Why Are Cuban Cigars Illegal in the United States?

A map of cuba

For decades, the mere mention of Cuban cigars has conjured images of luxury, sophistication, and forbidden indulgence. But why exactly are these prized smokes prohibited on American soil?

There are deep historical, political, and legal reasons behind the ban that keeps Cubans out of the hands of American aficionados but in short, Cuban cigars are illegal in the United States due to the longstanding embargo against Cuba, which was initiated in the early 1960s by President John F. Kennedy.

The embargo was a response to the Cuban government’s nationalization of American-owned assets and its alignment with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. As part of this embargo, the U.S. government prohibits the importation of Cuban products, including cigars, as a means of economically isolating the Cuban regime and pressuring it to adopt democratic reforms.

For more information and context, keep reading…

The Forbidden Fruit

hand rolled cigars after being freshly rolled

Understanding the allure of Cuban tobacco requires an appreciation for its unparalleled craftsmanship, rich history, and legendary reputation.

Renowned worldwide for their superior quality and distinctive flavors, these cigars are crafted by skilled rollers using traditional methods passed down through generations.

Beyond their exquisite taste, they embody a sense of prestige and exclusivity, symbolizing a taste of the forbidden and evoking images of glamorous evenings and sophisticated gatherings. It’s this mystique, combined with their unmatched quality, that elevates Cuban cigars to iconic status in the world of tobacco enthusiasts.

The Embargo

A historical perspective

The roots of the embargo against Cuba trace back to the early 1960s, during the height of the Cold War while Fidel Castro was leading Cuba and John F. Kennedy was President of the United States.

President Kennedy

Fidel Castro led a Communist Revolution and in response to the Cuban government’s nationalization of American-owned assets and its alignment with the Soviet Union, the United States imposed a comprehensive trade embargo on Cuba.

This marked the beginning of a tumultuous relationship between the two nations, with far-reaching consequences for both Cuban and American citizens.

Impact on Cuban cigars

The embargo had a profound impact on the Cuban cigar industry, once renowned for its excellence worldwide.

With the United States being a significant market for Cuban cigars, the trade restrictions dealt a severe blow to Cuba’s economy and its iconic tobacco industry.

Despite this setback, they retained their allure, becoming a symbol of defiance and resilience in the face of adversity.

Efforts to lift the embargo

Over the years, there have been numerous efforts to lift the embargo and normalize relations between the United States and Cuba.

Diplomatic initiatives, negotiations, and policy changes have all been explored in the pursuit of thawing the icy relations between the two nations. However, despite some progress, the embargo remains largely intact, casting a shadow over the possibility of Cuban cigars once again gracing the shelves of American cigar shops.

Laws prohibiting importation

The legal landscape surrounding Cuban cigars in the United States is defined by stringent laws prohibiting their importation.

Since the inception of the embargo, it has been unlawful for individuals and businesses to import Cubans into the country.

This prohibition extends to all Cuban-origin products, including cigars, rum, and other goods, regardless of where they were purchased or obtained. The embargo’s legal framework aims to deter Americans from engaging in transactions that support the Cuban government and its economy.

Enforcement and penalties

Enforcement of the ban on Cuban tobacco is taken seriously by U.S. authorities, with severe penalties imposed on violators.

Individuals caught attempting to import them into the United States may face confiscation of the contraband goods, fines, and even criminal prosecution.

Additionally, businesses found in violation of the embargo may be subject to significant penalties, including hefty fines and loss of import/export privileges. The strict enforcement of these laws underscores the government’s commitment to upholding the embargo and its restrictions on Cuban products.

A New Era for Cuban Cigars in the United States

In a landmark shift in U.S. policy, a new law has opened the door for Americans to legally bring a limited quantity of Cuban cigars into the United States.

This groundbreaking change marks a significant departure from decades of strict prohibition, offering cigar enthusiasts a glimmer of hope and a taste of freedom long denied.

While the specifics of the law may vary, the symbolic gesture represents a step towards normalization of relations between the two nations and a recognition of the cultural significance of Cuban cigars.

As travelers return from abroad with their prized purchases in hand, they not only savor the exquisite flavors of Cuba but also celebrate the newfound opportunity to enjoy these iconic smokes without fear of legal repercussions.

The Black Market for Cuban Cigars

Demand in the U.S.

Despite the legal barriers, demand for Cuban cigars in the United States remains significant. The allure of these forbidden treasures, with their reputation for unparalleled quality and prestige, fuels a thriving black market.

Cigar enthusiasts and collectors alike are drawn to the mystique surrounding Cuban tobacco, seeking to indulge in their forbidden pleasures despite the risks involved.

Risks and consequences

Engaging in the black market for Cuban cigars carries considerable risks and consequences. Purchasing and possessing Cuban cigars in the United States are illegal acts that can result in severe penalties.

Individuals caught buying or selling contraband cigars may face confiscation of the products, substantial fines, and even criminal prosecution.

Moreover, there are risks associated with the authenticity and quality of cigars obtained through illicit channels, with counterfeit products being prevalent in the black market.

Exploring Alternatives: Embracing the Diversity of Cigars Beyond Cuban Borders

For those unwilling to take the risks associated with the black market, there are alternatives to obtaining a Cuban cigar.

One option is to enjoy Cuban cigars legally while traveling abroad to countries where they are readily available.

Additionally, while Cuban cigars have long held a prestigious reputation in the world of cigar aficionados, many argue that they are not necessarily the best.

Factors such as consistency, quality control, and innovation play crucial roles in shaping perceptions of cigar superiority. Some critics argue that other countries, such as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras, have surpassed Cuba in these areas, producing cigars that offer a wider range of flavors, better construction, and more reliable quality.

While the allure of Cuban cigars may be undeniable, enthusiasts need not limit themselves to this singular option.

In the vibrant world of cigars, there exists a diverse array of alternatives waiting to be discovered. Brick-and-mortar establishments and online cigar shops offer aficionados equally remarkable cigars from other cigar-producing countries.

From the lush tobacco fields of Nicaragua to the fertile valleys of the Dominican Republic, each of these regions imparts its unique spin and flavor profile to the cigars it produces. Many brands such as Brick House Cigars even use Cuban seed tobacco.

Tobacco growing in the field under a shade screen

Whether seeking a bold and full-bodied smoke or a smooth and mellow experience, cigar enthusiasts can always find an abundance of options to suit their preferences.

As we broaden our horizons and explore the vast landscape of cigar options, we open ourselves to new experiences, flavors, and the endless possibilities that await beyond Cuban borders. So, while Cuban cigars may be off-limits, the world of cigars remains rich and diverse, inviting us to embark on a journey of exploration and discovery.

Ultimately, the debate over which country produces the best cigars is a matter of personal preference, with enthusiasts finding enjoyment in the diverse offerings available from around the globe.

Speculation on future changes

As the landscape of international relations continues to evolve, speculation abounds regarding potential changes in the legal status of Cuban cigars in the United States.

With diplomatic efforts aimed at thawing relations between the two nations gaining traction in recent years, there is cautious optimism among cigar enthusiasts that the longstanding embargo against Cuba may eventually be lifted.

Should diplomatic efforts succeed and the embargo be lifted, it could herald a new era for Cuban cigars in the US market. Aficionados eagerly anticipate the prospect of legally obtaining and enjoying these coveted smokes without fear of legal repercussions.

However, the path to normalization remains uncertain, with political complexities and entrenched interests posing significant obstacles. While the future of Cuban cigars in the United States is uncertain, the possibility of change serves as a beacon of hope for enthusiasts.

