Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the soft pressed Ozgener Firsat F52 is light brown, which is a fair bit darker than most Ecuadorian Connecticut, and has some thick, but lightly raised veins along with some knotty veins from underneath showing through. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are three bands, with the primary and secondary both being a similar design as their previous core offerings. The primary has the company logo and name, while the secondary denotes the line and company name. There is a foot band that is pastel blue and gold and carries the company logo. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of paper and earth, while the foot brings damp cardboard and cedar. The pre-light draw is an airy and very light musty cedar.
Seth: The Ozgener Firsat F52 is a somewhat attractive cigar. On the one hand, the bands really pop against the Colorado wrapper, but the wrapper itself, while great in coloring is rough with small and medium sized veins throughout. It’s not pressed well and bumpy throughout. The aromas are of rich earth, tobacco, wood and spices.
John: The Ozgener Firsat F52 comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space to remain intact when opened. There is a primary ‘OZGENER FAMILY CIGARS’, a secondary ‘FIRSAT’ band integrated well under the primary band, and lastly a foot band with the company logo. When removing the foot band, there was a section of wrapper that was damaged and covered by the band. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a soft box pressed shape. I weighed the cigar at 11.5 grams and measured the humidity at 61.2% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet tobacco, bread and hay. From the foot, I was getting sweet tobacco and hay.

Ozgener Firsat F52

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mellow mix of toasted cedar, hay, earth and black pepper. At a half inch in, the fullness of the entire profile picks up a bit. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and very mild black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper becomes very mild. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth and hay with some mild black pepper in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third delivers a dry flavor profile of earth and tobacco with some mineral and spice notes. There is a touch of cedar and hay, but it is faint and in the background. I would classify the cigar as being medium in strength and body.
John: The first third starts with sweet bread as faint hay finishes. The post draw is quite clean with only some mild wood to anchor it. As the first third settles in, some light plus strength earth joins the finish and mild pepper comes into the post draw. Some time later, tobacco moves into the center of the retrohale. As the first third continues, medium strength baking spices lead off the retrohale.

Ozgener Firsat F52

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and lightly zingy black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the hay and black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third continues to deliver minerals, spice, tobacco and wood profile. Cedar and hay are still present. Medium in strength and body.
John: My initial impressions in the second third are creamy bread, spices and earth as earth and sweet wood finish the draw. Mild tannins join the finish as it settles in. That profile remains stable until the bottom half where earth joins the finish. Some spices and bread lead the retrohale at medium strength as it continues.

Ozgener Firsat F52

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third be continues its ascent and is now right behind the toasted cedar and earth. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth with a mid-level zingy black pepper. At an inch in, the cedar takes on a light char. As the cigar comes to a close, the lightly charred cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper a bit behind and some hay in the middle of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third delivers some harsh spice notes with minerals, tobacco, cedar and hay. Medium in strength and body, there are some earth notes on the finish.
John: I’m greeted with creamy bread, an earthy center and a mildly tannic wood finish. That profile remains stable until the cigar continues for some time and lingering wood entirely defines the post draw.

Ozgener Firsat F52

Burn

Aaron: The bun was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was off throughout the entire cigar.
John: The burn was straight through the first third, wavy in the second third and relatively straight in the last third.

Ozgener Firsat F52

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was a little snug at times, and other times just right.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw score.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mellow mix of toasted cedar, hay, earth and black pepper. The pepper mellowed a fair amount later in the third. The second third saw the earth become even with the cedar up front. The black pepper picked up a bit as well. The final third saw the pepper pick up some more and the cedar gained a light char. The construction was perfect. The Ozgener Firsat F52 had an average flavor profile throughout, but it was a smooth and mellow profile through the first half, and then a fuller and spicier version in the second half. I’d come back to the first half version of the cigar because of how smooth it was, but the second half isn’t something that particularly intrigues me. Not sure I’d come back to this overall.
Seth: The Ozgener Firsat F52 was not a hit for me, but I find that to be the case with so many blends coming out of Casa Carrillo. It may be a high priming Connecticut, but I don’t find that to be a positive aspect for the blend. I believe many years ago when Pete Johnson talked about priming’s and that while lower priming’s were not as attractive, they had some consistent and higher quality flavors. The cigar was pretty, but the flavors were harsh. Not Connecticut, but more of a softer Corojo/Habano without the elegance. I won’t be returning to the cigar.
John: The Ozgener Firsat F52 started out with an interesting and engaging first third, and while still pleasant for the second and last thirds, did not maintain the same level of complexity for me. Both the draw and burn were perfect and rated as amazing. I found the overall flavor offering to be above average, and the price point is reasonable given the current market pricing in 2024. I might be inclined to try the Firsat in one of the other three vitola offerings to see how they compare. Total smoking time was a bit on the quick side at 1 hour and 28 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.13

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

3.83

Cost/Point

$3.20

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.01

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Firsat F52