Past Newsletters
Vol. 7 No. 5
Featured Cigar Dimensions
| Brand Name: | Shape | Size |
| A. Napa Cigars | Robusto | 5.5 x 44 |
| B. Montague #2 | Grand Corona | 4.75 x 50 |
| C. Montecristo #3 | Corona | 7 x 48 |
| D. Tabu | Corona Extra | 6 5/8 x 47 |
| E. Victory Spirit Conqueror | Churchill | 6.5 x 46 |
Featured Cigars
The cigar industry has seen several trends in the past years, some up and some down. The most interesting trend that we see emerging is a new openness about the tobacco blends in cigars. Tobacco companies are beginning to explain the "why" of a cigar's taste. Wine makers have been explaining the differences in their wine for a long time. Ask any wine maker about their wine and be prepared for an endless explanation of the intricacies of the wine making process and why their wine is special. In the cigar trade, we are lucky to get the country of origin of the tobacco. Napa Cigar Company, founded in 1996 by Robert Mondavi, Jr., from the beginning has blended cigars as one would blend wine, to get a specific flavor to bring out the best flavor of the tobacco. Their first cigar brand, the Napa Nicaragua was first sold in November 1996. Made with binder and filler grown near Esteli, Nicaragua, the cigar is finished with a Sumatra grown wrapper.
The Napa Dominican followed in December 1996 offering a Dominican filler and binder paired with an Indonesian wrapper. In early 1997, Napa released what you’ll have an opportunity to sample this month, their Canary Islands Reserve.
The line’s filler is primarily from the island of La Palma with just a touch of Mata Fina tobacco from Brazil to get the blend just right. The line is encased in a US grown Connecticut shade wrapper and available in the following sizes: Robusto (4.75 x 50), Gran Corona (6.75 x 44), Figurado (6 x 52), Corona (5.75 x 42) and Churchill (7 x 50). The Napa Cigars have been rated highly in both CA (in the mid to upper 80’s) and in Smoke Magazine (highly recommended). Our panel found this the only other product from the Canary Islands, other than La Aurora, that we enjoyed enough to want to share with you. Enjoy!
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican/Brazilian/Canary Island Olor
Wrapper: U.S.A. Connecticut Shade – Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5
Panel Rating: 91
Notes from the Panel:
Immediately note a Colorado Claro Connecticut shade wrapper with a much more rustic look and feel than the Montecristo also featured this month. You note an effortless draw in this mild spicy Spanish treat. We picked up definite woody characteristics and a prominent peppery taste throughout the smoke. It burned evenly and held a nice gray, yet slightly flaky ash. Overall, we liked the spicy pepper character and how it really got our attention as the cigar is fairly mild for the most part. A great smoke for watering the garden on a Saturday morning. Pair it up with a full-roasted Costa Rican coffee blend.
It was spices and tobaccos that brought Indonesia its early success in international trade. Now, after years without representation in U.S.-bound cigars, a new variety of wrapper leaf and a modern cigar plant have restored the "Spice Islands" to their former status in the tobacco industry. Indonesia's rising profile in cigars isn't limited to strictly growing and curing of cigar tobacco. While it may be true that, as Swedish Match's Van Glabbeek notes, "...there's no such thing as an Indonesian cigar," his company has taken a great leap in that direction, setting up the country's first significant premium long filler production, branded the Montague.
Swedish Match's factory, in Pandaan near the city of Surabaya, began wrapper and binder cutting and processing in 1993. Recognizing that Indonesia was consistently producing high-quality, world-class tobacco, and that Consolidated Cigar - a leading U.S. manufacturer - was already utilizing Indonesian leaf in significant quantities, including a number of its top brands, Swedish Match seized the opportunity to make full use of everything Indonesia had to offer.
In the first year of its U.S. launch, 400 people are currently employed on the Montague brand, 280 of them hand-rolling cigars in the traditional Cuban method. The investment has obviously paid off as the Montague line has been very well received, garnering a 90 in Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar Insider and a 4.4 in the Fall 1998 issue of Smoke magazine, the third-highest rating published. This is a great smoke. We loved it. You will too.
Binder: Indonesian Olor
Filler: Brazilian/Indonesian Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Brazilian Broadleaf – Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 7
Panel Rating: 94
Notes from the Panel:
The first thing you’ll notice about this cigar is a rich & oily, dark Brazilian broadleaf wrapper that just begs you to light it. It’s filled with a generous amount of tobacco, yet not too firmly rolled. The draw is quite easy and the burn even all the way. Note a robust, earthly aroma even before you light this one up! We found the flavor to consist of a core of spiciness, as one might expect from Indonesia. It’s medium bodied and offers hints of cedar, and a light toastiness. The finish is a lingering earthiness. Overall…Wow! Very well made. Great flavor. What more do you want? Pair it up with a tawny port, kick back and enjoy your life!
