Schöelen Cigars Review: Blends, Ratings, Sizes and Flavor Profiles

Research checked: October 13, 2026

A cigar rating can start a conversation. It should not finish one. The number tells you how a particular reviewer judged a cigar, but it leaves plenty unanswered. What tobacco went into it? Did the flavors change? Was the construction as convincing as the blend?

Those are useful questions when looking at Schöelen Cigars. The documented collection includes Originell, Exklusiv, Dunkel and Dunkel II. Their names belong to the same family, but the tobacco combinations deserve separate attention.

This review examines the brand’s background, blend specifications, published tasting observations and ratings. It also addresses a few conflicting product details. Attractive descriptions are easy to write. A useful review needs to acknowledge where the information agrees—and where it does not.

Editorial note: Tasting observations are attributed to published reviews. This article does not represent firsthand NH Cigars smoking tests, and the scores belong to the publications identified below.

The Story Behind Schöelen Cigars

Samuel Schöelen built the brand around an interest that developed through years of travel and cigar appreciation. According to the company’s history, his experiences in European cigar shops and lounges helped shape the profiles he wanted to create.

The manufacturing takes place in Nicaragua. That distinction is worth keeping clear: European inspiration describes the idea behind the brand, not the country where its cigars are rolled.

There is a difference between borrowing a regional influence and claiming a regional origin. Schöelen’s story concerns the former. Its references to Cuban artistry should not be interpreted as evidence that the cigars are Cuban-made or contain Cuban-grown tobacco.

The official website currently highlights Originell, Exklusiv and Dunkel. Dunkel II is additionally documented in a separate Stogie Press review. This guide includes that fourth blend without assuming that every reviewed cigar has identical distribution or availability.

Schöelen Cigars Ratings at a Glance

The following are published Stogie Press ratings. They are not customer averages, NH Cigars scores or ratings from Cigar Aficionado.

Originell’s 2025 Awards

The Originell finished No. 2 overall in Stogie Press’s Top 30 Cigars of 2025. It also received the publication’s top small-company cigar distinction. Both honors appear in the original 2025 awards announcement.

That is meaningful recognition from a specific publication. It is not an industry-wide vote, and it should not be presented as another magazine’s award. Keeping the source attached to the achievement makes the claim more useful, not less impressive.

Customer Ratings Are a Separate Category

When checked for this article, Cigar Smoker Club’s Originell page displayed 4.0 out of 5 from one customer rating. Its Exklusiv and Dunkel pages displayed no customer reviews.

One person’s feedback is still one person’s feedback. It has not been converted into a 100-point score or combined with the Stogie Press results. No additional professional rating is claimed here without a traceable source.

Schöelen Originell Review

The Originell provides the Connecticut-wrapped reference point for the collection. Its manufacturer specifications identify a Habano binder over a precisely named combination of Nicaraguan filler leaves.

Originell Tobacco Blend and Specifications

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut.
• Binder: Habano.
• Filler: Seco from Jalapa, Viso from Condega and Viso from Jalapa, Nicaragua.
• Country of manufacture: Nicaragua.
• Manufacturer-listed format: Cuban Style, 5¾ inches × 53 ring gauge.
• Packaging: 20-count boxes.
• Reported strength: Mild to medium.
• Reported smoking time: Approximately 90 minutes.

How the Published Flavor Profile Develops

In the Stogie Press Originell review, the early character was peppery and savory rather than simply creamy. Pre-light observations included cocoa, caramel and a hickory-like note.

That sharper introduction changed as the cigar progressed. Nutty sweetness gave way to chocolate and raisin, with a little salt and returning spice. Later, vanilla cream and caramel softened the profile. The chocolate became lighter toward the finish, while the fruit-and-spice combination remained.

The contrast is the interesting part. “Mild to medium” describes the reported strength, but the tasting account does not describe an empty or flavorless cigar. Those are different judgments.

Construction and the 97-Point Result

The reviewer described a smooth, golden-tan wrapper and a neatly applied triple cap. No point deductions were recorded. Three bonus points recognized the burn, balance and overall endorsement.

