Past Newsletters - Apr 2009

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Fonseca 5-50	Robusto	5.0 x 50	5.5	Dominican	92
Gurkha Cuban Legacy	Churchill	6.0 x 50	8.0	Nicaraguan	91
K Hansotia & Co. X3	Toro	6.1 x 52	9.0	Nicaraguan	92
Nestor Plasencia Vintage 654	Toro	6.0 x 54	8.5	Honduran	90
Tierra Del Sol	Corona	7.0 x 54	5.0	Nicaraguan	89

Fonseca 5-50 Robusto

You’re in for a treat with a fine Cuban brand you can enjoy legally. OK, OK, so calling Fonesca a “Cuban brand” may be a tad misleading; but technically, it’s the truth. Trust we checked it out, and our lawyers will support us on this. Here’s the skinny. Fonseca was originally made in Cuba, and still is (so it’s a Cuban brand, no?), but for over 50 years, the family that created them has been making them in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Manolo Quesada's great-great-grandfather started brokering tobacco leaf in Cuba in the 1880s; and, four generations later, his Manufactures de Tobacos S. A. (MATASA) produces some of the finest cigars in the world, including Fonseca, Romeo and Julieta, Licenciados, Sosa, Casa Blanca, and Jose Benito, to name a few. The original 5-50 wrappers were Cameroon, but now they’re light Connecticut shade. The highly respected line consistently receives Cigar Aficionado ratings in the high 80s and low 90s.

The Fonseca 5-50 combines Mexican binders with Cuban-seed Dominican Piloto Cubano fillers in an extremely well-made cigar that offers a truly mild smoking experience. Check out the smooth, inviting wrapper on this Dominican beauty. Look for a smooth and easy draw, a cool burn, a long ash, and billows of smoke throughout your smoking experience. The cigar offers a dry, woody flavor, a nice creamy texture, and hints of coffee and spice that pick up as you get into the cigar. Note a very pleasant, woody aroma and a dry finish that doesn’t linger. Overall, this beautifully constructed cigar is a wonderful blend that results in a pleasant, mild smoking experience. The sweet and substantial flavor of a good port—made by adding brandy to red wine—complements the taste of this cigar beautifully. We suggest a Portuguese port, one that coincidentally carries the same name as our cigar here, Fonseca Port.

Gurkha Cuban Legacy Churchill

You’re in for a treat with this unique but affordable entry into the Gurkha line of cigars!  Gurkha is often referred to as the "Rolls Royce of Cigars.”  They’re manufactured in the Dominican Republic by Beach Cigar Group/K. Hansotia & Co. The panel found this specimen of theirs to be a beautiful, medium-bodied cigar that is full flavored without being offensive or overpowering. The Columbian and Peruvian fillers—leaves well-known for their superior burning qualities—deliver ample flavor with a distinct earthy quality. The Dominican binder and the Nicaraguan wrapper deliver spicy and pepper notes that balance out the smoke beautifully. This stick is bold enough to go up against a double espresso, yet sweet enough to complement a robust porter. Enjoy!

K. Hansotia & Co. X3 Toro

X3 refers to the triple-fermented ligero blend in this gorgeous release by Kaizad Hansotia, an expert cigar creator who has become a legend in his own time. With this cigar the creator of the Gurkha brand of cigars has once again outdone himself. Two words sum up the look of this cigar: absolutely beautiful. And we’re referring to the stick itself, not the extra bands, including a wide sand-colored one, which do add a touch of class. The construction is superior. Press it; it’s probably the firmest cigar we’ve featured this year. Our panel members appreciate quite a wide variety of diverse cigar looks, but this sort of deep, dark, oily, and textured maduro wrapper may just be a favorite of most of them. The pre-lit aroma is fantastic on its own, but it’s only a preview of the flavor this stick offers in full flare mode, about an inch down. It employs an intoxicating blend of aged ligero wrapped inside a dark, handsome Brazilian maduro wrapper. Its full-bodied tobaccos are triple fermented for added smoothness. The result is a powerful, “after dinner only” cigar that you’ll want to smoke when you have plenty of time to sit and enjoy it. If you can bring yourself to take your eyes off this stogie and light it up, expect it to start with a blast of spice. The intensity gradually fades to a smooth, chocolatey richness that is complemented by a distinct woody (mainly cedar) character. A robust cognac or Armagnac pairs beautifully with the X3.

Nestor Plasencia Vintage 654 Toro

We are pleased to bring you this premium cigar from a highly respected industry leader. Aside from rolling top-notch cigars appreciated by thousands, including blends for Rocky Patel, Alec Bradley, and Gurkha (to name a few), Nestor Plasencia manages to find time in his busy schedule to craft some gems of his own. This month we’re featuring one of them, a full-bodied, rich cigar, knowing you’ll appreciate the years of experience behind it. Created and blended by master cigar maestro Nestor Plasencia in Honduras, where his factory, El Paraiso, is aptly named "The Paradise,” this stick features tobaccos grown in four different countries and offers a unique and complex character. Each cigar consists of Dominican and Jamaican filler leaves, a Cuban-seed Mexican binder, and a Connecticut wrapper. The Jamaican fillers add a slight richness with hints of dark chocolate, while the Dominican leaves provide their traditional earthy notes. We found this medium-bodied smoke to be rich and tasty, not to mention expertly constructed. Look for a near-perfect draw and a rich, oily, flavorful experience. Note a spicy, rich aroma that follows a nutty, slightly spicy flavor. The Vintage 654 would be a perfect end to a big, garlic-saturated Italian dinner. Consider pairing it with a bold red wine such as Australia’s Nine Vine Shiraz, which our Wine of the Month Club members receive this month. No doubt a cabernet or merlot will work well, too.

Tierra Del Sol Corona

Tierra Del Sol is one of a variety of blends Nick Perdomo produces in his Esteli, Nicaragua-based factory. His entire line is quite attractive, but the maduros, in our opinion, are stunning. We just had to try them out; and, upon pleasing our panel, they earned the right to be featured in our club. This stogie may not fit into the “classically beautiful” category, but no matter; we dig its box press shape and its rustic look. The dark, thick, and somewhat bumpy wrapper cloaks a well-packed blend of flavorsome tobacco. Look for a very toasty opening, with notes of chocolate that fall somewhere between sweeter milk chocolate and bitter dark cocoa. You’ll notice that the tobacco blend has a natural subtle sweetness, something we found very appealing. The finish is nothing but gentle, with absolutely no bite to speak of. What makes this cigar great is the superbly smooth, pleasant flavor that is as consistent as can be. The panel members have smoked over two dozen of these over the past couple of weeks, and they’re all solid. Extremely mild in body, it might not be what you expect upon visual inspection, but rest assured, this stogie is nothing but pleasant. The draw is great, the billows rotund, the aroma delightful, and the balance wonderful. As an added bonus, this cigar feels great in the hand and is easy to handle while doing other things, so if you’re one to light up a smoke while paying bills or doing your taxes (this is the month!) this is the perfect smoke. Pair it with your favorite single malt.