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More Outstanding Cigars of 2004
Plus cigar tips, cigar reviews and more!
(Posted February 2, 2005)
NEXT ISSUE: Wednesday, March 2
*** IN THIS ISSUE ***
1. Feature Story: More Outstanding Cigars of 2004
2. Survey Says: Do you own an air cleaner or purifier?
3. Smoker's Ed (Cigar Terms & Tips): The Rap on Wrappers; Balancing temperature and humidity
4. Rating Lunatic: Don Barreto Churchill; Gurkha Legend Churchill; Soledad Corona; Bahia B-Line B2
5. Cigars in the News: Cuba tells smokers to step outside
6. Eyes on the Prize: Celebrity and Customer Cigar Sightings
*** FEATURE STORY ***
More Outstanding Cigars of 2004
by Gary Korb
Last month, I reviewed what I felt were some of the more outstanding cigars of 2004. Here's my take on six more cigars that I felt were also praiseworthy. Unlike a couple of the Limited Edition cigars in last month's issue, which are no longer available, all of the following are still on the market, but you might have to do a little digging to find some Partagas Cifuentes and some Excalibur Royal Sterling.
Avo Legacy - This special edition cigar celebrates two milestones for Avo Uvezian: his 78th birthday and a remarkable career in music, which is why the box also includes a complimentary 12-song CD appropriately titled, "Legacy." Only 6,500 boxes were made for U.S. distribution and each box comes with 12 cigars banded with the classic Avo band and a second band printed with the name of each song. The cigar is draped in a flawless Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper with a blend of specially-fermented, Dominican tobaccos presenting a creamy, medium to full-bodied smoke with an understated woody character. As the cigar smokes, rich spicy flavors emerge, intensifying the flavor and aroma in this very well-rounded cigar.
CAO Italia - Premium tobacco has been grown in Italy since the 16th century and the CAO Italia selection asserts that Mediterranean-grown tobacco - in the right hands - easily stands up to that grown in the Caribbean. This cigar is deftly handcrafted with long filler tobaccos grown from Habano seeds that were brought to Italy from Cuba over 40 years ago and have been grown in the southern Benevento region of Italy between Rome and Naples. Tobaccos from Nicaragua and Peru are also used including a lush, Honduran-grown Habano seed wrapper, but it's the Italian-grown tobaccos that give this medium-bodied, smooth-smoking cigar a very unique, earthy sweetness to the smoke while producing an equally redolent aroma.
Casa Toraño - One of the more unique cigars in terms of taste, reportedly, Casa Toraño was the Toraño family's private cigar for years and it is now available to the premium cigar consumer. The key to this cigar is the mildness of its smoke while at the same time providing a robust and enticing flavor. The wrapper is an attractive Ecuadorian-grown, Connecticut-seed leaf, plus an Indonesian binder with a Honduran-Nicaraguan tobacco blend and an additional filler leaf that the Toraño's prefer to keep a family secret. The cigar exhibits a pleasant cedar aroma and presents a perfectly balanced smoke that blooms into a rich-tasting yet consistently mellow smoke with a semi-dry finish on the palate. What I like most about this cigar is the longer you smoke it, the better it gets.
Excalibur Royal Sterling- This cigar was a very pleasant surprise. I immediately liked the tawny color of the wrapper, which is a specially-grown, Honduran Claro leaf. The blend is a specially cured version of Hoyo De Monterrey's classic Honduran, Dominican and Nicaraguan with a Connecticut broadleaf binder. The cigar presents a rich, creamy smoke with a cedary character that becomes richer and creamier with even more pronounced flavors of cedar and sweet spice as it continues to burn. A solid, mild to medium-bodied smoke with a wonderful aroma.
Partagas Cifuentes - Here's a cigar that reminds you why the Partagas name looms so large in the world of fine, premium cigars. The cigar is presented in three sizes, each representing the Fall season (Septiembre," "Octubre," and "Noviembre"). Developed by Daniel Nuñez and Benji Menendez as a tribute to Ramon Cifuentes, the legendary Cuban cigar master who created the Partagas brand, these cigars don a rare, sun-ripened, Honduran San Agustin wrapper that surrounds a proprietary Nicaraguan filler and binder. The cigars burn slowly and evenly, and the smoke is remarkably complex, boasting hearty flavors of cedar with undercurrents of spiciness that increase in depth as the cigar smokes. It reminded me somewhat of the earthiness of the Partagas Spanish Rosado, but much creamier. Since this blend will never be duplicated, these cigars are true collector's items.
Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real - This blend takes the well-rounded flavor of Romeo Y Julieta cigars to a more luxurious level. The Real selection is handmade with a beautiful, hand-selected Connecticut Shade Ecuadorian wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and vintage Dominican and Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos. The smoke is rich, savory and medium bodied with a floral air to the aroma. The cigar is well-balanced, moving from sweet and zesty to a more understated flavor in the middle section of the cigar, then blooming into a delightfully vivid and spicy-sweet smoke in the final rounds. A wonderful late day or after dinner cigar.
*** SURVEY SAYS DEPT. ***
Do you own an air cleaner or purifier?
If you do own an air purifier, do you use it for smoking cigars in the house? Does it work?
Please let us know if you have one, how you use it, and how effective it is.
Send an email to: and type or copy & paste "Air cleaner" in the SUBJECT line and add YES if you DO own one, NO if you don't.
Survey Results for January 5, 2005: Do you remove the cellophane from your cigars when placing them in your humidor? If not, why?
In this survey the cello removers outnumbered the cello keepers over 2 to 1.
YES (remove cello) = 68%
NO (leave cell on) = 32%
Most in the YES camp agreed that their cigars aged and tasted better. The NO camp was more prudent, preferring to keep their cigars protected from general handling, beetles, mold, etc. and felt it made no difference in the taste of their cigars. Here are some comments that came in:
I do not remove cellophane because the risk is too high for spreading tobacco beetle infestation. I once let the temp peak above 72 degrees for a couple of days (only by one degree) and some eggs hatched. Before I knew it, a few of my prized aging boxes were infested. Note, I do have a walk-in humidor with over 100 boxes stored (see www.feithonline.com/humidor). Now they are all cellophaned, or if packed un-cellophaned, I leave the box closed. In my desktop humidor, I prefer un-cellophaned for aging, because the risk is minimal. So, un-cellophaned is better for aging, but one should weigh the risk of infestation if many boxes are stored in one location. ~Paul Feith
YES - You wouldn't keep your best friend trapped in a bag so why keep the cigars in one? They need to be free to "play" with the other guys as they age and they will have better "social skills" when smoked later. Thanks for the great cigars at great prices! - Keith Kewley
Nope, I never remove the cello. As many of your readers, I'm active on the cigar BB's and as such I am often involved in cigar trades. The cello is a great way to protect the cigars in transit. There are varied degrees of quality in the cello used by manufacturers, but they are all permeable. That means of course that it allows the exchange of air through the surface of the cellophane. Some of the cellophane used will yellow with time and it's a fair gauge of how old the cigar is. However, that being said, not all cello will yellow with time or as quickly as other cellophane's. For me it's a common sense issue, ask yourself if the manufacturers would put something on the cigar that is detrimental. The answer is obviously no they wouldn't. In my opinion it also allows for better air circulation around the cigars as the cellophane is not a real snug fit. Some people cut the extra cellophane off the foot of the cigar to help with circulation. Which is probably the best thing to do if you feel you must do something. Some guys will always try to reinvent the wheel, I trust the manufacturers to know what they are doing. The last thing they want is for their product to be damaged in any way. - Glenn R., Shoreline, WA
Yes. Truly helps even the aging. The only reason for not taking off the cello is to keep the wrapper from getting banged up if you drag them off to games or parties, even with a traveldor. - D. Mangotti
Then there was this story:
