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BOLIVAR’S GOLD MEDAL WILL RETURN!

New European Cigar-Cult Journal reports the re-issue of famed Havana shape for Germany only

Los Angeles, March 14 – Under the stewardship of new editor-in-chief Reinhold Widmayer, the first issue of 2005 of the European Cigar-Cult Journal is a feast of information and pictures:

• Fifth Avenue Trading, the importer of Havana cigars for Germany, has commissioned a re-issue of the famed Bolivar Gold Medal shape, a 6 1/2-inch by 42-ring lonsdale half-clothed in brilliant gold foil. Discontinued in 1992, only 10,000 cigars will reportedly be made, to be sold in Germany in boxes of 10 at a projected retail price of €160 or about $212.

• In addition to the wild humidor shown at last month’s Festival del Habano, Cuban artist and car buff Rene Roque has designed a series of miniatures which include humidors! These include a replica of a British 1938 Austin “Ten Saloon” with room for 25 churchills and a 1919 Ford Model “T” with room for 30 cigars and have been on display in Cuba’s Museo del Tabaco.

• A comprehensive article on Brazilian tobacco and the dominant role of Dannemann in the production of some of the country’s top cigars. Well made in the U.S. for its machine-made small cigars, Dannemann’s Nicaraguan-made Artist Line is one of the top handmade cigars available in Europe and we’ll see below, stacks up well with the best from Cuba. Quoting Dannemann Prsident Hans Leusen, “It is its color that makes many people think that Brazil is a particularly strong cigar [tobacco], although the opposite is the case.”

• And then there are ratings . . . lots of them. In the primary test for this issue of new blends, the top ratings went to five cigars which received five stars:

> Artist Line 30th Anniversary Salomones (7 1/4 x 58 perfecto), a specially-made cigar by Dannemann in Nicaragua to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Zurich smokeshop Tabak Ladeli/Wagner, featuring all Nicaraguan tobacco and a full-bodied taste with a touch of fruity sweetness and spice.

> Davidoff 30th Anniversary Salomones, in the same size, also for Tabak Ladeli/Wagner, but made in the Dominican Republic with an Ecuadorian wrapper and Dominican-grown binder and filler. The tasters enjoyed the trademark Davidoff taste of rich cream with just a hint of fruit on the finish. Will we ever see this size in the U.S. from Davidoff?

> La Aurora Preferidos No. 2 Sapphire series (5 x 54 perfecto) with a Connecticut wrapper, exhibiting the complex taste so well known to American smokers from this outstanding Dominican-made series.

> La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve Cameroon (6 3/4 x 56 perfecto), from Nicaragua with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The tasters like the sharp, but controlled taste of this “silver label” with the richness of the Cameroon wrapper.

> Partagas Serie D No. 1 (Edicion Limitada), a 6 5/8 x 50 toro from Cuba which the tasters called “the finest Partagas produced up until now” with a spicy-sweet taste . . . “a Havana with class.”

Interestingly, of the 33 cigars tasted, only four were from Cuba and these scored from five stars (Partagas Serie D No. 1 above) to just 3 1/2 for the Hoyo Petit Robusto. Just below the five “superstars” of the tasting – of which one was from Cuba – came another eight cigars which scored 4 1/2 stars, again with only one from Cuba:

> C.A.O. Brazilia Amazon, from Honduras (6 x 60)

> Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Robusto, from Honduras (5 x 52)

> Cumpay Shorts, from Nicaragua (4 x 44)

> Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion Consul, from Nicaragua (4 1/2 x 52)

> Laura Chavin Pur Sang IV, from the Dominican Republic (6 x 50)

> Patoro 30th Anniversary Salomones, from the Dominican Republic (7 1/4 x 58 perfecto)

> Romeo y Julieta Hermosos No. 2 Edicion Limitada from Cuba (6 1/4 x 48)

> Zino Platinum Crown Barrel, from the Dominican Republic (6 x 60)

No, we’ve never heard of the Laura Chavin brand, either.

The second ratings exercise is the Cigar-Cult Journal’s famous “price for value” test. Here nine brands were exercised and the top average went to Puros Indios from Honduras. The tasters found the Puros Indios blend to be of medium strength and “pleasant roasty tones” and “sweet aromas of wood.” We agree: Puros Indios is one of the best bargains on the market today.

Only one of the other eight brands sampled is offered in the U.S., so we’re glad that Puros Indios came out on top.

• Finally, Sebastian Zimmel’s column “The Cigar Doctor” is full of his enthusiasm . . . and good sense of humor. A question concerning why some smokers light up using thin rods of cedar was answered “You may light cigars with a match, a gas lighter or a 100 dollar bill – the only thing you should not use is a petrol lighter.” So there!

Everything at Once with our March Combo Offer!
Okay, we’re offering everything we have in one big package this month at 28% off! You get (drum roll . . .):

• A one-year subscription to our value-packed CigarWire and

• A copy of our 600-page Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars for 2005 and

• A copy of our third edition Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Havana Cigars!

That’s normally a $54.90 value with shipping, but we’re offering all of this for a special, discounted price of just $39.99 through the end of this month only.

Your subscription will also include our “Week in Review” newsletter sent each Thursday with a summary of our top stories of the week!
~ Rich Perelman

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