The Fratello Oro is a premium cigar that is sure to impress all kinds of cigars smokers, from beginners, right through to aficionados. The cigar was introduced in 2016 as part of a collaboration with La Aurora.
In this Fratello Oro cigar review, we'll look at everything there is to know about the Fratello Oro. We will focus on the Fratello brand, their other famous smokes, and the beautiful flavors of the Oro cigar itself.
The impressive beginnings of Fratello Cigars
The Fratello brand was created in 2013 by Omar De Frias, who worked as an employee for NASA for just over a decade.
Working in project management for the biggest space agency in the world, De Frias was closely involved with both space shuttles and satellites.
Throughout the NASA offices in Washington, de Frias was known for being “the cigar guy”, as he regularly brought cigar boxes into work to celebrate successful projects.
NASA prepared De Frias for a life of dedication and workmanship, and after years of enjoying cigar smoking as a hobby, he decided to create his own brand — Fratello Cigars.
What other cigars is Fratello known for?
Fratello is acclaimed throughout the community for its ability to provide a wide-ranging collection of high-quality boutique cigars; two of which I feel require special mention.
Fratello Bianco
The Fratello Bianco is a medium-strength cigar that when released in 2016, brought a new level of complexity to the market. Focusing on construction, the Bianco enjoys a Mexican San Andres negro wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar boasts many tantalizing flavors, including cocoa, black cherry, zesty pepper, and subtle spice.
Fratello Navetta
The Fratello Navetta is a special cigar, that has significance to De Fria. In Italian, “Navetta” translates to “shuttle”, which is a tribute to De Frias’ impressive NASA career.
The Navetta offers a plethora of mouthwatering flavors, including chocolate, dark tobacco, and espresso, with creamy undertones.
What is the Fratello Oro?
The Fratello Oro translates to “brother gold”, and was the third line released from Fratello.
This cigar fills the gap in De Frias’ portfolio, as it is his first smoke that boasts the treasured Connecticut Shade wrapper.
How is the Oro constructed?
The Fratello Oro is constructed from an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper and has an impressive cigar blend with fillers from Columbia, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua.
Although the factory this cigar was created at is undisclosed, there are rumors that it was created at the magnificent La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic.
What can I expect from the cold draw?
Initially, my cold draw gave me strong flavors of cocoa. However, as it progressed, it becomes a lot sweeter and has undertones of raisin with a slight acidity.
The flavors from the Fratello Oro
Throughout the entire smoke, I was pleasantly surprised by the huge range of flavors I experienced. Below I have analyzed the smoke into thirds.
First third
To begin with, the Fratello Oro had similar flavor tones to those I experienced in the cold draw. However, I also began to detect small undertones of black pepper. Initially, I thought this would be overpowering, but it worked perfectly with the cocoa.
I found that as the smoke progressed, notes of cream became the primary flavor of the stogie. This was accompanied by beautiful notes of chestnut with slight hints of cedarwood.
Second third
As I reached the second third of the Fratello Oro, the smoke continued to be creamy and smooth. I also began experiencing a slight undertone of tangy pepper.
Final third
By the final third, cedar became the primary flavor with a slight decrease in the creamy undertones. There were also some notes of earth and sweetness that were accompanied by very subtle pepper.
Looking at the strength
This cigar is definitely on the meeker side of smokes. However, as you reach the second and final third, there is a small increase in strength.
Closing thoughts
The Fratello Oro is a great cigar that remains rather traditional when we consider its strength and body. The flavors are strong and change pleasantly throughout the smoke.
Since its release, the cigar has been welcomed wholeheartedly by the community and is a smoke that provides consistency every single time.
It is often said among forums and at herfs that the longer this cigar is stored in a humidor, the better the smoking experience will be, so bear that in mind when you make your purchase.