Past Newsletters
Vol. 4 No. 8
Featured Cigar Dimensions
| Brand Name: | Shape | Size |
| A. Don Ernesto Nuncio | Toro | 6 x 50 |
| B. Don Ernesto Habanero | Corona Extra | 5 1/2 x 48 |
| C. Gallardo Soberanos | Soberano | 8 x 50 |
| D. Gallardo #4 | Corona | 5 1/2 x 42 |
| E. Gallardo Rothchild | Robusto | 5 x 50 |
Featured Cigars
The Don Ernesto Cigars
La Rica Hoja, which translates to "The Rich Leaf", was founded in 1925 by Don Ernesto Gonzalez Perez, and was later passed down to his son, Don Ernesto Gonzalez, now 93 years old and still supervising the company’s cigar production. Don Ernesto himself is also the Master Blender responsible for creating the blends that we have sent you this month. The Gonzalez family owns their own tobacco plantation on the island of La Palma, which is one of seven Canary Islands, and is well known for the quality of their leaf. After Don Ernesto opted to continue the family business taught to him by his father, he was joined by his son-in-law, Don Miquel Perez Hernandez, who was exiled from Cuba where his family owned their owned the Finca El Purial plantation and El Surco cigar factory. Don Ernesto cigars have long been a favorite of cigar aficionados in Spain, Germany, and France and until only several months ago, were not available in the United States. Thanks to exclusive importers, the Spain-based Jose Santana Corporation and the Trans-Atlantic Cigar Company of New York, this fine product line in now available in the United States. In addition to the two cigars featured this month, Don Ernesto also rolls a second shorter, larger ring gauge robusto, the Epicurean which measures 4 ľ x 52. For more information about the product line contact the Trans-Atlantic Cigar Company directly at (516)-783-6020.
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic, Brazil, Canary Island
Wrapper: Indonesia
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 8
Panel Rating: 89
Notes from the Panel:
Don Ernesto’s Corona Extra is a well-constructed cigar offering a rich, slightly oily Sumatran wrapper and a smooth, consistent draw. We found its flavor to be complex with traces of coffee, spice and earthiness evident. Look for a woodsy finish and a slightly tart aftertaste. Both of Don Ernesto’s cigars are very full flavored and not for the timid! Consider pairing this one up with either a small batch bourbon or a full-flavored scotch.
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic, Brazil, Canary Island
Wrapper: Indonesia
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 9
Panel Rating: 91
Notes from the Panel:
This beautifully constructed cigar had a slightly darker wrapper than the Corona Extra. It also offered a pleasant draw and a unique and interesting flavor profile. We found it to be warm and rich, slightly spicy and a hint of nuttiness and herbs in the aftertaste. It’s aroma hinted of coffee beans and spice and the cigar developed in to a very full-bodied experience as we got a half hour into it. You might consider enjoying this cigar with a high-end cognac.
The Gallardo Cigars
Produced in Honduras’ Jalapa Valley by the Tabacos Nuevo Mundo (New World Tobacco) Company, the Gallardo cigar product line rolled with a blend only the finest long leaf Honduran and Nicaraguan filler and binder. The aged wrappers are imported from Ecuador. Owner Dennis Garcia Gallardo had been involved in the cigar industry for just over a decade in primarily a marketing capacity before having this relatively mild blend created to carry his family name. Gallardo cigars are made in limited quantities on a monthly basis. In addition to the cigars featured this month, Gallardo also rolls the following cigars: Missle (6 x 54), Churchill (7 x 49), Toro (6 x 50), and Palma Fina (7 x 38). The product line is distributed exclusively by Wide West Imports in Durango, CO. For more information about the line or it’s distribution, contact them directly (970) 259-1054 or via Email: widewest@big-mountain.com.
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Wrapper: Indonesia - Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 4
Panel Rating: 87
Notes from the Panel:
Immediately note a rich, oily, moist maduro wrapper on this finely crafted cigar. The corona had a firm, yet enjoyable draw. Note a floral and nutty aroma. A fine white, consistent age indicates the tobacco was aged and fermented properly. Its body is subtle and creamy with notes of spiciness and cedar evident. Consider pairing this one with a single malt scotch or brandy.