Read that as the outcome of the reviewed samples—not a promise that every cigar will perform identically. The score is strongest when it remains attached to the observations that produced it.

Schöelen Exklusiv Review

Exklusiv uses a different structure. The manufacturer’s blend information identifies Ecuadorian Habano over Nicaraguan binder and filler, including Seco, Viso and Ligero.

It also provides a named factory: Las Villas in Estelí. That is more specific manufacturing information than the cited reviews disclose for the other three blends.

Exklusiv Tobacco Blend and Specifications

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano.
• Binder: Nicaraguan.
• Filler: Nicaraguan Seco, Viso and Ligero.
• Factory: Las Villas, Estelí, Nicaragua.
• Manufacturer-listed format: Toro, 6 inches × 53 ring gauge.
• Packaging: 20-count boxes, as documented by Stogie Press.
• Reported strength: Medium.
• Reported smoking time: Approximately 100 minutes.

Cream, Wood and a More Consistent Profile

The published Exklusiv review described baking-spice and barnyard aromas before lighting, followed by stone fruit and pepper on the cold draw.

Cream appeared early in the smoke, with pepper more noticeable through the nose. Dark chocolate and a little fruit followed. Wood became prominent through the middle, and the closing portion stayed relatively close to that combination, with spice and fruit becoming more forward.

This is where personal preference complicates any ranking. A steady profile may feel dependable to one smoker and uneventful to another. Neither reaction can be settled by the score alone.

Why Exklusiv Received 91 Points

Stogie Press deducted one point for an early uneven burn, another for a burn correction and a third for limited complexity. The review also disclosed manufacturer-supplied samples.

Those details deserve space alongside the favorable comments. Leaving them out would turn a review into a sales pitch. They explain why Exklusiv finished below the other documented Schöelen evaluations.

Schöelen Dunkel Review

The original Dunkel makes a particularly useful comparison with Originell. According to the manufacturer’s Dunkel description, it retains Originell’s internal blend while changing the wrapper to San Andrés.

The recipe has a clear relationship to the earlier cigar. That does not make the two interchangeable.

Dunkel Tobacco Blend and Specifications

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés.
• Binder: Habano.
• Filler: Seco from Jalapa, Viso from Condega and Viso from Jalapa, Nicaragua.
• Country of manufacture: Nicaragua.
• Format: Toro; halfwheel reported 5⅞ inches × 52 ring gauge.
• Packaging: 20-count boxes.
• Reported strength: Medium.
• Reported smoking time: Approximately 100 minutes.

A Sweeter Opening, Then Darker Flavors

In the Stogie Press Dunkel evaluation, the wrapper was dark brown, lightly textured and slightly oily. Cedar appeared before lighting; the cold draw suggested nougat and natural sweetness.

The opening combined fruit, cream and restrained spice. Nougat, caramel and cedar followed before dark chocolate became more prominent. Later observations included a floral accent and a little salt near the finish.

That description is more varied than simply calling the cigar “dark and strong.” In fact, the review placed its strength at medium. The darker appearance and the strength assessment should not be confused.

Construction and the 95-Point Rating

The reviewer noted a slightly restricted draw and moderate smoke output. An uneven burn and a flat, centered burn cone each cost one point. Three bonus points recognized balance, wrapper oiling and the reviewer’s overall endorsement.

The review disclosed two manufacturer-supplied samples. Its praise was substantial, but it did not describe flawless construction. Both sides belong in the assessment.

Schöelen Dunkel II Review

Stogie Press’s Dunkel II review documents a separate recipe, not merely another size of Dunkel.

Dunkel II Tobacco Blend and Specifications

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000. Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo. Filler: Nicaraguan, with the detailed recipe undisclosed. Format: 6-inch × 52 Toro. Packaging: 20-count boxes. It is made in Nicaragua at an undisclosed factory.

Chocolate, Tea and Increasing Strength

Pre-light observations included earth, spicy nuts, cream, tea and pepper. The smoking profile began with creamy chocolate and cedar. Darker chocolate, raisin and sweet tea followed, accompanied by a maple-like aroma. Cinnamon developed as strength increased toward medium-plus. Cream returned near the finish.

