Category: Cigar

If you are looking for a good, sweet-tipped cigar, Baccarat is a safe bet. Baccarat Havana the Game is a brand of sweet-tipped cigars produced by Oettinger Davidoff AG at Diadema Cigars de Honduras SA, the Davidoff factory in Honduras. The cigar is produced in a number of sizes, but one of the most appealing is the Baccarat Churchill (7”x50). At $94.25 for a box of twenty-five, it is difficult to beat the value per stick. The Baccarat Churchill is a quality sweet-tipped cigar that offers a long smoke and good time.

The Baccarat Churchill is your typical Parejo Churchill-sized cigar (7”x50) with an attractive Connecticut Shade wrapper, Mexican binder, and Honduran filler. Besides the golden glow of the flawless Connecticut Shade wrapper, the cigar possesses an inviting aroma emanating from the foot. The cold draw is decidedly sweet from the sweet tip, but the wholesome and nutty flavors of the Connecticut Shade also pierce the absolute threshold of the palate. The cigar lights smoothly after a good toasting of the foot. When smoking, the cigar tastes of vanilla and white sugar from the sweet tip as well as cinnamon, coriander, peanuts, and toasted wheat from the tobacco. The cigar burns evenly with a dark gray ash.

The Baccarat Churchill burned for an hour and a half, a good fishing or golfing cigar. The value of the cigar is certainly there in terms of flavor, smoking experience, and smoking duration. Another selling point on the Baccarat is the wooden chest for the cigars. The Baccarat Churchill is a very good, sweet-tipped cigar and frequently rates as a favorite of sweet-tipped cigar smokers. Its quality comes as no surprise and anyone who enjoys sweet-tipped cigars is encouraged to purchase a box. Light up a Baccarat and let the good times roll!

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. recently refreshed the branding on their Perla Del Mar brand of cigars. The cigars, iconic for their unique box press and value, received a change to the cigar box art as well as the cigar blend. Perla Del Mar was originally a brand owned by the Perfecto Garcia & Bros. Cigar Company, a Tampa-based manufacturer and neighbor to J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Perfecto Garcia manufactured cigars until their Tampa factory closed in 1981. Honoring the legacy of the brand’s Tampa roots, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. released the new Perla Del Mar in a “Tampa-style” box press. The Tampa-style gives the cigars a more rectangular appearance. The filler blend for the new Perla Del Mar underwent additional aging and changed to include more viso leaves.

The new Perla Del Mar Maduro features a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. With all honesty, the new Perla Del Mar Maduro is better than it has ever been. The new blend brings notes of acidity and spice which balance the rich, dark flavor of the broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The result is a phenomenal everyday Maduro with a unique shape from the Tampa-style box press.

The Perla Del Mar Maduro Corona Gorda is one of the best sizes offered by J.C. Newman Cigar Co. At 5.5’x46, the smaller ring gauge of the corona gorda accentuates the flavor of the aged broadleaf maduro wrapper. With this size, the wrapper’s tasting notes of black coffee and mole sauce are at the forefront of the cigar’s profile.

At a glance, the cigar bears a beautiful dark brown wrapper with an oily sheen. The cigar is aromatic and pleasing, bearing floral notes with some pepper. The cigar lights easily and evenly, maintaining a consistent burn rate throughout the smoking experience. With tasting notes of dark roasted coffee and cocoa nibs, the broadleaf Maduro is a delight and a constant companion. The long filler of the cigar adds in secondary tasting notes of molasses, leather, pepper, orange peel, and cinnamon. The strength of the cigar builds with each third but never overwhelms, instead providing a nice boost to the flavor profile. The retrohale of the cigar proves a bit sharp, but generally enjoyable. The cigar takes about forty-five minutes to smoke and its ash holds together quite well. The Perla Del Mar Maduro is a fantastic everyday Maduro, providing rich flavors and incredible value. At $143.75 for a box of twenty-five, the Perla Del Mar Maduro Corona Gorda is a fine addition to anyone’s humidor. With the new blend and the “Tampa-style” box press, the Perla Del Mar represents a new and sensational smoking experience for everyone.

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.

Hello Nicaragua!

As Honduran and Dominican imported cigars diminish, Nicaraguan imported cigars continue to grow in volume, variety, and quality. Out of the millions of cigars imported by the United States from Nicaragua, a significant fraction are J.C. Newman handmade cigars. J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is the second largest producer of cigars in Nicaragua, making upwards of twenty-five million cigars a year. A highly praised brand is J.C. Newman’s Nicaraguan handmade value cigar: the Quorum. Quorum cigars come in a huge range of sizes, possessing either an Ecuadorian shade or Sumatran sungrown wrapper.

