Bosphorus cigars are the first release from Tim Ozgener and his new venture Ozgener Family Cigars that pay homage to his Turkish heritage. For those who did not know, Tim Ozgener and his family created the CAO brand and made it a famous household name.
However, when CAO International was purchased by Scandinavian Tobacco Group about a decade ago, Ozgener stepped away from the industry to focus on other business. But the pandemic got Ozgener reflecting on his family, heritage, and legacy, and he decided to make a return to his passion for cigar making.
Bosphorus cigars are a nod to Ozgener’s Turkish heritage. His parents were immigrants from Turkey, and his father, Cano Ozgener, initially started CAO International to sell Turkish meerschaum pipes before transitioning to premium cigars during the 1990s cigar boom. The name “Bosphorus” comes from Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait that passes through the heart of Istanbul, Turkey’s capital city.
As for the cigars, they are made by hand at Tabacalera La Alianza in the Dominican Republic, headed by master cigar maker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. There, Bosphorus is made into four popular box-pressed sizes with aged Nicaraguan long fillers from Esteli, Jalapa, and Ometepe bunched into Nicaraguan Jalapa and Ecuadorian Connecticut binders. Covering the core is a top-shelf Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper.
Once lit, you can expect Bosphorus to burn evenly and slowly while delivering a bold and complex medium-full bodied tapestry of peppery spice, earth, cedar, floral tones, and plenty of tobacco sweetness. Coupled with their top-notch construction, you are in for a smoking experience you will not soon forget.
By ordering Bosphorus cigars online with Casa de Montecristo, you can pick up your box of 20 at your local store or have them delivered right to your front door.
