned that they were accused of … well, you know. Anyway, a fine smoke prior to the end of the world. Looking forward to it. Just kidding. Again. Jesus is Lord. Doubt he likes this habit, though…
Connecticut wrappers are grown all over the place now a days and they keep the name Connecticut because that is the seed they used.
I hope you like them!
Mike, tried one for the first time today. Had actually never even heard of them before. After getting “burned” by too many cheapo-stinkos, I was impressed with this cigar. I bought a few at my local shop for 2.50 each, so I figured that I would pay around 2 bucks(ish) online for them. Well, after smoking the first one, I decided to locate them online and saw your review. Very good, by the way. I’ll watch more of them. Any how, Maybe I just found my every-dayer in these smokes and look forward to ordering some for a price far better than I thought.
I figure, as long as you are not some snobby asshole, you should be willing to try everything. Every once in a while you find a cheap gem like this. Now they are not San Lotano Ovals or anything of the sort but for an every day smoke, you can’t go wrong.
I hope you continue to enjoy these. I know your wallet will 😉
A heavy smoker I’m not looking to spend $50 plus to have my 3 daily cigars. I have a friend who treats every cigar he has like a Gay man would a giant cock…. Seriously, I am sure there is a psychiatrist somewhere who did a study…. Anyway, 20 plus years of cigar smoking I’m not one who jumps up and down when someone hands me a Cuban… My dad bit and spit his cigars and it’s not odd to find me doing the same, none the less I know taste, pleasure and what I like. When it comes to the dollar sticks, or close, I have a liking for the Victor Sinclair Legacy Maduro. So you would think the first few puffs of this baby would of sent me running away…. NOPE! Had to finish the baby. My firs had no burn issues and I LOVED the weight change and heaviness the cigar somehow managed to attain. Half way through it went from a buttery soft flavor to a thick somewhat heavy peppery flavor I more enjoy…. Bottom Line, I smoked $100 plus cigars that tasted like burnt plastic and baby-shit, (don’t ask how I know the combination of those flavors) and I smoked 3 yer old Parodies I had stowed in my fishing gear…. I smoked cigars that tasted like velvet cream and ones that had every smoke flavor known to man. I don’t claim to be an expert, nor am I. I’m a guy who likes a decent cigar that doesn’t want to feel like he’s been ass raped when he walks away from the checkout counter. Hands Down I have accomplished this feat with one of my new favorite buck sticks, The Casa Garcia…
Crazy Smoker…. ok, I’m done chuckling. Seems like we all know someone who thinks a good smoke somehow represents something else all together, huh? No doubt I enjoy, but it is still a cigar, right? Like I told Mike when I first found this smoke at my local shop, I was very surprised with the whole deal, start to finish. Well, since then I have purchased some from JR and my opinion has not changed. Good draw, consistent burn, tight ash and very good flavor throughout. Simply put, not the general qualities found in a dollar smoke. I’ll keep getting them and hopefully I just haven’t been lucky. It’s tough to find “good” and “economical” together much anymore. Later.
Thanks for the review. I just got into cigars a few months ago and quickly became accustomed to being a kid in a candy store. I grabbed a lot of mid-priced stuff and try the pricey stuff on recommendation. I very recently learned about how close the bottom shelf can be to the top shelf. I should have known, I already learned this lesson at the liquor store ten years ago.
The point is I’m bringing a box of these to my best friends wedding. I didn’t want to pay top dollar to hand out smokes to guys who have never had a cigar before. Although here in philly I got robusto’s at 3 bucks a pop. Next time I’ll shop around.
I love the pepper when it comes.
Thanks again.
Didn’t find a problem with any canoeing or smokability problems in mine! We’ll see of the rest of the box.
I enjoy these as an everyday cheap smoke. Suprisingly good for a buck a cigar. My favorite is the Sumatra wrapper, quite tasty.
I tried the Casa de Garcia to the first time today and I was impressed with the flavor and the draw for the money. I paid 2 dollars stick and I will try again
C’est La Vie From CI is a very cheap stick you my want to
try. Less than a buck a stick.
You might want to try the Casa de Ortez especially with the Ecuadorian wrapper. They run $22-26 a bundle depending on size. They have some burn issues and a few have soft spots, but are pretty good and fairly consistent. I’m kind of a cigar snob who never thought I would be recommending a bundled cigar but I am impressed with these.
Thanx for the suggestion!
Cigars International has all of them for $25 or less
depending on size.
I like all the ones I’ve tried. My go to is the Connecticut robusto. I usually have one in the morning when I’m driving for work.
I too have enjoyed these very resonate smokes. I picked up
my first at a local shop and then ordered a couple of bundles
through CI. They have all the sizes and all the varieties. The
Sumatra and Maduro’s are very nice with lots of pepper and spice.
This will be an everyday cigar. Great smoke at this price!
I found these a few months back at the local shop and was highly impressed. Great everyday cigar.
I have been smoking your cigars for sometime now! I Great
quality for the price ! Do you have caps/ t-shirts ?
Great smoke! Excellent quality / easy on the wallet! Keep
up the good work!!!
Got a bundle of the Nicaragua blend. In Churchill for $42.80. It has Nicaragua H2000 wrapper and Colombian in the filler along with the normal. All in all (on the second one today) it’s all right. nothing earth shattering but good none the less.
The Casas prove that a dirt cheap cigar need not taste like
dirt. This is what you chew on while assembling the kid’s bike or
mowing the lawn–and you don’t feel as if you’re wasting a lot of
money if you decide to mulch the butt halfway down.
I’ve been smoking the casa de garcia for a couple years now as an everyday cigar. I pick up the more expensive brands once in a while just to switch things up…and I.m usually dissapointed. I mean you pay 5 bucks for a cigar you expect something more. The guy above is right….the difference between a 5 dollar cigar and the garcia is about 4 bucks. My only complaint about the cigar is that everyone seems to like it. Now I.m afraid the price will go up. You guys should start smoking something else. Stick with your high end and boutique cigars. Leave the bargains for us old timers.
I’ve smoke the Casa de Garcia RED for a while (because they are the only brand available in this area) and they are also pretty good. I would recommend them and Quorom to anyone who truly interested in finding a suprisingly high quality cigar at a working man’s price.
NOTE: If you haven’t already done so, do a review on the Quorom cigar brands. I am willing to bet you will judge them the same way you have critiqued Casa De Garcia ciagrs.
Love my Rockys but drifted to cheaper thanks to California. Slaughterhouse was the ticket for a sub until I bumped into Casa De Garcia very good no complaints. If only some crazy genius can create a chart Cigars for Dummies