The Havana Qis one of the latest Nicaraguan releases from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. and a line extension to the hugely successful and popular Quorum brand of value bundle cigars. The Havana Q represents excellent value and flavor, an awesome everyday smoke. The primary concept behind the Havana Q was to offer the consumer bigger, bolder flavors at the same Quorum price point. The wrapper tobacco for the Havana Q comes from the alluvial soil of the Guayas Province in Ecuador, which imparts the tobacco with sapid and appetizing flavors. The rich profile of the Havana Q wrapper tobacco is reminiscent of “Old World” (Cuban) tobaccos, hence the name. Indeed, the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. website reads,

Seeking a more robust addition to the Quorum family, J.C. Newman began producing Quorums in larger calibers with a spicy Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The final evolution of this tinkering was the Havana Q. Havana Q cigars are the classic taste of Cuban-seed tobacco seen in long-filler cigars with the unbeatable value of short-filler cigars. Havana Q is the perfect solution to the needs of the everyday cigar smoker. These cigars are sure to satisfy and burn as well as a cigar several magnitudes its senior in price point. One out of every seven cigars imported from Nicaragua every year is now a Quorum or a Havana Q. If Nicaragua is the king of tobacco, Havana Q is its royal scepter.

“Did you ever wonder what makes Cuban tobacco so rich and flavorful? Is it the tropical climate? maybe it’s the volcanic soil? Or is it because of the natural nutrients washed down from nearby mountains over the centuries that has made the soil so especially fertile? Whatever the reason, you are about to experience the taste of Cuba. Handmade in Nicaragua, Havana Q is rolled with genuine Havana-seed wrapper, grown on the alluvial plains at the foot of the Cotuguay Mountains in the renowned Guayas tobacco-growing region of Ecuador. The special soil and climate there are reminiscent of the famed Vinales Valley in the Pinar del Rio province in Cuba. Enjoy Havana Q. Take a step back in time. From your first puff, you will think you are back in old Cuba.”

Besides the extraordinary wrapper, the Havana Q also features a bold mix of Nicaraguan tobaccos. The binder and filler are sourced from the finest crops of tobacco grown in Jalapa, Condega, Esteli, Pueblo Nueva, and Ometepe. The blend of filler tobaccos conjures forth tasting notes of white pepper, moss, peanuts, and cedar. These flavors are present right alongside the wrapper as the cigars come in larger ring gauges. Indeed, anything bigger than a 52 ring gauge is fair game for the Havana Q. All the cigar sizes promise lots of tobacco value with names like Double Toro and Double Robusto. Furthermore, they are available in large bags of twenty cigars. One of the most appealing sizes of the Havana Q is the Havana Q Double Toro.

Havana Q Double Toro

The Havana Q Double Toro features a chocolaty wrapper with remarkable consistency in quality and appeal. The cigar practically beckons to you with its striking wrapper and oily sheen. Every cigar pulled from the vacuum sealed Havana Q bag is perfect in essence and form. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Havana seed wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and mixed (“Cuban sandwich” style) Nicaraguan filler. This wrapper tobacco is grown by Oliva Tobacco Co., one of the world’s finest organizations of tobacco growers. The Oliva family has a family history which near rivals that of Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. or J.C. Newman Cigar Co. The Oliva family pioneered Ecuadorian wrapper tobacco and command one of the largest farms of cigar tobacco in the world.  

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. makes this cigar at its PENSA factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The aroma of the Havana Q is spicy with notes of pepper and cedar. The cold draw adds to this aroma tasting notes of cinnamon, fennel seed, raisins, and coffee beans. The Havana Q Double Toro is a 6’x54, representing a 90-minute smoking experience.

The Havana Q Double Toro is a remarkable cigar for its value, flavor, ash construction, and smoking quality. Mixed filler cigars sometimes struggle with uneven burning and draw issues, yet the Havana Q consistently lit evenly and drew smoothly. Additionally, the cigar’s construction held together two to three inches of ash before requiring an ashing.

Honestly, this cigar is an oddity for the cigar world. Typically, short filler ash falls apart without any support. The Havana Q, however, burns like a long-filler cigar at a fraction of the cost. The flavor is incredible with tasting notes of coffee, hazelnuts, white pepper, and caramel which build throughout the smoking experience. In my opinion, the cigar becomes more enjoyable towards the final third. This is the type of cigar you never want to set down. For the price point and flavor, you should not hesitate to pick up a bag of the Havana Q at the next available opportunity.

The Montecristo Platinum Series Rotchilde is an enjoyable premium cigar with a remarkable San Andreas Habano-seed wrapper. This is a fuller-bodied smoke for those who enjoy cigars from the traditional name-brand cigar powerhouses.

