Florida Man, the unofficial superhero of the Sunshine State, has been the subject of countless wild headlines like “A Florida man is facing charges as police say he stole an alligator and attempted to throw it on a roof” and “A 71-year-old Florida man tied a gun to a weather balloon to fake his own murder.”
Yes, these are real stories.
So, when I got my hands on CigarPage’s new brand named after this infamous character, I knew it would be something wild. As a former Floridian myself, I couldn’t resist the chance to review this cigar and see if it lives up to its namesake’s crazy reputation.
I’ll be completing this review with the help of the Bespoke Unit Cigar Matrix:
Florida Man Cigar Details
- Brand: Florida Man
- Range: N/A
- Reviewed Vitolas: 6.5 x 52 “Santiago” Parejo
- Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Factory: Tabacalera Pages (Estelí, Nicaragua)
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Medium
- Estimated Smoking Time: 90 Minutes
- Pricing: $75 / Box of 20 [Browse On CigarPage]
While the binder and filler of this cigar are Nicaraguan tobacco, the wrapper is a pristine Connecticut Shade variety. Despite the name, Connecticut tobacco is not exclusively grown in Connecticut. Indeed, this wrapper could have been harvested in Ecuador, where other shade-grown tobacco thrives.
Look & Feel Of The Florida Man Connecticut
- Wrapper Hue: Sandy
- Rolling Consistency: Even
- Spring: Firm
- Aromas: Sea Salt, Coffee, Leather
Yowza, this cigar looks premium. The Connecticut wrapper is beautifully speckled, with a slight sheen and minimal veins.
From the body and foot, you can pick up enticing notes of sea salt, coffee, and leather.
Reviewing The Florida Man Cigar
Pre-Lighting Experience
- Draw: Ideal
- Aromas: Caramel, Cilantro, Soap?
Using my favorite guillotine cutter, the Florida Man reveals a flavor reminiscent of soft caramel candies—the kind you’d find in an old lady’s purse.
There’s also a secondary note that reminds me of cilantro or even soap, but not in an acrid way—more of a pleasant, bitter edge. The dry draw here is absolutely perfect.
1st Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Black Pepper, Cashews, Oat Milk
If you had handed me this Florida Man without telling me anything, just based on its appearance, I might have guessed it was a Dominican cigar. However, as soon as I lit it up, the classic Nicaraguan black pepper hit was unmistakable.
A few puffs in, I was greeted by savory cashew flavors and a creamy oat milk finish. The retrohale brought out a surprising dried apricot sweetness.
2nd Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Pastry, Cinnamon, Sea Salt
As I moved into the second third, more pastry and cinnamon notes emerged. It’s like there’s an invisible Cinnabon just around the corner.
There’s also a slight sea salt-like salinity on the back of the palate. The retrohale offers a slightly funky white pepper note.
Final Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Marzipan, Cream, Lemon
After removing the band, the Florida Man cigar developed even sweeter flavor notes, reminiscent of marzipan, cream, and a hint of lemon rind freshness on the finish. The retrohale introduced black pepper notes once again, rounding out the experience.
Overall Burn
- Ash Backbone: Solid
- Burn Angle: Straight
- Temperature: Cool
- Draw: Perfect
- Final Smoking Time: 90 Minutes
There’s no doubt that this blend smokes exceptionally well.
While there weren’t many complex flavor transitions, the cigar consistently smoked cool, with a perfect burn line and a beautiful white ash that clung tightly to the cherry.
Overall Experience
I have to admit, this might be my favorite branding of any CigarPage house brand I’ve ever come across.
The Florida Man cigar features an elegantly depicted marlin breaching the sea, with the state’s shape crested by the year 1928. While CigarPage doesn’t specify why this year is significant, I suspect it commemorates the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, a catastrophic event that devastated the greater Miami area.
Of course, I’m not entirely certain, thanks to my Florida education!
The outer band showcases an elegant map motif overlapping with a compass rose, all in a beautiful seafoam green and white color scheme. The box shares this seafoam green tone, with the branding in metallic silver. However, the finer details on the cigar bands are somewhat lost on the box.
Finally, one particularly cool detail is the security seal sticker featuring an image of the Hemingway House in Key West.
Pairing Recommendations For Florida Man Cigar
In my mind, this cigar was blended to complement a day on or by the sea.
The peppery and lightly spiced notes would pair perfectly with freshly caught and grilled white fish, especially when accompanied by a glass of white wine to enhance the lemony flavors. For a sweeter pairing, Cuban pastelitos and coffee would be a natural choice.
However, if you’re aiming for the full Florida Man experience, why not pair it with Taco Bell and Mountain Dew? Surprisingly, the citrusy notes of Mountain Dew elevate the marzipan, almost bubblegum flavor of the final third. While the Taco Bell might overpower the cigar’s medium body, the vibes are definitely on point.
Closing Thoughts
When I first lit the Florida Man, I was expecting something completely different—a category 5 hurricane of intensity and flavor. To my surprise, this blend turned out to be much more refined.
Medium-bodied with a balanced strength, it serves as a reminder that most Florida Men are just regular folks, far from the sensationalized newspaper headlines. This cigar looks great and is perfect for sharing, especially with its super affordable price tag.
It embodies all the good things about Florida without the traffic, the Turnpike, the humidity, the bugs, the EDM festivals, or the gators, or the…
"The Florida Man cigar surprises with its refined balance of flavors, offering a smooth, medium-bodied experience that defies its wild namesake."
Further Reading
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