Past Newsletters - February 2010

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Bahia Trinidad Churchill	Churchill	6.8 x 48	7.0	Honduran	88
Calle Ocho Toro Sumatra	Toro	6.0 x 52	6.5	Nicaraguan	89
Felipe Gregorio Fat Boy	Robusto	3.5 x 55	8.0	Dominican	91
Hoyo Excalibur Prensado Oscuro	Corona Gorda	6.2 x 48	7.0	Nicaraguan	92
La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte Salomon	Figurado	7.1 x 58	8.0	Nicaraguan	93

The Bahia Trinidad Churchill

There is an unwritten law in Costa Rica that anything worth having is also worth waiting for. If we’ve kept you waiting for the Bahia Trinidad it’s because they’re a limited production boutique line that has achieved wide-spread accolades and top ratings so the brand is notoriously difficult to get a hold of. It’s manufactured in Costa Rica—at Tabacalera Tambor, a factory owned by Tony Borhani, one of the cigar industry’s most influential leaders. The Bahia Trinidad is a Nicaraguan puro crafted with a dark and oily Nicaraguan Criollo wrapper that’s been optimally fermented—tucked away for a cedar-nap for two years. The wrapper cloaks a blend of four-year-old Nicaraguan long-leaf Cuban seed tobaccos grown in the prime growing regions of Esteli and Condega. The end result is an aromatic, medium-bodied smoke with sweet tobacco flavors spiked with notes of cinnamon, cocoa and cedar. Look for a good draw and an even burn that produces a flaky snow white ash. After a great meal, enjoy this one for a good hour and a half with a full tawny port or a VSOP cognac.

Calle Ocho Toro Sumatra

The luscious Calle Ocho Sumatra is a classic long-filler blend that will appeal to both seasoned and non-seasoned cigar smokers alike. Note the nicely marbleized Nicaraguan Sumatra wrapper with its nice tooth and sheen. Give it a whiff and note a touch of sweetness. The stogie is a medium-bodied Nicaraguan blend with an earthy profile—you’ll note the earthy flavor right out of the gate. Look for the sweetness on the tip of the wrapper to disappear very quickly. It has ample flavor that’s not overpowering. A well-made cigar, it draws well and the ash can hang on for a couple of inches. This is a smoke that doesn’t change much; it’s consistent all the way through. At its attractive price, it could easily become your everyday go-to cigar. Try it with a hoppy India Pale Ale.

Felipe Gregorio Fat Boy Robusto

The Felipe Gregorio line of cigars is beloved the world over. Founder Philip Wynne, was born and raised in Switzerland. After graduating from college and working a number of years in the Middle East selling helicopters, he decided to start his own cigar business in 1988. Because he grew up in Europe where Cuban cigars were legal, when he decided to get into the cigar business, the haunting flavors of all the Cuban cigars smoked in his youth were still vivid on his palate. He wanted to produce cigars similar to the many Cuban brands he grew up with; in other words, strong.

Originally created as a sample smoke for shop owners and merchants, The Fat Boy was Felipe Gregorio’s initial line. Fortunately for stogie lovers, it was such a huge hit that Philip Wynne decided Fat Boy deserved wider exposure. A true puro, the filler, binder, and wrapper leaves all originate from a single plantation in Nicaragua and include Havana ’92 wrappers and Cuban-seed long-fillers. These spicy, full-bodied cigars offer a powerhouse of a smoke. Only 3½ inches long, they stand up to the finest Churchill for flavor—they have a presence that rivals any larger cigar you'll find. Pretty amazing for a twenty minute smoke! Because you can enjoy one in a rush doesn’t mean they were produced in a hurry. Note the excellent construction – seamless and smooth with the perfect amount of oil in the wrapper. The draw is effortless and despite its small stature, the Fat Boy delivers huge billows of aromatic smoke. This spicy, full-bodied cigar is loaded with peppery, oaken notes. Expect a finish that is spicy and woody, with a subtle nuttiness. In addition to Best Buy and Humidor Selection honors, Felipe Gregorio was rated “92” and named one of the top 50 cigars in the world. Enjoy on the run with your morning cup of coffee, or take your time with it and an aged, XO cognac of your choice.

Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur Prensado Oscuro

A mouthful of a name befits a stogie with a mouthful of flavor. The Excaliburs are a world-class cigar hand-rolled by the same makers as Hoyo De Monterrey. Their Excalibur is made using only Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco deemed to be among the top 10% of the factory’s inventory. In addition to a sterling, ’92’ point rating, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur was named one of Cigar Aficionado’s top 25 cigars of the year.

Note the Connecticut shade wrapper is shiny and smooth with no large veins or blemishes. Get a whiff of the pre-light aroma. Close your eyes. It’s so sweet and doughy you’ll envision yourself inside a curing barn. The roll is solid from head to toe and, once lit, the draw is perfect. Expect notes of wood and toast and look for some sweet nutty undertones that linger a bit after each puff. If you miss it, roll it around on your palate for awhile before releasing the smoke. Hoyo Excalibur is a pleasant, easy-going medium-bodied smoke that offers a rich, but not overwhelming, core of oak and toast. Hoyo Excalibur can easily fool the unsuspecting enthusiast. While both flavor and strength remain consistent from start to finish, the blend—consisting of long-fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republican—is quite complex. The use of two aged Connecticut shade leaves – one as binder, one as wrapper – likely mellows the blend, creating a smooth and balanced bouquet. If you prefer cigars that evolve as they burn, the Excalibur may not be your favorite, but when construction, consistency, and aesthetics are considered, this stick is almost perfect. Spark up this gem in your easy chair with a bottle of your favorite single malt close by.

La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte Salomon

Oscuro Fuerte is a gorgeous line extension from La Herencia Cubana. With its dark, oily, chocolate colored wrapper, the stogie is striking. The cigar’s heft – well-packed, firm, and heavy in the hand – makes a statement: “Clearly, this one is for the seasoned cigar smoker!” This bold, black beauty from La Herencia Cubana is a rich, full-flavored morsel packed with aged long-leaf ligeros from Nicaragua’s top growing regions: Esteli, Condega and Jalapa. A dark and lovely Pennsylvania Broadleaf maduro wrapper is the crown jewel that makes for cigar nirvana. Don’t be surprised by the strength that hits you up front—at first light this is a pepper bomb. After about an inch, look for light caramel-coffee notes. The draw is perfect and the creamy smoke is thick and dense. Toward the end of the second third, a burst of hazelnut and notes of chocolate add to an already complex experience. It mellows ever so slightly and then gradually becomes stronger resulting in a full-bodied, full-flavored smoking crescendo that’s nicely balanced and super flavorful—with a hint of caramelized molasses. Consider pairing this one with a smooth, sweet Jamaican Rum drink.