Past Newsletters
Vol. 6 No. 10
Featured Cigar Dimensions
| Brand Name: | Shape | Size |
| A. Astral Favorita | Figurado | 7 x 48 |
| B. Fonseca 898 Long | Corona | 6 x 43 |
| C. Mayorga Churchill | Churchill | 7 x 48 |
| D. Pasha Torpedo | Torpedo | 6 x 52 |
| E. Vueltabajo Robusto | Robusto | 5 x 50 |
Featured Cigars
More than three years of planning went into the production of this brand, introduced in 1995 by U.S. Tobacco International (USTI). The Astral brand is handmade in Danli, Honduras, a dusty backwater nestled beneath the mountains separating Honduras from Nicaragua to the south, the town gained infamy during the Contra War as a staging site for the anti-Sandinista rebels. Today, thanks to the efforts of Raymond F. Guys, director of cigar and cigar leaf operations for USTI, Nestor Plasencia, Rolando Reyes, Indalecio Rodriguez and others, Danlí has been transformed into a cigar making mecca. The Astral brand is a highly recognized and praised mild-to-medium in bodied line. Its Connecticut-seed shade wrappers give this line an elegant appearance, with silky expresso and cream flavors. Special features of this line include the gentle taper of the foot of the Favorito size that you’ll have a chance to try this month and the narrowed head of the Perfeccion size. Astral has been consistently highly rated in Cigar Aficionado and Smoke Magazine and we know that you’re going to enjoy this elegant, well-made cigar.
Country of Origin: Honduras
Binder: Dominican Cubano Olor
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade – Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6
Panel Rating: 94
Notes from the Panel:
Immediately note the pristine, silky smooth, slightly oily Connecticut shade wrapper that encases this expertly crafted cigar. Aesthetically, it’s a beautiful thing. Note the slighty tapered foot which facilitates an even burn. We found the draw good, the burn perfect and plenty of smoke in this well-aged Honduran. Look for a somewhat sweet woody earthy quality complemented with a hint of nuttiness. Lots of flavor in a relatively mild-to-medium bodied cigar. Note a pleasant cedar aroma and spicy woody finish. Overall, a great smoke any time of day that would be complemented nicely with an oaky chardonnay.
Originally only manufactured in Cuba, the brand has also been made in the Dominican Republic, originally using Cameroon wrappers, but now preferring light Connecticut shade. Currently, Fonseca cigars are handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic, by Manufactura de Tobacos S.A. The line is highly respected and consistently rates in the high 80’s and low 90’s in Cigar Aficionado. Mexican binders are combined with Cuban-seed Dominican fillers in extremely well-made cigars that offer a truly mild smoking experience. If you’ve never tried a Fonseca, you’re in for a treat! Enjoy!
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Binder: Mexican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade – CO
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5.5
Panel Rating: 92
Notes from the Panel:
The entire Fonseca line offers exceptionally well-constructed cigars and the 898 is no exception. Note a smooth, inviting wrapper in this mild Dominican beauty. We found the draw easy, the burn cool and even and billows of smoke throughout the cigar. Look for a dry woody character, hints of coffee and spice that pick up as you get into the cigar. Note a very pleasant woody aroma and non-lingering dry finish. Overall, great construction and a wonderful blend wrapped up in a very mild experience. Consider pairing it with a strong cup of Jo if you take it on in the morning or a slightly hoppy American Pale Ale if you’re firing it up, say, after 10 am!
The Mayorga Cigar line was created by Master blender, Carlos Mayorga when he and his brother, Martin, founded the relatively small Cigar manufacturing company less than seven years ago. The Nicaraguan-born brothers oversee operations at the plantation which is located in Esteli, in the famed Jalapa Valley just fours hours north of Nicaragua’s capitol, Managua. The line was introduced to the United States only four years ago when it was one of only 12 cigars offered for sale at each of the five Grand Havana Rooms, one of the more highly exclusive cigar clubs in the country. Extended aging in Spanish cedar-lined rooms provides a perfect balance of flavor and consistency in this complex cigar line. The Sumatran Seed Indonesian wrapper gives this line a unique slightly sweet spiciness.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Binder: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Sumatran Seed Indonesian
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 7
Panel Rating: 90
Notes from the Panel:
This cigar’s dark, rich, oily wrapper commands your attention immediately. We found it to be expertly rolled, quite firm with no soft spots. Note a near-perfect draw and extended, consistent white ash demonstrating that no young tobacco was used to produce this cigar. It was definitely properly aged. We found it to be a very relaxing smoke with complex overtones of sweet spiced fruit and hints of toast and coffee bean. It’s a medium-bodied smoke with a creamy, rich body and a pleasant woody finish. Consider this cigar before dinner with either your favorite single malt scotch or brandy as Lag Vulin.
