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CUPID, DRAW BACK YOUR BOW! |
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 Stunning Nicaraguan blend ranked best among medium-bodied brands
Los Angeles, July 19 – Cupid may have been only a minor deity in the pantheon of Greek gods, but his cigar is no. 1.
The Cupido brand from Nicaragua ranked first in our list of medium-bodied brands, thanks to its marvelous, deep, fruity flavor, especially in its landmark Churchill size.
Introduced in 1996, the blend was created by Kiki Berger and Yossi Kviatkovsky and emphasizes Cuban-seed ligero leaves grown at their Tabacalera Esteli farm. Wrapped with a Sumatra-grown wrapper, the result is a marvelous river of flavor, devoid of any bitterness whatsoever.
It had to be good to beat out an all-star cast of brands including the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series, Avo Classic, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta and others. In all, our rankings showcase 21 brands offering a mild-to-medium, or medium-bodied taste.
The Dominican Republic dominated the list of top medium-bodied brands, producing 14 of the 21 selections. Two were from Honduras and five originated from Nicaragua.
The complete list, in order from 1-20 with tasting notes, is available only to our CigarWire subscribers. Our list of full-bodied brands will debut during the week of August 16.
A supplementary list of Cuban brands of medium strength is also included with the under-appreciated Juan Lopez brand at the top. Its soft, flavorful tones had a marvelous caramel-like quality which was present from beginning to end. Often hard to find, Juan Lopez is currently made in a half-dozen, mostly smaller shapes with the Seleccion No. 1 (5 5/8 inches by 46 ring) and Seleccion No. 2 (4 7/8 inches by 50 ring) forming the basis for our rankings.
The brand is due for a new look as Habanos has announced that all of its brands and shapes will have bands in the future. The sought-after Seleccion No. 1 and No. 2 shapes have been packaged without bands for many years.
Among cigars available to American smokers, Cupido's crown rests uneasily, however. We will select the best in medium-bodied cigars again by year's end and the quality of tobacco available and the development of new blends means its quality will again be measured against the best. In the meantime, Cupid's arrow found the mark in our hearts. We love his cigar.
~ Rich Perelman
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