Past Newsletters

Vol. 5 No. 2

Featured Cigar Dimensions

Brand Name:	Shape	Size
A. Garo Habano Blue Corona	Corona	5 ¾ x 43
B. Garo Habano Verde # 3	Robusto	5 x 50
C. Victor Sinclair Churchill	Churchill	7 ½ x 50
D. Victor Sinclair Grand Reserve	Figurado	5 x 46
E. Victor Sinclair Vintage Select	Robusto	4 ½ x 50

Featured Cigars

The Garo Habano Cigar Company

The Garo Cigar Company introduced its first line, the Blue line, when founder Garo Bouldoukian began down a path that would fulfill life-long dream. Garo desired simply to create a cigar of such quality that a seasoned smoker would remark upon trying it for the first time, "That’s a Great cigar!". Residing in the Dominican Republic certainly expedited the long process involved in bringing a product to the market and Garo has unquestionably produced a winner. Recipient of high praise in Smoke, Smokeshop Magazine, The Robb Report, Wine & Dine Magazine and Milton encouraged the company to supplement its original line with two others, Garo Verde and Garo Maduro earlier last year. All of Garo’s lines are handcrafted under the watchful eyes of a fifth generation master blender in Santiago, in the Cibao Valley of the Dominican Republic. The Blue line is available in a Double Corona, Churchill, Toro, Lonsdale, Robusto, Panatela and Corona while the Verde line is only available in a Double Corona, corona and two varieties of a robusto. The newly introduced Maduro line will soon be available in 4 sizes as well. For more information about the Garo Habano Cigar Company, call 1-800-995-GARO or visit their web site at www.garohabano.com.

Corona

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade-CO Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 4.5
Panel Rating: 89

Notes from the Panel:

Immediately note a smooth wrapper that is both aesthetically pleasing to the touch and the eye. Look for an excellent draw, easy, with a slight firmness. We found the aroma to hint of roasted coffee beans, hazelnut and a bit of earthiness and spiciness. Garo’s flavor is comprised of similar characteristics. The spiciness seems to be peppery and the overall flavor is creamy, complex and rich. Consider pairing this one with an Oban single malt scotch or Knob Creek bourbon.

Robusto

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian-CO Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5.5
Panel Rating: 91

Notes from the Panel:

We found Garo’s Verde line to be slightly fuller bodied than their Blue line. The draw on the robusto is nearly perfect while its wrapper is again, very smooth and silky to the touch. Both the corona and robusto burned evenly and cool. Look for a mellow smoke with a flavor profile comprised of cocoa beans, a creamy-nuttiness, and a hint of cedar. Look for a wonderful, pleasant aroma, mellow, yet packed with flavor. Overall, a great smoke. Try pairing this one with either a dark ale or cognac.

Victor Sinclair Cigars

In the 1850’s, Admiral Victor Sinclair, after finding what he thought to be the perfect cigar, was sailing home aboard the frigate Oglethorpe just off the coast of the Dominican Republic when the ship was met by a vicious storm. The Admiral perished in the storm and some 140 years later, his great-great nephew, Victor Long, resumed his ancestor’s quest for the perfect cigar. As the story goes, Victor was able to locate a defunct warehouse on the island of Dominicana and there he found varied remains of the Oglethorpe including several boxes of perfectly preserved cigars that had been stored in glass vials. These original cigars were then used as the foundation for developing the 4 Dominican cigar lines produced by the company today.

That being said, and hopefully taken with a grain of sea salt, we’ve brought you what we believe to be the best of Victor Sinclair’s three premium lines. The name brand line, simply the Victor Sinclair line, is comprised of cigars rolled with a blend of 80 % Dominican and 20 % Cuban Seed Dominican tobacco and is offered in both a Connecticut Shade claro and Indonesian maduro wrapper. Available only in maduro wrappers, the Grand Reserve line is slightly more fuller-bodied and blended with 30 % Dominican and 70 % Cuban Seed Dominican tobacco. Lastly, the Vintage Select line, the most full-bodied and complex of the three, is blended from all Cuban Seed Domincan tobacco and considered to be the signature line of the collection. We know you will enjoy this rich, flavorful collection of premium Dominican cigars. For more information about the Victor Sinclair cigars, call 888-860-2440.

