Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,†“hold,†or “sell.â€
Azan is an old Cuban brand that was revived by Roberto P. Duran and reintroduced in 2013. Today, there are three Azan variations: White, Burgundy, and Maduro Natural. Maduro Natural includes filler tobaccos from Estelà and Jalapa, a Nicaraguan binder, and a dark Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper that reportedly takes over 22 months to process. This Campana (5.5 x 52, $10) had been resting in one of my humidors for about three years (though, with its nearly flawless appearance, I’m not exactly sure how it escaped the flame for so long). Once lit, it exhibits a rich profile of coffee, black pepper, cinnamon, roasted nuts, and cocoa powder. My hesitation in awarding a full recommendation is a result of the temperamental combustion qualities. The draw is tight and the burn line erratic.
As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 540th in the series.
1) Not to be lost among the many news items circulating in the wake of last week’s IPCPR Trade Show in Last Vegas was the debut appearance of Plasencia Cigars at the industry’s most important event. Plasencia has long been known as a leading producer of premium cigars—and is currently the largest grower of tobacco in Nicaragua and Honduras—but this is the first time the company participated as an exhibitor at the IPCPR Trade Show. This is also the first time they’ve had their own cigars to showcase. The highlight of the Plasencia booth was the new Alma del Campo, the second of five cigars in the “flagship†Alma Series (the first cigar in the Alma Series, Alma Fuerte, was introduced in New York in 2016). Alma del Campo is a Nicaraguan puro using only Plasencia-grown tobacco with five sizes retailing in the super-premium $13-17 range. Plasencia also introduced the Cosecha Series, a mellower, Honduran-wrapped line with fives sizes selling in the $10-13 range. According to a press release: “Plasencia Cigars was founded in 1865 by Don Eduardo Plasencia when he began growing tobacco in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Since then, first in Cuba, and subsequently in Nicaragua and Honduras, five generations of the Plasencia family have been growing some of the world’s best tobacco… Today, Plasencia Cigars manufactures more than 40 million handmade cigars per year for many of the world’s top cigar brands, growing tobacco on more than 3,000 acres in several locations throughout Central America. Launched in 2016, Plasencia’s namesake branded cigars are distributed in the United States by Miami-based Plasencia 1865.â€
2) Another IPCPR news item we’d like to highlight is the debut of the first A.J. Fernandez cigar to use a broadleaf wrapper. Enclave Broadleaf, as it is called, is the follow-up to the original Enclave blend, which was introduced in 2015 with an Ecuadorian wrapper. In addition to its dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Enclave Broadleaf sports Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It will be sold in three vitolas: Churchill (7 x 52, $9.50), Robusto (5 x 52, $8.50), and Toro (6.5 x 54, $9). In addition to making his own cigars, A.J. Fernandez is well known for crafting cigars for other companies; while this is the first broadleaf-wrapped cigar under his own brand, he has used broadleaf in cigars for other companies before.
3) Last week, the Washington Post published a story on Omar de Frias, who left a high-paying job at NASA to chase his dream and start his own cigar company, Fratello Cigars. The story is well worth a read, but so are the comments, which demonstrate the nasty anti-tobacco vitriol which has become so acceptable in today’s society. In a Facebook post about the reaction, Omar de Frias observed: “I laughed at many of these comments, specially at the one guy who wants me to die. Then I thought about how ignorance is probably one of the biggest issues we face as a society and our industry.”
4) Florida Senator Marco Rubio took the opportunity to voice his concerns about the FDA’s premium cigar regulations at an Appropriations Committee hearing regarding a bill for FDA funding. In his statement (audio above), he bemoaned the “extremely adverse and what I hope are unintended consequences” of FDA regulations on premium cigars.
5) From the Archives: People spend a lot of time deciding what cigar to smoke, but probably not enough time deciding which cigar shop to frequent. In this article from 2009, we discuss what to look for in a good cigar shop.
6) Deal of the Week: For today only, here are 100 deals, including cigars from Mi Querida, Ashton, Oliva, My Father, Rocky Patel, Davidoff, Drew Estate, CroMagnon, and more. Free shipping is included on any purchase. If you really want to stock up, add promo code “GBP20D†at checkout to knock $20 off an order of $150 or more.
In 2014, Robert Caldwell, Jaclyn Sears, and Tony Bellatto announced Impromptu, a line of limited release cigars sourced from the aging rooms of various factories. Later, the enterprise would be renamed Lost & Found Cigars.