Originating in Cuba in 1935 as a new brand from Menendez, Garcia y Cia., then the owners of the H. Upmann brand, the name is reported to have been inspired by Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo. The cigars are all hand made and are medium in strength. The Dominican version of Cuba’s most widely smoked brand uses Dominican grown Cubano Piloto and Olor for the filler. The binder is Dominican grown Cubano Piloto. The natural wrapper is U.S. grown Connecticut Shade. The result is a medium to full-bodied cigar with a sweet aroma. Consolidated’s Tabacalera de Garcia factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic manufactured the Montecristo.
The Montecristo cigars come in eight sizes: Tubos (6 x 42); No. 3 (5.5 x 44); No. 1 (6.5 x 44); Corona Grande (5.75 x 46); Churchill (7 x 48); Robusto (4.75 x 50); No. 2 (Torpedo) (6 x 50); and Double Corona (6.25 x 50). Our panel loved this smoke, giving it one of the highest average ratings we’ve ever seen. It’s refined, rich & subtle taste will leave you more than simply satisfied. Enjoy!
Binder: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano Olor
Wrapper: U.S. A. Connecticut Shade – Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 6.5
Panel Rating: 96
Notes from the Panel:
Immediately note an expertly crafted cigar. Notice the elegant and inviting US Connecticut shade-grown wrapper’s handsome golden brown color. We found the roll firm, but still allowing for an easy draw. This classic Dominican starts out mild, picks up a bit of steam as you get into it, but for the most part, stays true through the finish. Look for an even burn and solid ash in this obviously well fermented smoke. We picked up subtle hints of woodiness in this creamy, well-rounded cigar. Overall, a truly pleasant experience from start to finish. This was one of the better cigars we’ve rated so far this year! You might consider pairing it with a full-bodied roasted stout.
The Tabu Cigar line is manufactured by the Eagle Cigar Company in their facility in Esteli, Nicaragua. Eagle, no stranger to the industry, had been manufacturing cigars for over 7 years as a private-label supplier for some of the world's most prestigious cigar companies, when the decision was made to develop a blend for their own line. Hence, Tabu was born. Each Tabu cigar is constructed using five long filler leaves, hand-selected from the finest tobacco grown exclusively in the Nicaraguan regions of Jalapa and Esteli. The line uses a Sumatran binder and highly sought-after shaded Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. The Tabu Cigars are offered in seven sizes including: Belicoso, corona, Churchill, Lonsdale, robusto, toro, and torpedo. Tabu has been reviewed in the low 90’s in Smoke magazine and was rated consistently in the high 80’s as well by our panel. We found it to be an exceptionally smooth and flavorful, yet mild smoke.
Corona Binder: Indonesian Olor
Filler: Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian -Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 5.5
Notes from the Panel:
Panel Rating: 90 Another very well constructed cigar from Tabu. It had a nice touch and felt weighty in your hand for a corona. Substantial. Look for a nice draw, even burn and firm ash in this well fermented smoke. We found it to offer light sweet and creamy flavors that build into slight peppery spiciness and hazelnut overtones as you get further into the cigar. We also picked up a trace of coffee in this highly enjoyable smoke. Overall, we found it to offer a fully satisfying, complex taste. We’d suggest pairing it with a dry Chardonnay.
The Victory Spirit, hand-rolled by Carlos Torano, was originally created to celebrate the 1996 Olympic Summer Games. The Carlos Toraño cigar brands have long since been a well-respected name in the tobacco industry, producing Dominican, Honduran and Ecuadorian lines. Carlos Toraño cigars are made of the finest Dominican and Nicaraguan Cuban seed fillers, Mexican and Honduran binders, and aged Connecticut seed wrappers, hand-crafted under the supervision of Cuban tobacco masters. Each Toraño cigar represents four generations of family tradition 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.
As the official cigar of the games, they were rolled with some of the finest and most expensive premium leaves that Carlos Torano could get his hands on. The Cuban seed Nicaraguan long-filler and smooth, sweet Indonesian wrapper have been aged for a guaranteed minimum of 4 years - this aging and careful blending yields a mild yet very flavorful and satisfying blend.
Binder: Nicaraguan Olor
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
Wrapper: Nicaraguan – CO
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10): 7
Panel Rating: 87
Notes from the Panel:
Carlos Torano’s Victory Spirit Churchill starts out mellow with hints of cedar and a toasted nut aroma. We found the draw to be slightly firm, yet open enough to get plenty of smoke volume. This is a medium-bodied creamy cigar that offers a pronounced herbal character. Look for a lingering earthy, nutty finish. Overall, a full flavored, complex balance of tastes. Try pairing it with a malty sweet amber ale.
Great Father’s Day Gifts
All Your Life You Dad to Drink and Smoke… Maybe it’s Time You Had Some Delivered!
Father’s Day is rapidly approaching (June 18th!) And we’ve got some Great Gift Ideas for you! And no, it’s not the Liberace Unplugged CD! We are, of course, talking about our Microbrewed Beer, International Wine & Premium Cigar of the Month Clubs! And to help you justify giving such an ideal gift for Pop, we’ve put together a special offer for our members only. Gift subscriptions of 3 mo.s or longer will receive a 25 % discount on the First month!
It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s a gift he’ll not soon forget. Simply call us at 1-800-625-8238 and tell us when you want the membership to begin and how long you’d like it to run for (2-12 months), and we’ll do the rest!
