Black Ops Rubicon Torpedo

The Black Ops Rubicon is from a name you might not be able to say three times fast, but the name and maker, Kaizad Hansotia, has rapidly swept through the cigar industry. Known as the master blender behind the Gurkha brand, he's admired for his mastery of fine tobacco blending and creativity in developing attractive packaging for his cigars, and the Black Ops cigar line is no different. Fresh out of boot camp, this cigar is said to be their most elite and premium release to date and will have you crossing the Rubicon – so to speak – and not wanting to go back. It all starts with a rich and sun-drenched Pennsylvania Broadleaf maduro that secures a Brazilian binder which hugs a combination of long-leaf fillers from the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Honduras. Just for a recap, that’s a five-country blend that will lend bold and complex notes of sweet cream, coffee, oak, and black cherry. Medium to full-bodied, this smoke will have its guns blazing from start to finish as it burns razor sharp. Our panel recommended paring it with a bourbon.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.