Nica Reserva Toro Cigar Review

nica reserva blog banner

LM Cigars’ newest and most successful Nicaraguan handmade brand is the Nica Reserva. Manufactured at the highly-praised PENSA cigar factory, home of El Baton and Brick House cigars, Nica Reserva cigars are a great smoke for even greater value. For this review, LM Cigar Blog’s team smoked three Nica Reserva Connecticut Toro cigars in a single afternoon not unlike the quality control engineers at the PENSA cigar factory who smoke a sample of each day’s production to guarantee consistency of flavor and draw.  The consensus was that these Nica Reserva Connecticut Toro cigars are a silky, creamy smoke with a slight nutty taste well worth the price point. These cigars are a fine addition to any true cigar aficionado’s humidor, especially those who enjoy a smooth to medium-bodied Nicaraguan handmade smoke.

Nica Reserva Connecticut Toro

Nica Reserva Connecticut Toros are a traditional Nicaraguan toro (6×54). The thicker ring gauge than traditional Dominican or Honduran 52 ring-gauge toros allows for more Nicaraguan filler. This adds needed spice and nuttiness to the cigar. These premium cigars come in boxes of 20 and each one is as good as the last with superb combustion that will not burn through one’s wallet. Despite being entirely handmade with aged long-filler, LM Cigars prices these cigars at less than their MSRP of $160 to pass the savings on to the consumer.

Nica Reserva Toro Open Box

Visual Appeal

Each cigar in the box is carefully color-sorted to guarantee a uniform, attractive box. Indeed, each cigar is exemplary of visual and physical perfection. The cigars have a golden shade-grown wrapper of natural tobacco leaf, akin to the color of wheat or café au lait. The smell is even more attractive than the cigar’s look. It delicately embraces the senses with tasting notes of honey, peanut, toasted wheat, and cedar.

Upon closer inspection, the Nica Reserva Connecticut Toros are invariably a blonde hue with a flawless cap and good construction. The wrappers have few dimples and minimal spotting. The cigar band is a nice touch. With its striking white and gold filigree, this cigar is sure to attract some attention. A straight cut from a Craftsman’s Bench Double-Blade Cutter to the cigar’s head reveals a cleanly made cap and a bounty of flavorful Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. Remember to always be gentle when straight cutting a cigar. If the cap audibly touches the ground, too much was cut off.

nica reserva toro single cigar horizontal

Taste

The taste of hay and peanuts is cemented by the cold draw through the cigar. Tasting notes of baker’s spices, specifically cinnamon or nutmeg, join the harmony of the cigar’s profile. A toasting from a Colibri Firebird Triple Flame Lighter accentuates this profile with a rich, silky smoke which smells of crème brûlée and charred cedar. Connecticut or Ecuadorian Shade wrappers are quite delicate and scorch easily. For maximum enjoyment, slowly toast the foot before lighting the cigar in small circles. Once accomplished, the cigar notably burns easily and consistently with a white, billowy ash. A lighter colored ash is a mark of higher quality tobacco grown in a more nutrified soil.

The initial taste of charred cedar transitions to charred bread and barnyard hay. While the cigar’s first act is enjoyable, the second act is what highlights this cigar. A grand ensemble of peanuts and wood arouses all the senses to an ecstatic fever-pitch while a sweetness like honey keeps the cigar aficionado grounded. Towards the final third, the cigar burns quite hot and returns to the taste of charred cedar and burning hay. The reviewers of LM Cigar Blog found these so enjoyable they smoked them to the bitter end. The average smoking time for each cigar was about an hour and a half. The cigar needed a slight touch-up between the second and third act but had almost no issues burning. There was no need for relight and no frustration from poor construction.

Final Thoughts

This cigar is well worth the price point, reifying the reputation of LM Cigar for curating the world’s finest selection of premium handmade cigars with great value. It can easily hold its own against other premium value Nicaraguan handmade brands, such as the Brick House Double Connecticut from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. (also made in PENSA) or Undercrown Shade from Drew Estate, and in some aspects surpasses. However, a true cigar aficionado would verify this by buying and smoking all three. Thankfully, LM Cigars offers all three brands. Owing to its massive popularity, the Nica Reserva brand will expand in the future. Thank you for reading our Nica Reserva Toro Cigar Review. Make sure to check our LM Cigars catalog to stay abreast of new arrivals.

Top 10 Cigars of 2023

TOP 10 CIGARS OF 2023

As the year draws to a close, the cigar industry recovers from record highs of tobacco consumption. Cigar imports from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic and their resultant sales to the American market continue at 2020-2022 levels. Cigar Aficionado’s 2023 Year-in-Review article made a clear case for Nicaragua’s preeminence: 122 cigars released in 2023 rated as 90 points or higher; 65 of these cigars hailed from Nicaragua. Nicaragua is the industry’s workhorse, reaching almost 182 million imported cigars as of Q3 2023. The Dominican Republic and Honduras produced dozens of well-received brands, maintaining their reputation as cigar countries. This article lists the top 10 cigars of 2023 according to the team LM Cigars featuring Nicaraguan and Dominican handmade, long-filler cigars.

No. 10: El Baton Double Torpedo

El Baton Double Torpedo Open Box of Cigars

El Baton is the newest Nicaraguan handmade cigar from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Relaunched in 2022, El Baton established itself as a powerhouse of flavor in the Nicaraguan selection of the quotidian humidor. Made from finely aged Nicaraguan Jalapa and Esteli filler tobaccos, El Baton has bold tasting nates of leather, pepper, and hazelnut. Originally a nickel cigar made from inexpensive tobacco in Midwestern cigar factories, the modern El Baton is anything but a fly-over. El Baton Double Torpedo (6.25×56) has a balanced, medium-bodied smoke from the Ecuadorian wrapper tobacco with a spicy kick from its Nicaraguan filler. This cigar received multiple 91 ratings from Cigar Aficionado in 2009 and in 2023. This is a phenomenal cigar for a great price point, earning it the tenth spot on this list.

No. 9: Plasencia Alma Del Fuego Concepcion

Plasencia Alma Del Fuego Concepcion Open Box

Alma del Fuego, meaning soul of fire in Spanish, is a bold Nicaraguan handmade cigar from Plasencia Cigars S.A. Released in 2019, this cigar is a medium-to-full bodied Nicaraguan puro with a spicy Jalapa sungrown wrapper. The Concepcion (6×54) pulls out all the stops: from sweet to peppery, from salty to tart, from acidic to meaty. The palate and nose experience a rainbow of flavors and aroma sensations. Cigar Aficionado rated this cigar a 93 in 2023 saying, “Once the cigar burns past the uncut foot, the smoke becomes much like a balanced shot of espresso, full of roasted arabica notes, dried fruit, a bit of spice and a sweet layer of caramel.” And all this carried by thick, creamy smoke. This cigar is a great pick for any Nicaraguan lover and the number nine entry on this list.

No. 8: Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado

Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado Open Box

Since its unveiling at a tradeshow in 2012, Serie V Melanio is the most popular brand from Tabacalera Oliva S.A. Named after the Oliva family patriarch, Serie V Melanio is part of a 137-year-old tradition of Cuban tobacco farming. Today, Gilberto Oliva and his family own the second largest Cuban-seed tobacco farm in Nicaragua.

The figurado vitola (6×52f) of this brand is the recipient of dozens of high ratings: a 93 rating from Halfwheel.com in 2012, a Cigar of the Year nomination from Cigar Journal in 2017, and a 95 rating from Cigar Aficionado in 2023. Proving itself time and again, and earning the eighth spot on this list, the Melanio Figurado is a Nicaraguan handmade with a medium-bodied flavor profile. “Impressive in its opulence and complexity, this box-pressed figurado leaves clearly-pronounced impressions of nutmeg, walnut and leather on the palate. A rich, earthy undertone brings all the elements to a decadent level.”