I was given an old Cuban cigar to keep. It seems this was the last one from a box given to a rancher in Oklahoma by Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller in 1954. The remains of the box were passed down to the rancher's son, who didn't smoke. He had kept two. Since he had no way of keeping them and didn't really have an interest, I was the beneficiary. I have kept my cigars in their cellophanes, as was the 1954 Cuban. One evening preparing to head over to a friend's party, I rushed in and scooped up some cigars from my humidor and packed them in a travel case. On the patio I opened the box and offered cigars to the guests. Several partook. About a week later, while straightening out my inventory, I noticed the 1954 missing! Indeed, in my haste, the cigar had to have been scooped up among the Avos and others, then probably picked out by one of the young fellows who never smoked a good cigar, let alone a HALF CENTURY OLD CUBAN. Nobody knows how good (or bad) the cigar was. It still hurts to write about it. So, I say take the cellos off, UNLESS the cigar is one to be saved for a long time while being stored in your only humidor. Leaving it in cello might help segregate it from your regular inventory. - Tom J. Shaw
That brings me to a recent article posted at CigarCyclopdia.com wherein Richard Perelman sheds the following light on this oft-disputed topic:
The conventional wisdom has always been to remove cigars from any kind of individual container to allow better aging and flavor. One of the world's top retailers of cigars, Vahe Gerard of Gerald Pere et Fils in Geneva, Switzerland, insists on this in his landmark The Connoisseur's Guide to Havana Cigars, published in 1992: "A cigar packed away in a metal tube or a plastic casing is a cigar that is dying and should therefore be smoked soon. As for the individually cellophane-wrapped cigar, very disputed by certain purists, it is useful for keeping a cigar properly in very moist regions; under 'normal' storage conditions, one should take into consideration the fact that it will slow down the proper humidification of good quality Havanas."
Hong Kong collector Min Ron Nee, author - with former Cubatabaco executive Adriano Martinez - of An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post-Revolution Havana, has another view:
"Is cellophane really bad for cigar aging? The answer can be found in 15+ years old cigars which were presented in both the cellophaned and non-cellophaned versions. The Quintero Churchills and the El Rey del Mundo Panetelas Largas, both brilliant cigars, are excellent examples.
"All 15 to 20 year old Havana Cigars in cellophane happen to taste much better. It is possible that as time goes by, the oils deposited on the cellophane prevent leakage of large organic molecules and creates a mini 'wine-in-the-bottle' effect. Nonetheless cellophane no doubt delays maturation. Removing the cellophane accelerates the aging process and is not an unwise decision for people who cannot wait."
Perelman, himself, recommends keeping your cigars in their original cellophane wrappers, if only to prevent the spread of beetle infestation. He emphasizes that, should the temperature or humidity in your humidor reach up around the 80 degree F or 80% RH mark, the odds of beetle eggs hatching increase significantly, especially if your humidor takes in direct sunlight (a major no-no) on a warm summer day.
I surmise the majority of us in the "no cello" camp are confident that we would never let our humidors get to such extremes. As I've said before on this topic, it's a matter of individual taste and if you're still not certain about what to do, the next time you buy a box of cigars, take 10 and put them aside. Remove the cello from 5 of them. Then, every 6 months, compare one without cello to one in cello. That'll get you through 2½ years of experimentation, but you will probably make up your mind well before that as to what method is best for you.
Cigar Terms & Tips (Collect and trade em'!)
Cigarillos - Favored by some aficionados and scorned by others, these thin, three-inch cigars, popular in Europe, are generally machine-made, and many brands use homogenized wrappers or binders.
The Rap on Wrappers
Q: Do the different wrappers [C, N, M, etc.] that cigars come with make a substantial difference in their taste? E.g. How much different in taste is an Olor Paco with a Connecticut wrapper from one with a Maduro. I imagine the Maduro definitely adds a "deeper" taste. Please give me a brief "wrapper education" relating to taste.
