FEATURED CIGARS

Leyenda Cubana Torpedo

Leyenda means legend in Spanish, and this cigar was clearly meant to evoke the flavors of those legendary Cubans we’ve all heard so much about (but few of us have actually tasted). Though unlike the majority of full-bodied Cubans, this cigar is quite mellow and particularly easy-going. But don’t confuse mellow with a lack of tasty tobacco flavors; this cigar possesses enough top notch tobacco elements to leave a gentle tingle on the tongue. Each Leyenda cigar is crafted by hand using only Vintage Estate Tobaccos, and is aged for a minimum of six months. Beyond that, we didn’t have much info available to our panel at the time of review. We received samples and an offer to pick up enough to feature in the club, but didn’t know that much beyond Leyenda’s reputation for fine, flavored cigars. So we sought to pick out the flavors that went into this smoke. We noted flavors of coconut and just a hint of rum. So, on top of the fact that this tasty smoke has an excellent, rewarding draw, cool smoke, billowy smoke volume and brightly whitened ash, we thought, let’s try this tasty stogie out with some chilled (refrigerated, not iced) coconut rum and guess what—quite nice indeed.

Oliveros Gold Toro

Oliveros Perez, originally from Spain and founder of Oliveros Cigars, began his cigar-manufacturing career in Cuba in 1927. In 1962, Oliveros, like so many other cigar innovators, left Cuba after the communist takeover of the nation. However, he took with him selected premium tobacco seeds from his own crop to continue his work in the Dominican Republic. His work was recognized the world over and he was invited to join the Institute del Tobacco to instruct others in the process of “piloto cubano”, the germination and development of Cuban tobacco seeds. Oliveros’ legacy continues to demand that tobaccos be selected and aged with utmost care before expert cigar rollers perform their mastery and create this premium cigar. This toro is constructed with a blend of long filler, Cuban seed Dominican and sweet Brazilian leaves with a Connecticut shade wrapper. Look for well-aged flavor and aromatic cedar notes in combination with deep, cognac flavor notes from this cigar’s infusion with Kelt Cognac (which is achieved through a painstaking, time-consuming process). Consider pairing it with a single malt scotch or, more complementary if you can find it, Kelt cognac.

Pueblo Dominicano Torpedo by La Aurora

Folks, we’re not going to hold back here—we’re downright excited to be sending you this world-renowned cigar. Pueblo Dominicano is a special stogie that was crafted by some of the most creative minds and experienced hands in the business. It comes to us from the oldest factory in all of the Dominican Republic, the La Aurora factory, and to sum it up, it’s smooth, soothing, flavorful and worthy of a permanent place in your humidor. The tobaccos used in building this masterpiece are nothing short of exquisite on their own, but to top it off, the six, count ‘em, six-country-blend has been aged for a mind-blowing five years plus. Note the dark, reddish Ecuadorian Sun-Grown leaf, with its perfect push, oily texture and dappled appearance. We found it so entrancing we had hesitations even lighting it. We got over them, aided in part by the enticing pre-light aroma which, if you haven’t already experienced it, warrants a good sniff right now. Do it! Upon first lighting this cigar, you can expect a burst of smooth, peppery tastes that rouse the taste buds and leave you craving that next ultra smooth draw. Shortly after, the flavors imparted by that gorgeous wrapper take over, delivering a gently sweet creaminess that simply covers the palate. But wait a second—it doesn’t there friends. Pueblo Dominicano has a robust and rich finish that will leave a brilliantly aromatic cedary aftertaste. We found it to be superbly satisfying and simply wonderful with an aged dark rum.

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select Lonsdale

Back in the 1850’s, Admiral Victor Sinclair, after finding what he thought to be the perfect cigar, was sailing home aboard the frigate Oglethorpe just off the coast of the Dominican Republic when the ship was met by a vicious storm. The storm claimed his life, but some 140 years later, his great-great nephew, Victor Long, resumed his ancestor’s quest for the perfect cigar. As the story goes, Victor was able to locate a defunct warehouse on the island of Dominicana and there he found varied remains of the Oglethorpe including several boxes of perfectly preserved cigars that had been stored in glass vials. These original cigars were then used as the foundation for developing their current cigar brands. Victor Sinclair Cigars are really some of the well-made, expertly blended cigars out there. The Vintage Select designation is reserved for Victor Sinclair's most complex cigar. An infrequently encountered, genuine Brazilian wrapper helps create the oils that flavor this medium strength gem. And at a minimum of 6 months aging, their matured tobaccos create a unique and delicious cigar. We personally dig the Lonsdale size (which is basically a long corona), due to its sleek and elegant design, with all the sweet flavors we’ve come to love in this line, with a hint of coffee and just a touch of cedar in the finish. Try this one with a solid hoppy ale, such as an IPA.

X3 Triple Ligero Toro

Absolutely beautiful—that’s how we sum up the look to this cigar. Our panel members appreciate quite a wide variety of varied cigar looks, but this sort of deep, dark, oily and textured maduro wrapper just resonates with most of them. Now the pre-lit aroma is fantastic on its own, but oh boy, the flavor of this stick when it’s in full flare, about an inch down, well, it’s is difficult to match. Triple Ligero is a gorgeous new release by K. Hansotia, an expert cigar creator who has become a legend in his own time. The creator of the Gurkha brand of cigars has outdone himself once again with the X3. It employs an intoxicating blend of aged ligero wrapped inside a dark, handsome Brazilian maduro wrapper. Its full-bodied tobaccos are triple fermented for that added smoothness. The result is a powerful, “after dinner only” cigar that you’ll want to smoke when you’ve got a long while to sit down and enjoy it. If you can bring yourself to take your eyes off of it and light it up, expect it to start with an blast of spice. The intensity gradually fades to a smooth, chocolaty richness that is complemented by a distinct woody (mainly cedar) character. A robust cognac or armagnac is the way to complement this tasty treat. Enjoy!

