Past Newsletters
Vol. 5 No. 12
Featured Cigar Dimensions
| Brand Name: | Shape | Size |
| A. Cohiba De Dominicana | Torpedo | 5 ½ x 54 |
| B. Cohiba De Dominicana | Churchill | 7 x 49 |
| C. Tamboril Churchill | Churchill | 7 x 47 |
| D. Tamboril Cordova Pyramid | Pyramid | 6 x 44 |
| E. Tamboril Cordova Robusto | Corona | 5 x 50 |
Featured Cigars
The Cohiba De Dominicana Cigars
A relatively new brand which was introduced only in 1968, Cohiba quickly became the flagship brand of the Cuban cigar industry. Developed initially as a medium bodied protocol cigar for presentation only by officials of the Cuban government, Cohiba was marketed widely beginning in 1982. The initial sizes were the Lancero, the Corona Especiale and the Panetela, with the Esplendido, Robusto and Exquisito added in 1989. The Cohiba series was initially made in the El Laguito factory in Havana, but production is now also in the Fernando Perez German factory.
Quite a few myths surround the Cohiba brand including one that relates directly to its name which was said to be the aboriginal Taino Indian word for "tobacco," but is now understood to have meant "cigar." The truth about Cohiba's origin is now offered by Emilia Tamayo, the Director at El Laguito. This charming and highly capable woman confirms that it all began in the mid-1960s when one of President Fidel Castro's bodyguards enjoyed a private supply of cigars from a local artisan. They so pleased the president that their creator, Eduardo Ribera, was asked to make cigars of his blend exclusively for Castro, under strict security in an Italianate mansion in the Havana suburb of El Laguito. At first, the brand had no name, then in 1968, under the name Cohiba, production began of three sizes, each a personal favorite of the President - the Lancero, the Corona Especiale, and the Panetela.
The Cohiba brand also is also produced in the Dominican Republic by two separate entities, General cigar, who owns the trademark for the name in the U.S., and by Monecristi de Tabacos, who holds Trademark for Cohiba in the Dominican Republic. Our panel preferred the selection offered by Monecristi and that's what you'll sample this month. So in a sense these smokes are somewhat contraband! These smoke generally retail in the $12-15 per stick range so we truly hope you enjoy this special Christmas bonus selection. Happy Holidays!
Binder: Indonesian Piloto Cubano
Filler: Dominican Seco
Wrapper: Cameroon - CO Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6.5
Panel Rating: 93
Notes from the Panel:
Look for an aesthetically rustic, inviting medium-brown wrapper in this well constructed cigar. We found the draw to be firm, but quite adequate, offering an even, nice firm white ash indicating properly aged tobacco. Note a medium-full pleasantly spicy aroma. The flavor is that of a true Dominican product, full of taste, a hint of woodiness and offering plenty of spicy pepper characteristics. Overall, we really liked this smoke. It's well balanced, well constructed and packed with flavor. Pair it with either your favorite Single Malt Scotch or a hearty Spiced Holiday Ale.
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Ligero Piloto Cubano Seco
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade - Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5
Panel Rating: 92
Notes from the Panel:
Immediately note a very light, silky Connecticut shade wrapper. We found the draw to be effortless and the burn even. The aroma of this cigar is one of its best attributes. It's very pleasant with tons of spiciness. Look for a very well balanced Dominican flavor, a bit milder than the churchill, yet still full of rich, creamy and spicy tones. The tobacco is definitely aged properly. Overall, a great Dominican smoke. Try pairing it up with a dry Chardonnay.
The Tamboril Cigars
The Tamboril Cigar Company manufactures and distributes premium, hand rolled cigars under the Tamboril and Cordova brand names. Its manufacturing facilities are located in Tamboril, Dominicana Republica where they also oversee production of their own cedar boxes. Tamboril was formed in 1995 when president Anthony Markofsky stumbled across an empty warehouse in Tamboril begging to be transformed into a cigar manufacturing factory in one of the more renowned Dominican cigar manufacturing cities. It was easy for the company to acquire quality rollers as there were so many in the city already that were commuting 2 or 3 hours to work in other remote factories. Growing rapidly, Tamboril has increased its production from 2 million cigars in their first year to over 4.5 million in 1997.
The Tamboril brand is currently produced in both a Connecticut Shade and Sumatran wrapper and will soon be offered fuller-bodied maduro as well. Our panel enjoyed both the Connecticut Shade Tamboril line and the Sumatran Cordova line. The Sumatran cigars featured this month received the highest rating in the Tobacco Times Reviews since its inaugural Volume. We know you're gonna like these cigars as much, if not more, than this month's competing name brand Cohiba smokes. Enjoy!
The Tamboril Cigar Company's common stock trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the trading symbol of SMKE. For more information about the Tamboril Cigar Company, call 800.472.9891.
