Featured Cigars

September 2008

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Cuba Libre Magnum	Robusto Grande	5.0 x 55	7.0	Honduras	91
Oliveros XL Bold Toro	Toro	6.0 x 52	8.5	Honduras	88
Playboy by Don Diego Robusto	Robusto	5.0 x 50	4.0	Dominican	92
Profesor Sila Churchill	Churchill	7.0 x 48	4.5	Dominican	89
Trinidad Corona	Churchill	5.0 x 44	8.0	Dominican	90

Cuba Libre Magnum Robusto Grande

We keep holding out hope that there will be a sufficient change of leadership in Cuba that once again the cigar market will open up to those of us in the States; but, sadly, Raul is still a Castro. Given that Cuba Libre means "Free Cuba," the folks behind Cuba Libre seem to share our sentiments. In the interim, they assure we're not deprived by making great premiums and selling them at affordable prices. With the magnum you get the biggest bang for your buck!

This medium-to-full-bodied, box-pressed Honduran with its toothy, deep-medium-brown Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper is a beauty. The flllers are Cuban-seed, long-leaf tobaccos that have been aged eight months in Nestor Plasencia's aging rooms before being wrapped. The result is a buttery smooth smoke layered with robust but perfectly balanced flavors. Initially it burns slow but there's nothing sluggish about the flavor profile. This vitola has a tremendous depth of flavor—a rich spiciness with complex notes of wood and earth. Less than a third of the way into the cigar, panelists noted a slight sweetness and very subtle vanilla taste. Then it evolved into a mature and mellow smoke, with a hearty core of earth and leather with toasty notes, and a lingering finish. Look for volumes of smoke. Pair with an oaky chardonnay.

Oliveros XL Bold Toro

As the saying goes, "He who hesitates is lost." If you're a full-bodied fiend, fire up this stogie and be grateful. We'll wager Oliveros XL Bold is among the most potent and eyebrow-raising blends you'll have smoked to date. They could call it "Macho XL." Happily, members who prefer less potent blends can appreciate this cigar, as well. Not harsh or one-dimensional, XL Bold is more than a mere knee knocker. Constructed in the Dominican Republic with well-fermented Panamian and Nicaraguan fillers and wrapped in a voluptuous Corojo wrapper, the XL is a complex smoke: robust, intense and lush. Expect notes of singed leather and an earthy, light spiciness in this surprisingly cool-burning smoke. Perfect after a full meal with an XO cognac.

Playboy by Don Diego Robusto

Don Diego is a name that has become synonymous with "mild." Consistent and well constructed, this cigar makes for an easy introduction to the wonderful world of premium handmade cigars. The Playboy complements the line nicely, but it's more complex and flavorful than most Don Diegos and can be appreciated by seasoned cigar smokers as well. With its golden-brown Connecticut shade wrapper, this cigar practically begs to be enjoyed. (We couldn't resist that verbiage given the stick's namesake.)

The filler and binder are Dominican. With notes of almond on the first draw, the Playboy bursts with creaminess and flavor. Look for a little woody spiciness on the finish. The ash on the cigar is a consistent gray-white color, the burn very even. An El Dorado 21-year-old Jamaican rum (or a similar well-aged dark rum) unchilled and straight up would complement it well.

Profesor Sila Churchill

Yin/Yang. Dark/Light. Oliveros XL Bold/Profesor Sila. We aim to please by choosing something for everyone—and for every cigar occasion. Profesor Sila is as mild as Oliveros XL is bold. Made from all Dominican long-fillers, "the Professor" –like the Playboy—sports a lovely, golden Connecticut-seed wrapper. Note the double cap. Panelists found the burn razor straight. Not only did it burn evenly, the stogie requires no touchups at all. Slightly sweet, silky smooth, and mellow, Profesor Sila cigars were at one time produced in the Canary Islands. Like many other manufacturers, production was moved to Santiago, Dominican Republic, in order to reduce costs, making the stogies more available and affordable. This is a good morning smoke to kick off the weekend or usher in a mellow Sunday afternoon. Enjoy it with your favorite freshly roasted coffee.

Trinidad Corona

For nearly 100 years, the Trinidad brand was a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar manufactured in Cuba and touted as one of the world's richest and most flavorful handmades. Now it's expertly handcrafted in the Dominican Republic's southern city of La Romana and offers the same robust, full-bodied smoking experience as its big brother from Cuba. At the core of this perfectly constructed stick is a vintage recipe of aged Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Peruvian long-filler tobaccos secured by a stout broadleaf binder and finished with a choice Ecuadorian Sumatran sun-grown wrapper. Look for a generous helping of leathery flavors with each draw and a lingering peppery aftertaste. Halfway through coffee, spicy notes predominate, and the finish is long and nutty. This is a satisfying stogie that will go well with your favorite single malt or cognac.