Featured Cigars

March 2008

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
5 Vegas Miami Torpedo	Torpedo	6.1 x 52	7.0	Dominican	92
Bahia Gold Toro	Toro	6 x 50	8.5	Nicaragua	93
Dona Patricia Corona Grande	Corona	6.5 x 44	5.5	Dominican	88
Don Lino Africa Duma Maduro	Robusto	5 x 50	9.0	Honduras	90
Leon Jimenes Connecticut Robusto	Robusto	5.5 x 50	5.0	Dominican	90

5 Vegas Miami Torpedo

The name 5 Vegas comes from a legendary true story about the brand's origin. Five renowned tobacco farmers in Cuba took leaves from each of their fields and blended them to create the progenitor of this distinctive blend. The simple gold and blue band suits a cigar this classy. This tobacco-packed, dark chocolate gem's construction is near perfect. Smooth and oily to the touch, with its tapered triple cap and prominent veins, 5 Vegas is also pleasing to the eye. Carefully crafted by hand in the El Rey de los Habanos factory in Nicaragua by one of the best in the business—Don "Pepin" Garcia—this smoke was inspired by a small batch blend also known as 5 Vegas Miami. Produced in Miami, the U.S. version was distributed only to a select few and at special events throughout the country. Fortunately, Pepin stepped up to the plate to meet the overwhelming demand.

Pepin's talent takes the 5 Vegas brand to a whole new level. It features a Nicaraguan grown Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper and a bold blend of aged Cuban-seed, Nicaraguan-grown ligero long-fillers. Look for a spicy opening, followed by an array of earthy, leathery flavors—and a lot of smoke. Expertly balanced, as the cigar burns, there are pleasant notes of savory spice and pepper. Halfway through, the stogie's strength stretches into the full-bodied realm. In a recent Cigar Aficionado tasting, 5 Vegas was recognized as the best, non-Cuban cigar, scoring an outstanding '90' on their very discriminating rating scale. Consider pairing it with a full tawny port and plenty of ventilation.

Bahia Gold Toro

Since Bahia Gold cigars debuted in 1997, these rich, full-bodied Nicaraguan handmades have become Tony Borhani's flagship cigars. The strongest of the Bahia line, the Gold blend is also the line's smallest production, totaling only 300,000 cigars a year. This is a well aged cigar—let's review: the filler is comprised of four- to five-year aged Dominican Ligero, Seco and Viso leaves; the binder is four-year aged Dominican leaf, and the wrapper is a four-year aged Ecuadorian sun grown, Sumatran-seed leaf. So, four years or more of aging on every leaf in this cigar might seem enough, but after rolling, they're laid down for another full year to mature! With its slight box-press and its oily wrapper, the Bahia's construction and presentation impressed our panel. They found the burn and draw consistent from one cigar to the next. Amidst clouds of thick, hearty smoke, spicy flavors predominate, complemented by rich coffee and dark chocolate overtones. Note the firm white ash, a clear sign of not only age, but properly aged tobaccos. While this cigar is already older than most kids starting their scholastic careers, it will keep in your humidor for years to come. Bahia Gold stogies' rich, complex and full-bodied flavors will appeal to more seasoned cigar aficionados. A couple of suggestions to complement this versatile smoke: a moderately peppery 100% Blue Agave Tequila or a bold imperial stout such as Stoudt's Fat Dog.

Dona Patricia Corona Grande

Victor Sinclair started making premium cigars in the Dominican Republic in 1995 and quickly became a leading boutique manufacturer, creating some of the most sought-after cigars in the industry. The lithe Dona Patricia offers a blend of Cuban-seed Dominican filler, a Dominican binder and a Connecticut-Ecuador wrapper. Mild to medium in strength, this well-constructed stick burns evenly, offering an array of smooth, nutty notes with a slight toasty nuance and a gentle creaminess. Expect subtle spicy notes in the back of the mouth. Half way in, the cigar consistently produces volumes of satisfying, robust, bluish smoke. Given its mildness, the Dona Patricia is a good stogie to take on your next nine holes. Don't golf? Enjoy it with your newspaper and morning coffee.

Don Lino Africa Duma Maduro

Hold this bold, top-shelf handmade in your palm prior to lighting just to feel the heft. Run your fingertips up, down and around this dark beauty to better appreciate its smooth oily wrapper. You're in for a full-bodied smoking adventure. Handmade in Nicaragua, the Africa by Don Lino features an exotic blend of premium tobaccos from Africa, yes—but also from Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The filler leaves have been patiently fermented and extensively aged. To spice up the cigar even more, Don Lino includes some of the world's finest cigar Cameroon wrapper leaf in the filler. The layers of exquisite flavors—cedary to start followed by spicy cinnamon and a leathery finish—are enriched by its Nicaraguan-grown Habana-seed wrapper. Look for an even burn and a medium draw and voluminous clouds of smoke. Enjoy Don Lino with a great single malt such as Lagavulin or Oban or a Czechoslovakian pilsner if beer is your preferred beverage.

Leon Jimenes Connecticut Robusto

Guillermo Leon Herbert's family has been cultivating tobacco for six generations. With little more than a dream, his grandfather, Don Edwardo Leon Jimenes, founded the country's oldest cigar factory, La Aurora Cigars, on the outskirts of Santiago, Dominican Republic. The Leon family began farming tobacco in the late 1880s, and in 1903 Don Edwardo began producing a traditional Dominican cigar—smooth, sweet, and mild—for sale to the public. Fernando Leon, Guillermo's father, is the master tabacqueriros who developed the Leon Jimenes line in the 1970s.

Leon Jimenes are blended with well-aged Cuban-seed Dominican long leaf tobaccos and wrapped in a special light Connecticut shade leaf wrapper that has been aged three years. We found the construction of this cigar perfect. This unassuming, elegant cigar burns slow and even. The aroma is exquisite. The smoking experience is one of the most balanced we've had in a long time—smooth and mild with a creamy tobacco taste. There's a delicate interplay between gentle tobacco spiciness, mellow, woody highlights and a caramel-like taste. As with the Dona Patricia, this is a stick for those looking for a quick, mild smoke for the morning or early afternoon. Due to its easygoing nature this stogie is perfect with your favorite morning coffee or for lunch with a glass of dry white wine. The International Wine of the Month Club members have the perfect pairing in this month's Napa Cellar's Sauvignon Blanc.