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Wrapper: Indonesia - Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5
Panel Rating: 88
Notes from the Panel:
Another well-constructed cigar, the product line’s robusto was not rolled as tight as the corona and thus offered an easier draw. Note that it will also burn cooler than the corona and allow you to better taste the creamy, nutty and spicy characteristics of this cigar. We found the Rothchild to be a relatively mild, flavorful, and easy-to-smoke cigar. It burned evenly throughout the entire smoke. Consider smoking it with a heavy ale or brandy.
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Wrapper: Indonesia - Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5
Panel Rating: 88
Notes from the Panel:
Measuring in at 8 x 50, suffice to say that Gallardo’s Soberano is a commitment not to be enjoyed unless you’ve got a good hour and a half to spare. This cigar was fresh, well-made, medium-bodied and very enjoyable. Note a firm draw at the start, more so due to the length of the cigar than how tight it was rolled. A nutty and floral scent dominates this cigar’s aroma and again, we found its flavor to be slightly spicy and creamy. Look for a semi-sweet, creamy finish in this well-aged cigar. Consider smoking it with a blended scotch or Scottish Ale.
Glossary of Cigar Terms
Although this may be redundant for some of you, we thought if might be useful to compile a glossary of some key terms that every cigar smoker should know about premium hand-rolled cigars.
Band - The ring of paper printed with the name of the cigar brand, usually wrapped near the closed head of the cigar. It may include the country of origin and whether or not it is hand-rolled.
Binder - The portion of a tobacco leaf used to hold together the blend of filler leaves called the bunch; with the wrapper and filler, it is one of three main components in a cigar.
Blend - The mixture of different types of tobacco in a cigar, including up to four types of filler leaves, a binder leaf and an outer wrapper.
Bloom - A naturally occurring phenomenon in the cigar aging process, also called plume, caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It appears as a fine white powder and can be brushed off-- not to be confused with mold, which is bluish in color and stains the wrapper.
Bulk - A large pile of tobacco leaves in which fermentation occurs.
Bunch - Up to four different types of filler tobacco that are blended to create the body of the cigar. The bunch is held together by the binder.
Bundle - A packaging method, designed with economy in mind, that uses a cellophane overwrap. It usually contains 25 or 50 cigars, traditionally without bands. Bundles, oftentimes seconds of premium brands, are usually less expensive than boxed cigars.
Candela - A bright green shade of wrapper, achieved by a heat-curing process that fixes the chlorophyll content of the wrapper while it's still in the barn. Also referred to as double claro.
Cap - A circular piece of wrapper leaf placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper.
Chaveta (roller's knife)-- The knife used in a cigar factory for cutting the wrapper leaf.
Claro - A pale-green to light-brown wrapper, usually shade-grown.
Colorado - A medium-brown to brownish-red shade of wrapper tobacco.
Draw - The amount of air that gets pulled through a lit cigar. It can be too easy (hot) or too tight (plugged).
Fermentation - After harvest, workers gather the tobacco leaves in large bulks (or piles), moistening the leaves and allowing them to ferment. Temperatures may reach 140°F before the bulk is broken down and restacked until fermentation stops naturally. This process, called working the bulk, releases ammonia from the tobacco.
Figurado - A Spanish term that refers to cigars with exotic sizes, such as torpedos, pyramids, perfectos and culebras.
Filler - The individual tobacco leaves used in the body of the cigar, together called a bunch. A finished cigar usually contains between two and four different types of filler tobacco.
Flag - An alternative to a cap. The flag method of finishing a cigar involves shaping the wrapper leaf at the head of the cigar so that it secures the wrapper. Sometimes, it is tied off in a pig-tail or curly head.
Foot - The end of the cigar you light. Most often it is pre-cut, except in the case of torpedos and perfectos.
Gum - A vegetable adhesive used to secure the head of the wrapper leaf around the finished bunch.
Hand - Individual leaves of tobacco that are hung together after harvest and tied at the top. These hands are piled together to make a bulk for fermentation.
Hand-rolled - A cigar made entirely by hand with high-quality wrapper and long filler.
Havana - Capital of Cuba. The traditional center of manufacturing of Cuban cigars for export, and a term widely used to designate Cuban cigars. Also refers to the tobacco types grown from Cuban seed in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Head - The closed end of the cigar; the end you smoke.
