PADRÓN FAMILY RESERVE No. 45 Natural

PADRÓN FAMILY RESERVE

No. 45 Natural

The Padrón family has created quite the tradition by coming out with a new Padrón Family Reserve every year to commemorate the company’s history. The Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro was our 2009 Cigar of the Year—this is the natural version of that very same cigar. It has the same dimensions and suggested retail price, but the lighter wrapper gives the cigar a different flavor. While the considerable kick of the maduro is informed by hearty, resonant coffee, cocoa and spice flavors that saturate the palate, the natural is a bit more mellow, with flavors of cocoa bean and earth on the palate. The cigar is quite balanced and exceptionally flavorful. It’s impossible to exaggerate how well the Padrón family has done in our Top 25—three times the company has had a Cigar of the Year, and the Padróns have never failed to have a cigar in our top five. It’s an impressive show of consistency that no other company can claim.

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 52
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 6"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Corona Gorda
Wrapper: Nicaragua	Price: $25.00

Made By: Padrón Cigars Inc.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Corona Gorda,Padrón Cigars Inc.

LA AROMA DE CUBA MI AMOR Magnifico

LA AROMA DE CUBA MI AMOR

Magnifico

It was two years in the making, and it appears that the wait was certainly worth it. The new La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor represents the first time that Ashton Distributors Inc. has released a cigar cloaked in a Mexican wrapper. The Mi Amor Magnifico is a stellar medium-bodied smoke, toothy, dark and box pressed, with intense flavors of rich coffee paired with a touch of vanilla. This is the newest version of La Aroma de Cuba, a brand that originated in Cuba and was reinvented by Ashton. The new version of the brand debuted in 2002 as a Honduran smoke. Ashton later enlisted Jose “Pepin” Garcia to make a new version of La Aroma, which it dubbed Edición Especial. In 2009 Ashton moved the original La Aroma to Garcia as well, and the line was reblended. Today, Garcia makes every La Aroma de Cuba at his My Father Cigars Inc. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Mexican wrappers have been part of the cigar industry for decades, but Cuban-seed Mexican wrappers are relatively new. They certainly work well on this blend.

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 52
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 6"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Corona Gorda
Wrapper: Mexico	Price: $7.50

Made By: My Father Cigars Inc.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Corona Gorda,My Father Cigars Inc.

AMBOS MUNDOS NO. 1 Grande

AMBOS MUNDOS NO. 1

Grande

This is the second consecutive year that Pete Johnson’s Ambos Mundos brand has made our Top 25. Last year the Ambos Mundos No. 2 Robusto ranked 18th; this year the No. 1 Grande takes the No. 11 slot. Ambos Mundos means “both worlds,” and all Ambos Mundos cigars are made by José “Pepin” Garcia, blending Ecuadoran wrappers with Nicaraguan filler and binder. The difference between the versions is the wrapper seed variety—the Ambos Mundos No. 1 sports a Habano-seed wrapper, while the No. 2 is made with Sumatra-seed. Johnson calls Ambos Mundos cigars medium bodied, and considers them his value-priced line. Our tasting panel always seems to enjoy them. They are yet another example of the top-quality smokes being produced by Johnson (best known for his Tatuaje label) and cigar maestro Garcia.

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 56
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 5 1/2"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Corona Gorda
Wrapper: Ecuador	Price: $6.25

Distributed By: Havana Cellars Inc.

Made By: My Father Cigars Inc.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Corona Gorda,My Father Cigars Inc.

CARLOS TORAÑO EXODUS 1959 50 YEARS Box Press

CARLOS TORAÑO EXODUS 1959 50 YEARS

Box Press

The Carlos Toraño family has built up a reputation for crafting intriguing cigars made from blends of tobaccos from all around the world. The Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 50 Years Box Press is unusual for the Toraños due to its relatively modest three-country blend. (Some Toraño cigars are made with a combination of tobaccos from up to five different countries.) The Exodus 1959 50 Years Box Press is rich and balanced, with toasty, nutty flavors that build in sweetness, taking on some notes of dried berries on the finish. The Toraños, like many cigarmakers in Central America and the Caribbean, lived in Cuba but were forced to leave after the Castro Revolution, and “Exodus 1959” refers to that movement of cigarmakers from the island of their birth to other nations. Like all Toraños, the cigar is a value, priced at just under $7.