The reviewer reported dense smoke, an excellent draw and an even burn. No deductions were recorded; balance and burn each earned a bonus point.

The name alone does not explain the distinction. The different wrapper and binder do.

Schöelen Cigar Sizes: Where the Published Details Differ

There is a documentation issue worth addressing. The manufacturer’s specifications and halfwheel’s April 28, 2026 trade-show report do not give identical measurements.

These discrepancies do not prove that separate sizes exist. They also do not establish that the blends changed. Without clarification, calling them additional releases would be guesswork.

The sensible distinction is between what a source reports and what has been conclusively established. This article preserves that distinction rather than quietly combining incompatible specifications.

Published Schöelen Cigars Prices

Historical pricing also varies by source. Stogie Press reported approximately $22 per cigar for Originell and Exklusiv, and $20 for Dunkel and Dunkel II. The later halfwheel trade-show report listed Originell, Exklusiv and Dunkel at $20 each.

These are dated MSRP references, not live selling prices. They should not be used to claim a current discount, an exact retail price or confirmed availability.

A price needs context just as much as a rating does. Otherwise, two accurate figures from different dates can create a misleading comparison.

What the Blend Differences Actually Tell Us

Originell and Dunkel Share a Documented Internal Recipe

The manufacturer identifies the same binder and filler combination for these two cigars, with a different wrapper. That makes the relationship more specific than a vague claim that both have a “Nicaraguan character.”

It still would not be sound to assign every reported flavor difference to the wrapper alone. The published descriptions are separate evaluations, not a controlled experiment isolating one variable.

Exklusiv and Dunkel II Should Be Treated Separately

Their disclosed recipes differ from the Originell–Dunkel pairing. Shared branding does not establish a shared formula, and the word “Habano” is not enough to make two blends equivalent.

For the same reason, missing information should stay missing. A tobacco age, farm name or filler percentage cannot be inferred from an attractive wrapper or a high score.

A Score Is Not a Universal Preference Ranking

The ratings answer a narrow question: how did these cigars perform under the reviewer’s criteria?

They do not establish that every person will prefer them in the same order. Someone who values consistency may judge a steady flavor profile differently from someone who prioritizes frequent changes. That disagreement does not require either person to be wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions About Schöelen Cigars

Who founded Schöelen Cigars?

Samuel Schöelen founded the brand. Its published history connects his European travels and interest in regional cigar experiences with the collection’s development.

Where are Schöelen Cigars made?

The documented blends are made in Nicaragua. Exklusiv is specifically identified with Las Villas in Estelí; the cited reviews do not name the factories for the other offerings.

Which Schöelen cigar received the highest published score?

Originell leads the four Stogie Press evaluations covered here. Its annual-list placement and small-company award are separate distinctions from the same publication.

Does “Cuban Style” mean Originell contains Cuban tobacco?

No such conclusion follows from that wording. It is the manufacturer’s format description. The published filler specification identifies Nicaraguan growing regions, not Cuban tobacco.

Are the tasting notes added flavorings?

The cited reviewers use terms such as chocolate, fruit and cream to describe their sensory impressions. Those descriptions do not, by themselves, identify ingredients or establish that flavorings were added.

Are all tobacco ages and factory details public?

The sources checked do not provide a complete account of tobacco ages, blend percentages, farms and manufacturing details for every cigar. Claims about those undisclosed details would require additional documentation.

Final Assessment of Schöelen Cigars

The useful story here is not that a high number makes a cigar beyond criticism. It is that the published record contains enough detail to compare the blends properly—and enough variation to make a blanket judgment unhelpful.

Look at the tobacco first. Read the construction notes next. Then put the rating back into context.

That approach leaves room for both recognition and criticism. It also prevents a young brand’s story from becoming inflated with imaginary awards, unsupported aging claims or specifications that appear more certain than they are.

Schöelen’s documented collection gives us distinct recipes and clearly attributed evaluations. The strongest review is the one that explains both without pretending to know more than the evidence supports.

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