No. 7: West Tampa Tobacco Company Red Robusto

west tampa red

A new brand with an old player, West Tampa Tobacco Co. was an overnight sensation thanks in no small part to the genius of Master Blender Rick Rodriguez. “Normally when I blend cigars, I don’t blend for what I like, I blend cigars for what my fans enjoy. Red will be a reflection of what I believe is the next piece to lay in the West Tampa puzzle, a full-bodied cigar that delivers the full flavor consumers have come to enjoy from West Tampa.”

At number seven, West Tampa Red is a medium to full-bodied cigar made from aged Mexican San Andres wrapper, Nicaraguan Condega binder, and Nicaraguan Esteli filler. Cigar Aficionado rated the West Tampa Red Robusto (5×50) a 93. The lush draw of this evenly-burning robusto imparts a smoke that’s rich with chocolate intonations from first puff to last. Tasty layers of nutmeg, hickory, molasses and leather also unfold before a mocha finish.

No. 6: Blackened Cigars M81 Corona by Drew Estate

The most successful celebrity cigar collaboration to date, Blackened Cigars from Metallica’s James Hetfield and Drew Estate seized the cigar industry by storm with a series of positive reviews on Halfwheel.com, Cigar Journal, and Cigar Aficionado. All the Blackened vitolas received 90 or higher ratings from Cigar Aficionado. This earned the cigar its number six position on this list of top 10 cigars of 2023. About as maduro as possible, this cigar is a blend of Nicaraguan, American, and Mexican tobacco all rendered to a dark, oily consistency. The corona vitola (5×43) has an inky look with tasting notes of spice such as saffron, nutmeg and cinnamon atop a bready profile, possessing a touch of semi-sweet chocolate and an earthy finish. This cigar rightfully made numerous other top ten or twenty-five cigar lists for 2023.

No. 5: La Palina White Label Churchill

la palina white label churchill

Originally launched in 2021 as an exclusive cigar for member-retailers of the Tobacconists’ Association of America TAA, La Palina White Label is a sumptuous smooth-to-medium-bodied Nicaraguan puro handmade cigar from La Palina. Named for company founder Samuel Paley’s wife in 1896, La Palina cigars are a household name. The White Label brand surged to great success in 2022 and 2023, expanding to several vitolas and earning the number five spot on this list with its Churchill (7×50) size. This vitola earned a 91 score from Cigar Aficionado. Oils from the binder leaf seep through the light wrapper of this bumpy Churchill, which burns and draws easily. Smoking this cigar is like eating a bag of trail mix with notes of raisin, sweet granola clusters, nuts and honey which all recur on the pleasant finish.

No. 4: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso

Open box of 25 count La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso cigars

At the number four position in this list, Ashton’s most popular Nicaraguan handmade La Aroma de Cuba line continues its reign with the high praise of the Mi Amor Belicoso (5.5×54f), recipient of a 95 score from Cigar Aficionado. An elegant, rich smoke that envelops the palate with uncanny notes of malted chocolate and mixed nuts. The sweet and savory elements harmonize beautifully with a salted peanut note, all of which recur on the long finish. The medium to full-bodied profile is terrifically versatile and sought-after by new cigar lovers and seasoned connoisseurs alike. Its decadent, complex finish is entirely original. Pepin’s signature Nicaraguan spices enchant in a savory and immeasurable presentation.

No. 3: Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Robusto

diamond crown julius caeser robusto box open

A sudden departure from Nicaragua’s domination of this list, the Dominican handmade Diamond Crown Julius Caeser cigar secures the number three position. Immensely popular since its release in 2012, the Julius Caeser is J.C. Newman Cigar Co.’s go-to medium-bodied Dominican handmade with tasting notes of cocoa, baker’s spices, and leather. Most recently, Cigar Aficionado rated the Julius Caesar Robusto (4.75×52) as a 91. This cigar is named after famed cigar maker and company founder Julius Caeser Newman. Dark and inky, this cigar produces ample amounts of smoke on the lush draw. It starts strong, but mellows to show notes of creamy chocolate, pecan, toasted coconut and a dried black cherry finish.

No. 2: Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2

Open box of 25 count Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2 cigars

Another Dominican handmade, the Don Carlos No. 2 (5.75×55) earns the second spot on the top 10 cigars of 2023 for its overwhelming consistency and quality. Named in honor of its legendary creator and Fuente family patriarch Don Carlos Fuente, Sr., Arturo Fuente Don Carlos cigars are the world’s finest African Cameroon wrapper smokes. To create this masterpiece, Carlos Fuente, Sr. blended rare, vintage tobaccos that were hand selected and aged 10 years. Though there’s some resistance on the draw, this torpedo burns slow and cool, delivering a bold smoke with very well-pronounced notes of caramel and cocoa powder before the lasting fresh tobacco finish. Cigar Aficionado gave the Don Carlos No. 2 a 94 point rating.

No. 1: Padron Serie 1926 No. 2

padron 1926 serie no. 2 open box

As if there were ever any doubt, a Nicaraguan handmade cigar secures the ultimate spot on this list. The finest Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer in the world, Padron sells their cigars on reputation alone. Regardless of size or blend, a Padron cigar means phenomenal flavor and remarkable quality. The Padron Serie 1926 No. 2 (5.5×52) is a Nicaraguan handmade puro with finely aged tobaccos throughout, causing the cigar to brim with flavor. Earning a 94 rating from Cigar Aficionado, the  earthy, toasty core of this box-pressed belicoso is beautifully accented by layers of chocolate-covered almond, concentrated dried fruit and pure milk chocolate before the spicy finish. Rich and complex. As with anything manufactured by Padron, this one is a sure bet. This is why it has won our #1 spot on our top 10 cigars of 2023.

Top 5 Cigar Gifts This Holiday Season

diamond crown la salle humidor

The holidays are fast approaching! This is one of the busiest times of the year for the cigar industry, but LM will always rise to the occasion. All around the world, men and women are seeking the perfect gift for the cigar aficionado in their life. From American value bundle cigars to Dominican premium handmade cigars, LM has the gift which is sure to not only satisfy but to imprint itself as an indelibly fond memory. LM offers one of the largest selections of gifts and the best cigar prices available anywhere online. Need a sampler of Padron cigars? No problem! Need a humidor gift set? We’ve got it! LM has built itself over a century on value, excellence, and customer service. We will do everything in our power to insure Santa comes down your chimney and leaves smokes—not coal! Take a look through our Top 5 Cigar Gifts This Holiday Season

No. 5: La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 2

la palina goldie laguito no. 2

Until recently, the La Palina Goldie cigar was handmade by just one person. A recent expansion of the rolling team has allowed more La Palina Goldie cigars to enter the market for consumers—just in time for the Holidays! This cigar is a master crafted cigar with extraordinary flavor. Named after company founder Sam Paley’s wife, Goldie Drell, there are several elements that make this cigar truly exceptional: its factory of origin, its blend, and its unique size. This super premium and highly sought-after cigar is produced in Miami’s vibrant Little Havana neighborhood. Another reason behind the Goldie’s exclusivity, is that the blend consists of “Medio Tiempo” leaves, which are found in only a very small percentage of tobacco plants. The cigar’s wrapper is then finished in the traditional Cuban style, gracefully adorned with a fan-tailed cap.

