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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading Topper, still going strong at 112 years old!Bulletin: General Cigar announced that Chief Operating Officer Daniel Nunez will retire in the second quarter of 2009 to spend more time with his family. Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Dan Carr will assume Nunez's position. Nunez will remain as a consultant to General Cigar. More details coming Monday. Los Angeles, October 24 – In 1896, Grover Cleveland was completing his second term in the White House and there were 45 stars in the American flag. And in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, B.P. Topper began his own cigar line after two years as an apprentice. The brand is still going strong today, 112 years later, thanks to the efforts of three more generations of Toppers: Curtis Topper, B.P.’s son, helped to make the Topper line one of the best-known in the New England area and his son Frank oversaw the conversion of the Topper line to a machine-made, all-tobacco brand that maintained its popularity among area smokers thanks to its consistent quality. The Topper brand crested in the 1970s with reported sales of about eight million cigars, but after Frank Topper’s death in 1997, the youngest of his six children, Chris Topper took over and is still running the show today. Now headquartered in Meridien, Connecticut, the company remains devoted to its heritage, offering all-tobacco cigars at value prices that feature wrapper leaves grown in the Connecticut Valley. This 112-year American success story merits more than just an acknowledgment, so we checked out five blends – three hand-made and two machine-made – from the Topper line: Cosmo: [Honduras: available in 5 sizes] The Cosmo line is the most recent of the handmade lines introduced by Topper, debuting in 2004. It’s made by Camacho Cigars and offers a medium-to-full flavor featuring an extra-dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper combined with Honduran-grown binder and filler leaves. This blend has a tasty aroma and a light, creamy flavor that’s demure rather than bold, with a short finish. It has more depth that might be expected at the start and is easy to smoke. The construction is excellent with a steady draw and an even burn. There’s a peppery note which enters in the second half that can be quite strong, but isn’t overpowering. The shapes are fun, with three perfectos in the line, including the 6 1/2-inch by 48-ring Fancy Tales; the perfectos are all made using molds that are more than a half-century old. Retail pricing of the Cosmo is also reasonable, at $4.00-5.50 each and all sizes are offered in elegant wooden boxes of 25. Overall grade: B+: Very Good. Topper Danli: [Honduras: available in 4 sizes] After making cigars by hand from 1896 to 1969, Topper went to a completely machine-made line-up. But it began selling handmades again in 1996 to salute the company’s centennial and the Topper Danli – made by Camacho Cigars in Danli, Honduras – debuted in 2002. It’s a winner. The four standard sizes include a Robusto (5 inches by 50 ring), Toro (6 x 50), Churchill (7 x 50) and a Belicoso (6 x 54), all offered in boxes of 25. You’ll want to remember those choices when you order a box because this cigar is a bargain. |
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Did you know?
“After nationalization of the cigar trade, Cuba introduced only one new brand between 1960 and 1990: Cohiba.
