Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Fonseca Serie F	Robusto	5 x 52	6.0	Dominican	92
Hoyo de Monterrey Exciliber Dark Knight	Torpedo	6.5 x 52	7.5	Honduras	94
La Estrella Cubana Dipolmatico	Churchill	7 x 48	5.5	Dominican	91
La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda Maduro	Toro	6 x 52	7.5	Dominican	93
Sherpa Diablo Series	Churchill	7 x 50	7.0	Honduras	90

Fonseca Serie F Robusto

Fonseca, originally made in Cuba, and still made there (making it a Cuban brand, no?) has also been hand-rolled by Manolo Quesada in the Dominican Republic since the 60s. Quesada's great-great grandfather started brokering tobacco leaf in Cuba in the late 19th century. Four generations later, Manufactures de Tobacos S. A. (MATASA) produces some of the finest cigars on the planet. In the 1930s, the family started to buy and resell Dominican tobacco, creating a permanent family foothold there. By the time Castro came to power, Sobrinos de A. Gonzales (the company founded by Quesada's great-great-grandfather) and Constantino Gonzales (founded by a great-uncle) were the largest tobacco brokers in the world. But in April 1960, Quesada's family was forced out of business by the Castro government. While these cigars are still being made in Cuba, the family that created these cigars has been making them in the Dominican Republic for nearly 50 years now. The Serie F was introduced in 2002 as a medium-bodied version of the legendary Fonseca line. Note the color of the Connecticut shade wrapper with its inviting Colorado Maduro tone. It conceals a blend of Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero long leaves that have been slowly aged in palm ‘terico’ barrels over the years. This unique aging process leads to a magnificent depth of flavor. Look for notes of wood and nuts in the flavor profile, and ample amounts of aromatic smoke. Great with a malty, nut brown ale (like the Wild Goose Nut Brown Ale being featured in this month’s Beer of the Month Club).

Hoyo de Monterrey Excaliber Dark Knight Vol. II Torpedo

Here's another cigar in this month’s lineup that has an extensive history in the tobacco industry. This highly sought after brand originally began in Cuba in 1960 and was produced by leaf grower and founder Jose Gener. His family farmed in the Vuelta Abajo region for many years during the late 1800s—a very fertile area in Southwest Cuba renowned for its tobaccos. Now made in Honduras, Hoyo De Monterrey’s popular “Excalibur” line was recently amped-up and re-blended to create the bold “Excalibur 1066” line. These cigars boast the finest of all Hoyo De Monterrey’s tobaccos, with a three nation blend of fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. The 1066 refers to the year of the Battle of Hastings, in which the Normans conquered England. Now it’s your turn to conquer this big-bodied cigar. Dark Knight is the most recent addition to the Excalibur 1066 line, following Merlin, King Arthur, Galahad and Lancelot. However, Dark Knight is unique within the line because it uses a darker, richer, more complex wrapper than the Cameroon variety used to coat its brethren. Expect deep, leathery notes and smooth yet powerful tobacco flavors, right through to the spicy finish. Pair with a Tawny Port.

La Estrella Cubana Diplomatico Churchill

If you’ve been with the club long enough, you’ll recognize this truly unique cigar—it’s unforgettable. We keep coming back to it, not for its novelty, but for its consistently impressive flavor. The striking, bright red wrapper coloration is achieved by a special process in which the leaf’s chlorophyll is removed by boiling a natural Rosado wrapper. This process gives the wrapper an extraordinarily smooth and supple touch (go ahead, give it a loving caress—don’t be shy, bond with your cigar—just make sure no one is looking). Soft as rose petals, this medium-bodied Churchill is a full-flavored blend of only Dominican binder, wrapper, and filler tobaccos. Another distinctive touch to this puro is the manner in which the wrapper drapes over the foot of the cigar. Some may feel more comfortable trimming both ends of this beauty before smoking, rather than just the head, but if you like, you can just light with shaggy wrapper in place—sort of like lighting a fuse—and wait for the gentle explosion of flavor. Look for a smooth taste all the way through this cigar, with spiciness building as you go. You’ll find that it offers a softly sweet, yet spicy flavor that’s quite enjoyable. Overall, a very unique, well constructed cigar that’s just plain loaded with flavor. Try an XO Cognac with this “Star of Cuba” (a.k.a. La Estrella Cubana, pronounced "la es-tray-ah”).

La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda Maduro Toro

La Gloria Cubana is a medium-to-full-bodied brand of absolutely exquisite quality. This cigar’s primary production spot was moved from the El Credito factory in Miami, Florida to a new facility in Villa Gonzalez, Dominican Republic. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the owner of El Credito Cigars, moved primary production in 1997, effectively quintupling the company's 1996 production within two years. La Gloria is rolled from a staggering blend of Brazilian, Ecuadorian, Nicaraguan, Mexican and Dominican tobaccos. Rated as high as 93 by Cigar Aficionado magazine, the brand has a solid reputation and has been reviewed as “bursting with strong, rich tobacco aromas and flavors”, and “[having] an even draw and a straightforward, spicy character”. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. But here’s a little extra anyway… Note the flawless construction and a nearly oscuro maduro wrapper (Connecticut Broadleaf). Big, bold flavors blend wonderfully, without being overpowering—a quality attributable to extensive aging. Look for traces of cedar, nuts, and an herbal zing toward the finish, all encountered among full, rich & spicy flavors and a smooth, well-rounded finish. A robust porter or imperial stout will work nicely with the coffee and chocolate notes found in the last half of this cigar.

Sherpa Diablo Series Churchill

Named after the trusty Nepalese mountain guides made famous during Everest excursions, these Sherpas will guide your way to cigar satisfaction. Just as you wouldn’t hit the Himalayas without a trusty Sherpa, this cigar is a must have when exploring the world of cigars. Carlos Toraño, cigar maestro extraordinaire, lent his cigar making prowess to the folks at Gurkha Cigars to develop the Sherpa line of cigars. The green labeled Sherpa Diablo is a Honduran-rolled powerhouse that blends slightly sweet Brazilian wrappers with full-bodied Nicaraguan fillers. Look for a full-bodied, peppery and complex flavor with a bit of a kick to start, with an earthy backing. Note how the flavor profile changes about 1/3rd through the cigar to a mellow, medium-bodied smoke with a distinct creaminess. Want more complexity? Lay this baby down in your humidor for a while (6-12 months will do) and you’ll have it. We traded Murl some fresh Perdomos for a pair of his vintage Sherpas that were aged to perfection. That dog certainly does know his tricks, that’s for sure. At his urging, we partnered this massive Churchill with a vintage 100% blue agave Tequila and were quite impressed.

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.

Featured Cigar	Box Quantity	Box Cost	5 Pack Cost
Fonseca Serie F	25	$87.50	$23
Hoyo de Monterrey Exciliber Dark Knight	20	$82.50	$26
La Estrella Cubana Dipolmatico	25	$78.50	$21
La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda Maduro	25	$105.50	$26
Sherpa Diablo Series	25	$74.50	$20

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.