The La Palina Goldie screams elegance, filling the palate with a perfect marriage of flavors such as nut, spice, cedar, and earth along with bursts of sweet & creamy nuances. The La Palina Goldie continues to be recognized as a super-premium, extremely limited, extraordinary cigar that is a must try for enthusiasts and collectors who only seek the best of the best! This 6×38 Laguito size is the perfect gift for the cigar aficionado in your life, giving an unbelievable smoke without keeping them in the cold for too long. This is a smooth to medium cigar that comes in boxes of ten.

No. 4: E.P. Carrillo Triumph Collection

e.p. carrillo triumph collection cigars

Need a stocking stuffer? Why not three? The E.P. Carrillo Triumph Cigar Collection is a carefully curated and crafted trio of award-winning cigars. The Triumph includes the three best cigars Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has ever made. They are La Historia E-III, Encore Majestic, and Pledge Prequel. The Pledge Prequel is Cigar Aficionado’s highest ever rated cigar of the year with a 98 rating! La Historia has a bold, flavorful blend, redolent of coffee, wood and earth, even a touch of briny olive. It’s made with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos with an Ecuadoran binder and a dark wrapper leaf grown in the open sunlight of Mexico’s lush San Andrés Valley.

The Encore Majestic bears filler from Nicaragua’s three primary growing regions—Estelí, Condega and Jalapa—and all of it comes together in a robusto of immaculately detailed flavor that ranges from oak and tea to caramel sweetness with tangy citrus pops of candied orange peel. It’s elegant, refined and nuanced from first puff to last. The E.P. Carrillo Pledge Prequel is a delicious smoke that delivers flavor in bold, zesty parcels of spicy oak, licorice, black cherry and black pepper. Baking spices sing like a holiday chorus, and when you think you’ve tasted all the cigar has to offer, a warm, familiar note of baked apple settles across the palate. These cigars are all medium to full.

No. 3: Nub 4 ct Cigar & Punch Cutter Combo

nub variety sampler

The Nub 4ct Cigar & Punch Cutter Combo is another sampler giftset that is sure to please. Nub cigars appeal to virtually all cigar makers, making it the universal gift for the cigar aficionado in your life. This sampler offers one of each wrapper type for the consumer to try: Connecticut, Cameroon, Habano, and Maduro. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this cigar that immediately starts upon lighting right into that “spot” and hold it through the entire length of the cigar. Nub Cigars were created to hit “the sweet spot” that can’t be found easily with a conventional 5.5” cigar. The cigars come in a 4” length and a little wider ring gauge to get the maximum number of aromas & profile to perfectly capture that “Sweet Spot.” Nub cigars are expertly handmade in Estelí, Nicaragua with long-filler and a variety of different wrapper varietals. While the Nub may have a small form factor, no sacrifices are made when it comes to flavor and experience.

No. 2: Quorum Toro Sampler

quorum 5pack sampler

Quorum cigars are excellent value and make a great gift for an office coworker or extended family member. There is a reason for Quorum’s status as the best-selling Nicaraguan bundle in the world. These cigars offer incredible flavor for incredible value. The Quorum Toro Sampler gives you two smooth to medium Shade Toros, two medium-bodied Classic Toros, and one medium to full Maduro Toro from the Quorum cigar line. Quorum Shade is handmade in Nicaragua using a smooth Connecticut shade seed wrapper filled with premium, Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. A smoother draw make these cigars perfect for even the most discriminating palates. Quorum Classic features aged Nicaraguan filler and savory Nicaraguan binder, complemented by a special sungrown Ecuadorian wrapper. The silky medium brown wrapper with little veining offers a smooth and velvety touch. Quorum Maduro features an aged Nicaraguan filler and savory Nicaraguan binder with a rich maduro wrapper. This full-flavor cigar is rich and peppery with a slight sweet finish.

No. 1: Craftsman’s Bench La Salle Humidor

diamond crown la salle humidor

What do you get for the guy who’s got everything? Easy, more humidor space for his cigars! The Craftsman’s Bench La Salle Humidor is a fabulous humidor for a reasonable price. The humidor measures 9″ x 8 1/2″ x 3,″ enough room for twenty-five or so cigars. This humidor features a handsome red wood exterior with an exotic burled wood center. This humidor comes with a Spanish cedar interior as well as a humidifier, hygrometer, and divider. This is a great choice for a desktop humidor for the true cigar aficionado or those just getting into the hobby. Coincidentally, the humidor has just enough space to hold all the cigars previously mentioned in the gift guide and a few more.

Holiday Corporate Gifts -Personalized Cigars Make Great Party Favors

personalized cigars

The perfect gift

Looking for the perfect gift? Luis Martinez cigars now sells cigars imprinted with custom messages! Luis Martinez is capable of imprinting transparent cellophane or aluminum tubes for customized boxes of handmade cigars. These cigars are the perfect gift for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, office parties, promotions, holiday corporate gifts and any other occasion! Perhaps you’re trying to push your football watch party over the top? Become talk of your friend group with customized Brick House cigars! Want an unforgettable save-the-date keepsake for your daughter’s wedding? Hand out customized Julius Caesar cigars! The only regret you’ll have with these cigars is you didn’t buy enough.

Personalize your message

Luis Martinez offers personalized cellophane tubes over top of Nicaraguan and Dominican handmade cigars. Cellophane tubes are more casual than imprinted aluminum tubes and are a great gift for family gatherings and intimate occasions. Cellophane is the industry-standard packaging for all cigars to prevent contamination or damage. Cellophane also offers an extra layer of protection for the cigar to prevent moisture loss. The imprinting machine allows twenty-one characters a line with up to three lines of characters per cellophane tube. The imprint machine allows for several colors for the lettering including gold, silver, pink, and blue. Surprise your spouse or family member with customized cigars on their birthday!

J.C. Newman Cigar Options

From the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Nicaraguan portfolio, the company offers Brick House and the box-pressed Perla del Mar. These cigars are available with shade (smooth), natural (medium-bodied), or maduro (full-bodied). From the super-premium J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Dominican portfolio, the company offers Diamond Crown and Julius Caesar. Diamond Crown is a smooth to medium-bodied cigar with a finely aged Connecticut Shade wrapper. Julius Caesar is a medium-bodied cigar with a rich Ecuadorian wrapper. All the Nicaraguan cigars are available as boxes of twenty-five. The Dominican cigars, however, come as a box of fifteen or box of twenty. All these cigars are available in customized cellophane tubes.

Brick House is a classic J.C. Newman brand and arguably one of their most popular brands. Brick House cigars are handmade in J.C. Newman PENSA, the second largest cigar factory by volume in Central America. Brick House Double Connecticut Cigars are smooth to medium-bodied cigars with a grassy and sweet Connecticut Shade wrapper and an earthy and rich Connecticut Broadleaf binder. Brick House Naturals are medium-bodied cigars with a spicy and sweet Ecuadorian Havana-seed wrapper. Brick House Maduros are medium to full-bodied cigars with a rich and spicy Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. These are some of the most successful Nicaraguan handmade cigars in the world.

Perla del Mar is a newcomer to J.C. Newman’s portfolio, by comparison. The cigar has only recently gained a lot of momentum with its new Corojo-seed wrapper line extension. These cigars are box-pressed, meaning they have a square body which allows for a more consistent smoking experience. Perla del Mar Shade cigars are smooth to medium-bodied cigars with a grassy and sweet Ecuadorian Shade wrapper. Perla del Mar Corojo cigars are medium to full-bodied cigars with a spicy and flavorful Ecuadorian Corojo-seed wrapper. Perla del Mar Maduro cigars are medium to full-bodied cigars with a rich and earthy Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. These cigars are exquisite and diverse, allowing the perfect cigar for a myriad of special occasions.

