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| FAMOUS NAMES, FIRST-CLASS CIGARS |
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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading two new and one veteran brand named for famous people!Los Angeles, April 4 – For generations, cigars have been named after famous people. Of late, however, this tradition has been on the wane. There are no cigar brands named for U.S. Presidents such as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, or even the celebrated cigar smoker, Ulysses S. Grant. However, famous name cigar brands are coming back. In 2006, General Cigar introduced an ultra-premium brand called Stradivarius after the famous maker of violins and other instruments. And earlier this year, Davidoff of Geneva introduced the Winston Churchill brand, celebrating perhaps the most famous cigar smoker of all. We checked out both of these new brands and tried an old favorite, Henry Clay, a brand that has been around since the 1800s and was named for one of the great political figures in American history. The results were both satisfying and a little surprising. Winston Churchill: [Dominican Republic: available in 4 sizes] This is a new blend in 2007 and is especially noteworthy because it is the only brand – other than Davidoff – to be produced in the Davidoff factory in the Dominican Republic. It is, of course, named for Sir Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill (1874-1965), who attained immortality through his work as British Prime Minister during World War II. The brand is a Davidoff project conceived in conjunction with Churchill’s grandson, Winston S. Churchill. He is quoted in a small brochure enclosed in each box of the new line thus: “At the age of 21 Winston Churchill, visiting the Caribbean to observe the Cuban Revolutionary War against Spain, took the decision to give up the cigarette in favour of the cigar. For my grandfather his beloved cigars became a passion. “Although of an uncompromising nature, addressing himself to each task in his very own way, he knew how to enjoy life. A close friend once remarked: “‘Mr. Churchill is easily satisfied with the best.’ “Inspired by his philosophy of life, I hit on the idea of creating an exceptional cigar – one worthy of bearing the name of perhaps the most famous cigar-smoker of all time.” The cigar itself is well made, as would be expected from a Davidoff product, but is markedly different from any of the Davidoff lines. With an Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper and filler leaves from Peru and Nicaragua, one expects more strength from this blend and it delivers. Medium-to-full in body, it has a spicy aroma and an nice, even burn. The flavor starts with a sweet and creamy taste with just the barest hint of spice on the finish. As it develops, however, the spiced elements become more prominent and the balance of sweetness and the tingle on the tongue is the feature at midway. |
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Did you know?
“At the time of nationalization of the cigar trade in Cuba, there were reported to be as many as 960 brand trademarks!
