Receive two free cigars when you become a CRA member! A number of top cigar makers have crafted a limited number of exclusive cigars for Cigar Rights of America members, only. You can't get them anywhere else. This article is not about joining the CRA, which costs only $35 per year. This article is about the free cigars that will come to you for supporting an organization whose main objective is to protect your basic right and freedom to enjoy cigars. Besides a number of other benefits enjoyed by CRA members, the value of a couple of exclusive cigars can be worth almost half the price of admission alone, depending on which particular cigars that you happen to receive. Heck, some people have payed $35 or more for just one fake Cuban cigar, without contributing anything towards "the cause".
I have been a CRA member for almost a couple of years at the writing of this article, so I have received a total of four exclusive CRA cigars so far, two for joining and two more a year later for renewing my membership. Although the true value of a couple of exclusive cigars depends on your personal perspective, I have found them to be comparable to similar cigars priced in the $4 to $8 range. All four of my CRA cigars were the Toro size, measuring six inches in length with a ring gauge of 50. All cigars had two bands, one from the manufacturer and another to identify it as an exclusive cigar from Cigar Rights of America. All cigars were premium quality sticks that were very well made, and beyond that, each was given its own quick review and rating, as follows.
Cusano Freedom Cigar
The cigar began with a noticeable peppery flavor, but not over the top like some other stogies that have just too much pepper. After a couple of minutes or so, the peppery taste faded into a very pleasant and mild sweet spicy flavor. The cigar was medium bodied, and held a firm medium-to-long ash. The draw was great, and the burn relatively even. After about 40 minutes, the cigar went out and needed a relight. No touch-ups were needed until after the one-hour mark. At that point, the cigar began to wind down with more of a creamy/buttery flavor. I smoked it down to two inches remaining, after a total smoking time of one hour and fifteen minutes. My overall rating is a very good 3½ stars.
Carlos Torano Cigar
The cigar began with nice rich tobacco flavor with a bit of spice plus some subtle natural sweetness. After a couple of minutes or so, the cigar became just a tad smoother, and then remained pretty much consistent for the remainder of the smoke. The flavor was very enjoyable, and reminded me a little of the Torano Tribute Cigar, some similarities but not the same. I would say that this cigar was medium-to-full bodied. The cigar had a great draw and held a medium-to-long ash. The cigar needed a couple of touch-up lights to keep the burn even, but no relights were required, since the cigar never went out until the very end. It took me one hour and ten minutes to smoke this Torano CRA cigar down to about 1½ inches remaining. My overall rating is a solid 4 stars, since this cigar was definitely a superior smoke.
Casa Fernandez Cigar
Prelight aroma is not a factor that I consider in rating cigars, as some cigars smell great but then taste bad after lighting up, while others stink but taste great. The Casa Fernandez cigar smelled great before lighting, and the taste after lighting up wasn't too bad either. The cigar contains tobaccos from the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua, as indicated right on the band. This cigar had a pigtail cap, which added a little bit of a Cubanesque flair. The initial taste was a hefty peppery flavor, but not quite what I would consider to be a pepper bomb. The cigar was full bodied, and should appeal more to hard-core cigar smokers, as opposed to beginners or mainstream cigar smokers. The peppery taste tamed down after a few minutes, and the cigar began to take on more of a dry leathery flavor. This would be a great cigar to enjoy with a full bodied scotch, such as Chivas 18. The cigar had a great draw, and held a medium-to-long ash. The burn was relatively even, but a touch-up light was needed after about a half-hour. Ten minutes after that, the cigar went out and required a relight. Total smoking time was about an hour, and I enjoyed this cigar down to two inches remaining. I rate this cigar between 3 and 3½ stars. The first half was more enjoyable, as it tailed off towards the end.
Punch Cigar
The Punch CRA blend was mild-to-medium, but closer to being medium bodied. The cigar had a free and easy draw, but it wasn't quite too loose. The CRA blend had a little bit of a bitter aftertaste, and was not as enjoyable as a typical Punch cigar. The cigar held a medium-to-long ash, and did not require any relights nor touch-ups. It took me an hour to smoke the cigar down to two inches remaining. I rate this cigar 2½ to 3 stars, which is about average for a premium handmade cigar. Nothing special, but still better than most machine-made sticks.