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: U.S.A. Connecticut Shade - Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):
Panel Rating: 90
Notes from the Panel: 6
Look for a silky smooth, aesthetically beautiful Connecticut Shade wrapper on this well constructed, mild Dominican smoke. Look for an easy draw and even burn. We found it to offer a well balanced blend of subtle creaminess and mild undertones of pepper. The aroma is also very pleasing, soft and slightly spicy. Overall, a very nice, mellow smoke. Very smooth. Consider pairing this one with your favorite Pilsner.
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatran - CO Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6
Panel Rating: 89
Notes from the Panel:
Look for a rich Colorado Maduro inviting wrapper in this handsome cigar. We found the draw to be easy with a consistent, even burn and solid ash. The aroma is slightly sweet, offering the scent of cocoa. Note big rich and somewhat spicy herbal tones in this medium-to-full-bodied cigar. We also picked up on some nutty characteristics and a trace of cedar. Look for a woody, dry finish. Overall, a complex, rich and full flavored, well-rounded smoke. Consider pairing it with a Single Malt Scotch.
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatran - CO Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6.5
Panel Rating: 91
Notes from the Panel:
Our favorite of the Tamborils. Note a well constructed, aesthetically pleasing cigar with an oily Colorado Maduro wrapper. Look for another easy draw and cool burn. This cigar's flavor hints of woodiness and pepper spiciness. Again a hint of cocoa in the flavor the is more prevalent in the aroma. Plenty of smoke. Overall, a very satisfying robusto. Rich, well-balanced and well made. Try smoking it with a full-bodied Merlot or Holiday Barley Wine Ale.
Tobacco Bits
SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING SMOKES - The idea for the infamous exploding cigar gag is said to have its origins, according to some historians, in the widely unsuccessful attempt to create a self-lighting cigar.
ORIGINS OF THE TUX TIED TO CIGARS - If you hate wearing a tuxedo to weddings and formal dinners, you have cigar smokers to thank for the dreaded penguin suit. By the min-nineteenth century, cigar smoking had become so popular in France that hotels, clubs, and even trains began featuring separate smoking rooms for their patrons. To guard against the cloying tobacco smoke clinging to one's hair and clothes, skull caps and smoking jackets were worn. These thick, comfortable jackets slowly evolved into dinner jackets, later called tuxedoes in America.
Tobacco Industry Offers Relief
Aftermath of Hurricane Mitch
In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, one of the worst natural disasters to strike Central America in modern times, a number cigar manufacturers have created relief funds to assist victims of the devastating storm. The citizens of these cigar producing nations suffered terrible losses and it is estimated that it could take years and billion of dollars for the regions' economies to recover. Hurricane Mitch struck in late October and early November, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands missing in its wake. Mitch, a Category 5 hurricane, tore through Honduras and Nicaragua, sustaining winds of up to 180 mph and dumping 25-50 inches of rain throughout the countries. Flooding and mud slides in the aftermath of the storm have destroyed hundreds of towns and villages, disrupted commerce, and paralyzed the infrastructure of both countries.
Cigar production in Honduras and Nicaragua was suspended before the storm and fortunately, no tobacco crops were in the ground when it hit as it is not growing season. Most of the major companies' farms and factories sustained little or no damage. The major concern is the condition of the valuable topsoil as many tobacco farms were affected by flooding. For all intensive purposes, both countries are incapacitated and cigar production and shipments will be held up for weeks. Some of the cigar companies have left their factories open to house employees who have lost their residences.
Villazon & Co., a subsidiary of General Cigar Holdings, has teamed up with AmeriCares, a private, non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, to provide assistance in Honduras. The company is donating a portion of all proceeds from sales of Hoyo de Monterrey cigars in addition to the more than 100,000 pounds of medicines and supplies already sent by AmeriCares. 800-JR Cigar is accepting checks which they are forwarding to Juan Bermejo of Natasa in Esteli to be personally delivered to Bishop J. Abelarde Mata. The company will match any funds donated to the Bishop. Nick's Cigar Co., manufacturer of the La Tradition cigar line, has established a relief fund to collect canned goods. Toraño Cigars is coordinating its fund with the Catholic Church in Esteli, which has set up a special committee and task force to coordinate aid for the victims. Caribe Imported Cigars, Inc., which distributes the Baccarat Havana and La Fontana Vintage lines, is working with Mary De Flores, the First Lady of Honduras, in organizing a disaster relief effort. They are accepting donations of money and supplies. Wide West Imports, has established the Honduras Relief Fund to accept monetary donations. Cupido Cigars has set up the Cupido Nicaraguan Relief Fund. The company is donating a portion of all proceeds from the sale of their cigars to the fund.
RELIEF FUNDS
Caribe Imported Cigars, Inc.: 2201 S.W. 1st Street, Miami, FL 33155 Accepting checks, payable to: Fundación Maria/Nations Bank - Acct# 75059817002, ABA# 066002482.
