After years of quiescence, United Cigars is thrilled to reintroduce the iconic Gold Star cigar to aficionados nationwide. Building on a limited release in 2024 that raised over $30,000 thousand dollars for the “Navy Seal Gold Star Program”, an official program for providing long-term support to surviving families regardless of their military branch of service. The Gold Star Brand made a notable soft launch in March of 2025 generating a buzz among cigar enthusiasts. United Cigars is set to unveil the New Gold Star Cigar line at the upcoming PCA Convention & Trade Show in April 2025 in New Orleans. This marks a pivotal moment for the brand, transforming the Gold Star for a one-time tribute into an ongoing production line that honors the men and women who served while embracing a fresh update in both style and blending.
UNDER THE LID
The Iconic Gold Star Cigar, with the classic Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper from Ecuador’s Quevedo region remains unchanged, while the binder has transitioned from Ecuadorian to Indonesian Sumatra. The Filler blend has been rebalanced by boosting the proportions of Dominican ligero and Connecticut Broadleaf, which enhances the cigar’s body and strength. Produced by Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic. Each cigar is aged for one year after rolling to ensure a well-developed flavor profile. Both the 2024 and the 2025 editions were crafted by the Ventura family in the D.R. before production shifted from their smaller El Maestro Facility to the recently revamped Tabacalera William Ventura, a facility that bounced back after a devastating fire in 2022.
- WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
- BINDER: Indonesian Sumatra
- Filler: Dominican Ligero, Criollo 98’ Corojo 98’ USA-sourced Connecticut Broadleaf
- Factory: Made at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic
- Production: Regular Release
- Vitola: Toro 6 x 54
- MSRP: $14.00
- Box: 20 Count Box
Pre-light Photo
Beginning Notes and Observations:
Upon inspection, I noticed a nice light to medium brown hue on the wrapper almost like over creaming your coffee. One interesting feature are the generous veins that tend to run up and down and throughout the entire vitola with no notable smooth areas. The cap appears to be double cap and it’s almost like a flag style shape covering with the continual rolling motion from the wrapper to the cap.
The band is a Gold Star, a symbol of honor, pride and accomplishment over a black raised background surrounded by thirty smaller circular stars again symbolizing the honor, pride and respect of all service men and women in our country. Firmness to the touch is evident by a slight squeeze. Noticeable light and darker color tobaccos are apparent at the foot. The aroma of the wrapper was equally captivating, it was the smell of freshly turned dirt, old wood and wet earth. Mustiness filled my nostrils with a scent I compared to well-aged tobacco. The dry draw confirmed the same flavors with the addition of a hint wet leather. I appreciated the 54 round ring gauge giving the cigar a distinctive, hefty and thicker feel on the hand and on your lips. I opted for a straight cut and toasted the foot with a two torch lighter.
First Third:
The initial puffs of the Gold Star cigar unleashed an overwhelming burst of black pepper that immediately opened my senses and captivated my palate. The intensity of the spice was paired with saltiness that lingered on the tip of my tongue and the surface of my lips. The saltiness bore a striking resemblance to the flavor of a salted dried plum a treat affectionately known as the “Chinese Candy” in Texas. This familiar aftertaste evoked memories of pairing such a plum with a Dos XX Beer, where the contrasting flavors create a uniquely satisfying balance. The interaction between the savory salt and the underlying black pepper spice added a layer of complexity that enhanced my smoking experience and the cigars overall character. I retro-haled for the first time, a subtle cooling sensation appeared. It was like the refreshment of a small Tic-tac, however, just as quickly as it appeared, the coolness would fade. The transient minty note offered a brief yet refreshing counterpoint to the bold pepper and salt, rounding out the experience.
Second Third:
As I transitioned to the second third, I was immediately greeted by a burst of citrus. The tangy, bright refreshing flavor similar to tangerine. It added a refreshing contrast to the deeper, more robust flavors that were already present. But despite the lively citrus note, the black pepper maintained its dominant presence after each draw leaving just a fleeting whisper of that tangerine zest. As I progressed, additional layers of flavor began to emerge. Hints of wet earth and leather joined in the already complex profile.
The mustiness that always reminds me of well fermented aged tobacco notes kept me intrigued. The combination of pepper, salt, leather, earth and citrus crafted an intricate tapestry that played beautifully across my cheeks and palate as I swirled the smoke around. Some unraveling of the wrapper is beginning to take notice.
Final Third:
In the final third, the dominant notes of pepper and saltiness persist in its intensity. The earlier hints of mint and citrus fade into the background. The enduring character of aged tobacco continues to captivate my palate. Yet, the cigars construction falters at this stage, leading to noticeable tunneling and an uneven burn that ultimately calls for a relight. This unfortunately happened to two of the three cigars in review.
Core Flavors: Black Pepper, Salt, Wet Earth and Leather, Mustiness, citrus, mint
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Complexity: Medium
Smoking Experience:
Despite a few hiccups, the flavors remained intact and tasty enough to keep my attention throughout the smoke. As I remained on the lookout for more transition, particularly a sweet note to complement the salty edge, it never transitioned. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Indonesian Sumatra binder didn’t deliver the sweetness I was expecting, and the flavor was notably less spicy of what to expect from Dominican tobaccos. Additionally, despite the cigar being a 6 x 54 Toro, it burned down more quickly than anticipated—perhaps I was smoking it too fast. With the upcoming New Orleans PCA Convention scheduled for April 11th-14th 2025, I’m looking forward to stopping by the United Cigar Booth and revisit the new United Gold Star release. I would like to see if there is an improvement in the construction compared to the soft release. I eagerly anticipate visiting the booth to sample and review the additional vitolas offered in this new blend. United Cigars has always been committed to tradition creating an unforgettable smoking experience and always paying tribute to fallen soldiers and their families.
Purchase Recommendation: Try a sample
Cigars Smoke for Review: Three
Average Smoking Time: 2 hours and 23 minutes
