Featured Cigars - December 2022

Most people haven’t heard of the Black Crown brand, let alone this cigar, but this is not a cigar that should be overlooked. It comes from the respected Raices Cubanas factory in Danlí, Honduras, which is home to dozens of 90+ rated cigars. Underneath the black and white band is a stunning, dark Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper that secures a hearty criollo binder and a bevy of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers. Medium to full in body, this...

The Partagas line was first developed in 1845 in Cuba, a history that suggests any Partagas cigar is going to be a great smoke. Long before Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba, Partagas cigars were hand-crafted in Havana under the supervision of Ramón Cifuentes and his father. Ramón Cifuentes was one of the last of the legendary cigar-makers to leave Cuba. He did so in the early 1960s when he discovered Santiago, Dominican Republic and...

With its smooth Corojo wrapper, the Bahia Blu doesn’t need dressing up, but its bright blue band with its distinctive silver script does add yet another elegant dimension to this medium-bodied handmade from Nicaragua. The blend consists of Nicaraguan long-fillers grown in Estelí, Jalapa, and León and aged five to six years. After rolling, each is aged in cedar for another 180 days. The result is a smoke that’s somewhat mild but flavorful. Expect...

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 Nicaragua, this limited-edition cigar is hand-rolled at A.J.’s own factory, Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua. This bold blend features tobaccos from not one, not two, but from four different growing regions...

If you’re used to the typical power of a Nicaraguan cigar, the CAO Gold will surprise you. This Cigar Aficionado 91-rated smoke is one of the very few mild Nicaraguan cigars on the market. Comprised of a mellow blend of aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long leaf fillers and binder and a Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian wrapper, this cigar is as nice to look at as it is to wake up with—consider smoking it over coffee or aged rum if you need more kick. Note...

La Aurora Preferidos is a sure show-stopper. Handmade in the Dominican Republic, the Preferidos comes in multiple different varieties, each with a different wrapper type; the Sapphire you have in your shipment today comes dressed in a golden-brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that looks as good as it tastes. This gorgeous wrapper hugs a Dominican binder and a bevy of well-aged Dominican, Brazilian, and Cameroon long-fillers. Medium to full...

The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Box-Pressed Sun Grown was created to celebrate the 20 years of the Perdomo Reserve line being on the market. CEO Nick Perdomo reinvented his classic Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne line with this new Sun Grown, as well as an equally satisfying Maduro sibling. Perdomo cigars have been receiving outstanding scores from Cigar Aficionado, Smoke, and Cigar Insider for years and this smoke is no...

You may or may not know of Steve Saka. If you don’t know of him, allow us to introduce him. Up until 2013, he was gaining legions of fans with Drew Estate when he decided to retire. But in 2015 he started Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust and he was back making delicious top-shelf cigars, including the top-rated and hugely popular Sobremesa which we featured last year. Meaning ‘my mistress’ in Spanish, Mi Querida is the second release from Dunbarton...

The Master Blends 3 (MB3) is the third edition of the Master Blend series and, like the others, is composed of the finest tobaccos cultivated within recent harvests. Available in very limited quantities, this smoke features a gorgeous sungrown broadleaf wrapper with a hint of a reddish hue that secures a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of Nicaraguan Habano-seed and ligero tobaccos. Pressed to perfection, the resulting cigar is a medium to full...