We’re back with another episode of Smoke and Steel, and this time we dove headfirst into uncharted territory with a cigar none of us had tried before – the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua San Andreas. Walt brought something special to the table for our second blind review, complete with a nerdy analytical approach that had us all scratching our heads at first.
The gang was all here – Walt, Jim, Eric, and Mark – settling into our newly organized setup (which Walt insists is “exactly the same” but with better microphones and more distance between the crew). We decided to take a more scientific approach this time, breaking down every aspect of the smoking experience with actual numbers instead of just gut reactions.
Pre-Light: First Impressions of the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua
Right off the bat, we were impressed with what we saw. The Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua came wrapped beautifully – Walt mentioned it arrived in a paper sack with excellent presentation. The construction looked solid across the board, with consistent wrapper color and tight cap application.
Eric thought he detected something sweet on the tip initially, though that might have been his blue raspberry drink talking. The pre-light aroma gave us hints of hay, a touch of barnyard (the good kind), and some red pepper notes.
Construction-wise, we were all giving it high marks. The cigar felt solid – maybe even a bit hard – but in a way that suggested quality craftsmanship. Our scoring reflected this: presentation got 6-7 points across the board, construction earned solid 8s, and wrapper uniformity scored perfect 2s. The draw resistance hit that sweet spot at 2 points, not too tight but with just enough firmness.
First Third: High Hopes Meet Reality
Once we lit up the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua, we started to see where this smoke was heading. The San Andreas Maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler should have delivered more punch, but we were getting a surprisingly mild experience.
The cigar produced plenty of smoke, which Eric appreciated, and it burned evenly from the start. But flavor-wise? We were struggling to find much of anything. Walt described it as having “some like wood and maybe just a little bit of pepper,” while the rest of us were drawing blanks on distinct flavors.
Complexity scored low across the board – mostly 1s and 2s. We couldn’t identify those magazine-worthy tasting notes that make you go “Oh yeah, I totally taste bread and sweet cream.” Instead, we got a very one-dimensional smoke that stayed consistent but didn’t offer much excitement.
The balance was there, though. Nothing was overpowering or off-putting – it just wasn’t delivering the flavor complexity we hoped for from a cigar with this presentation quality.
Second Third: Waiting for the Magic
As we moved into the second third of the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua, we kept waiting for that moment when the cigar would “wake up” and start showing its personality. Unfortunately, that moment never really came.
The burn continued to be stellar for most of us, though Jim had some issues with canoeing that required a few touch-ups. The ash integrity remained solid, and the smoke production never let up. But the flavor profile? Still that same mild wood and pepper combination without much evolution.
We found ourselves rating complexity at 1-2 points consistently, with distinct flavors struggling to break through. The cigar maintained its balance, but when there’s not much flavor to balance in the first place, that becomes a moot point.
This is where our analytical approach really highlighted the difference between technical execution and flavor delivery. On paper, this cigar was performing well in most categories, but the subjective experience wasn’t matching the technical scores.
Final Third: A Slight Improvement
The final third of the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua finally showed some signs of life. Walt noted that it was “getting better the shorter it is,” and Eric agreed that it was starting to become more flavorful as we approached the end.
The dryness that characterized the entire smoke became even more pronounced here – almost like pipe tobacco smoke. We were all reaching for water more frequently, with the cigar seeming to wick moisture right out of our mouths.
Complexity bumped up slightly to 2s for some of us, though Jim still called it a zero. The wood and pepper notes became a bit more defined, but we still weren’t getting the kind of flavor development you’d hope for in a cigar’s final act.
Burn quality remained consistent for most of the crew, earning 2-3 points depending on individual experience. The technical aspects continued to impress even as the flavor profile remained relatively flat.
Off-Topic Banter: ASMR, Football, and Pool Disasters
True to form, we couldn’t stay on topic for the entire review. The conversation wandered into Turkish massage ASMR videos (don’t ask), football season predictions, and Eric’s $480 water bill disaster when he forgot to turn off the pool hose.
Walt’s new sound board made its debut, complete with mysterious sound effects that had us all confused. Mark discovered that our Discord bot “Integromat” wasn’t actually a real person, leading to some hilarious realizations about AI automation.
We also dove into cigar preferences, discussing how certain cigars only work in specific vitolas. Walt’s example of only liking the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break resonated with all of us – sometimes a cigar just hits different in the right format.
The Big Reveal and Final Thoughts
When Walt finally revealed we’d been smoking the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua, none of us saw it coming. The connection to Tim Ozgener from the old CAO days added some interesting context – apparently, his non-compete finally expired, and he’s back in the business working with John Huber (who went on to create Crowned Heads).
At $5 per stick, the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua sits in affordable territory, but that didn’t save it from our honest assessment. Our gut scores ranged from 50-65 out of 100, while the analytical breakdown came out to 74 – showing how technical execution can mask flavor shortcomings.
We all agreed this would be a “one and done” cigar. Not terrible enough to toss in the ashtray, but not compelling enough to seek out again. It might work as a morning smoke with mild coffee, but it lacks the character development most of us look for in our regular rotation.
Bottom Line
The Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua delivers solid construction and burn quality but falls short on the flavor complexity that makes a cigar memorable. For $5, it’s not a bad smoke, but there are better options in that price range that offer more personality.
If you’re curious to try the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua for yourself and form your own opinion, you can check it out through our affiliate link at Cigar Page. Who knows? Maybe your palate will pick up nuances that we missed in our blind tasting.
Ready to try the Oz Family Cigars OG Nicaragua yourself? Check it out on Cigar Page and let us know what you think!
Don’t forget to watch the full video to catch all the banter, technical difficulties, and honest reactions that make Smoke and Steel the chaotic but fun podcast it is. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Discord for more cigar talk and community discussions.
What cigars do you only enjoy in specific vitolas? Drop us a line on social media – we’d love to hear your single-size favorites!
Cigar Analytics
In the video, you’ll see that we are referring to a cigar rating sheet quite frequently. This is something that was whipped for this episode but needs more trial and error to feel viable for future reviews. If you’d like to check it out, the sheets are embedded below.
