Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars

WHICH CIGARS AGE BEST?

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• 4 1/2 stars: Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 (Cuba); Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown (Dom. Rep.); Fuente Fuente Opus X Robusto (Dom. Rep.); Flor de Selva Tempo (Honduras); Dannemann Artist Line HBPR Robusto (Nicaragua, not sold in the U.S.); La Meridiana Celebracion 10 Anos (Nicaragua); Padron 2000 (Nicaragua); Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo (Nicaragua).

• 4 stars: Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon (Dom. Rep.); El Credito Robusto (Dom. Rep.); La Aurora Cien Anos Robusto (Dom. Rep.); Leon Jimenes Robusto (Dom. Rep.); Macanudo Crystal (Dom. Rep.); Patoro Gran Anejo Vntage ‘98 Robusto (Dom. Rep., not sold in the U.S.); Flor de Copan Short Robusto (Honduras); Flor de Copan Linea Puros Robusto (Honduras); Flor de Selva Robusto (Honduras); La Hoya Tribal (Honduras); Puros Indios Viejo Rothschild (Honduras); Serie 601 Red (Nicaragua); Joya de Nicaragua Clasico Consul (Nicaragua); Oliva Serie G Robusto (Nicaragua); Colon Vintage 2001 (Panama).

In such tastings, one never knows how things will turn out. The Cuban Cohiba Robusto, the flagship of this size from Havana, received just one star. The review noted “A fatal mistake must have crept into this tobacco blend. This box of cigars was unworthy of the Cohiba brand.” Better luck next time. Only one of the six Cuban cigars in the tasting scored better than 3 1/2 stars.

The new, Dominican-made Winston Churchill line was also reviewed in a lengthy story and taste-tested; it passed with flying colors. The No. 10, a 5 1/4-inch by 52-ring robusto received a perfect five-star rating, with the Marrakesh (6 x 50) and Blenheim rating 4 1/2 stars each. That made the Chequers (5 1/2 x 46) a laggard with a good score of four stars.

A new twist in packaging has been tried by a Swiss cigar importer for their Honduran-made Tibanos line. Rather than pack the cigars in the usual cedar boxes, stone-pine – the national tree of Switzerland – was used and the results have been impressive. The cigars have absorbed a different element and while once only offered in top-class Swiss hotels, the line is now being sold in Germany as well. A new idea worth trying?

Another new European idea is a cigar case that includes a vacuum sealer that can keep cigars fresh for up to two weeks! Called The Preserver, the key is the simple-to-use vacuum pump that draws the air out of the two cigar chambers. There are multiple versions priced, if you can find them, from 30-60 Euro or about $45-75 U.S.

If you’re looking for a better way to take your cigars along with you on a summer picnic, there’s a nice review of three options, including the marvelous Max Benjamin Mini Cigar Bar that has everything so that all you need to do, as the story says, “Just add ice, drink and cigars.”

There’s lots more, too, including a look at where to smoke in Boston and Las Vegas, an in-depth look at the world’s largest cigar factory, Altadis U.S.A.’s Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic, an excellent and much-needed overview of three of Europe’s underrated, short-filler cigar makers whose products are well made, tasty and inexpensive, plus an extensive pipe section and a terrific review of the 10th Habanos Festival held earlier this year in Havana.

An easy and fun read, the ECCJ is easy to get even if you’re in the U.S.; check out the Web site to subscribe today!
~ Rich Perelman

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Did you know?

“Although introduced by Robert Levin of Holt's, Ashton cigars are named for British pipemaker William Ashton Taylor.