Hot - A term used to describe a cigar that is underfilled and has a quick, loose draw. Can cause harsh flavors.
Humidor - A room, or a box, of varying sizes, designed to preserve or promote the proper aging of cigars by maintaining a humidity level of 70 percent and a temperature of approximately 65°F to 70°F.
Ligero - One of the three basic types of filler tobacco. The name means "light" in Spanish, but this aromatic tobacco lends body to a blend.
Long Filler - A term used to designate filler tobacco that runs the length of the body of the cigar, rather than chopped pieces found in machine-made cigars.
Machine-made - A term that refers to cigars made entirely by machine, using heavier-weight wrappers and binders and, frequently, cut filler in place of long filler.
Maduro - A term used for a wrapper shade varying from a very dark reddish-brown to almost black. The word means "ripe" in Spanish. The color can be achieved by sun exposure, a cooking process or a prolonged fermentation.
Mold - The wooden form used in cigar making to give shape to a finished bunch. It has two parts, which, when assembled, are placed in a press. Also, a potentially damaging fungus that forms on a cigar when it is stored at too high a temperature.
Oscuro - A black shade of wrapper, darker than maduro, most often Brazilian or Mexican in origin.
Puro - A Spanish term used to distinguish a cigar from a cigarette. Modern usage refers to a blend of tobaccos from one country. Ring
Gauge - A measurement for the diameter of a cigar, based on 64ths of an inch (or millimeters). A 40 ring gauge cigar is 40/64ths of an inch thick.
Seco - The Spanish word for "dry," seco is a type of filler tobacco. It often contributes aroma and is usually medium-bodied.
Shade-grown - Wrapper leaves that have been grown under a cheesecloth tent, called a tapado. The filtered sunlight creates a thinner, more elastic leaf.
Sun-grown - Tobacco grown in direct sunlight, which creates a thicker leaf with thicker veins.
Volado - A type of filler tobacco chosen for its burning qualities.
Wrapper - A high-quality tobacco leaf wrapped around the finished bunch and binder. It is very elastic and, at its best, unblemished.
What Do Cubans Think of Dominican Cigars?
While Fidel Castro hasn't smoked a cigar in over a decade, it's safe to say that most of his countrymen are still inveterate smokers. And many a Cuban smoker has been known to enjoy the best Dominican cigars as well as the best Cuban cigars. In the Spring 1993 issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine, for example, Francisco Padron, director of Cuba's export sales organization known as Cubatabaco, discussed the difference between a Dominican cigar and a Cuban cigar with the magazine's publisher, Marvin R. Shanken. "It's a different thing," said Padron. "It is not a Cuban cigar but it is very good...They now how to make cigars." Ernesto Perez Carillo, the Cuban cigar maker and owner of La Gloria Cubana, the famous Cuban brand now based in Miami, agrees with Padron. Dominican cigars have come into their own," Carillo explained. "So it's all a question of personal tastes. The Cuban cigars tend to be stronger and more fuller bodied whereas Dominican products are generally on the smoother, milder side. And there are a lot of Dominican cigars I like." Yet another well-known Cuban-born cigar man now in Florida, Oscar Boruchin of Mike's Cigars, had this to say about Cuban cigar smokers: "In Cuba, their favorite cigar is a Partagas made in Cuba. And in America, their favorite cigar is a Partagas made in the Dominican Republic."
Why Are So Many Women Lighting Up Cigars?
When Karen Lacey comes home after a long day at her Chicago law firm, she does what many other successful lawyers do: She lights up a cigar. "It soothes me," Karen confided to us. And she isn't unique, for thousands of woman who once looked askance at cigars are now among their devotees. For Barbara Thornton, a senior vice president at a Los Angeles advertising agency, "Cigars have always symbolized success for men, Why not women? Especially since so many of us have climbed the same corporate ladder." Helen Pappas, a New Jersey banker, went a step further. "Let's face it," Helen told us, "smoking a cigar puts me on even terms with men. And they respect me for it." On the other hand, some women are happy to be alone with their cigars. The George Sand Society, which was named after the French novelist who loved cigars almost as much as she loved Frédéric Chopin, consists primarily of women. And its ranks are multiplying, because the Society, which began in Santa Monica, has opened chapters in New York and Chicago.
