Past Newsletters - January 2010

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum	Toro Grande	5.5 x 55	8.0	Dominican	92
Augusto Reyes Nativo Lancero	Lancero	6.75 x 40	6.5	Nicaraguan	91
Diesel Unholy Cocktail	Torpedo	5.0 x 56	9.0	Dominican	90
Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey	Robusto	5.0 x 50	7.5	Honduran	89
Piloto Cubano Torpedo	Torpedo	6.5 x 50	6.0	Nicaraguan	88

Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum

Purple is not a color one typically sees on cigar bands. Standing out from the crowd, it’s a small but telling preview of the outstanding smoke yet to come. The Tempus Quadrum was rated ’94’ by Cigar Insider and named one of the Top 25 Cigars of the Year; in fact, this stick is quite possibly the crowning achievement of Alec Bradley Cigars. The dark and leathery Habano-seed wrapper hails from a small tobacco field located on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras, and captures the rich, hearty flavors of Honduras. The wrapper cloaks a complex mixture of Cuban-seed long-fillers grown in both Nicaragua and Honduras. The cigar is thick and may challenge even a guillotine cutter but cut off only 1/8th of an inch and you can look forward to a great draw. The Tempus Quadrum isn’t for someone who hasn’t smoked many cigars. Initially, it hits you with some definite pepper before some coffee and chocolate flavors predominate. As you get into this smoke, rich nutty and earthy notes vie for your attention. By the last third, the cigar morphs into full-bodied, but it never gets overly harsh. The finish is long and peppery with an enjoyable sweetness. Pair it with a top shelf scotch such as Laphroiag, Glenmorangie or Talisker.

Augusto Reyes Nativo Lancero

Maker of some of the finest brand names in the business—including Indian Tabac , Don Lino, Cameroon Legend and Fittipaldi—the Augusto Reyes family has been in the tobacco and cigar world for over 150 years. The Nativo Lancero is worthy of the family name and a heritage that harks back to pre-Castro Cuba. Fans of flavorful medium-mild cigars are in for a treat. The Lancero has a wonderful Criollo 98 seed wrapper that’s oily to the touch and an Olor binder. The blend is a rare Dominican puro that includes Piloto Cubano, Olor and Criollo 98, which is a hybrid of Corillo, one of the original Cuban tobaccos going back to the time of Columbus. The February 2007 issue of Cigar Aficionado gives the Nativo Robusto an Outstanding 89 rating (only one other cigar—the Davidoff 100th Anniversary—received a higher score of 90). The review states "the wrapper on this cigar is oily with great color. An easy draw imparts rich smoke full of sweet wood and wheat flavors with a significant kick of orange peel." On the heels of the February review the following April 2007 issue of Cigar Aficionado chose the Nativo Lancero as their highest rated panatela, giving it a coveted 90 rating.

Not surprisingly the cigar draws beautifully. Nativo has a hearty and complex profile. Notes of cedar, spices, pepper and a semi-sweet fruit-like quality are among the rich and creamy core flavors. The smoke is thick and smooth. As it burns, the flavor increases to medium-bodied and by the final third the taste intensifies. Most panelists detected an enjoyable sweetness on the aftertaste. Others reported a slightly sharp tannic finish, but that didn’t detract from a rewarding smoking experience. This cigar is nicely complemented by slightly chilled Añejo Tequila.

Diesel Unholy Cocktail Torpedo

The Diesel Unholy Cocktail is a new full-bodied cigar crafted at Tabacalera Fernandez by A.J. Fernandez. He is known for the Man O’ War, Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Man O’ War Ruination and ITC 10th Anniversary, among other stellar sticks. Crafted with fillers from Nicaragua’s black fertile soil, the Diesel’s geographical terroir is evident and its luscious PA Broadleaf wrapper yields a layered, spicy-sweet, intense smoke. The basic band at the foot suits the Diesel well—this stogie is for a meat and potatoes kind of guy—one whose idea of meat is a thick, juicy porterhouse. Unwrap this cigar and smell rich deep earth with a hint of coffee and a bit of wood on the foot. Feel it. It’s a little hard where it starts to taper but there are no soft spots. When you burn it the quality construction is evident, and the draw is so easy it’s like drinking through a straw. Look for coffee and earth flavors in the first third with underlying woody nuances and a hint of natural tobacco sweetness. By the second third, the smoke gets sweeter; the woody notes get stronger, competing with the strong earthy and coffee notes that continue. By the last third, the best flavor analogy is to a full-fledged sweetened cup of your favorite java. Panelists raved about the burn—no one had to touch up or relight this baby. Try it with an XO Armagnac.

Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey

Erin Go Bragh may not be as picturesque as the rolling hills of Ireland but with its smooth, lovely, golden-brown Connecticut shade wrapper it must be close. Its orange, white and green band is a tribute to the Irish flag and its name – Erin Go Bragh – means Ireland forever, so the fact that it’s infused with authentic Irish whisky is no surprise. The surprise is for those wary of flavored cigars. With its subtle and nuanced flavor this baby stands alone in a whole separate category of infused cigars. Roll it between your forefinger and thumb and you’ll note it has the look and feel of a top-quality premium cigar. This is not surprising since the Erin Go Bragh is produced in the Dominican Republic at the prestigious La Aurora factory. Look for the unexpected—a whisky taste that’s very subtle–just enough to let you know it’s there. The whisky is more prevalent in the aroma, and offers a nice interplay of rich sweet whisky paired with the buttery, well-aged 100% Dominican long-leaf tobaccos. The flavor profile is creamy and toasty with natural sweetness that’s balanced by a crisp tobacco taste.

Look for an easy draw, dense clouds of white smoke and a distinct aroma. The Erin Go Bragh is an exceedingly mild and smooth cigar. Make it your golf cigar or enjoy it as an occasional. This versatile smoke is light and smooth enough to be your first cigar of the day, but it still has enough “junk in the trunk” to serve as a pleasurable after-dinner treat. Try it with mellow pale ale.

Piloto Cubano Torpedo

Developed decades ago, Piloto Cubano is a strain of tobacco that was one of the most interesting innovations in the cigar industry. The name refers to the process of planting Cuban seeds in the Dominican Republic, which resulted in one of the first hybrid tobaccos to be widely used. The success of the strain spearheaded dozens of other such experimental efforts and led to increasingly interesting and delicious blends for which we cigar lovers can be thankful.

The Piloto Cubano brand consists, not surprisingly, of entirely Cuban-seed, Dominican-grown filler tobaccos. It’s capped with a toothy Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper. Each sample reviewed was well constructed and burned cool and evenly with a tight ash. Look for lots of creamy smoke. The mild to medium brand Piloto Cubano offers a classic Dominican flavor profile—a smooth, almost creamy, character with subtle notes of toast and cedar. Check out our reorder prices. This easy-going cigar could find its way into your daily rotation! Enjoy it as a thirty minute smoke with your morning coffee.