Featured Cigars

February 2008

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Felipe Gregorio Icon Torpedo	Torpedo	6.5 x 52	7.0	Dominican	91
Magicos Cubanos Corona	Corona	6 x 45	4.5	Dominican	88
Padilla Obsidian Belicoso	Belicoso	6 x 54	9.0	Honduras	92
Rocky Patel Signature Toro	Toro	5 x 55	9.0	Honduras	93
Saint Luis Rey Rothschild	Robusto	5 x 54	7.5	Honduras	89

Felipe Gregorio Icon Torpedo

One look at the band and you know you're in good company with this handmade: Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx are among the world's most celebrated cigar icons, hence the name of the cigar. The Icon is the creation of the Dominican-based Felipe Gregorio factory, owned by Philip Gregory (Felipe Gregorio) Wynne. Our panel feels he deserves more attention from the wider consumer audience than he has received—which is why this is the second of his stogies we've featured recently. Felipe Gregorio makes some solid blends that continually get better—among others, Felipe Power, Pelo de Oro, and the Petrus Reposado. His cigars are highly popular in Europe despite outrageous retail prices of $12 or more each. Across the pond his blends rival Davidoff and the best Cuba has to offer.

With its striking wrapper of triple-fermented Costa Rican top priming grown from the very special Vuelta Abajo seed, the Felipe Icon is an eye-catching stick. The wrapper is ultra-flavorful and loaded with natural oils that are buttery-smooth and rich throughout the burn. The fillers are comprised of a bold blend of Cuban-seed tobaccos from the black soils of Condega, Nicaragua and Dominican-grown Piloto Cubano from 2002. These aged long-fillers have been blended to complement the beautiful wrapper, creating a complex core of rich, mocha-like flavors with notes of coffee and leather, finished by a touch of pepper. The smoke remains medium in body all the way through. Pair it with a robust red Cabernet or Shiraz.

Magicos Cubanos Rothschild Robusto

Magicos Cubanos are made in the Dominican Republic under the direction of Daniel (Macanudo) Nuñez. Macanudo's cigars are the biggest-selling handmade cigars in America and not just because they're mild in strength. They feature choice, mild Dominican tobaccos rolled inside a medium-brown natural Connecticut Ecuador wrapper.

One critic called them the "Coors Light of cigars" and we're not sure whether that was meant as a criticism or a compliment. We'll leave it to members to decide. Our panelists found it mild in strength but chock full of creamy flavor with hints of vanilla and caramel and just a touch of pepper on the finish. These cigars draw well and burn clean with a firm ash. Perfect with port and a light dessert. Or try it with your favorite hoppy pale ale.

Padilla Obsidian Belicoso

Ernesto Padilla's 'Obsidian' is a blockbuster blend that unquestionably rivals even his own 92-rated Padilla Miami 8/11. Hailing from Nicaragua, this coffee-black stogie's wrapper claims center stage. The jet-black Nicaraguan ligero leaf oozes oily goodness. It wraps hearty Honduran-grown Corojo tobaccos from the Jalapa Valley and black Nicaraguan-grown fillers from the fertile soils of Esteli. This medium-to-full-bodied vitola produces billows of sweet-smelling smoke that tastes as good as it smells. The burn is amazingly even and the draw is easy. Ultra-smooth, this blend's earthy full-flavored tobacco backbone is complemented by toasty, nutty and coffee flavors with a slight bit of pepper on the finish. Take your time with this smoke by letting it breathe between puffs and you'll discover the first taste is as good as the last. Enjoy this beefy smoke with a strong ale or a full tawny port.

Rocky Patel Signature Toro

Rocky Patel has a well-earned reputation for uncompromising quality. He has received so many stellar ratings and awards from industry groups and publications, he's in a class by himself. Every cigar he makes undergoes rigorous quality control measures to ensure that only the best cigars from the rolling table make it to a consumer's hand. No wonder his sticks are some of the most sought after in the world!

This month we're offering members the chance to smoke the most limited production cigar Rocky Patel has ever made—limited because the signature tobaccos needed are so rare. (Only 200 boxes of these babies are made at a time.) The RP Signature series is one of very few medium-to-full bodied Connecticut cigars on the market. In its initial tasting by Cigar.com, this smoke received an impressive 93 points, an unusually high rating for them. Featuring RP's classic vintage logo, the Signature collection sports a silky Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that encases a mix of Central American fillers, giving this cigar an unparalleled balance. Panelists reported a wealth of rich flavor—a literal smorgasbord of aromas and tastes, including buttery and toasty flavors over notes of wood and nuts. Overall, a fully satisfying, rich and complex smoke. Consider pairing this one with an Oban single malt scotch or Knob Creek bourbon.

Saint Luis Rey Rothschild Robusto

A worldwide favorite, this venerable Cuban brand has been around, in many guises, for decades. First manufactured in Cuba, then the Dominican Republic, the Saint Luis Rey Rothschild is now hand-rolled in Danli, Honduras. Using a hefty blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, this "re-mastered" version of the cigar maintains the rich, medium-bodied Habano smoking experience of its predecessors.

Triple-capped and wrapped in a thick, oily Nicaraguan leaf, its construction is flawless. This is truly a complex smoke. Rarely have panelists reported so many flavors, mostly sweet: coconut, chocolate, vanilla, honey and cinnamon, among others. Some noted grassy, woody, leathery and coffee notes. Fruity, floral aromas predominate. This Saint Luis Rey draws beautifully and burns evenly with a strong, dark ash and a great aromatic plume. This is a stogie that can be smoked to the nub without burning the tongue or losing its flavor. Definitely not one-dimensional, the Saint Luis Rey is a joy to smoke. Because it's so complex your favorite bourbon or dark rum will do it justice.