Inter-Continental Cigar Corp.: 3251 Commerce Parkway, Mirimar, FL 33025 Attn: Hurricane Relief. Accepting donations of clothing and canned goods.
Villazon & Co.: 161 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT 06840 Accepting checks, payable to: AmeriCares. Or call (800) 486-HELP.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl
I've seen guys use a guillotine cutter to cut off the end of their cigars and some folks use a bullet-shaped gizmo to cut a neat little hole in the end and even others just poke a hole in with a pen or sharp object. So I'm sittin' here sayin' to myself, "Self, what up with that? Is one method better than another or what." And then I see one of my old newsletters on the floor with your smilin' mug staring at me and I get to thinkin' that you'd probably know. I mean, you're the Original Havana Hound, right? But then I get to thinkin' about how you lambaste just about every person that writes in a question and I start getting' a bit anxious about writing you. Then, I just thought, what the hell. Could be funny if he responds.
Rob Kramer "The Happy Pajama Guy"
Superior, CO
Yo Pajama Boy!
First off, Pal…You spend WAY too much time thinkin'. When I got done reading your question I figured you were just yankin' my tail, but then I remembered I don't have one. You had to have assumed you'd be the next one up on the rotisserie when you signed your letter "The Happy Pajama Boy". So do you want to talk about that or what? You got PJ's with Yoda's and shit on them? Little fire trucks? E.T.? Or you just happy when you're in them? I can't figure it out, but you've got me pontificating, that's for sure.
Anyway, to your question about the appropriate removal of the head of your smoke, there are, as you mentioned several methods to choose from. Personally, I subscribe to the Josey Whales school of thought and prefer to bit of the end with my teeth like the savage canine that I am. Of course this works much better if you've got a cool lid and a bitchin' poncho. Just don't go spittin' on every dog you see like Clint did. Uncool. I'd of capped his Spaghetti Western ass if he pulled that crap on me. Hell, I've seen my mailman use a letter opener, my vet use a thermometer (we have to assume sterile), and my favorite bartender use a toothpick that had been behind his ear for 4 days. Frankly, anything that opens the cigar's head without damaging the wrapper or having a negative impact on the draw will do the job. One of the more effective cigar cuts is with a guillotine. Opening the head in full allows the flavors of the tobaccos inside to mingle properly as the smoke is drawn into your mouth. Some guillotines have gotten very sophisticated, using cams and bearings to make sure that even pressure is applied around the cigar as it is cut. Another effective way is to use a punch, (the bullet shaped device you described), which cuts a small round hole in the head. Be careful to cut the wrapper lightly so the tobacco isn't compacted by the cut which might impede the draw. Many contend that using a V or notched cut offer the best of the punch and guillotine maximizing the draw while keeping a neater, cleaner cut. I personally think using scissor-type cutter is not a great way to go as it tends to squash the head and damage the tobacco inside the cigar. So do what you will, Pajama Boy, but keep the kinky stuff to yourself!
Woof!
Murl.
For Members Only
Give Your Friends FREE Beer, Wine, Cheese, Chocolate,
Cigars & Flowers!
Through our Customer Appreciation Program
Your name has real value to your friends, co-workers, and family members! Every time a friend, family member, or anyone else you know joins any one of our clubs, [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we'll give them 50% off of their first month, but only when they mention your name. And we'll also give you 50% off your next month too which can either be applied towards your current membership or you can try one of our other Clubs out! (We can add one more month to your order at 50% off for prepaid memberships!)
The Fine Print: Members giving gift memberships do not qualify for referral credits and you can't give yourself a gift to qualify! This Program is mutually exclusive of any other promotions.
Discounted Box Re-orders!
5 Paks Now Available!
Cigar of the Month Society members can take advantage of our volume purchasing and re-order their favorite cigars in box quantities at just over our wholesale costs. Re-order any selection featured in box quantities of 25 cigars or order them in convenient 5 paks! Other cigar shapes and sizes not actually featured, but from a featured brand line may also be re-ordered. Call for pricing.
| Featured Cigar | Box Cost | Individual |
| Cost | ||
| A. Cohiba De Dominicana Torpedo | $165.50 | $7.60 a cigar |
| B. Cohiba De Dominicana Churchill | $160.50 | $7.40 a cigar |
| C. Tamboril Churchill | $87.50 | $4.50 a cigar |
| D. Tamboril Cordova Pyramid | $92.50 | $4.70 a cigar |
| E. Tamboril Cordova Robusto | $87.50 | $4.50 a cigar |
Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery and add $6.95 for S&H for your first box and $2.00 for each additional box. S&H for 5-paks is $4.95 and $1.00 for each additional 5-pak. S&H for International re-orders must be calculated on an individual basis. Prices are subject to change.
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