Holiday Corporate Gifts

Luis Martinez also offers customized stickers for aluminum tubes. Aluminum, glass, and crystal tubes are a hardcase enclosure for the cigar, offering better and more permanent protection for the tobacco. Need a timeless souvenir for a corporate anniversary, holiday corporate gifts or retirement party? Look no further! Need a remarkable gift for a company dinner or tradeshow? Impress your clients! The advantage of hardcase tubes over cellophane is the creativity allowed by the imprint sticker. Customers can upload a personal photo as a .jpg or .png and have it transposed onto the cigar imprint sticker. This makes a great personal touch for fraternal organizations or community events.

Order your personalized cigars today at www.LMCigars.com

Top 5 Tailgate Cigars for Fall

don rafael 1998 reserve toro natural

Tailgating season is upon us! Stock up on cigars at www.lmcigars.com for the best time of the year. Cigars and football, name a better pairing! There are plenty of ballers who transitioned to the cigar industry, from Cam Newton’s cigar lounge to Jay Cutler’s Outsider cigar brand. Plenty of industry men were studs in their day too, such as Eric Newman or John Oliva, Jr. Despite being a Florida company, Luis Martinez is an equal opportunity cigar website and offers great deals and excellent cigars to all fans. Whether you’re in a cigar lounge, the stadium parking lot, or the comfort of your own mancave or smoking room, you deserve to light up and let up with a fine cigar watching your team soars to heights of glory or sinks to the bottom of the division. The following guide provides a list of recommendations from Luis Martinez’s stock, including new arrivals to their premium cigar roster and great savings for your wallet.

No. 5: Plasencia Alma del Fuego Candente (10ct Box)

plasencia alma del fuego candente

 Plasencia is a household name for cigar enjoyers due to the hard work, grit, and determination displayed by patriarch Nestor Plasencia, Sr. despite trials and tribulations faced transplanting the family from their homeland of Cuba to the lush tobacco fields of Honduras and Nicaragua. If not for the pioneering resolution of the Plasencia family, the cigar industry in Central America would be negligible and there might not be the quality leaf we cigar aficionados enjoy today. There is a reason virtually everyone in the cigar industry buys tobacco from Plasencia farms and warehouses. They grow some of the best quality leaf in the world. Only recently, compared to their history of tobacco farming, did Plasencia rock the cigar industry by putting out smash hit after smash hit of premium handmade cigar. The Plasencia Alma del Fuego line of cigars is a bold and spicy blend of sun grown tobacco which highlight the alluvial, volcanic soils of Ometepe and the sapid, Windsor soils of Jalapa, two growing regions in Nicaragua famed for the quality of their respective tobacco leaves. To the pride of the Plasencia family, Alma del Fuego cigars are Nicaraguan puros and thus medium to full-bodied. The cigar offers a hint of spice, complemented by savory notes of tangerine, roasted cashews, and guava wood. The Candente (robusto, 5×50) size takes about an hour to smoke, making it the perfect pre-game ritual.

No. 4: Ashton (Classic) Corona (25ct Box)

Open box of 25 count Ashton Corona cigars

Ashton has been a monolith on the cigar landscape since the cigar boom in the 1990’s. Known primarily for their Dominican high-end cigars, such as the Ashton VSG or the Ashton Cabinet, the Ashton Classic is an old standby often overshadowed by its showier cousins. The ideal off-hand for the tailgate’s grill master or bartender, the Ashton Classic offers a mellow and enjoyable smoke for any occasion. Ashton defines premium Dominican taste in an iconic profile, unsurpassed in quality and consistency. Luxurious Dominican binder and filler tobaccos, aged three to four years, support a rich, golden-blond Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf. Savor an impressive portrait of cedar, coffee bean, almond, hay, and cashew notes with a touch of sweetness and spice around the edges. New cigar lovers and seasoned connoisseurs discover and relive their affinity for premium cigars with the Cigar Aficionado 92-rated Ashton Classic. Although many cigar manufacturers produce larger ring gauge cigars, the slimmer Corona highlights the rich aroma of the Connecticut Shade wrapper. The cigar takes about an hour to smoke and burns evenly throughout the smoking experience. Ashton has been making these quality cigars longer than your team’s last Super Bowl appearance, enjoy!

No. 3: Brick House (Natural) Teaser (28ct Box)

25 count open box brick house teaser cigars

Brick House cigars rank amongst the most smoked Nicaraguan cigars of all time. Go to any cigar shop in America and you will see a plethora of Brick House cigar boxes open with a wide range of sizes available for purchase. Whether it’s a Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro or a Brick House Double Connecticut Short Torpedo, however, nobody can beat the prices and saving offered by Luis Martinez Cigars. Now that it’s tailgating season, stock up on a box or two of Brick House! Brick House cigars are a great value stick and therefore perfect whether you are going to watch college ball or the NFL. Light up in the student section after a victory or smoke around the outdoor firepit in the backyard on gameday. Recently, Brick House cigars have become available in the “teaser” size (3.5×56). An overnight sensation, the Brick House Teaser cigar has become one of the most talked about cigars and a best seller nationwide. Brick House teaser awards include the Best Bargain Cigar of 2009 and a place in the Top 25 Cigars of 2010 by Cigar Aficionado. The cigar is a medium-bodied cigar with a sapid Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over top a bold, nutty blend of finely aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. This cigar is a fantastic smoke that takes about an hour or less.

No. 2: Leather Rose Torpedo (24ct Box)

Open box of 24 count Deadwood Leather Rose cigars

 In the same vein of great Nicaraguan value cigars for tailgating season, the Deadwood Tobacco Co. makes some of the most popular cigars in the American market. These are flavor infused cigars which have a sweet, chocolatey taste which pairs nicely with the peppery, leather-like taste of Nicaraguan tobacco. Some cigar aficionados are purists and view any violation of a tobacco’s natural flavor as an affront to their sensibilities. Go to any cigar shop in America, however, and you will see the popularity of flavor infused cigars firsthand. Deadwood Tobacco Co. cigars, such as the Sweet Jane or Fat Bottom Betty, move faster than most other brands. These cigars are popular for a good reason. The Leather Rose Torpedo (5×54 torpedo) represents the best value offered by the company as a box of twenty-four cigars. These cigars are medium to full-bodied Nicaraguan handmade cigars. The Deadwood Leather Rose Torpedo cigars are wrapped in a Maduro wrapper and blended with aromatic, exotic Nicaraguan tobaccos that bring out the natural sweetness of the cigars. This cigar takes about an hour to smoke and is the prefect party cigar for newer smokers to enjoy alongside more seasoned veterans at the tailgate.

No. 1: Don Rafael 1998 Reserva Natural Toro (20ct Box)

don rafael 1998 reserve toro natural

The Don Rafael 1998 Reserva Natural Toro cigar by Victor Sinclair was made in honor of the year Don Rafael cigars were released to the public. Since 1998, Don Rafael cigars have been a go-to value stick for countless cigar aficionados across the globe. This latest blend crafted by Victor Sinclair is hand rolled in the Dominican Republic using aged tobaccos from four different countries and a golden Natural wrapper for a flavorful smooth cigar that can be enjoyed anytime of the day, perfect for the afternoon pre-game rituals of grilling and drinking. If you know cigars, you know this must be a special cigar as it was created to showcase and honor the legendary Don Rafael cigar brand from Victor Sinclair. See for yourself why Don Rafael is a timeless classic! The Don Rafael 1998 Reserva Natural Toro is a smooth to medium-bodied Dominican handmade cigar, delivering a mellow aroma which lingers gently on the palate. The cigar smokes evenly for about an hour with a flavorful blend of aged tobaccos.

