Past Newsletters - April 2010

Featured Cigar	Shape	Size	Strength	Country	Panel Rating
Carlos Torano Dominico Robusto	Robusto	4.75 x 52	6.0	Dominican	89
Don Diego Players Club Churchill	Churchill	7.5 x 50	5.0	Dominican	88
Joya de Nicaragua Antano Consul 1970	Rothschild	4.5 x 52	8.5	Nicaraguan	92
Man O' War Ruination Belicoso	Belicoso	5.75 x 56	9.0	Nicaraguan	95
Quintero Box-Press Corona	Corona	5.6 x 45	7.0	Honduran	89

Carlos Toraño Dominico Robusto

Carlos Toraño makes classics! In fact, the Toraño family is one of the unsung stars of the cigar industry. They are folks with a storied heritage who consistently make quality premium blends; although, they remain largely behind the scenes and under the radar. Each Toraño cigar represents four generations of family tradition which began in 1916, shortly after Don Santiago Toraño arrived in Cuba from his native Spain. In the mid 1960’s, his son Carlos made a significant contribution to the industry when he introduced the concept of growing Cuban-seed tobacco plants in the Dominican Republic. Today, Don Santiago's grandson and great-grandson continue his family heritage with this handcrafted robusto of unmistakable Toraño quality. The family produces 20 million cigars annually for themselves as well as other major labels. Among their jewels are their eponymous Carlos Toraño Tribute, 1916 Cameroon, Exodus and Virtuoso brands, but also literally dozens of other high-class contract brands such as CAO, Alec Bradley, 5 Vegas Series ’A’, and Gurkha. You can’t make this kind of cigar without starting with the best tobaccos, and Toraño goes out of its way to ensure that this criterion is met; selecting choice tobaccos from the Dominican Republic’s Cibao Valley, Nicaragua’s lush Esteli Valley and Valley of Jamastran in Honduras. The Carlos Toraño Cigar lines have all been highly rated, achieving scores consistently in the high 80’s and low 90’s in Cigar Aficionado, Smoke and other industry trade magazines.

The Dominico Robusto offers something unique: Costa Rican, Mexican, and Honduran tobaccos are cloaked in a seamless Criollo leaf. Expect a mellow smoke with an earthy core, notes of wood, and a pleasant citrus element. The finish is soft, and disappears shortly to never out-stay its welcome. Also unique is the quality for the price point—in a blind taste test, you would be hard pressed to tell this cigar from some of Carlos Torano's most expensive premium blends. Try it with a smoky single malt scotch—Laphroaig and Lagavulin, for instance.

Don Diego Players Club Churchill

Take a walk on the mild side with the Don Diego Player’s Club Churchill. It is a solid hand crafted Dominican cigar with quality tobaccos that delivers ample flavor. Don Diego is a stellar brand that’s been around since Great Grandma was just a girl. It’s brought to you by the world’s largest premium cigar maker, Altadis, USA. Known as the "King of Mild," the brand has upheld a strict standard of quality. Hand-rolled in La Romana, Dominican Republic, Don Diego cigars are superbly constructed to ensure a consistently delicious flavor. It’s draped in a golden, tan Brazilian wrapper that cloaks premium Dominican and Brazilian long-fillers. Look for rich toasty flavors including cedar, sweet tobacco, and notes of earth. A subtle spice—almost peppery—is present on the finish. Enjoy this gentle giant with your favorite cup of java (or two) and the Sunday morning paper.

Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Consul 1970

Nicaragua’s first cigar factory (founded in 1964) created this brand in the 1970s and it was considered the finest, not only in Nicaragua, but in the entire world. Renowned for its rich, full flavor, it was actually smoked by US Presidents. Sadly, decades of war and Communist rule destroyed the brand and decimated the factory, and most of Nicaragua for that matter. Fortunately, the country has been on the rise, and thankfully, so is the brand. We love a good puro, and a Nicaraguan Puro! Well, when we get ‘em, you can bet they’re a big hit with those on our review panel who prefer the big-bodied ka-pow of strong cigars.

This new Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 was recently re-blended to celebrate the rich heritage and worldwide renown it enjoyed in the 70’s. The word Antaño means "long ago", and while it may not have been all that many years ago, the company clearly longed for that period of glory. We found the cigar firm to the touch with no soft spots, offering a cool, even burn and effortless draw. The flavor is identifiably Nicaraguan. Very full-bodied and robust, gifting a huge spicy temperament with a slightly sweet taste, one could characterize it as a “muscle cigar.”  Not surprisingly, you can expect a long and complexfinish. This new Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 earned a terrific 91 rating from Cigar Insider and has been named one of Cigar Aficionado’s Top 50 Cigars. A strong cigar warrants a strong drink— an XO Cognac or Armagnac would complement this stick well.

Man O' War Ruination Belicoso

The substantial and elegant bands on the Man O’ War aren’t just window dressing. Full-bodied aficionados are going to love this handsome stogie: a supremely flavorful and superbly constructed handmade that’s an absolute powder keg.  Before you even light this brown beauty, hold it awhile, because it’s not every day that such a weighty, firmly packed cigar gladdens your hand. When you smoke it, chances are it will gladden your heart.  Driven by its bold mixture of Cuban-seeded Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf ligeros, it offers layer upon layer of bold flavors that are raw and intense and reminiscent of Cuba. However, the balance is kept with its velvety smoothness. The tobaccos are hand-selected and picked from the plant’s highest priming, which results in maximum strength and robust flavor. The oily Habano Ecuador ligero leaf wrapper is thick and juicy, rivaling the flavorful core within.  As you spark up, an explosion of pepper and spice greets you, but after the first inch look for Ruination to morph into a softer smoke with notes of oak, earth, toast, wood and leather. Panelists found the smoke velvety and the toast and charcoal aroma wonderful. The long toasty finish didn’t disappoint. Panelists concurred that Ruination’s most cherished characteristic is balance. Just when the intensity teeters on overbearing, it settles into a smooth smoke brimming with flavor – and then the cycle repeats. A shifting roller coaster of taste and strength, this blend is the complete package. A full tawny port or VSOP Cognac will match this stogie's prowess.

Quintero Box-Press Corona

Quintero is the Honduran-made version of the famous old Quintero brand from Cuba. Quintero means "farmer," and honors those responsible for the tobaccos in this blend. The brand has a complete bench of top ratings: 92, 91, and a handful of 90s. The medium-bodied cigar features a combination of long-fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras, contained by a toothy Corojo wrapper from Honduras. Some panelists felt if we weren’t featuring two other powerhouses this month, then the Quintero could be classified as full-bodied because it’s very tasty compared to most medium flavored cigars. Look for a light spicy sweet taste with creamy notes of chocolate. The burn is exceptional and its deep, hearty flavors don’t overpower and satisfy throughout. Consider smoking this one with a hoppy India Pale Ale.