Featured Cigars - Sept 2020

Handmade by famed cigar maker Rolando Reyes, Sr. at the Puros Indios factory in Honduras, Cuba Aliados is a flavorful medium-bodied blend that’s earned 90 points from Cigar Aficionado. The fillers consist of Cuban-seed Dominican, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos all hugged by an Ecuadorian binder and wrapped by a Nicaraguan Maduro leaf. Note the appearance of the cigar is just a tad on the rustic side, but also note that it’s well made—Rolando Reyes cigars are always well-rolled...

Worldwide, AVO sells over three million cigars annually – a big jump from its first year production of 100,000 cigars back in 1988. The brand was created from the passion of fine tobacco possessed by one Avo Uvezian, the son of a family of musicians from Beirut. Avo moved from Beirut to New York to study piano at Julliard and after opening a restaurant and piano bar in Puerto Rico in the early ‘80s, he discovered his love for cigars. After being introduced to master roller Hendrik Kelner, the two partnered...

Crafted in the Dominican Republic, the Ichiban Connecticut is built with a smooth blend of Dominican and Peruvian tobaccos at its core, augmented by a Dominican binder leaf and finished with a smooth and sultry Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The result is a creamy and opulent experience with lightly sweet hay-like notes, leather, oak, a touch of cedar, hints of vanilla, and a dash of white pepper. Enjoy this easy-going smoke with a pilsner, maibock, or other pale lager...

Meaning ‘the friendship’ in Spanish, La Amistad is one of the more full-bodied cigars to come out of Hoyo de Monterrey and is a collaboration from General Cigar and legendary cigar maker and farmer A.J. Fernandez. Hailing from Esteli, Nicaragua, this gorgeous cigar is hand rolled at A.J.’s own factory, Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua. A modern interpruation of the classic brand, here is what A.J. himself had to say about the Hoyo La Amistad project: “I grew up very near to the Hoyo de Monterrey farm...

We love a good puro, especially a Nicaraguan puro! And, when we get ‘em, you can bet they’re a big hit with those on our review panel who prefer the big-bodied ka-pow of strong cigars. The Joya Copper is no exception. Launched at the end of 2019, the Joya Copper is the newest in Joya de Nicaragua’s “Joya” series which currently consists of Red, Black, Cabinetta, and Silver in addition to the Copper. Representing a considerably bolder profile than the others in the series, Joya Copper is similar – though not quite...

Made at Nestor Plasencia’s famous El Paraiso factory in Honduras, the Decade is rich, smooth and full of flavor. Using a blend that has been called his best yet, the Decade is chocked full of Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers, bound with a Nicaraguan long-leaf and finished with a dark and oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The result is a smoke rich and creamy in texture with flavors of bourbon, oak, wood, black pepper, and coffee, with a leather core and finishing with a lingering hickory sweetness...

The Camacho Triple Maduro is the world’s first all maduro cigar – filler, binder, and wrapper are all maduro. Legend has it that the Eiroas had to try 84 different blends before perfecting their peculiar creation, but we’re sure glad they did! This full-bodied powerhouse is big, bold, luscious, and oh so tempting with its super dark Mexican San Andrés wrapper, and its Honduran corojo binder and Honduran, Dominican, and Brazilian long-fillers, all maduro. Light ‘er up and be prepared to be blown away with...

AJ Fernandez needs no introduction for experienced cigar lovers, being one of the most prolific and talented blenders in the entire industry. For his Dias de Gloria line, Fernandez was inspired by the “Glory Days” of the Cuban cigar industry prior to its takeover by the communists and the chaos that ensued as much of the most experienced growers and blenders fled the regime. It was a time when Cuban cigars were widely considered the best in the world, and Dias de Gloria is designed to evoke an...

Though Gurkha makes many different lines of boutique cigars, the Crest (also known as Le Grande) easily ranks among Gurkha’s finest creations. High in demand, the Crest is hand-rolled in Nicaragua and is crafted with a vintage mixture of Cuban-seed long-fillers from Nicaragua's top growing regions that is hugged by a premium Nicaraguan binder. On top is a chewy and thick Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper that is aged a minimum of nine years! Medium to full in strength, this one-of-a-kind smoke...