Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Ozgener Pi Synesthesia is a dull light brown and has some knotty, slightly raised veins. The seams are a bit raised while the caps are well applied. The band is white with the Pi symbol in the middle and a series of multi-colored and various sized blocks. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar, hay and earth while the foot brings cedar and anise. The pre-light draw brings aged cedar and light earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Ozgener Pi Synesthesia is not overly attractive, but it has a nice marbled Natural coloring with defnied small/medium sized veins throughout. Silky and firm in texture, the cigar has aromas of cedar, cream, barnyard and sweet spices.
John: The Ozgener Pi Synesthesia comes in cellophane, and has a UPC sticker with an integrated tear space so it remains intact when the cellophane is opened. The cigar has a single band with a multitude of colors represented in various dashes and longer bars. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet wood, faint barnyard, earth and hay. From the foot, I was detecting sweet, musty tobacco.
Jiunn: The Ozgener Pi Synesthesia has an overall unattractive Colorado claro shade wrapper. The wrapper is dull with various minor stretch marks. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of rich cedar and slight dry barnyard. Aromas from the foot give the same but more intensified, along with white pepper spice. Cold draw gives rich and peppery dirt soil.

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak and a slightly cinnamon forward baking spice. At a quarter inch in, a light earth joins the profile. At a half inch in, the baking spice is no longer cinnamon forward. The retrohale is toasted oak and a mildly zingy black pepper. At an inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front with black pepper in the middle and earth in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some lovely cream, citrus and cedar notes that are paired with some leather and peppery spice qualities. Almond notes are present as well, and there are faint black coffee notes on the finish. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: My first few puffs bring flavors of sweet wood, as a combination of the same wood and medium-minus strength spices finish the draw. A delayed post draw floral comes through at light plus. As the first third starts to settle in, I find the spices are lingering and building in intensity. Some chocolate and wood combine on the retrohale not long after. As the first third progresses, spices are sitting between medium and medium-full strength, lingering the entire time between each draw. By the 15 minute mark, bread has joined the retrohale. By the halfway point, spices are solidly at the medium strength mark, with graham cracker and bread combining at the front of the profile.
Jiunn: The first third shows a familiar Ecuadorian Connecticut flavor profile but with more oomph. Incredibly nutty in nature, but with nice accented cinnamon spice. Retrohaling brings the nuttiness and cinnamon to even greater depth. The finish is long but soft with trailing cinnamon. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toasted oak becomes slightly dry. At a half inch in, a light sweetness joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted oak with mild black pepper and earth. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak remains up front with black pepper and earth in the middle and a light sweetness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is showing those cream, citrus, wood and pepper spice flavors. Earth and leather notes present as well. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third starts out with sweet bread and baking spices in the middle of the profile, and bread and spices combining through the finish. The bread leads and takes over the center of the profile as the second third settles in. Wood is defining the post draw as it progresses. Moving to the halfway point, chocolate has joined the retrohale.
Jiunn: The second third shows more cinnamon spice and starts to give off grassiness/hay. This in turn decreases the nuttiness of the cigar. Strength and body is still medium.

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toasted oak becomes a bit drier. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now very mellow and the sweetness has dropped out of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted oak and light earth. At an inch in, the toast level becomes pretty heavy as the cigar begins to warm up. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is heavily toasted oak up front, with earth in the middle and light black pepper in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third delivers those cream, citrus, wood and pepper spice flavors. Little bit harsher. Earthy. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Sweet bread leads off here, with wood and bread combining in the center and wood and spices combining into the post draw. As the last third settles in, chocolate and earth combine in the center of the retrohale. Wood moves to the front of the profile as the last third continues. Dark earth is joining the post draw. By the halfway point, a light floral component is present at the end of the draw.
Jiunn: No changes within the final third. The flavor profile still leans heaviest to the cinnamon spice, with trailing grassiness/hay. Strength is nearing medium-full, and body remains a consistent medium.

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was a bit wavy throughout and the cigar went out twice, in rapid succession, at the beginning of the second third and once in the final third.
Seth: Very good burn throughout.
John: The burn had ongoing issues through the review. The burn became uneven, self correcting in the first third. It was uneven again in the second third, requiring a touch-up. The burn was uneven in the last third, requiring a touch-up. The cigar went out twice in the last third, requiring two re-lights.
Jiunn: Solid burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes, plenty of smoke and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Very nice draw from start to finish.
John: The draw was a minor amount towards the resistant spectrum, roughly 1/2 to 1 notch, putting it well into the range of an ideal draw.
Jiunn: Great draw, striking the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak and a slightly cinnamon forward baking spice. Some light earth joined in fairly quickly and later the baking spice transitioned to black pepper. The second third saw some light sweetness join. The final third saw the sweetness depart and the toast level become heavy. The Ozgener Pi Synesthesia had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. Things dropped a level in the second third as the profile became a bit dry and maintained that level the rest of the way. This was a better experience than the Bosphorus. Not sure what the future holds for this cigar in regards to where it will be produced in the future or if it’s one and done, but it’s something I might come back to as I’m assuming the burn would be better on other smoking sessions. The price point is a bit high though.
Seth: This Ozgener Pi Synesthesia is the old CAO Gold. I’m saying it right now, and I am standing on this hill. If Tim told me otherwise, I would say he was lying. While the blend is not the same, this is the modern old CAO Gold. It’s a good blend, and I would love to see it with some age. Would love to smoke this blend in a Lonsdale to Rothschild format. Citrus notes with some cedar, pepper spice, coffee and earth.
John: The Ozgener Pi Synesthesia delivered enjoyable and engaging flavor combinations through the first and second thirds, never leaving me bored or my palate fatigued. The last third wasn’t as dynamic and I can’t help but think the burn issues contributed to it. The draw was perfect, while the burn required two touch-ups and two re-lights through the review. I’d happily smoke an Ozgener Pi Synesthesia again, if only to see if the last third would be better without re-lights. The total smoking time was 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Jiunn: Although the sum of all three thirds created an average experience, the first third was notable and memorable. I enjoyed the intensity of the cinnamon and the natural nuttiness and sweetness of dried mixed nuts. It’s too bad the latter two thirds lost the nuttiness. Given an overall ho-hum experience, the Ozgener Pi Synesthesia is a pass for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.70

Cost/Point

$2.63

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$2.28

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.42

Cost/Point

$2.34

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.46

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Ozgener Pi Synesthesia