The Montecristo Platinum Series is made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis USA in Tabacalera de Garcia, one of the largest factories in the Dominican. The cigar is unusual for a parejo rothchilde at 5’x50. Despite not having a cedar lining, the fine aluminum tubes which contain the cigar are a nice aesthetic. At a glance, the cigar bears an attractive San Andreas Habano-seed wrapper with a colorado or rosado coloration akin to reddish-brown leather. The spice of the Nicaraguan filler, as well as the acidity of the Peruvian filler and the richness of the Dominican filler, produces an inviting aroma. The cigar features a Dominican binder leaf and is a handmade long filler cigar.

The Montecristo Platinum Series Rotchilde has notes of cedar, salted peanuts, cinnamon, molasses, and dark roasted coffee beans. The dry pull tastes of root spices with a slightly tight draw. The tasting notes build in strength throughout the 45-60 minute smoking experience, gaining hints of black pepper and nutmeg towards the final third of the cigar. The intensity and flavor of the Montecristo Platinum Series are medium to full-bodied.

This is a very good cigar that gives the cigar aficionado an option for traveling abroad in the even they do not want to bring a travel humidor. The tubes also make a great gift for those who smoke cigars but do not have their own humidor. The Montecristo Platinum Series Rotchilde is a fast-moving cigar in retailers across the country because of its unique flavor profile. This cigar has earned its reputation as one of the most popular Montecristo cigar brands and sizes.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past ten years, you have heard about A.J. Fernandez.

His portfolio and reputation have expanded exponentially ever since his coveted New World cigars made an appearance. Within the last few years, he has also started making cigars for Altadis USA. One of those cigars is the H. Upmann by A.J. Fernandez.

It is made at A.J.’s factory in Esteli with an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Corojo 99 binder, and Cuban seed fillers from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. It is available in a few different sizes, including this 38 x 4 “Papi” size packaged in a tin. The tin holds 6 Papis and is packaged with a Boveda pack to keep everything fresh. These cigars boast the reputation of A.J.’s other cigars with a distinctive Nicaraguan bite. They pack a punch and deliver a medium to full-bodied experience all the way through. Hints of sweet raisins, almonds, earth, and pepper blast your palette and senses. The flavor is sharp and distinct from start to finish. The average burn time is about 30 minutes. Usually, with smaller cigars like these, construction is compromised but I was very impressed with the way this cigar was made and how it held together.

I see this tin as the perfect buy for a night on the town because they do not last too long, and the tin easily fits in your jacket pocket. They might also come in handy if you are in a colder climate and just need to get a quick, strong smoke in before you freeze. If you are a fan of A.J. Fernandez’s cigars or want a strong and complex little cigar these are calling your name.

The Diamond Crown MAXIMUS is a fantastic premium value cigar with a high-quality Dominican cigar with an Ecuador El Bajo Sungrown wrapper. This cigar comes from J.C. Newman Cigar Co., and the reputation of the craftsmanship of their cigars holds up when smoking the MAXIMUS.

The Diamond Crown MAXIMUS Toro is made in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera A. Fuente, where all the cigars in the Diamond Crown line are rolled. The pre-light scent is damp earth and cocoa. At a glance, the cigar has an extremely oily, dark wrapper. The cigar features a Dominican binder leaf and is a handmade long filler cigar.

The Diamond Crown MAXIMUS has a sweet finish and from the first to the second third, the tasting notes build in strength, though the prominent pepper mellows out by the third, third. The ash is a beautiful grey and the burn is razor-sharp. This is a bold cigar that can easily be classified as medium to full in intensity and has a significant bite. The smoke is full and coats the palette. If you’re looking for a pairing, this cigar would go well with a bar of dark choclate.

Though Honduran and Nicaraguan blends tend to be the cigars that can be classified as full-bodied, this Dominican cigar definitely packs a punch. Still not convinced enough to buy a whole box? The Diamond Crown MAXIMUS can be found in the Royal Sampler and it’s worth noting you’ll get to taste each of the four cigars that belong to the Diamond Crown family.

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Robusto is a fantastic premium value cigar with a high-quality Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. This is a cigar you could smoke every day after work to unwind.

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real is made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis USA in Tabacalera de Garcia, one of the largest factories in the Dominican. The cigar is your typical parejo robusto (5″x52) with a finely-made cap and an aesthetic band. At a glance, the cigar has an attractive Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper with a healthy blonde luster. The aroma of the hand-selected Dominican and Nicaraguan filler invites the cigar smoker to partake. The cigar features a Dominican binder leaf and is a handmade long filler cigar.