The Pasha line is an exclusive 4-year aged blend produced by the Nafilyan Cigar Company. Founder Pierre Nafilyan, personally participates in the selection of the tobacco blends and overseas the production of the Pasha line which is rolled at his factory at Villa Gonzalez in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Each cigar produced undergoes a six-point quality control inspection that stems from tobacco selection through the final packaging process. Until last month, the Pasha line was only available in a churchill, lonsdale, pyramid, robusto and petite corona, however, you’ll have the opportunity of being one of the first to sample the newly introduced Torpedo this month. The line has been highly rated in Smoke Magazine, Wine & Dine, and Cigar Lovers. Our panel loved this cigar and think you will too.
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Cubano Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade – CO
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 7
Panel Rating: 92
There are those that disagree (largely the producers of Connecticut, the Dominican Republic and Honduras), but it is stll generally acknowledged that the finest cigar tobacco in the world comes from Cuba, and in particular from the Vuelta Abajo area of the Pinar Del Rio province. Introduced in 1994, the Vuelabajo line is truly fine enough to bear the name of the most legendary tobacco-growing region in the world. Artfully crafted with a smooth Connecticut Shade wrapper, hand-selected Dominican Olor binder and the richest Dominican Piloto Cubano filler, this cigar is mild-to-medium in strength.
In addition to the robusto you’ll sample this month, the line is also available in a churchill, corona, gigante, lonsdale, pyramid, and a toro. The line was rated consistently in the high 80’s in CA and isn’t distributed, so savor this one!
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Cubano Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade – CO Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5
Panel Rating: 89
Notes from the Panel:
We found it to burn evenly, offering a smooth, effortless and cool draw. Look for hints of cedar and nuttiness in this mild-to-medium-bodied Dominican treat. Note a bit of spice coming through as you get an inch into this one. The aroma is pleasant, somewhat floral and quite mild. This is a great breakfast cigar that doesn’t linger. Overall, very well-constructed, flavorful blend that would be great any time of day. Consider pairing it with your morning Java or a malty Oktoberfest marzen.
Beer, Wine, & Cigars
Make Great Christmas Gifts!
As you sit in your favorite chair, meandering through this month’s newsletter and watching your favorite team get their ass kicked, consider the fact that most likely more than one person on your Christmas shopping list could be handled without leaving your command post. And the chances are better than average that whomever your thinking about for either our Beer, Cigar, or Wine of the Month Clubs hasn’t been good enough this year to justify Santa himself bringin’ the loot. So it’s up to you. Any of the three services make Great Christmas gifts well suited for clients, work associates and employees as well as for friends and family members that are particularly hard to shop for.
Tobacco Bits
OFF TO MARKET - When the first curing cycle has ended, factory buyers come to inspect the tobacco leaves' quality, during which period their market value is determined. Once the leaves have been chosen by the buyers, they are transported to the factories, where the shade-grown leaves (leaves that are grown under muslin tapados) and sun-grown leaves are sorted by size, texture and color. These re-sorted hands are then stacked in massive, free-standing piles, often as tall as six feet high, called burros, where a third fermentation period takes place.
A SEASON OF CYCLES - Tobacco is a winter plant, though what passes for winter in Cuba doesn't conjure images of chestnuts roasting by an open fire. The growing season begins in September, when seedlings are planted in the beginning of the month, and continues to the end of March or the beginning of April. In the Vuelta Abajo, plants are started in three cycles: early November plantings harvested in January; mid-November plantings harvested at the beginning of March; and late November plantings harvested at the end of March.
OFF TO SEE THE BLENDER - Once the leaves have been sorted according to their function in the cigar's physiognomy, they are sent to the blender, who determines which leaves are best suited for the varying cigar sizes, shapes, and most important, tastes the factory manufactures.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST - Once the tobacco plants are placed in the ground, the tobacco farmer, called a veguero, must tirelessly attend to them. While it takes only 45 days for a young tobacco plant to mature enough for its initial harvesting, a fledgling crop faces many hazards including weather, pests, mold, and disease. Most Tobacco farms actually plan for 15% of their planting to be lost.
LIFE IN THE FIELDS - Young tobacco plants are meticulously planted in rows, with a precise amount of space allowed between the plants. Shade-grown tobacco, used for the wrapper, is grown under a screen of cheese-cloth or mest, to inhibit direct contact with the sun's rays. Sun-grown tobacco is grown without any protective covering.
DRY OUT, MAN - After the leaves are picked, they are classified by size and texture, and then braided or stacked into bundles, called gavillas, or hands. The gravillas are then taken to curing barns, where they are draped over long poles and protected from direct sunlight and temperature changes. Here, the tobacco leaves slowly dry out and eventually change color-from dark green to yellow, to brown-as they lose their moisture content. This process takes from 3 to 8 weeks, depending on the type of tobacco and the weather conditions.
