Featured Cigars

May 2007

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Romeo y Julieta Viejo 'B'	Belicoso	6.1 x 52	8.0	Dominican	90
Astral Grand Reserve 1996	Corona	5.5 x 46	7.0	Honduras	90
Vibe Corojo	Toro Grande	6 x 58	8.5	Honduras	91
Royal Jamaica Gold	Churchill	7 x 54	7.5	Dominican	91
Vegas de Fonseca Sobrinos	Robusto	5.4 x 50	6.5	Dominican	92

Romeo y Julieta Viejo 'B' Belicoso

The legendary Romeo & Juliet brand is a favorite among premium cigar fans. They consistently produce sticks that live up to their Cuban heritage and their latest, the Viejo B, is no exception. Several panelists say it may be their best ever. Rated '89' by Cigar Aficionado, the Viejo B pleases the senses on many levels. Thick and smooth, with an oily sheen and mounted head, it's gorgeous. Its pronounced square-press presentation and firm construction feel great in the hand. Thanks to choice cedar-aged Dominican long filler tobaccos and a silky aromatic Indonesian TBN, just smelling this beauty is a rush. ("TBN" is an abbreviation for Taboco Bawah Naungan which translates "tobacco under the sheet" or "shade grown tobacco.") It has an even draw and a bright, white ash. We found the flavor of this medium-bodied cigar to be highly consistent: mellow and smooth throughout, highlighted by hints of caramel and a faint, sweet woody note. Enjoy with a smoky single malt scotch.

Astral Grand Reserve 1996, Corona Gorda

It's not every day we find a vintage cigar to offer members. That it comes from Astral won't surprise cigar lovers. This highly recognized brand has long been known for its dependably high quality, mild-to-medium-bodied smokes. Handmade in the cigar making mecca of Danli, Honduras, this 11-year-old gem has been slumbering in cedar since it was rolled in 1996. Note the Grand Reserve's attractive Colorado-Claro-colored Connecticut wrapper. The nicely balanced blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers delivers an array of flavors with hints of nuts, cedar and anise. Astral enjoys consistently high marks from Cigar Aficionado and Smoke Magazine. This elegant, refined smoke warrants a brut champagne or Italian prosecco.

Vibe Corojo Toro Grande

Rocky Patel started in the industry during the heyday of the mid-90's cigar boom. His is one of the few brands to have not only survived but thrived. It's no wonder—he makes some outstanding cigars and this is one of them. Robust and earthy, the Vibe offers the silkiest Corojo wrapper you'll ever set eyes on. It feels so good you may just want to hold it. But go ahead, light up. Note the toasty aroma. The aged blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf tobaccos in this medium-to-full-bodied cigar bursts with flavor. Look for predominately nutty and woody tastes with some coffee notes. Enjoy the Vibe with a hot Indian or Thai dish and a spicy IPA like the Hop Wallop featured in this month's Beer of the Month Club.

Royal Jamaica Gold Churchill

Gold isn't just for women anymore and the Royal Jamaican new Gold line proves it. Double banded—at the head and foot—with a bright eye-catching gold wrapper, this stogie's presentation speaks to a justifiable pride on the part of the manufacturer. It's a well-aged blend of Nicaraguan, Jamaican and Honduran long-fillers wrapped in a rich, dark Habana Select wrapper. Panelists liked the firm draw of this complex, ultra-smooth smoke. This medium-bodied jewel has a sweet, toasty character with a slightly sharp finish. Look for notes of rum and cedar. On a warm spring eve sit back with this cigar and a mojito, close your eyes and you're transported to Hemingway's Cuba! Check out our reorder prices and find gold for less than $10 an ounce. Now that's a bargain!

Vegas de Fonseca Sobrinos Robusto

Speaking of Cuba, the Fonseca brand has a stellar Cuban pedigree. The brand is hand-rolled in the Dominican Republic by Manolo Quesada, heir to the Fonseca "first family" of Cuban cigar makers. Quesada's great-great grandfather started brokering tobacco leaf in Cuba in the 1880s. From the mid-1880s until 1960, Quesada's great-grandfather, grandfather, father and several generations of uncles brokered tobacco out of Havana and sold it worldwide. In the 1930s, one uncle started to buy and resell Dominican tobacco, creating a permanent family foothold on the island of Hispaniola. 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. In April 1960, Quesada's family was forced out of business by the Castro government. These cigars are still being made in Cuba but the family that created them has been making them in the Dominican Republic for nearly 50 years and Manuel Quesada is considered one of the most knowledgeable tobacco men in the Dominican Republic. Vegas de Fonseca may be his boldest, most daring cigar yet.

Distinctive looking, it's made from Dominican and aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobacco. With a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a toothy African Cameroon wrapper, it's everything cigar aficionados have come to expect from a great smoke. Smooth and mild-bodied, the cigar earned a '92' rating from Cigar Insider and a spot on Cigar Aficionado's top 25 cigars for 2004. It's slow burning and offers deliciously intense flavors—look for cedar, sweet pepper, marzipan and sweet macaroon. The finish is spicy. Pair with a VSO cognac or a full tawny port.