Featured Cigars

January 2008

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
3 Siglos Robusto	Robusto	5.0 x 52	9.0	Honduras	90
Diablo Classico Toro	Toro	6.0 x 50	8.5	Dominican	88
Petrus Reposado Torpedo #7000	Torpedo	7.0 x 54	7.0	Dominican	89
Punch Rare Corojo Magnum	Toro Grande	5.5 x 54	8.0	Honduras	91
S.T. Dupont Double Corona	Churchill	7.5 x 50	6.0	Spain	90

3 Siglos Robusto

Guillermo Rico was born was born to a family of tobacco growers in Cubita, Columbia. Over the years, he's been a grower, a leaf broker and such an accomplished catador (cigar taster) he reportedly can discern five different leaves in a single blend. He and his son George own GR Tabacaleras Unidas and the Gran Habano line of cigars. They established their Danli, Honduras factory, La Perla Hondureña, in 1996, initially producing cigars for Alec Bradley and other top labels. Given their experience and knowledge, inevitably, they started their own brands. In addition to Honduras, they now have farms in Columbia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

The Ricos take great pride in their process and products. They start by selecting the best Habano and Corojo seeds and finish by draw testing individual cigars for quality control. They use the traditional entubar method of rolling, a method that assures each leaf burns at the same rate—and long given up by most manufacturers as too labor intensive. Each leaf is rolled into tubes as the filler leaves are assembled, providing consistent paths for the smoke and air to travel straight though the filler. They invariably finish all their cigars with triple caps.

Unveiled in 2006, the substantial Tres Siglos cigar uses three types of ligero from three different countries—Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Columbia—in its filler. The binder is a Nicaraguan Habano leaf; the wrapper, a deliciously oily Nicaraguan Corojo Shade Grown. Note the flattened cap which is almost as level as the foot. That's typical of Cuban style cigars. The draw is easy. Look for a musty earthiness initially followed by leathery, sweet cherry-like nuances. By the end of the cigar the flavor is at its height: peppery and spicy with a finish that has graduated from negligible to considerable. Our panel suggests allotting a good 90 minutes for this baby. Trust there's enough complexity and idiosyncrasy in this powerful smoke to keep your palate interested throughout. Smoke it with small batch bourbon such as Marker's Mark or Knob Creek.

Diablo Classico Toro

The Diablo is appropriately named—there's a devilish punch awaiting those who want to break into the full-bodied realm of darkness. And who better to bring it to you than the Cullman family, owners of General Tobacco? For 150 years their love affair with tobacco has brought us Partagas, Macanudo, Punch and other great smokes. They also grow the majority of the world's Connecticut Shade tobacco. As the binder for the Diablo, Connecticut Shade has no peer.

Expect a full-bodied smoking experience with a robust finish that's absolutely loaded with spice. The dark Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra leaf cloaks a premium mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler to create a flavorful, "sit-down-only" smoke that will add a nice finishing touch to any hearty meal. Pair it with a stiff Cognac or rich Sherry that's big and bold enough to match up to this beauty.

Petrus Reposado Torpedo #7000

Created by Philip Wynne of Felipe Gregorio cigars, Petrus was a bust when first released in the U.S. back in 1989. At that time the cigar industry in the States was very green—Americans weren't quite ready for fuller-bodied cigars. Petrus sold well in Europe and the Middle East, where palates were accustomed to higher intensity smokes, but not here. Fortunately, "the times they are a-changin'." With the U.S. cigar boom in the 90's, domestic cigar smokers developed more sophisticated palates. Wynn recognized that and—to the delight of our panel and other serious cigar smokers—Petrus was re-released.

This dark, alluring beauty from the Dominican Republic will turn heads in any cigar bar! With its notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, the pre-burn aroma entices. The premium-grade, toothy Cuban-seed, sun-grown maduro wrapper oozes with oils that whet the appetite. The carefully blended mixture of aged long-filler black tobaccos from the fertile soils of Esteli, Nicaragua doesn't disappoint. The medium-to full-bodied Reposado is layered with rich notes of chocolate, coffee and leather. Look for a smooth, toasty aftertaste and a particularly protracted earthy finish. Its attractively tapered torpedo shape contributes to the smoke's complexity. This cigar burns slowly and makes for a pleasant evening smoke with spicy food and a robust red cabernet or Shiraz.

Punch Rare Corojo Magnum Toro Grande

Holy smokes—true blue cigar buffs are going to love this cigar! Robust and full-bodied, this dark, handsome box-pressed stick is not for the faint of heart. The Punch Rare Corojo features a beautiful burgundy Sumatra wrapper grown in the mountains of Ecuador, Connecticut Broadleaf binders, and a long-filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-filler tobaccos.

The initial draw is light but the overall strength of this long-lasting smoke picks up with each subsequent puff. Panelists describe the stogie as "velvet"—smooth, mellow and creamy. Take this one to your easy chair and, over an hour and a half or two, you'll discover more flavors than you deemed possible from one stick, including hints of pepper, wood, nuts, almond and vanilla. Enjoy this one solo or with your favorite single malt.

S.T. Dupont Doble Corona Churchill

Taste isn't the only sense involved in appreciating a good cigar. The latte-colored S.T. Dupont is lovely to look at and exquisitely smooth to the touch. For decades this brand was rolled in Spain, using a lush blend of premium aged Dominican long-fillers and flawless Connecticut-seed wrappers. These top-notch quality tobaccos combined with superior blending produced a heavily sought after cigar. Production moved to the Dominican Republic and the quality has never been quite the same.

We've been lucky enough to uncover a supply of S.T. Dupont cigars that were rolled in Spain, long before the change in venue. Mild to begin with, these babies have at least 4-5 years of box-aging under their belts. The additional aging has made them even milder so they offer a barely medium-bodied smoke that's smooth, rich and creamy. You'll note the dominant flavor is cedar, the result of spending so much time in the box. Our International Wine Club members have the perfect complement for the Dupont this month: the Trinchero Vista Montone Napa Chardonnay. Not a member? Pair it with your favorite slightly oaky chardonnay.