Top 5 Cigars of the Summer

Cohiba red dot toro cigar

The dog days of summer are upon us, but for Luis Martinez and cigar aficionados like you this is the best time of the year. Every year in July, hundreds of manufacturers and thousands of cigar retailers descend upon Las Vegas for the annual PCA trade show. The trade show is a cigar aficionado’s wet dream with every new cigar, accessory, and humidor gadget on display. Luis Martinez will offer many of these new cigar brands and, in the spirit of the season, offers a list of this summer’s hottest and fastest moving cigars. Heat index permitting, enjoy these top 5 cigars of the summer outdoors on the pool deck or in your favorite patio lounging chair.

No. 5: Undercrown Shade

Undercrown is a Drew Estate brand of cigars blended by industry grandmaster and blender Willy Herrera. These cigars let the tobacco speaks for itself using a complex and compelling blend of the finest aged Nicaraguan filler tobaccos from Esteli and Jalapa. The wrapper and binder varies for these cigars but none are finer for a summer stick than the Undercrown Shade Especiale. This cigar has an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper and Sumatran binder, providing a mellow and enjoyable smoking experience. These cigars are available as a (6×50) box of 10. An alternative buying option is the Undercrown Shade Gran Toro (6×52) fresh pack of five which is a very similar tobacco blend and flavor profile but half the price. These cigars are perfect anytime of a summer day. The cigar lights easy and smoothly, staying lit as the ideal poolside or beach cigar. A great companion to a wheat beer or coffee, this cigar takes about an hour and a half to smoke. This is the optimal time to spend outside in the summer sun under the veranda shade. For a quick, inexpensive summer smoke, consider this Undercrown Shade Toro Especiale. This cigar is mild and grassy with notes of peanuts and white pepper. This cigar is consistently ranked one of the best cigars on Luis Martinez due to its value and quality. Undercrown ranks as #5 on top 5 cigars of the summer.

undercrown shade box of cigars

No. 4: Oliva Connecticut Reserve

Oliva Connecticut Reserve is one of the most popular smooth to medium-bodied shade wrapper cigars available at humidors and cigar shops across the United States. Now available on Luis Martinez, this cigar is one of the website’s top cigars with additional savings over brick-and-mortar storefronts and even other online cigar retail websites. This cigar comes as a box of 20 Connecticut Reserve Robusto (5×50) or, as an alternate buying option, a box of 10 Connecticut Reserve Double Toro (6×60). These cigars are silky smooth and produce the kind of licorice-smelling, spicy-sweet smoke that lights up a room. Alternatively, these cigars generate a lot of smoke and are the best friend of someone flyfishing or cooking at an outdoor barbecue—they’ll keep the mosquitoes away! The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Shade on top of premium Nicaraguan binder and long filler tobacco. These cigars deserve their many accolades. Indeed, Cigar Aficionado rated this cigar a 95. The cigar is a quick, hour-long smoke with notes of cedar and hay throughout the cigar. The rest of the tobacco burning in unison with the Ecuador Shade wrapper creates a complex blend of peppery, nutty bouquet. Smokers shouldn’t hesitate to purchase a box of these cigars as they often get sold out and backordered for several months. Oliva Connecticut Reserve ranks as #4 on top 5 cigars of the summer.

oliva connecticut reserve double toro box open

No. 3: Rocky Patel Edge Maduro

Breaking the mold of Summer Shade for a moment, the Rocky Patel Edge Battalion Maduro is a full-bodied Honduran handmade cigar with an exceptional blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Connecticut tobaccos. At 6×60, this cigar is a larger ring gauge compared to the previous two brands discussed and is fully loaded with flavor. Rocky Patel has long been known for his experimentation with the bolder flavors of filler tobaccos grown in the volcanic, alluvial soils of Nicaragua and Honduras. The Edge is one of the most popular premium value cigars found in humidors across the United States. The Edge Battalion Maduro takes the value and flavor of its milder siblings and cranks it up to eleven. Rocky Patel The Edge, no doubt one of the stronger cigars in the Rocky Patel line. Extraordinarily well-balanced, the complexity and strength of the cigar is savory and aromatic. This cigar is constructed entirely of 5-year-aged tobacco and makes a statement with its peppery, dry finish. These cigars take about an hour and a half to smoke, the perfect cigar for summer evenings. The cigar bears tasting notes of peanuts, white pepper, moss, molasses, and earth. These cigars come in boxes of twenty and represent remarkable value, an excellent way to end the summer and usher in the fall. Rocky Patel Edge Maduro ranks as #3 on top 5 cigars of the summer.

rocky patel edge maduro battalion box

No. 2: Alec Bradley Prensado

Despite their recent acquisition at the hands of General Cigar Co., Alec Bradley has not skipped a beat as far as its production quality and quantity. Of its diverse and varied portfolio, few brands are as popular and highly regarded as the Alec Bradley Prensado. Literally translating to “pressed” in Spanish, Prensado cigars are long-filler handmade cigars made in the classic Cuban “entubado” style with a triple cap. Finally, these cigars are box-pressed in production crates at the famous Raices Cubanas factory in Danli, Honduras. This is one of the top cigars to try this summer. These cigars are exquisite, and their praise is cemented by frequent accolades, such as the Cigar Aficionado #1 Cigar of the Year in 2011 (rated 96). Luis Martinez has the honor of selling Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill cigars in boxes of twenty-four. These cigars are 7×48 Churchills which take about an hour and a half to two hours to smoke. This cigar uses a gorgeous wrapper grown from proprietary Honduran Corojo Cuban-seed tobaccos. This wrapper is complimented nicely by a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos which create a medium-to-full bodied cigar with a spicy sweet aroma and a leather-like, chocolaty finish. This is a great medium-bodied cigar to round out your summer selection. Alec Bradley Prensado ranks as #2 on top 5 cigars of the summer.

No. 1: Cohiba Red Dot

Cohiba is Cuba’s national brand, synonymous with quality and rarity. The brand derives its name from the long grasses the indigenous Cubans would smoke. The brand derives its fame from the extremely limited production, reserved for Fidel Castro and his favored party members alone. The American Cohiba brand, owned and distributed by General Cigar Co., allows the everyman to participate in the legend and mystique of Cohiba cigars and Cuban(-seed) tobacco. The Cohiba Red Dot is especially lauded for its constituent blend of unique, sapid tobaccos. Uncommon even for the long-reaching tendrils of General Cigar Co.’s influence, the cigar bears an aged Cameroon wrapper over top a blend of Indonesian binder tobacco and Dominican filler tobaccos. The result is a singular smoking experience of creamy, nutty flavors which are sweet and pleasant from foot to head. This is a cigar you will find yourself smoking on lazy summer afternoons. The robusto size (5×50) makes a quick smoke for someone with limited time. The cigar box attests to the quality of its product, “Meticulously handcrafted in the Dominican Republic, Cohiba is the product of masterful blending. Featuring three varieties of Cuban seed tobaccos aged under the watchful eyes of our artisans, Cohiba is a dimensional, slightly-spicy smoke created for the initiated.” Cohiba Red Dot ranks as #1 on top 5 cigars of the summer.