Churchill

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade-CO Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5.5
Panel Rating: 88

Notes from the Panel:

Look for an excellent draw in this well-constructed, quality-rolled cigar. We found it to offer a rich, smooth, creamy, and nutty flavor which evolved into a more robust smoke with a very pleasant aftertaste. It will burn even and cool and provide you with a fun and flavorful, medium-bodied smoke. Sit down with your favorite hearty red ale with this one. You might need more than one.

Figurado

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian-Sumatran-CO maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6.5
Panel Rating: 94

Notes from the Panel:

This cigar received more individual attribute scores in the 90’s than any other cigar we’ve rated. We really liked it and think you will too. This dark, oily cigar has a terrific draw, and a flavor that starts with coffee and leather undertones. The figurado shape is pleasing to the eye and facilitates even lighting. Look for hints of sweetness and a gradual build in the body. Very flavorful. Overall, a great cigar in all respects, quite well balanced. Savor this one with a peaty single malt scotch or an oatmeal stout.

Robusto

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Dominican Republic-Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 8
Panel Rating: 91

Notes from the Panel:

Another winner from Victor Sinclair. Perhaps the fullest-bodied and most complex of the three you’ll try this month. Exceptionally well constructed and offering a consistent, even burn and effortless draw. Look for a big, distinctive aroma. Its full-bodied flavor offers a mix of slight sweetness and peppery spiciness. A slow burner that you’ll enjoy for over an hour. Consider pairing it with a smoky scotch or a Scottish Ale.

The Rise of the Dominican Cigar

First Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1942, the island of Hispaniola is the site of the oldest permanent European settlement in the New World. Today, the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola is known as the Dominican Republic; the western third is Haiti. With fertile land, moderate temperatures, and abundant rainfall, it is the tobacco fields of the Dominican Republic that produce some of the finest cigars in the world.

Approximately 19,000 square miles in size, the Dominican Republic lies 600 miles southwest of Florida and is flanked by Cuba on the West and Puerto Rico on the East. The terrain of the country is dominated by a central mountain chain called the Cordillera Central. To the North of this range and lying near the coast is the less elevated Cordillera Serpentrional. It is in the valley that lies between these ranges, called the Valle del Cibao, and to the Northwest, the Valle Real, that grows the tobacco for which the Dominican Republic is now famous.

It is the fertile lands and the weather that makes tobacco culture possible on the island. Lying just south of the Tropic of Cancer, the weather pattern of the country consists of warm temperatures moderated by constant trade winds and abundant rainfall. These conditions have resulted in a Dominican economy where agricultural products make up 15% of the GNP and 44% of exports. Fully 25% of the country’s labor force is involved in agricultural production with products that include sugarcane, coffee, cocoa, and tobacco.

Two grades of tobacco are grown in the Dominican Republic. The two most sought after long-leaf filler tobaccos for premium cigars are called Olor Dominicana, which is a native Dominican seed, and the Piloto Cubano, which is a strain that originated with precious Cuban seed brought to the Dominican by cigar makers fleeing Castro. The lower quality grade tobacco, criollo, is used to produce cigarettes. Although the Dominican filler and binder tobaccos are of the highest quality in the world, the country has yet to produce a wrapper leaf tobacco which explains why most premium cigars from the island have an imported wrapper, usually from the USA (Connecticut wrapper), Africa (Cameroon wrapper), or Indonesian (Sumatran wrapper).

The recognition of tobacco in emerging export markets by the Dominican government resulted in the establishment of an experimental farm an tobacco institute in 1962. Since that time, the production of tobacco has steadily increased and in the late 1980’s was estimated at 30,000 metric tons.

Dominican cigars currently enjoy the position of being the most popular imported cigars in the United States of America. Of course, this was not always the case and some 30 years ago, prior to the embargo, the Cuban was considered the only hand-rolled cigar to be smoked by the true aficionado. Even during the surge of "Made in Tampa" cigars in the early 1890’s, these hand-made cigars were created from all-Cuban blends. Today, the Dominican Republic is the greatest importer of premium cigars into the United States, accounting for over 50 % of all of our imported cigars annually, including over 160 brands. Their binder and filler tobaccos are considered by many to be the best in the world, bar none.