According to Robert Caldwell: “Over several months I have been traveling all over the world spending a lot of time in the Caribbean and Central America in many tobacco fields and factories. Along the way I stumbled upon certain cigars that really left an impression on me. My friends suggest we share them with our friends and customers. These are very special cigars, made with rare tobaccos that have been aged to a point seldom enjoyed by most of us. I cannot take credit with making these beauties, nor for bringing them to you—just for discovering them.â€
As I’ve noted before, the line’s popularity is a testament to the difference marketing can make; after all, someone else couldn’t sell the cigars in a previous form. The well-aged cigars are released in small batches emphasizing their limited availability, under a catchy, off-beat name with corresponding art.
Two recent releases were Suavesito (rolled in 2010) and Backdoor Bambi (5.5 x 46). Rolled in 2008, Backdoor Bambi uses Corojo, Habano, and Negrito tobaccos, but no other details about the blend are disclosed, including where the cigar was made. Unlike Suavesito, which is a new addition to Lost & Found, Backdoor Bambi was one of the first releases back when the enterprise was still called Impromptu. While the original release came in a metal jar, the 2017 edition comes in boxes of 12 with each cigar carrying a suggested price of $12.
The cigar features a leathery medium brown wrapper. Once lit, I find bready spice, dried fruit (think cinnamon raisin bread), plus sweet Cuban coffee.
It’s a medium- to full-bodied cigar with lots of leather and spice, especially towards the second half. Construction is perfect, with an open draw, even burn, and a sturdy gray ash.
Although the price is a bit high, this is a well-made spice-forward smoke that probably has benefited greatly from almost a decade of age. (It’s also far better than the Suavesito.) That earns the Lost & Found Backdoor Bambi a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
Among the many new cigars introduced at the annual IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas last week was La Flor de Ynclan from Villiger Cigars. Actually, in the this case, it’s more accurate to say La Flor de Ynclan was re-introduced; Villiger originally debuted the line, which takes its name from an old Cuban brand, back in 2007.
Villiger got it right this time, according to Heinrich Villiger, chairman of Switzerland-based Villiger Soehne AG: “The La Flor de Ynclan cigar has been an ongoing labor of love for us. We feel that there is a difference between a good and great cigar, [and] Matias Maragoto and I hope you feel the same.â€
La Flor de Ynclan is handmade at the ABAM Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic in three formats: Robusto (5 x 50, $11), Torpedo (5 x 52, $12), and Churchill (7 x 48, $12). In addition to the new recipe, each has a redesigned band to maintain branding consistency across the Villiger portfolio (the 2007 La Flor de Ynclan band depicts an enrobed woman posing with two spears and one hand atop a globe).
The Churchill sports a slightly pale wrapper with plenty of tooth, minimal veins, ultra-tight seams, and a few splotches of harmless discoloration. The cigar is moderately firm—and the cold draw is a little stiff—yet the foot shows a cross-section of loosely packed tobaccos. The gentle pre-light aroma is of damp wood and sweet hay.
The draw opens nicely once an even light is established. At the outset, La Flor De Ynclan boasts a mild- to medium-bodied profile of oak, sweet cream, almond, cinnamon, and caramel. The texture is smooth and the smoke is cool. After about half an inch, a wonderful savory flavor of roasted peanut emerges to add depth. Thereafter, the taste remains fairly consistent throughout, save for the additions of white pepper, dried fruit, and hints of cocoa.
Construction is just about perfect. The burn line is straight and true down to the nub with no need for touch-ups along the way. The ash holds incredibly well off the foot, the draw is moderate, and the smoke production is agreeable with a mouth-wateringly sweet aroma.
Clearly, this is not an inexpensive cigar. It’s also not a cigar that’s likely to satisfy if you’re looking for a full-bodied experience. But if you seek a milder smoke with well-balanced complexity and ample nuance, the Churchill from La Flor de Ynclan will not leave you disappointed. I award this Villiger creation a very admirable rating of four stogies out of five.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,†“hold,†or “sell.â€
Drew Estate’s Liga lines have achieved iconic status among cigar enthusiasts. A complex, multi-country blend, a lengthy aging process, and excellent craftsmanship are hallmarks of the cigars. The No. 9 Belicoso (6 x 52) displays those qualities in spades. From start to finish, it’s rich, deep, and extraordinarily smooth. This is a cigar to savor and enjoy. In fact, the only likely complaint is that they can be tough to find. So when you do spot one, don’t pass it up.
Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,†“hold,†or “sell.â€
I acquired this Soneros Habano Claro Corona Gorda (5.625 x 46) over two years ago for about $7.25. I don’t believe time has been particularly kind to its tobaccos. According to my review in January 2015, this cigar had flavors ranging from coffee and cream to roasted nut and milk chocolate. Back then, I really enjoyed it, calling it a “well-balanced treat that provides considerable bang for the buck.” These days, however, I am just getting a heavy dose of leather with a meaty, sour taste that isn’t terribly appetizing. I stored it well, too, as evidenced by the shape of the cigar and its near-perfect combustion qualities. But good construction doesn’t mean much if the profile is off.
As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 539th in the series.
1) On Wednesday, as the industry gathered in Las Vegas for the 85th annual IPCPR Trade Show, the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations passed a bill that includes language that would protect premium cigars from harmful FDA regulations. While this vital protection still has a long, uphill journey before it becomes law, Cigar Rights of America (CRA) hailed it as a positive step in the right direction. “The action taken today by the House Committee on Appropriations for a second consecutive year is yet again another clear and definitive statement that Congress never intended for premium cigars to be treated like other tobacco products,†said J. Glynn Loope, executive director of CRA. “Congress continues to recognize the unique differences between premium cigars, and this language is a symbol that any effort by the FDA to regulate them would run contrary to the intent of Congress.†CRA specifically thanked Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) for their leadership on this issue.
2) The IPCPR Trade Show concludes today, heralding an end to the industry’s biggest event of the year. As in years’ past, StogieGuys.com will make considerable efforts to acquire and review the new cigars that debuted on the convention floor in Las Vegas. Be sure to check back often over the coming months for our concise, conflict-free assessments of many of the new entrants to the marketplace. As you do, however, recall there’s no need to get slammed on the new release treadmill. And remember that many retailers will be announcing (or have already announced) clearance sales on older smokes as they try to make room on their shelves for newer products; this can be a great time to stock up on reliable favorites.
3) British writer Brendan O’Neil is definitely not a fan of his country’s smoking ban: “It is ten years since smoking in public places was banned in England. Ten years since officials decreed that we could no longer light up at work, in restaurants, in pubs, and even at bus stops. Ten years since you could follow your Tiramisu with the satisfying throat hit of a drag of nicotine. Ten years since pubs were fuggy and convivial, packed with hoarse ladies telling stories and old blokes propping up the bar rather than shiny-haired new dads wearing a baby in a sling and wondering whether to treat themselves to buffalo wings or mac’n’cheese balls. Seriously. Babies in pubs. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” Read the whole thing here.
4) Whiskey writer Fred Minnick says bourbon could be the victim of a U.S.-E.U. trade war over steel: “If President Trump follows through on his threat to impose tariffs on steel imports, expect to see an immediate response from the European Union—including retaliatory tariffs on, of all things, bourbon. This may seem an oddly disproportionate choice. Everyone needs steel; bourbon, on the other hand, is just a hipster fad and a good-ole-boy mainstay, right? In fact, a punitive tariff on bourbon and other American whiskeys would be both a symbolic and a substantive body blow—a strike at a unique American product that is enormously popular overseas.”
5) From the Archives: Forget the latest; stick with the greatest. For over a decade, we’ve given a small percentage of the nearly 1,000 cigars we’ve reviewed our highest rating of five stogies out of five. Check them out here.
6) Deal of the Week: We recommend Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items (think fine bar accessories, shaving kits, wine, workout gear, coffee kits, and more) delivered to your door for just $45. Currently available is “Toast,†featuring four cigars by H. Upmann and Romeo y Julieta, along with a cigar carrying pouch and a small desktop humidor. You can skip or purchase every month. Sign up to get the July shipment.
Ten years ago, a “small batch†of La Flor de Ynclan was crafted by Villiger with unsatisfactory results, leading to a decision to cease production. This 2017 re-introduction, therefore, isn’t merely a second go-around with the same recipe. It has been re-blended by José Matias Maragoto—overseer of all Villiger-made product in the Dominican Republic—to feature an Ecuadorian wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos.
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