Premium Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club
Each month, you’ll receive 12, twelve oz microbrewed beers. We target award-winning microbreweries with reputations for creative interpretations of classic styles, and unique and complex brewing techniques. The beers we select are distributed only in the regions where they are made. Our focus is on variety as well as quality… you will receive four different styles from at least two American microbreweries each month. Call us today and we’ll send out a tasteful gift announcement for Pop! Toll Free 800-625-8238.
C&H International Wine Cellars
For Cultivated Palates
Each month a panel of professional wine tasters selects our wines from award winning boutique vineyards, and we send you one red and one white wine. [You may request all whites or reds.] Our focus is on lightly distributed wines that have been singled out for their consistent quality, for maintaining the integrity of their style, and for earning memorable distinction. Dad will get to check out handpicked wines from classic regions including Bordeaux, Alsace, and Sonoma, as well as wines from newly discovered regions in countries such as Chile, Australia, Argentina, and Hungary. Our selections are accompanied by comprehensive profiles, to assure that members appreciate and enjoy the finer points of each wine. Complementary foods are suggested, and we include Tasting Notes, describing the sensations to look for as you savor each wine.
Tobacco Bits
LIGHTING TIPS - When you're ready to light up, be sure that the flame never actually touches the cigar. Slowly char the foot of the cigar until it blackens, then place the cigar in your mouth, drawing lightly on the cigar while rotating it over the flame. Contact with the flame could potentially "flavor" the cigar with residue from the lighter or match you are using.
OPERATION CIGAR LIFT - While stationed in Hungary for United Nations and NATO peace- keeping efforts during the Bosnian crisis, a small cigar club at the 67th Combat Support Hospital ran out of cigars. One of the physicians stationed there, Captain Paul Rupp, e-mailed a Texas-based Internet site, cigar.com, with details of this predicament. The webmaster got the word out to the industry and they responded with great results. The first shipment was sent April 12, 1996, and contained 12 boxes of smokes as well as various accessories.
HECHO A MANO MAN - There are three inscriptions stamped on the bottom of a Cuban cigar box that will indicate how they were manufactured. If a box reads, "totalmente a mano," it was completely handmade. If ti reads, "Hecho a mano," it was machine bunched and hand finished. If it reads, "Hecho in Cuba," then it was totally made by machine. And finally, if it reads, "Hecho by Rodrigo", you might want to have a good video and some Doritos near by after you spark it up!
WHERE CIGARETTE COME FROM! - In the Cuban cigar market, completed cigars that do not meet the strict standards of quality imposed on Habanos are ground into scrap and sent to cigarette-manufacturing companies for use in their smokes. This accounts for the heavy-bodied taste of Cuban cigarettes such as Cohiba.
Ask Murl
Dear Murl,
It seems to me that most folks leave the band on the cigar when they smoke it, but I have seen several smokers that appear to know what they’re doing deliberately take the band off of the cigar immediately before lighting it. Is it proper to do one or the other? Does it matter and if so, Why?
George Head
Stonington, ME
Yo Geo!
Before I answer your question, George, let me just say the (4) 2 ½ lb. Lobsters you sent with your question were greatly appreciated. I contemplated inviting over some of the lads from the dog park for a group feast, but quickly discarded that notion and woofed all four in one session myself. Hey, I’m a dog. We don’t really chew our food and generally eat well beyond the point of being sick. I just want to make it perfectly clear to others that have send in Lobsterless questions, that’s not by any means a suggested method for ensuring that your question will get answered. However, for 10 lbs. of Steamers and blueberry pie accompanying the crustaceans, I’ll fly out to your house to answer any question you want to throw at me.
So, your question. Bands. Another highly debated etiquette question. I reckon that if you give a rat’s Gluteus Maximus about what other people think about you based partially on the cigar brand you smoke, you might want to leave the band on and always valet park your Lexus. There are many stories about the origin of cigar bands. One story is that cigar makers were obliged to put a paper ring around the cigars in order to protect the fingers of the many ladies who smoked cigars and complained about nicotine stains on their fingers. If you have such unsightly stains or blemishes, keep the band on or buy some Esoterica. Conversely, there are several advantages to taking the band off such as your friends won’t know you’re smoking a 99-cent dog rocket from Tijuana. You may also want to smoke the tasty little morsel to the very end in which case, the band could simply get in the way. In any case, either taking it off or leaving it on won’t effect the way the cigar will smoke so you should just do what feels right to you. I like to wear them on my toes like pinky rings sometimes when I’m feelin’ like a lucky dog. And, I must say, the babes do respond, my boy, they do respond. Best-o-luck with your dilemma. I’m outta space, Ace.
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 Qty | Box Cost | 5 Pak |
| Cost | |||
| A. Napa Reserve | 25 | $67.50 | $16 |
| B. Montague #2 | 25 | $95.50 | $23 |
| C. Montecristo #3 | 25 | $91129.50 | $27 |
| D. Tabu | 25 | $65.50 | $16 |
| E. Victory Spirit Conqueror | 24 | $62.50 | $16 |
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.
