Cigar Weekly

The Bahia Gold was first introduced in June 1997. Tony Borhani and Don Douglas took two years to develop the blend. This blend represents the smallest production of Bahia Cigars totaling 300,000 cigars each year.

The filler and the binder for this cigar come from a very small farm in Dominican Republic, the wrapper represents the best Ecuadorian Sumatra seed tobacco.  The Bahia Gold Maduro uses a Connecticut Broadleaf with a binder from Costa Rica or Nicaragua. The filler is Dominican.

The cigars are manufactured in the new Borhani/Douglas factory in Costa Rica.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): These cigars were plain and simple beautifully constructed. There was a slight box press on these brown (EMS) samples. They both had a few nicks on the center wrapper. Probably due to transport. Nothing too bad though. The wrapper was nice and smooth with an oily sheen. The pre-light aroma was fantastic. I was very anxious to try these cigars.

Christopher Duff (Overruler): The cigar had a nice box press with a light wrapper. A nice churchill cigar, looked like it would be an nice medium smoke.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): A great looking churchill with a smooth mocha-brown wrapper, mildly rectangular box press, smooth cap and firm feel. Very few bumps and no soft spots - an obviously well made cigar. Pleasant unlit aroma.

Ed Grasley (BiglonestarÞ_VI): A great looking cigar, this rich looking, walnut colored, box pressed beauty weighed in at 6 ¾ x 46/47. The wrapper was thinly veined, a slight sheen and well constructed. A guess would be Ecuadorian Sun Grown with a Conn heritage. The caps were well placed which allowed for perfect cuts. The firm feeling bunch suggested that a more experienced roller had authored these sticks. A pre-light draw hit you with a grassy, vegetal taste. The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance.

Mark Salviano (gbh): This was a beautiful chocolate brown gar with perfect construction that looked good enough to eat. The wrapper was not oily, but rich and very smooth. The aroma was very pleasing and mild. The type of gar you can't wait to smoke.

Steve Heath (dadoharley): The Churchill sized cigar had a slight box press. The bunch looked even, and the cap was well applied. There was a firm spot about an inch from the foot. This cigar smelled great. Full and earthy with a bit of spice. The prelight draw was good, and as I couldn't wait to try this cigar I lit the first sample after only letting it rest for two days. The wrapper split after a gentle squeeze. A week in the humidor helped the performance of the second sample quite a bit.

Steve Hurban (BigSteve): This softly box pressed Churchill sized stick (6 3/4" X 48), sported a nice brown wrapper with fine veining and a noticeable oily texture. While the bunching was consistent and firm, the "spot" cap was rough and off centered. I thought that made it look somewhat cheap. The pre-smoke draw was easy and pleasant with a spicy, milk chocolate flavor to it.

Smoke Comments

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): These cigars plain and simple tasted great. The 1st third had a slight spicy flavor that disappeared in the middle third. But then came back with a vengeance in the last 3rd. Had some hints of woody/nutty flavors. but mainly a straight forward tobacco flavor. Both samples put off a huge volume of great smelling smoke. The draw was perfect up until the last third where it got a little erratic, nothing I had to fix though.

Christopher Duff (Overruler): The cigar burned very well, never running. Unfortunately, the cigar started very harshly and didn't change much throughout. The finish was better, but not by much.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): Started out spicy, with plenty of pepper and a little leathery sweetness. I'm enjoying the complexity of the flavors at this point. Further down, the taste settles into a robust earthiness, but the pepper is still there! Approaching the band, the earthy flavors dominate without bitterness. I'm forced to give up grudgingly at the nub. The draw, burn and aroma are excellent from beginning to end. The ash is medium gray and just a touch flaky.

Ed Grasley (BiglonestarÞ_VI): Woo Hoo! Buckle your seat belts and put your trays in the upright position. A power stick! A good dose of ligero seems likely. This is a rich tasting cigar right down to my charred fingertips. Leather and pepper dominates with a dash of chestnut. A creamy finish and buckets of smoke helped signal you were into a great cigar. The burn was superb with a nice even coal with the gray ash hanging on for more than an inch. The aroma was what you want to smell when others are smoking cigars.

Mark Salviano (gbh): Very easy to smoke, no bite or bitterness with an easy draw. A very smooth happy medium bodied smoke with earthy favors. It will not rip your head off, just put you in a heavenly place. Finger lickin' good, enjoy!

Steve Heath (dadoharley): The first few draws were full and spicy, but it quickly settled down to a smoother medium bodied smoke. Unfortunately, a pervasive musty taste developed and didn't quit. There were undertones of coffee and earth, but they couldn't cut through the damp basement flavor. I didn't subtract too many points for this on the assumption that the flavor was due to poor storage somewhere along the way rather than something that was intended in the blend.

Steve Hurban (BigSteve): This cigar started out for 2 inches with the same rich flavors that I mentioned in the pre-smoke. Having a perfect draw didn't help it as it developed into a one dimensional, medium to full strengthed cigar without much character. The burn was even except for some early problems, it held a good amount of typical gray ash and yielded plenty of smoke for tasting. It kept it's solid tobacco flavor throughout but I found it harsh and it burned my throat.

Summary Comments

Chadd Milks (MilkÞman): This is definitely a must try medium to full flavored smoke from every standpoint. I truly had a hard time trying to figure out anything negative to say about these cigars. I don't typically smoke churchill sized cigars, but if you have an hour to an hour and a half you will not be disappointed. I will definitely get some of these for my personal stash. It is a winner.

Christopher Duff (Overruler): If you judge this book by its cover, you would be mistaken. The cigar looks great, but leave much to be desired in the smoking.

Dick Ulmer (croozertoo): Loved it! This is a good, solid cigar for those who want medium to full body and enjoy earthy flavors with a generous hit of spice thrown in. The profile fits a high quality Honduran, but whatever it is, it's a winner!

Ed Grasley (BiglonestarÞ_VI): This cigar remained great tasting till its fiery demise. A solid, rich tasting smoke. I'm guessing the filler is classic Honduran grown power weed with a touch of Nic to sweeten the taste a little. Close your eyes, and you're smoking a medium bodied island for comparison purposes. This cigar possesses the characteristics of what a well constructed, excellent tasting cigar should be if you are looking for a medium-full bodied cigar. A classic in my book. Now, what is it?!

Mark Salviano (gbh): Please sir, may I have another? A true delight and wonderful joy to smoke for everyone. A relaxation gar, kick back and enjoy this treat cause it will put a smile on your face.

Steve Heath (dadoharley): I wanted to like this cigar. It had a whole lot going for it, but the musty flavor just overwhelmed everything else. It made me think that this is what Honduran Sancho Panza that was too wet for too long would taste like. When I find out what it is, I will try a few more to see if I got a couple of bad ones, or if I should just stay away from this brand.

Steve Hurban (BigSteve): I was disappointed in this cigar. It looked better than it smoked. I was expecting more from it and it never delivered. It was harsh and common. I didn't note anything outstanding about the smoke and frankly was surprised that it wasn't better after having great anticipation from it's appearance and the pre-smoke hype. This was definitely not a Padron Anniversario.

Scores

Review Results
Final Score: 37.3 out of 50

4 Star -- Excellent

Our reviewers were split on the Bahia Gold Churchill: 4 loved it, 3 didn't. The reviewers that liked the cigar described it as medium-bodied with a slightly spicy, earthy flavor. Three reviewers incorrectly identified the tobaccos as Honduran. Those that didn't like it described it as harsh and musty. All agreed that they are expertly rolled with no draw or burn problems. Definitely worth trying.