Cohiba red dot toro cigar
Cohiba red dot toro cigar

Mi Querida Cigar Review

mi querida ancho corto open

Steve Saka was not a household name twenty years ago. When a cigar aficionado hears the name Padron or Fuente, ears perk up and the mind’s eye conjures forth images of tobacco and cigars, built upon generations of customer service and tobacco excellence. Steve Saka, on the other hand, seeks to make himself a legend in a single generation. Like Napoleon Bonaparte or Andrew Jackson, Saka surged forth from relative obscurity and took the industry by storm, hoping to make a name for himself in a single generation. Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Saka’s own firm, has amassed a huge following since its inception in the mid-2010’s. The brand enjoys so much recognition that its cultural ephemera, tchotchke items like the SakaSquatch statue, have a cult following. Indeed, every new allocated size or blend of Sobremesa or Sin Compromiso is snatched up by rabid fans akin to Drewbies (Drew Estate enjoyers). Saka’s children, such as Stillwell Star or Umbagog, are household names in the modern cigar shop. The Dunbarton website proclaims the quality of Saka, alongside his refusal to compromise:

“Cigars without compromise: This is an expression of our closely held ethos and states in just three simple words everything we wish to accomplish here at DTT. Cigars are more than just a passion for us; they are our life.

We want to create puros that pay respectful tribute to the long, vaulted history of handmade vitolas, honor the dedicated works of all the vegueros, torcedors and artists who dedicate their labors to this timeless craft. Our goal is to always offer the connoisseur an unparalleled smoking experience bar none.

Our ligador and catador de puros, Steve Saka, demands the most exact standards be honored at all times.
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s cigars have all been rated exceptionally high including at the very top of hundreds of annual lists and we are the only maker to have been named the “Company of the Year” for 4 Consecutive Years by the Halfwheel™ Consensus.”

Steve Saka infiltrated the cigar industry way back in the 1980’s. Initially a cigar blogger and consultant for cigar retailer and distributor JR Cigars, Saka has been a noticeable presence in the cigar industry for more than twenty years. His prolific knowledge of cigars came from the careful tutelage of JR’s Lew Rothman. In the early 2000’s, Saka directed his energies towards making some of the finest Nicaraguan cigars in the world. Working alongside Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel, later adding Willy Herrera to the blend, Saka forged Liga Privada and Hererra Esteli into instantly recognizable Nicaraguan brands. Within a couple of years of each brand’s respective origin, these cigars were seen in virtually every humidor and cigar shop across America.

When Drew Estate was bought out by the juggernaut that is Swisher International in 2014, Saka decided to strike out on his own. A Nicaraguan tobacco farmer once offhandedly mentioned to Saka, “It is better to keep the head of a rat than the tail of a lion.” This inspired him to begin again with cigars that were unfiltered, uncompromised Saka. From 2015 to the present, Saka has focused all his might into the myriad blends of Dunbarton. Long lauded for his tobacco knowledge, Saka put his money where his mouth was by releasing successive brands which ranked among the best cigars in the world. They say that success has many fathers, and that failure is an orphan. Dunbarton’s only father, however, is Steve Saka. Like their peppery, burly progenitor, each Dunbarton cigar bristles with the piquant flavor of Nicaragua’s volcanic soil.

Nicaraguan tobacco began as an inexpensive alternative to Cuban tobacco in a cigar industry reeling from the Cuban Embargo. Even in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Nicaraguan tobacco and cigar production was a convenient secondary source of leaf but, overall, an inferior grade to the Dominican and Cuban brands of the world. Now, however, Nicaragua is the king of the tobacco world. Many of the world’s most prestigious cigar manufacturers, such as Padron or Plasencia, rule over massive cigar factories and even larger tobacco fields. The brands of Nicaragua are known the world over for quality and quantity. As Honduran and Dominican imported cigars diminish, Nicaraguan imported cigars continue to grow in volume, variety, and quality. No finer Nicaraguan cigars are made than those from the Jalapa and Condega regional tobaccos grown and aged by the Perez family (A.S.P.). No finer Nicaraguan cigars are made than those hand-rolled at the Joya de Nicaragua, S.A. and Nicaragua American Cigar, S.A. factories in the heart of Esteli. To his delight, Steve Saka’s cigars are hand-rolled at these two factories with tobacco from the Perez family.

A US Navy veteran, it should not come as a shock when Saka’s brand names ooze with a bit of sailor humor and sex appeal. Named after the pet name Nicaraguan men often use to refer to their mistress, Mi Querida is a dark and alluring cigar. Exploding with the flavor of a forbidden love affair, Mi Querida is one of the more popular cigars in Saka’s portfolio. Saka comments on the brand,

“Cigar wise, it represents my personal maduro desires: a robust, extremely flavorful liga (blend) comprised of rich Nicaraguan leaf hand rolled in a 100% naturally fermented, heavy Broadleaf capa (wrapper). Earthy and dense with a long teasing, slightly dirty finish, Mi Querida is delightfully lush and full bodied on the palate offering an extremely satisfying experience for the most passionate of cigar smokers.”

Mi Querida is handcrafted at the recently renovated NACSA cigar factory under the stewardship of their new Master Cigarmaker Raul Disla. The cigar is fairly allocated with only select retailers receiving the cigar as a box of twenty.

Mi Querida Cigar Review

The cigar speaks for itself. Not to distract the cigar aficionado with bells and whistles, the band is a slender red and gold paper ring. It delicately enshrines the luscious Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The color of an oily and inviting dark chocolate, the cigar causes the mouth the water at a mere glance. Its smell is beyond words, to boot. The cigar smells of dark fruits and barnyard hay and gives a cold draw reminiscent of cocoa, charred hickory, and graham crackers. Being a rich and oily maduro, the cigar takes a good toasting but lights beautifully and burns evenly throughout the hour and a half smoking experience. The cigar builds in intensity towards the back half and finishes with the powerful taste of earth and spices, such as anise and black pepper. The cigar is the kind which leaves you smelling your hand and face in fond remembrance of its smoky flavor.

 Besides providing Mi Querida as one of the finest Broadleaf Maduro cigars in the world, Dunbarton also offers the Triqui Traca (a kind of long-fused firecracker in Nicaragua) as the Mi Querida’s more flavorful and full-bodied cousin. If a smoother, more balanced Broadleaf Maduro is your pace, Dunbarton also offers the Sobremesa Maduro. Finally, the Sobremesa Brulee is a sweet, grassy Shade-wrapper cigar for those just trying to start their day instead of rushing to the explosive or earthy finish. Steve Saka stands as one of the grandmasters of the modern cigar industry. It is for this reason that Luis Martinez is proud to offer a good portion of his company’s selection for purchase online.

Making Memories: Why Personalized Cigars are the Perfect Wedding Favor and Unique Gift

BRICK HOUSE PERSONALIZED CIGARS

What to gift your wedding guests

Planning a wedding involves countless decisions, from choosing the venue to selecting the perfect menu. However, when it comes to showing gratitude to your guests for attending your special day, why not opt for a unique and memorable favor that will leave a lasting impression? At LM Cigars, we specialize in personalized cigars that are sure to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to your wedding celebration. In this article, we will explore the world of personalized cigars and why they are the perfect choice for couples who want to make their wedding truly unforgettable.

It’s all in the details

When it comes to personalizing your wedding, every detail matters. Personalized cigars offer a unique opportunity to add a special touch that reflects your personalities as a couple. Imagine your guests’ delight as they receive a cigar adorned with your names, wedding date, or even a photo of you. It’s these personalized details that make your wedding truly yours and create a sense of connection with your loved ones. By incorporating personalized cigars into your wedding, you infuse a sense of warmth and thoughtfulness into every aspect of the event, ensuring that it will be remembered for years to come.

A wedding keepsake

Weddings are filled with cherished memories, and personalized cigars serve as the perfect keepsake to commemorate your special day. Unlike many other wedding favors that may be forgotten or left behind, cigars have a timeless quality that can be preserved for years. Guests can take them home and savor the experience long after the wedding day has passed, with each puff evoking memories of your joyous celebration. By offering personalized cigars as a gift, you provide your guests with a unique and unexpected memento that will serve as a reminder of the love and happiness shared on your wedding day.

