Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Bolivar	Lonsdale	6.5 x 45	7.5	Dominican	91
Casa Torano	Toro	6.1 x 50	6.0	Honduras	92
Cu-Avana	Churchill	7 x 50	5.5	Dominican	89
Felipe Gregorio (Blue Label)	Robusto	5 x 52	6.5	Nicaragua	91
Rocky Patel Connecticut	Toro	6 x 52	5.5	Honduras	92

Bolivar Lonsdale

"El Liberator" is one nickname for Simon Bolivar, one of South America's greatest generals. "The George Washington of South America" is another. His leadership brought independence to many South American territories as they seceded from Spanish control. The General Cigar Company recently retooled this Dominican version of a full-bodied Cuban classic; as a salute to General Bolivar, they've made it the most powerful in the entire Bolivar line up. More authoritative than previous versions, this mid-2005 blend combines long-leaf tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe with an oily, San Agustin Ligero wrapper. This dark, reddish-hued Honduran wrapper is as intimidating as it is inviting. Note the supple quality of the wrapper and flawless construction. The body is actually a bit tamer than our panel anticipated; look for sweet & woody notes-both in the flavor profile and lingering pleasantly in the finish of this slow-burning, moderate-to-full-bodied cigar. Quite nice with port as a relaxing after dinner treat.

Casa Toraño Toro

There's an interesting story behind this Toraño cigar; at first, you could only receive this cigar for free. "What?" you ask - This cigar began as the private "house-blend" that was handed out exclusively at Toraño cigar rolling events-it was then, and is today, a mild-to-medium-bodied Honduran treat. In 2004, after years of buzz around the smooth, un-banded, unnamed cigar, the Toraño family decided to release the blend to the public. The Toraño's "house blend" became, quite naturally, "Casa Toraño", and now carries a price tag. Hey, there's always a trade off, right? They couldn't give away free cigars to everyone (speaking of FREE cigars, we'd be happy to send you 15 premium cigars if you're selected as our Member of the Month-just look at the fella pictured above to see what we're looking for). So what's in su casa? For starters, we've got choice Honduran, Mexican and Nicaraguan all long-leaf filler tobaccos, tethered to a golden-brown, Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder. No folks, this ain't the watered-down equivalent of a house wine at your local restaurant; it's a serious composition of premium tobaccos blended and constructed with skill. Note the complex array of flavors, from light spice to sweet & creamy notes, rounded out by a peppery earthiness. It's tough to nail such a varied ensemble of flavors in a mellow-bodied cigar, but the Toraño house is a talented one. Enjoy with morning coffee or a robust Cabernet before dinner.

Cu-Avana Churchill

Manuel Quesada of Manufactura de Tobacos S.A. (MATSA) is the legendary cigar maker behind Cu-Avana and numerous other renowned brands. Seasoned veterans of the tobacco industry, the Quesada family entered the business in Cuba as leaf brokers for everything from cigarette tobacco to cigars, becoming one of the major exporters of Cuban tobacco. They also had a presence in the Dominican Republic where they had been trading tobacco for years. In 1960 they were forced into exile, and capitalized on their relationships in the Dominican Republic by transferring their entire business there. Soon, they expanded to cigar manufacture and today they're well known the world over for their premium offerings and uncompromising commitment to consistency in construction and flavor. Note the smooth, golden Connecticut shade wrapper draping this mild-to-medium-bodied Dominican beauty. Long-fillers from the lush Cibao Valley region of the Dominican Republic provide a dry, woody character to this smoke, with hints of coffee and creamy spiciness that pick up as you get about 2 inches in. Note a very pleasant woody aroma and non-lingering, clean finish with a unique lemon-like herbal quality developing late. It is this last note that makes this a good partner to a gin & tonic.  

Felipe Gregorio (Blue Label) Robusto

The Felipe Gregorio Blue Label is a Nicaraguan puro born and rolled in Condega. But when it was introduced in 1992, the brand emphasized Jamastram Valley leaves from Honduras, all grown on Felipe's factory there. After moving his factory to Nicaragua (and opening another in the Dominican Republic), his Honduran puro needed to be re-blended as a Nicaraguan puro. What's particularly impressive here is that he was able to create two fantastic puros from two different countries in a relatively brief span of time. And while this cigar is the original brand that started it all for Felipe, it's a very different smoke in terms of source tobaccos. Remarkably, his master blenders have brilliantly and faithfully recreated this full-bodied yet mellow-flavored cigar. While smoking this Nicaraguan powerhouse, expect a mild and cedar-edged start that will grow to a full-bodied intensity by mid-smoke. The earthy, spicy notes that develop are excellently balanced by rich flavors of nuts and cocoa in each effortless draw. It's one of those smokes that just gets better and better as you make your way through it. Our preference on this one is to enjoy the flavor and intensity evolution on their own, but an imperial Brown ale such as Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale would provide a nice partnering.

Rocky Patel Connecticut Toro

Rocky Patel has the Midas touch-any blend he releases is as good as gold. Over the years, his blends have tended toward the fuller-bodied & highly complex, but his Connecticut line was produced as an intentional counterpoint, providing an easy going, milder blend. A handcrafted mélange of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos hand rolled in Danli, Honduras, the long leaf fillers ensconced beneath a Connecticut-shade wrapper deliver a consistent flavor profile that holds solidly from the moment you light it right on down to the nub. Look for subtle notes of cedar and a touch of leather in this mild-to-medium-bodied cigar. Above all, what you get here is simply the clean, crisp simplicity of top notch premium tobacco. If you're a fan of the milder cigars, this just might become your new favorite. Even if you prefer bigger-bodied smokes, this cigar provides enough character to perhaps recast your attention toward the milder side. Our panel enjoyed this with the recently reformulated hoppy IPA known as 'Hops Infusion' made by the Weyerbacher Brewing Company. The marriage of flavors couldn't have been more perfect - we highly recommend this specific pairing, though other American-style IPAs with hops-a-plenty will work well.

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
Bolivar	25	$95.50	$24
Casa Torano	25	$87.50	$23
Cu-Avana	20	$67.50	$22
Felipe Gregorio (Blue Label)	25	$87.50	$23
Rocky Patel Connecticut	20	$78.50	$25

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.