Past Newsletters - Mar 2009

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon	Robusto	5.5 x 52	7.0	Honduran	93
Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon	Robusto	6.0 x 50	8.0	Honduran	89
Excalibur Epicure Natural	Robusto	5.25 x 50	8.0	Dominican	92
Por Larranaga Cuban Grade Figurado Maduro	Torpedo	6.1 x 52	5.0	Dominican	92
Royal Jamaica Gold	Churchill	7.0 x 54	7.5	Dominican	91

Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon Robusto

The 1916 was created in 2004 to commemorate the Toraño family’s entry into the tobacco business. Carlos Toraño cigars have been around for over 90 years! Their four generations of family cigar-making tradition began back in 1916, when Don Santiago Toraño emigrated from Spain to Cuba. After the Cuban revolution of 1959, his son Carlos would forever change the tobacco industry by introducing the concept of growing Cuban seed tobacco plants in the Dominican Republic. The seeds he brought from Cuba to the Dominican Republic yield tobacco that is today known as “Piloto Cubano,“ a term you may be familiar with, which we can all enjoy these days due to the instincts of this cigar maestro. Since Carlos’ untimely death, his son Carlos A.Toraño has continued the family business, expanding tobacco-growing to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Ecuador, while also bringing Carlos Sr.’s grandson into the trade. Today, the company is the only family cigar business to own and operate three cigar factories in each of the leading cigar producing countries (Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic). It is at these famed factories that they continue making classic cigars such as the Tribute, Cameroon, Select, and Signature lines, and the one we’re bringing you this month.

If you love tons of smoke, this one’s for you! And the 1916 Cameroon’s smoke smells wonderfully nutty and cedary. As is typical with many cigars produced by Torano, the construction is impeccable:  tightly packed and without soft spots so that the draw is firm. Note the cedar sleeve; it’s applied to each cigar to enhance the aging process. Featuring a gorgeous genuine Cameroon wrapper that has been prepped and aged for several years, the blend is a combo of Nicaraguan and Honduran long fillers. Expect the medium-bodied 1916 to start off with a fiery bang on the palate followed by a spicy flavor on the front of your tongue. The stogie mellows right away, and a deeper flavor profile emerges—with well balanced peppery and sweet spice flavors. The ash, light gray in color, is solid with some light flaking which occurs throughout the duration of the burn. The flavor tends to remain consistent to the halfway point, when the flavors become noticeably more complex. The finish is full and doesn't dissipate quickly. This is a stogie you can smoke right down to the nub.

The 1916 Cameroon was named one of Cigar Aficionado’s top 50 cigars for 2004. Along with a “90” rating, this is what they had to say:

"A toothy, well-crafted figurado. It has a fine draw. The medium- to full-bodied cigar has a fine balance, and flavors of nuts, spice and coconut, with an earthy and cedary finish."

As a tribute to the Irish and Saint Paddy’s Day, pair this one up with an Irish whiskey such as Bushmills or Jameson. If beer is your preference, we suggest a Guinness or Murphy’s Irish stout.

Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon Robusto

When it comes to blending cigars, the Cameroon wrapper is by far one of the hardest to work with, but Cusano founder Mike Chiusano was up to the challenge. The “59,” by the way, is a tribute to his brother Joe, who was born at the tail end of the 50s. (Some astute readers may think they noticed a typo but Mike simplified his surname when he named the brand.)

Long-time club members have received this quality boutique brand before. For those who are new to the club and perhaps not familiar with Cusano, this is a family of top-notch handmades boasting 91 ratings, complex blends, and buttery-smooth flavors. With its seamless, dark brown wrapper, the Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon is a luxurious example. This leaf, cultivated in eastern Africa, gives the cigar a rich, sweet, subtle character and allows the smoke to retain its sweetness in spite of being medium- to full-bodied, a combo not easily achieved in cigar manufacturing. Prepare to double your pleasure with this stick because it actually has two wrappers—the Cameroon cloaks a Dominican Sungrown one. Together they wrap a bold, long-leaf mixture of filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, including ample ligero. The result is a complex, sophisticated smoke that offers smoothness and balance typical of the brand. Look for this cigar to smoke well for a solid hour.  Enjoy it with your favorite tawny port.

Excalibur Epicure Natural Robusto

The Excalibur Epicure Natural contains only the top ten percent of the premium long leaf tobacco leaves grown in Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic topped off with a beautiful light brown Connecticut shade wrapper. Natural means that the wrapper is lighter in color and has undergone minimal fermentation.  Clip the end and you’ll note a sharp contrast with the dark blend of long-filler tobaccos. The roll is solid from head to toe and, once lit, the draw is perfect. Not surprisingly, the initial flavors are spicy. As the white ash grows— about a quarter of the way through—a warm, smoky flavor develops and the finish gets drier. Near the halfway point, look for hints of coffee and caramel and the spicy notes to fade in and out. This medium-bodied stick burns evenly and slowly. Although not a stogie for the meek, this is another one you can smoke down to the nub without getting the least bit of heat or bitterness. In addition to a sterling ’92’ point rating, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur made Cigar Aficionado’s top 25 cigars of the year when it debuted in 2007. A smoky single malt such as Oban or Lagavulin would complement this stogie beautifully.

Por Larranaga Cuban Grade Figurado Maduro

Por Larranaga Cuban Grade is an attractive, mild- to medium-bodied blend handcrafted in Honduras. It’s a figurado by virtue of its pointed cap. (Figurado is a term used loosely to describe any cigar that is not of the traditional shape—straight sides and round cap). “Cuban Grade” refers to the fact that the cigar pays homage to the robust Cuban blends of yore. The dark and toothy Maduro wrapper from the San Andres Valley of Mexico is far from the jet-black maduros we see so many of these days. With its mottled color—a hue somewhere between that of milk and dark chocolate—its oily sheen and tiny veins, this is a good-looking stick! The pre-light aroma smells like freshly baked bread. The mild-to-medium bodied cigar utilizes a mixture of aged Dominican and Honduran long-fillers, which promotes complexity delivered in a mellow, pleasant fashion. Look for an array of subtle notes of coffee and wood with a unique sweetness and a spiciness that lingers on the back of the throat. The aroma, filling the area with a heavy influence of charcoal and wood, is wonderful and the peasant floral finish equally enjoyable. Try it with a porter.

Royal Jamaica Gold Churchill

Gold isn't just for women any more, 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 evening, 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!