Get In On Some Great Beers!

Hey y’all—we’re always recommending beer styles for our premium smokes—and some of you might have started to wonder, “what is an Imperial Porter exactly?” or, “where can I try a German Eisbock or an authentic Tropical Stout?” Well folks, we have the answers to these very important questions—and they can be found each month—in your very own mail box! Turns out we have a number of microbrewed beer clubs that feature anything from Pilsners made in New York to stouts from Sri Lanka! Our flagship series, the Beer of the Month Clubs are a surefire way to get your hands on some great brews that will complement your monthly cigar shipments. Check us out at www.beermonthclub.com and have a look at the variety of beers and clubs we offer. We have testimonial after testimonial from satisfied cigar club subscribers who have found that joining our beer clubs not only expanded their cultural knowledge about various beer styles and the countries that brew them, it also satisfied their palates and enhanced their cigar smoking experiences month after month. Come check us out and see for yourself the joy of truly great craft-brewed beer. Cheers!

ASK MURL

Hey Murl,

I know you must get hit with a lot of questions, so I’ve been trying to think of a way to get mine to stand out so you answer it because I need an answer man… Thus explains the doggie snacks I included in my envelope addressed to you. I hope you like them—they’re actually called “Scooby Snacks”, like from the TV show. OK, straight up question here… what’s the best way to light my cigars to get an even burn? I’ve seen people use regular lighters, matches, weather-proof lighters which are more like mini blow torches… what do you suggest?

Winston Ternes
San Antonio, TX

Yo Winston!

Any coincidence you’re a smoker and your name is Winston? Nevermind. What I suggest is that you never send me “doggie snacks” ever again… nor anyone else out there who’s reading this little missive. How utterly insulting! Dude, listen up for uno momento. I ain’t no average canine that runs around and catches your Frisbee and wants to play fetch or urinates outdoors (well, not usually) or digs on them nasty doggy treat thangs… Come on man—use that noggin and think about it!! I write informative columns about the ins and outs of cigar smoking and microbrewed beer drinking… My doggy treats are filet mignon, lobster tail, Cajun crawfish, authentic New Orleans style jambalaya, and a nice fat BBQ bacon cheeseburger when I’m feelin’ like slummin’ it. And you send me freggin’ Scooby Snacks? That mutt may have been able to solve crimes in between smokin’ up the Mystery Machine with Shaggy, but he didn’t know jack about the finer things in life… Someone should call him up and alert him to the crime you just committed by sending a refined connoisseur like myself a pile of reconstituted turkey feed and beef essence or whatever the hell is in this crap…

But alas, your intentions were good, your heart in the right place… unfortunately, your head was up you’re a@&... But you pose a valid question. Put simply, you want to light your cigar as evenly as possible, and this is best achieved when you apply as little of the flame to the end of the cigar as possible. This will prevent the tobacco from getting charred and imparting an unpleasant taste. So how do you light without applying the flame you ask… I suggest using a long match stick, like those used to light your fireplace. Strike it, and allow 10 -15 seconds for all the sulfur to burn off. Hold the flame about 2 inches away from the cigar foot, and slowly draw long puffs of air through the cigar, while rotating about a quarter turn after each puff. Your cigar will begin to smoke lightly until, if done correctly, the flame will actually jump up to the cigar. Continue this for 4-5 puffs and then inspect your work. If there is a tiny unlit spot, you can blow on it to accelerate the glowing coal to drift over to it. Then, take one or two steady puffs and then leave the cigar alone for at least 2 minutes, as the first 1/8th to 3/16th of ash builds. You have now laid the foundation of a cigar that will burn perfectly. Personally, I stray from butane lighters and those weather proof monsters because you can taste the flammable chemicals they use. I get the most bang for my buck by using a regular ol’ lighter to fire up my long match sticks, even after they’ve been used. Once they’ve been struck and used to light your cigar, extinguish. Save and reuse the stick again later by simply applying a lighter flame to it. That ought to have you smokin’ like an expert there Winston.

Woof!
Murl

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Through our Customer Appreciation Program:

Your name is worth cold hard cash to your friends, co-workers and family members! Every time a friend, family member, or anyone else you know joins any one of our clubs, [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we'll give them 50% off of their first month, but only when they mention your name. And we'll also give you 50% off your next month too which can either be applied towards your current membership or you can try one of our other Clubs out! (We can add one more month to your order sat 50% off for prepaid memberships!)

The Fine Print: Members giving gift memberships do not qualify for referral credits and you can't give yourself a gift to qualify! This Program is mutually exclusive of any other promotions.

For Members Only

Original & Super Grab Bags!

That's right babies, help us put a little bit of our humidor into your humidor at insanely cheap prices! We've got some extra smokes that need a caring home to take them in so check it out! Choose between:

Discounted Box Re-Orders!

Members can take advantage of our volume purchasing and re-order their favorite cigars in box quantities at just over our wholesale costs. Re-order any selection featured in the box quantities listed below or order them in convenient 5 paks! Other cigar shapes and sizes not actually featured, but from a featured brand line may also be re-ordered. Call for pricing.

Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery and add $7.95 for S&H for your first box and $3.00 for each additional box or grab bag. S&H for 5-packs is $4.95 and $1.50 for each additional 5-pak. All reorders are sent Priority mail unless otherwise requested. CA residents please add 7.75 % Sales Tax. S&H for International re-orders must be calculated on an individual basis. Prices are subject to change.