Ask Murl
Hey Murl,
I’ve recently joined the club and don’t yet have a humidor. My buddy told me that I should just put my cigars in a plastic bag and keep them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Is that a cool way to store them?
Greg Hall
Costa Mesa, CA
Yo Hallski,
The only thing cool about that advice is the fridge itself. Let your Amana stick to leftover burrito bits and cheese whiz! Many people store their cigars in the old ice box which is a Bozo-No-No cause the high humidity level in a refrigerator encourages the growth of mildew-like blotches/spots on the cigar wrapper, and presumably on the inner filler tobacco. The next thing ya know, you’ve got mold then providing a favorable environment for the growth of microbes, small pinholes appearing in the wrapper, and an A+ on your kid’s science project. The pinholes affect the draw of the cigar adversely, and unless you like smokin’ mold, the taste will be affected in a bad way as well. Onion and other refrigerator odors, some of which I can’t identify in my own fridge, can permeate the tobacco. The freezer is an even worse idea as your humidity level is virtually zero.
A much better temporary solution would be the ole tupa-dor we’ve described in past issues.
Basically, your smokes in either a zip lock plastic bag or a Tupperware-like container along with the DHS (disposable humidification device) we provide in each shipment. It will keep 23-30 smokes in perfect condition (at a constant 70 % humidity level) for 2-3 months depending on the container used (completely sealed, non porous containers extend the life of the device – humidor life is closer to 4-6 weeks). Just be sure and store the whole thang somewhere that’s at room temp or roughly 70 degrees. Hope that helps Gregardo!
Woof!
Murl.
We’re Making Some Great Changes!
Over the years we've solicited feedback from our customers on a regular basis in order to best understand what you like, dislike or would like to see changed in the service and have made some significant changes based on that input. Concerns of maintaining the freshness of the cigars brought on both the addition of the DHS device to your shipments as well as the migration to a new type of plastic bag that retains moisture exceptionally well. Bottom line? We care and are listening.
In the last 12 months we've heard continually that many would prefer greater brand variety within each shipment and so effective this month, we're responding by restructuring our monthly format. You will now have the opportunity to sample 5 individually different brands of varying lengths, gauges, blends and wrapper types each month. There's more good news with this restructure. Wholesalers often structure promotions based on one specific shape and size of a cigar brand and by splitting up the brands each month, we'll be able to find you even higher quality smokes at the same price!
In an effort to increase our added value to you as our customer, box reorder prices are dropping even further than they already are beginning this month! The last significant change that you'll see over the next several months is a migration from our box and foam shipping container to a completely shrink-wrap-enclosed tube format. The decision was largely driven by a significant portion of our customer base desiring a container that fits inside a P.O. Box. All in all, some really great changes that we know you'll appreciate. We welcome any feedback by either calling us at 800-625-8238 or emailing us at customerservice@cigarmonthclub.com.
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 Qty | Box Cost | Individual |
| Cost | |||
| A. Pasha Torpedo | 25 | $105.50 | $5.20 a cigar |
| B. Astral Favorito | 25 | $95.50 | $4.82 a cigar |
| C. Fonseca 898 | 25 | $87.50 | $4.50 a cigar |
| D. Mayorga Churchill | 25 | $75.50 | $4.02 a cigar |
| E. Vueltabajo | 25 | $70.50 | $3.82 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.
Membership Q & A
Note: Please do not use our email address to make any account related information changes such as address or billing changes, membership extensions, or terminations. To ensure timely processing of your request, please call us at 800-625-8238.
Q: What should I do if I'm moving or want to extend
my membership?
A: Please call us prior to the 10 th of the month to
make all account related information changes such as address changes,
membership extensions & terminations, or gift accounts desiring
to continue their memberships. Address changes made after that time
may require a $4.00 re-shipping charge.
Q: How will the charge appear on my credit card statement:
A: Your credit card statement will reflect our Incorporated
business name, C&H Clubs, U.S.A., Inc., NOT The Cigar Society.
Q: What happens if my shipment is damaged?
A: If you shipment arrives damaged, please call us immediately
toll free at 1-800-625-8238 and report the incident for a prompt resolution.
Q: What happens if my credit card is declined?
A: We will attempt to reprocess the card and if it does not
clear on the 2nd attempt, you’ll receive a courtesy notice
asking for an alternative payment method and your order will be temporarily
suspended until we hear from you. As we incur a $ 2.00 re-processing
fee each time your card does not clear, that charge is passed on to
you.
Q: What happens if I join under a special incentive program
and don’t stay a member for the entire term committed?
A: Not a problem. Although we want to do everything we can
to keep you as a member, we will allow you to cancel your subscription
early, however, you will be responsible to pay for the item which
was given to you as part of the promotion.