A wedding is more than just an event; it is an experience. Personalized cigars can help you create a truly memorable and immersive experience for your guests. Consider setting up a cigar bar at your wedding reception, where guests can gather and enjoy the finest handcrafted cigars. This creates a sophisticated ambiance, inviting guests to relax, indulge, and savor the moment. The presence of personalized cigars adds an air of sophistication and elegance, elevating the overall atmosphere of your wedding. By incorporating these cigars into your celebration, you offer your guests an experience that is truly unforgettable.

A cocktail hour experience

Weddings can be exhilarating but also a bit overwhelming for both the couple and the guests. Providing personalized cigars offers your guests a moment of relaxation amidst the joyful chaos. As the celebrations unfold, guests can find solace in a quiet corner, indulging in the soothing ritual of enjoying a finely crafted cigar. It becomes a time to unwind, reflect on the day’s events, and appreciate the love and happiness that surrounds them. By gifting personalized cigars, you provide your guests with a tranquil respite, allowing them to fully embrace and enjoy the festivities.

At LM Cigars, we understand the importance of customization when it comes to your wedding. We offer a range of customization options to ensure that your personalized cigars perfectly align with your vision. On our custom cigars page, you will find detailed information about the various customization options available. From selecting the type of cigar to choosing the design and message on the label, you have the freedom to create a truly unique and personalized experience for your guests. Our personalized cigars are versatile and can be tailored to fit different wedding themes and styles, ensuring that every detail harmonizes with your overall vision.

Ordering personalized cigars for your wedding from LMCigars.com is a straightforward and hassle-free process. As you plan your wedding, we encourage you to consider personalized cigars as a distinctive and unforgettable wedding favor or gift. They allow you to express your gratitude to your guests in a meaningful way while adding a touch of sophistication and elegance to your celebration. To learn more about our customization options and place an order, visit LMCigars.com. Let LM Cigars help you make your wedding day truly extraordinary with personalized cigars that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.

LM Cigars Sells Black & Mild Cigars

Black and Mild original

History of Black & Mild Cigars

When John Middleton opened his small Philadelphia tobacco shop in 1856, he could have scarcely imagined that almost a century later his successors would make a brand which would ascend to preeminence above all other cigars in American history. Originally a pipe seller and blender of pipe tobaccos, John Middleton’s success as a tobacconist blossomed into its own manufactory in 1960. The factory built in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania still operates alongside other facilities in Limerick, Pennsylvania and Richmond, Virginia. Two of these facilities create Black & Mild cigars as well as some of the original pipe blends such as Prince Albert, Carter Hall, and Middleton’s Cherry Blend. Prince Albert, subject of a timeless joke, is burned into the American consciousness as well as the Black & Mild cigars burn outside every gas station, convenience store, and pharmacy.

 Pennsylvania used to be a huge manufacturing hub for tobacco. Lancaster County is home to huge communities of Amish and Mennonite farmers. This remains a source of the world’s finest broadleaf maduro wrappers. Allentown and Reading were twin cities for tobacco excellence, manufacturing dozens of the world’s finest cigar brands. Philadelphia, too, hosted many cigar manufacturers. Indeed, some Tampa and New York manufacturers relocated their factories to Pennsylvania with the advent of cigarmaking machines. Mechanization created a veritable colossus of cigarette, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, and cigars in the state. Out of this culture of tobacco and smoking, Black & Mild cigars was born.

Black & Mild cigars are the second most popular cigar of all time in the United States, just behind Swisher Sweets. Exploding onto the scene in 1968, The brand came to dominate almost all commercial drugstore humidors by 1996. These cigars are as American as Apple Pie. Indeed, John Middleton owns a significant share of the Philadelphia Phillies. As success mounted, the family switched from retail storefronts to mail-order and finally a totally manufacturing business. While many of the other great Pennsylvania cigar brands, such as Red Lion or Phillies, may have fallen off in popularity, Black & Mild and Gold & Mild continue to dominate. As recently as 2009, Black & Mild cigars made up nearly a third of all cigar products sold in the United States.

Recently, John Middleton was purchased by the tobacco juggernaut of Altria Group or Phillip Morris Companies, Inc. Altria Group is one of the largest tobacco product manufacturers in the world, generating an estimated $21 billion dollars in revenue. This huge corporation allows John Middleton to thrive under its shade, guaranteeing the quality of Black & Mild cigars for the future. Altria, meaning “highest” in Spanish, puts a great amount of care into the quality and success of its products. This means that Black & Mild cigars and its variations and line extensions ought to represent the highest form of non-premium cigar for the money.

Just as Phillip Morris designed its cigarettes to have the pleasant aroma of cigars, the concept for Black & Mild cigars was born first from the consumer desire to enjoy the unique taste of Cavendish pipe tobacco without the hassle of attuning a pipe, packing the bowl, and the messy cleaning process afterwards. Cavendish is not a plant or tobacco varietal. It was named after British explorer Sir Thomas Cavendish who preferred smoking a blend of Virginia and Burley tobaccos which was put through a specific curing process and cutting method. After their curing process, Cavendish tobaccos are steamed, usually with sugars or flavoring in the water, to infuse the tobacco with moisture and a subtle sweetness. Following steaming, the tobacco is stored under pressure for an additional curing period. Pressing can last from a few days to several weeks and flavorings and/or casing can be added at any stage throughout the process. The color and flavor of the Cavendish varies between natural and black, depending on what flavoring is added and how vigorous the pressing.

Black & Mild original
Black & Mild Original

Black & Mild Cigars

Black & Mild is most notable for its sweet-smelling smoke, which is where the brand’s slogan “Tastes great! Smells great!” comes from. The tobaccos used for the blend in Black & Mild come from Virginia, Kentucky, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. Black & Mild are unique for selling their cigars with 4 different tip options: plastic, wood, untipped, and filter-tipped. Furthermore, Black & Mild cigars come with a sugar, vanilla, or wine flavor infusion. Black & Mild cigars are small and require less than an hour to smoke. Indeed, some enjoyers of Black & Mild cigars smoke several a day. For that reason, many retailers sell them in cases of fifty!

Recently, Luis Martinez brought Black & Mild into our inventory. Currently, we offer the Original, Select, and Wine flavors in the plastic tip. The flavors are sold in 10/5 packs for a total of 50 cigars. The Original Black & Mild is made from a special blend of Black Cavendish and Golden Virginia tobaccos grown in Pennsylvania. This cigar gives the smokers an alternative to the pipe. It still offers the pleasant, strong flavor typically associated with it. The Black & Mild Wine features the same combination of Black Cavendish and Virginia tobaccos as the Original, but with a sweet taste of red wine added to create a unique flavor profile. The Black & Mild Select cigar is a sweet, smooth smoke with a slightly fruity aftertaste. These cigars represent phenomenal value for someone who truly enjoys Black & Mild cigars.

Luis Martinez cigars claims an excellence and guarantee of value which stretches back over a century to the finest cigar factories in Tampa, Key West, and New York. This tradition pairs well with the promises and heritage of John Middleton Co. and Philip Morris. Luis Martinez is proud to sell Black & Mild cigars as these cigars are paragons of excellence and value. Indeed, Black & Mild cigars are some of the best sellers on the Luis Martinez online website. Before dismissing Black & Mild cigars as gas station cigars, try some for yourself. The inexpensive price-point of these cigars certainly warrants it.