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Robusto has notes of sandalwood, cedar, nuts, cocoa, and honey. The dry pull is smooth and sweet with a good draw. The tasting notes build in strength throughout the 45-60 minute smoking experience, gaining hints of Indian spices towards the final third of the cigar. The smoke is silky and aromatic with every puff. The intensity and flavor of the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real are mild to medium.

This is a very good cigar at a very good value, offering a different price option for shade wrapper aficionados in a world where authentic American Connecticut Shade wrapper is increasingly difficult to find or cost prohibitive. The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Robusto is consistently a best-seller in brick and mortar cigar lounges. It lives up to its reputation as one of the most popular cigars for its price point and flavor profile, and I would encourage any smoker to verify this claim themselves.

The name Montecristo resonates with cigar smokers worldwide. Their superb quality and flavor have withstood the test of time in an ever-changing industry. The Montecristo Classic Especial No. 1 holds true to this statement.

The quality of the packaging and flavor of the cigar makes for an obvious, affordable buy. The box features the brand logo, along with some new-age flare, holding 20 cigars. The cigar itself features a genuine high-grade Connecticut shade wrapper over Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. The cigar measures 44 x 6 ½ and can be described as a Lonsdale.

The cigars are firm to the touch with a little more give towards the center and foot of the cigar. The Especial No. 1 lights with ease and has good smoke output. The quality of the construction is apparent. The flavor is great right off the bat with hints of molasses, cedar, cream, and nuts. The smoke is thick and fulfilling with a perfect draw. About halfway through the cigar, the flavor shifts to have a little white pepper and grass added to the blend. The strength and flavor were both light to medium. With the smoothness and amount of flavor, this cigar could be enjoyed at any time of the day. The burn time is around one hour fifteen minutes.

This is the perfect cigar to have in your humidor that goes with any occasion and pairing.

The Cuesta-Rey Caravelle is a phenomenal value cigar with a premium presentation.

These panatela cigars are made on J.C. Newman’s iconic antique cigar machines from the 1930’s in Tampa, FL. These are hand operated machines that roll the bunch (filler & binder) while someone lays the wrapper out onto a dye. The dye uses suction to hold the wrapper tight while a blade cuts it to size. After that, it gets rolled onto the bunch. These machines are a treat to look at with nearly 10,000 moving parts. This is an old school box, that features familiar Cuesta-Rey Sally and holds 25 panatelas. Usually cigars in this price point come in a bundle instead of a box. This makes for a beautiful presentation. The cigars measure 6.25 x 34 which is an old school size. Most cigars were close to this size until the 90’s.

The Caravelle is available in three different wrappers: Natural, Extra Claro, and Maduro. All three options have a variety of aged Dominican fillers. The natural is an Ecuador Havana that is light-medium bodied. There are hints of nuts, spice, and a slight sweetness here and there. The Extra Claro Candela wrapper is mild and has a very green flavor. There are hints of sweet grass and earth. The Broadleaf maduro wrapper is medium bodied with hints of pepper, sweet hay, and earth. All three versions of the Cuesta-Rey Caravelle are super smooth with plenty of flavor.

This is a great price point for something made in the good ol’ U.S.A.

The Neos Cappuccino Cigarillo is an enjoyable little dessert cigar and a perfect companion to an hour of leisure at a European café.

Neos are made by J. Cortès Cigars in Handzame, Belgium. The company selects Ecuadorian Sumatran wrappers for their cigarillos at a Sri Lankan processing facility. The Neos use an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper over homogenous binder paper and a short filler blend of Burley and Virginia tobaccos. Neos are a mini cigar (3.5’ x 20) with a brown, chestnut shade to its wrapper. Neos come in tins of ten and boxes of one hundred.

Neos Cappuccino Cigarillos are Neos infused with delicious tasting notes of vanilla and coffee. The Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper is rolled onto a tube of homogenous binder and short filler and then segmented for each cigarillo. This means that the cigarillo does not have a cap. When I opened a tin to review them, I noticed few of the cigarillos had a frayed wrapper. Overall, however, the cigarillos had a solid construction with a pleasant aroma.

Neos Cappuccino Cigarillos are a quick smoking experience of 10-15 minutes. The cigarillo’s utilization of short filler tobaccos typically used in pipe and cigarette blends gives the smoker a much milder taste than dedicated mini cigar or cigarillo brands which use darker tobaccos. The infused tasting notes of molasses, vanilla, and baking spices accompany the smoker throughout the experience.

Neos represent a unique experience for the American cigar smoker. Mini cigars and cigarillos are typically associated with European markets in the American cigar industry. If you have never tried a mini cigar or cigarillo, I would suggest picking up a tin of Neos. They truly encapsulate the cerebral relaxation of being an expatriate at a European café.