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| STARS OF THE SHOW VII |
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Page 2 of 2
La Hara: [Nicaragua: available in 4 sizes] The La Hara line comes in two styles, with either an Indonesian or Brazilian wrapper; we tried the lighter-shaded Indonesian. It’s full in body thanks to the combination of Nicaraguan-grown leaves from the Esteli and Jalapa regions. There’s a toasty aroma to this blend, with a rich, caramelized taste and a spicy undertone that quickly becomes the signature feature. There’s a lot of subtlety in this cigar, with hidden power that reveals itself in the second half. The balance is good and there is a peppery note that signals that the cigar is nearing its end. At $5.45 to $6.75 each and offered in boxes of 24, it’s accessibly priced and its depth makes it a nice cigar to go with an evening cocktail. Overall grade: B+: Very Good. M3: [Nicaragua: available in 7 sizes] The M3 is named for Maritza Miranda Molina, the factory manager where these cigars are made. It’s a limited-production blend, with only 40,000 cigars being made in each size annually (280,000 cigars total). It’s medium-to-full in body with a spicy aroma and a beautiful, light brown Connecticut Shade wrapper. The flavor includes a light, caramelized note with a slightly sweet, slightly spicy finish. The construction is excellent, with a firm feel and an even burn. There’s less intensity in the second half, but a little more spice on the finish with excellent balance and finesse. This is a quality cigar that’s reasonably priced at $5.45 to $7.20 each, in boxes of 22. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Emprise Cigars of Louisville, Kentucky is best known for its flavored lines, including Maker’s Mark and Courvoisier. But they now also produce a straightforward, first-class cigar in the casually-named Ted’s Made by Hand line. No one wants to talk about Ted much, but once you try the cigars, his identity fades in importance. Ted’s Made by Hand – Natural wrapper: [Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes] The first Ted’s Made by Hand blend to be introduced was the natural-wrapped version, using an elegant Connecticut wrapper and sporting a red band. It’s medium in body with a spicy aroma and a smooth and deep caramelized taste that also includes a sweet finish. The construction is excellent and the burn is even. The smoothness and accessibility of this cigar are easy to appreciate and the spicy note that enters in the second half helps to maintain the balance of the blend. If you’re looking for a cigar that you can introduce to your friends who want to find out what the love of the leaf is all about, this would be an excellent candidate. All three sizes (5 x 50, 6 x 50 and 7 x 50) are offered in boxes of 20, but instead of cellophane, each is packaged in a fire engine-red box with foil lining! Retail pricing runs from $7.00 to $9.25 each, before local sales and tobacco taxes. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Ted’s Made by Hand – Maduro wrapper: [Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes] The maduro-wrapped version of the Ted’s line is easy to spot thanks to its black band with silver lettering. It’s also offered in individual, foil-lined boxes, but these are black with red trim and offered in wood chests of 20. The Nicaraguan-grown maduro wrapper gives this blend a medium-to-full-bodied taste, with a spicy aroma. There’s a rich, sweet taste from the start, with a spicy, long finish. The draw and burn are perfect and a welcome note of spice is present on the throat by midway. The richness recedes a little in the second half, but there is more depth to this blend than the natural-wrapped edition and it comes out more strongly toward the end. Pricing is the same as for the Connecticut-wrapped cigars, from $7.00 to $9.25 each before local sales and tobacco taxes. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Each of these cigars offers a unique approach to flavor from the man who created it and experiencing each of these concepts is one of the pleasures of cigars. After all, the best cigar you may ever smoke may be the next one you try. ~ Rich Perelman CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGCigar Humidors and Cigar Accessories at Humidor Vault! Your online cigar humidor source, with rock-bottom pricing and fantastic customer support!A limited amount of classified advertising is available in this space on a weekly basis. For details, call Pat Harris at (213) 365-7965 or inquire by email by clicking here. Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below! Don’t forget to register for our drawing for free cigars and accessories! Just click on the “Register & Win” button above; enter today! Looking for a cigar party? Take a look at our exclusive list of hundreds of cigar events across the country, listed by state and date, only on CigarCyclopedia.com!
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Did you know?
“Cigars, as we know them today, began serious production in Seville, Spain around 1676.
