Featured Cigars

December 2006

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Astral Favorito	Perfecto	7 x 47	6.5	Honduras	90
Joya de Nicaragua Antanos 1970 Consul	Robusto	4.5 x 52	8.5	Nicaragua	91
La Aroma de Cuba Monarch	Toro	6 x 50	6.5	Honduras	92
Padilla Edicion Especial Obsidian	Toro	6 x 54	7.5	Honduras	93
Rocky Patel Fusion	Torpedo	6 x 52	7.0	Honduras	94

Astral Favorito Perfecto

Astral cigars are handmade in the cigar making Mecca of Danli, Honduras. This highly recognized brand has long been known for its mild-to-medium body and dependably high quality production. Typically the Astral cigars feature an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade wrapper that gives an elegant appearance and smooth espresso and cream flavors. However, the Favorito featured this month is draped in a slightly sweet, thick Cameroon wrapper. Go ahead, take a moment to admire its dark color and oily sheen, aged to the point that if you look at it in the right light, you'll notice small crystals that have settled out of the oils. The blend is comprised of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos, providing a mild-to-medium-bodied flavor with a sharper edge provided by the stronger Honduran tobaccos. Smoke volume is ample, providing aromatic woody notes in the burn, delivered through an easygoing draw. Note the sweet earthy notes that follow cedar aromas in the opening, all brought to a close with a slightly spicy, gently sweet woody finish. Astral enjoys consistently high marks from Cigar Aficionado and Smoke Magazine; enjoy this well-made stogie. Nicely complemented by chilled chardonnay.

Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 Consul Robusto

The fine cigars from the Joya de Nicaragua line are not only popular with our panel members; they've been a big hit since they first hit the market in 1964. In the 1970s the brand was hugely popular, widely considered to be the best in the world. Created in Nicaragua's first cigar factory, from where they spread throughout the world, its deserved popularity was cut short. Sadly, decades of war and Communist rule in their homeland nearly destroyed much of the country—including the factory that produced them. This new Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 was created in 2002 to celebrate the rich heritage and worldwide renown it enjoyed in 1970. The word Antaño means "long ago", and while it may not have been all that many years ago, the company clearly longed for that period of glory. The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 proudly marks a return to thoe glory days. We found it firm to the touch with no soft spots, offering a cool, even burn and effortless draw. The flavor is identifiably Nicaraguan, offering a slightly sweet taste and huge spicy character, and characterized as very, very full-bodied and robust. A strong cigar to complement a strong drink—enjoy with an XO Cognac or Armagnac.

La Aroma de Cuba Monarch Toro

The La Aroma de Cuba brand goes back quite some time. Winston Churchill (who was sort of a cigar fan), described it as one of his favorites. Originally made in Cuba, this handmade is now made in Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras, showcasing excellent construction with a dark, moist and oily Cuban-seed Honduran wrapper that complements a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers (both Cuban-seed). The complex blend featured this month was developed over an intensive three-year period before being introduced in 2002. Authenticity was considered crucial when developing this release. Note the traditional, old-Cuban style artwork on the label (if you order a box of these beauties (see reorder info below), they come in handsome boxes with similar traditional imagery). A very flavorful smoke, expect notes of espresso and bittersweet chocolate. This medium-to-full-bodied cigar delivers thick and rich earthy flavors and finishes with a slight spiciness in the aftertaste. It is nicely complemented by a robust imperial stout.

Padilla Edicion Especial Obsidian Toro

The super dark maduro wrapper on this special cigar is highly unusual because it's Nicaraguan "ligero" leaf (taken from the upper portion of the tobacco leaf, which is rarely used as a wrapper, and is almost never this dark). Just picking it up, you know you're in for a treat. It's heavy in the hand because it's absolutely loaded with hearty Honduran-grown Corojo tobaccos from the Jalapa Valley, blended with nearly black Nicaraguan tobacco grown in the nutritive soils of Esteli. Take a look down the foot of the cigar. Note how thick the wrapper is as it surrounds the aged leaves within. You just know it's going to provide tons of flavor when you light it up! The filler leaves are very dark as well, often an indication of powerfully spicy flavors. However, you'll find this cigar remarkably smooth, with the spiciness quite subdued. These hearty tobaccos have been extensively aged and carefully fermented to produce a balanced flavor. This blend's earthy backbone is complemented by toasted hints of coffee with an ever-so-slight bit of pepper on the finish. A one off cigar, it will never be produced again. 50,000 sticks were rolled, and when they're gone, they're gone. It's a truly special treat. We suggest enjoying this one on its own, but an after dinner coffee cocktail will work nicely.

Rocky Patel Vintage Fusion Torpedo

The Rocky Patel Vintage line has caused a major stir among cigar aficionados. While ingeniously blended, it's the wrappers of these cigars that are most notable. The line comes in two styles, the Vintage 1990 and the Vintage 1992. The 1990 is a tantalizing 16 year old natural Broadleaf wrapper from Honduras that delivers a medium-bodied, complex smooth, rich flavor. The 1992 is a dark 14 year old Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. It's medium-bodied with a creamy, nutty, and full flavored taste. They both cover an ultra-premium blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligero leaf that's older than the company (Indian Tabac) itself! Given the profound success of these cigars, which represent the pinnacle of the Rocky Patel line, it's no surprise that someone had the idea to "fuse" the tastes of these two marvelous stogies: thus, the concept for the Rocky Patel Vintage Fusion was born. Expectations have been high in creating what some would consider the ultimate connoisseur's cigar. We're really excited to bring this hot new release to our members—you're among the first in the world to sample this highly anticipated cigar. Rocky Patel Vintage 'Fusion' is a luxurious, deeply complex cigar with a heady Cuban-esque character. A lovely, chestnut-hued, oily Habano wrapper on the outside conceals a truly flawless Connecticut leaf underneath. The flavor characteristics described above come together in this tasty fusion, with an enhanced depth and additional leathery, earthy notes. Enjoy this world premiere with scotch or brandy.