Tomima Edmark, the stylish author of "Cigar Chic: A Woman's Perspective," readily agrees that cigar smoking can be an elegant thing for a woman to do. The elegance is also apparent in the number of Hollywood leading ladies who make it their pleasure to smoke cigars, In the tradition of Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and other cigar-smoking stars of the past, today's list includes Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Candice Bergen, Whoopi Goldberg, Ellen Barkin, Jodie Foster and dozens of others. While there are no official national figures available to indicate how much the trend is increasing, Nat Sherman International, the world-famous tobacco emporium at 500 Fifth Avenue in New York City, estimates that its sales to women are about 15% greater than they were only a year ago.
Bloom or Mold?
How can you tell the difference? Bloom refers to the slow rising of "essential oils" to the surface of a cigar. It first shows up as tiny (almost microscopic) crystals on the surface, and can eventually make a cigar look slightly "dusty" with a whitish finish on the surface. Not only is it harmless, some prefer to see a little bloom, as an indication of strong taste. Mold OTOH, is a fungus, growing on overly humidified stogies, generally appearing when the RH passes 85%. It is recognized as white, gray, or blue green "fuzzy patches" with a definite dimension to them. Mold spreads by spores, so it's important to get rid of any moldy cigars immediately, before they contaminate your other cigars or the mold gets into the wood of your humidor.
Seconds (segundos)
What is a second? How are these different from "Premiums"? There are several types of "seconds" in the industry, and no real standard for determining them from company to company. Many cigars sold in quantity as seconds were designated that way before they were "born"! There's a lot of variation in a natural product such as cigars. Bulk tobacco is sold in different grades, but within a bale there is a great deal of variation of leaf quality. As the tobacco is sorted and bunched for premium cigars, a certain percentage of this leaf is determined to be sub standard for the particular cigars which it was purchased for. Unfortunately, the manufacturer paid as much for this leaf as the good ones. This leaf is set aside, and used in rolling seconds. Often newer (but still trained and skilled) rollers are used to create cigars from this supply to keep costs down. This sort of second is often sold at a greatly discounted price basically to recover costs. Then there are final, or "factory" seconds. Cigars with blemished wrappers, or those caught by an inspector as too firm or soft. Cigars are often weighed (by the bundle) and compared to a standard. If too heavy or light, there might be a problem with the construction. Often this sort of second is simply destroyed the variable inconsistencies make this a very poor choice for a product. So don't think those seconds you're smoking are reduced in price because of some minor blemish. Although often very good smokes, somebody at the factory most likely considered the tobacco in them slightly inferior for their standard production.
Letterman, Burns, and Limbaugh
Questions concerning these three popular cigar smokers come up all too often so let’s just set the record straight right damn now. David Letterman Smokes Cuban Cohibas. His favorite size is the Robusto. George Burns smoked El Productos. Why? Because they didn’t go out while he was smoking them on stage. In a recent radio broadcast, Rush Limbaugh mentioned the following as his "regular" smokes: Arturo Fuente (any Fuentes!), Partagas (particularly the #10), Davidoff Double R, and La Gloria Cubanas.
W.C. Fields
The cigar has been a dramatic prop in the entertainment industry for over a century. Long before movies, the nineteenth-century American showman P.T. Barnum presented the midget General Tom Thumb in his circus acts as "The Smallest Man in the World." The little man was smoking an enormous Havana cigar. The cigar appeared in several Charlie Chaplin films. In City Lights, Chaplin jumps out of a limousine (borrowed from a millionaire drunk) to steal a recently cast-off stogie from a bum. Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, and many other silent stars developed sight gags – cigars slammed in doors, holes burned in clothing – for cigars.
The cigar has always had the innate ability to immediately invoke a mood of relaxation and affability. Perhaps that is why so many comedians and other entertainers have integrated a cigar into their acts, from W.C. Fields, George Burns, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, and Groucho Marx cavorting on in vaudeville stages to David Letterman on late-night television. And many comedians who have employed cigars in their acts evidently decided that big ones contributed an even more antic atmosphere to their performances. For comedian W.C. Fields, the basic ingredients of a great gag were his straw hat, white gloves, cane and stogie. He credited his successful career to a daily consumption of whiskey and cigars that began in boyhood.
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