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 55
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 5"
Binder: Honduras	Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Brazil	Price: $6.95

Made By: Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Estelí

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Estelí,Robusto,Scandinavian Tobacco Group

C.A.O. LA TRAVIATA Divino

C.A.O. LA TRAVIATA

Divino

Perhaps the finest cigar ever made by C.A.O. International Inc., the robusto-sized C.A.O. La Traviata Divino represents a departure from the traditional type of cigar release for C.A.O. The company usually announces a new cigar with a considerable flash, such as when it launched the unique lighted boxes of C.A.O. Vision or the ultra-hip red lacquer box shaped like the trunk of a car for the C.A.O. Sopranos Series. But with the La Traviata brand, C.A.O. simply let the cigar speak for itself. Packed in plain, wooden containers, the Divino, which was released in U.S. cigar shops very late in 2009 (too late, in fact, to be part of last year’s Top 25 ranking) is a solid performer, a no-nonsense meaty and spicy smoke with notes of nuts and dark chocolate. And with a suggested retail price of only $4.95, it’s an amazing bargain as well.

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 50
Filler: Dom. Rep., Nicaragua	Length: 5"
Binder: Cameroon	Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuador	Price: $4.95

Distributed By: C.A.O. International Inc.

Made By: C.A.O. Fabrica de Tabacos S.A.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,C.A.O. Fabricas de Tabacos,Robusto

MY FATHER No. 2 Belicoso

MY FATHER

No. 2 Belicoso

One of the hottest and most asked for cigars around is the Don Pepin My Father line, which brings to mind the tradition and excellence of a cuban smoke. This medium to full bodied blend is complex to keep you on your toes, and produces a wonderfull aroma as you smoke it. Don't miss this exquisite cigar!

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 54
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 5 1/2"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Figurado
Wrapper: Ecuador	Price: $11.50

Distributed By: El Rey de los Habanos Inc.

Made By: My Father Cigars Inc.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Figurado,My Father Cigars Inc.

BRICK HOUSE Robusto

BRICK HOUSE

Robusto

The original Brick House cigars by J.C. Newman were Cuban puros, handmade with the finest Havana tobaccos. Third-generation cigar makers Eric and Bobby Newman have recreated this vintage cigar brand by blending specially aged Nicaraguan tobaccos with hearty Havana Subido™ wrapper leaves to match the rich, well-balanced flavor of their grandfather's Brick House cigars. Beautifully handmade in Nicaragua, these flavorful cigars start out earthy and crisp, yet have a distinctive flavor. As you experience the cool, even burn of this medium- to full-bodied cigar, it builds into a well-rounded smooth taste with hints of oak and maple syrup. The draw of this cigar is nearly effortless. Tea and sweet wood notes come together very nicely here, leaving a toasty aftertaste

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 54
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 5"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaragua	Price: $4.95

Distributed By: J.C. Newman Cigar Co.

Made By: Fabrica de Tabacos San Rafael S.A.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Fabrica de Tabacos San Rafael S.A.,Robusto

OLIVA SERIE V MADURO Especial

OLIVA SERIE V MADURO

Especial

Initial Thoughts: The Oliva Serie V Maduro was a limited release in October of 2008 and only 50,000 total cigars were made. After smoking a few when they first came out, they impressed me enough to snag a box and I ended up getting one hell of a deal on it. I have been sitting on them ever since and decided to smoke one to see how they were doing. I know – I know, you guys are cursing me right now for doing this review but I had to check and see how they were aging. The cigar looks fantastic, the classy Oliva band on a nice chocolate colored wrapper. There are no color variations in the wrapper and the cigar looks well made. Let’s fire up this sucker and see what happens.
Flavors: Right off the bat I am greeted with deep rich flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, leather, and honey roasted almonds. As we progress into the second third, a woodiness is added to the mix of rich complex flavors and so far this is a very enjoyable cigar. On the final third of this cigar the espresso and woodiness really amps up and gives this cigar a nice conclusion.
Smoking Characteristics: The draw was fantastic, the burn was even and the cigar had a nice light gray ash to it. The ash was a little flaky and made a little bit of a mess but overall this cigar does very well in this category.
Final Thoughts: Although I remember enjoying these more when they first came out, I still think it’s a fabulous cigar. The complexity of this cigar is amazing. So many subtle changes with the body and the flavors. A source also confirmed that Oliva would be releasing this again in fall of 2009 and if it is half as good as this cigar was it will definitely be worthy of another box purchase. If anyone from Oliva is reading this, I put my vote in for a Lancero size, wow would that be amazing.
Worth a Try: If you can find them get yourself some
Buy Again: If I could find another box of the 2008, Yes
Enjoyablity: Very High
Similar Cigar Profiles: Padron 1926 Maduro, Liga Privada #9

Country: Nicaragua	Ring Gauge: 54
Filler: Nicaragua	Length: 6"
Binder: Nicaragua	Size: Figurado
Wrapper: Mexico	Price: $9.00

Made By: Tabacalera Oliva S.A.

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Posted in: 0 Nicaragua,Figurado,Tabacalera Oliva S.A.