Tobacco Bits

The fact that the Superbowl XXXI Champion Green Bay Packers had their own cigar line seemed to be of little assistance in their loss to the currently cigarless Denver Broncos. Cheesehead Cigars, manufactured in the Dominican Republic for the GilFranco Cigar Co., are made from aged Dominican tobaccos with a red-wine-imbued wrapper leaf (and a Velveeta binder!).

During World War I, two German spies posed as cigar merchants and frequented British ports of call to report on British naval maneuvers. Coded correspondence to the homeland read like a cigar purchase order, with cigar sizes corresponding to varying classes of warships.

Presently, there are six million cigar smokers in the U.S., of which approximately one million are premium cigar smokers. And From 1993 to 1994, the largest growing segment of the premium cigar smokers was the 26-38 year-olds, according to industry sources.

Country of Origin

Canary Islands: Mild to medium-bodied, cigars from the Canary Islands tend to burn clean and easy, and tend not to overwhelm the palate. The Canary Islands has endured several declines and resurgences in its cigar industry since the 1960’s, when it was seen as an alternative to Cubans. Today, it is still producing high-quality smokes that are flavorful enough to excite the experienced palate and light enough to intrigue the novice.

Cuba: Cubans run on the medium to full-bodied side of the spectrum with a tendency towards spiciness and an abundance of smoke and aroma.

Dominican Republic: For years, Dominican cigars had the reputation of being the mildest of any produced in the world. Today, over 50 % of the cigars imported into the U.S. are Dominican, offering a complete range of smokes from mild-to full-bodied. The hallmark of a good Dominican cigar is its subtle earthiness and balanced flavor.

Honduras: Medium to full-bodied, cigars from Honduras are considered by some industry experts to be the cigar you start smoking only when your palate has matured. Honduran cigars tend to smoke more on the spicy, creamy side.

Mexico: In years past, Mexican cigars haven’t been on the receiving end of favorable reviews, however, there are several superb products that are changing this somewhat common belief. Mexican cigars span the entire range from mild to full-bodied with the majority of those being fuller-bodied. Mexican binders and maduro wrappers are used in many lines produced in the Dominican Republic and Honduras.

Nicaragua: Nicaraguan smokes generally fall in the medium-to full-bodied side of the spectrum and many times on the sweeter side. Sometimes slightly peppery, a Nicaraguan smoke is perfect for any time of the day.

Cigar Shapes and Sizes

Shape	Classical Length x Ring	Length Range	Ring Range
Giant	9 x 52	8 & up	50 & up
Double Corona	7 ¾ x 49	6 ¾ x 7 ¾	49 x 54
Churchill	7 x 47	6 ¾ x 7 7/8	46 x 48
Pyramid	7 x 36 – 54	all	flared
Torpedo	6 ½ x 52	all	tapered
Toro	6 x 50	5 5/8 x 6 5/8	48-54
Robusto	5 x 50	4 ½ - 5 ½	48-54
Grand Corona	6 ½ x 46	5 5/8 x 6 5/8	45-47
Corona Extra	5 ½ x 46	4 ½ x 5 ½	45-47
Giant Corona	7 ½ x 44	7 ½ & up	42-45
Lonsdale	6 ½ x 42	6 ½ x 7 ¼	40-44
Long Corona	6 x 42	5 7/8 x 6 3/8	40-44
Corona	5 ½ x 42	5 ¼ x 5 ¾	40-44
Petite Corona	5 x 42	4 – 5	40-44
Long Panatela	7 ½ x 38	7 & up	35-39
Panatela	6 x 38	5 ½ x 6 7/8	35-39
Short Panatela	5 x 38	4 – 5 3/8	35-39
Slim Panatela	6 x 34	5 & up	30-34
Small Panatela	5 x 33	4 – 5	30-34
Cigarillos	4 x 26	6 & less	29 & less

Source: Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars, 1997 ed.

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