- Thanks, John Schlesinger
A: The darker the wrapper, the more depth, richness and often sweetness is added to the overall flavor of the cigar. When I say sweetness, I don't literally mean sweet like sugar, more like a dulcet characteristic that presents itself in the cigar. Of course, the way the leaf is cured plays a big part. Remember, the wrapper accounts for about 20% of the cigar's flavor, so yes, the natural Connecticut wrapper on the cigar would be milder in taste than the dark Maduro wrapper. Connecticut-seed wrapper has a natural bitterness to it, which is why the longer it's aged, the smoother it tastes. Macanudo uses a double-fermented U.S. Connecticut wrapper and could be considered as the benchmark for how good U.S. Connecticut wrapper is supposed to taste. Claro or Jade (light green) wrappers are the lightest in taste. At the other end, the Double Maduro or Oscuro wrapper would be the richest and "sweetest." Some of the best full-flavored Maduro wrapper can be found on Oliva cigars like the O Bold and O Maduro series. I also like the Costa Rican-grown Maduro found on the Carlos Toraño Signature and Tribute 2004 cigars. You might also want to try the Hoyo Dark Sumatra cigars or Puro Indios cigars, which the latter offers in several wrapper shades. Avo Signature uses the somewhat more savory-tasting sun-grown Ecuadorian Connecticut. Other wrappers you might want to consider are African Cameroon as found on Partagas, Arturo Fuente and La Aurora cigars. Other cigars with outstanding wrappers are the CAO Criollo, Punch Rare Corojo and the spicy, Habana 2000 wrapper found on Aspira cigars as well as on several other brands. Gee, I think I covered just about everybody on that one! ;-)
Want to keep your cigars fresh? Remember these three simple rules.
Last month I received a lot of email from readers who were wrestling with keeping their humidors at the proper humidity and temperature level. For those of you in colder climes whose cigars go into virtual hibernation for 3-4 months as well as the rest of you, here are the rules:
1. Keep your cigars at 68-70 degrees and at 70-72% RH.
2. Both humidity and temperature must be controlled. Paying attention to only one or the other will cause your cigars problems in the long run. Note that RH will fluctuate as temperature rises and/or falls. There is always an ebb and flow. If temp and humidity are maintained within a specific range as indicated in rule 1, these fluctuations are insignificant.
3. Maintain an even level of humidity. As the humidity level rises, it stands to reason that there will be additional moisture in your cigars. So, if your cigars feel very spongy, they have too much water and will either burn unevenly, burst or both.
Footnote to Rule 1: If you prefer to vary the range, do it to the cooler and lower humidity side, but be consistent.
Reader Feedback and Tips from Our Mailbag
“Ode to Famous”
Fuente bands are red,
Dunhill bands are blue,
Without Famous Smoke Shop,
What would this cigar lover do?
- S.A., Clifton Park, NY.
Got a good cigar tip? Send it in and share it with our readers by
sending an email to . Please be
sure to put "Cigar Tip" in the subject field.
*** SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DEPT.***
Free Advice!
Have a question about the care and feeding of your cigars or another
cigar-related topic? Send your questions and comments to me at: . I will try to respond as quickly as possible, but some replies may take a few days.
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Shop-Talk Archives
Want to catch up on your Famous Smoke Shop Talk reading or reference an article, tip, or other bit of information that appeared in a past issue? Go to our Famous Smoke “Shop Talk” archives page.
*** RATING LUNATIC DEPT.***
January, 2005 cigar reviews from Famous Smoke Shop customers.
Reviews are selected at random and may be edited for length, not content.
Don Barreto Churchill (7" x 50 / Medium - Full)
One word: "AWESOME!" Went out with the guys last night for beers and cigars. I grabbed a Don Barreto out of my humidor. I purchased a 5 pack a couple of weeks ago, so I figured this would be good time to try one. I wish I hadn't waited so long. The taste was full yet smooth from beginning to end. The cigar burned evenly and the ash was wonderful. My friends all commented on the richness of the aroma (even the waitress commented that it smelled like a good cigar). One word comes to mind when I think of this cigar and the experience of smoking it "AWESOME". Needless to say it's on my favorites and my humidor will never be without one. - Dan Charter, Hillsboro, OR
Gurkha Legend Churchill 5 pack (7½" x 52 / Full)
Wow! I bought the five pack at the auction website, and man, what a cigar. Taste is superb. Burn almost perfect. Draws like a straw. Nice ash, whatever that means. Best smoke I've had all year. It's only January 10th, but the Gurkha Legend Churchill is gonna be hard to top. - Harryhippie, Princeton, NJ
Soledad Corona (5½" x 42 / Mild)
Excellent cigar for the money. Ordered 10 Coronas without much expectations, boy, was I pleasantly surprised, to say the least. I smoked this corona while playing golf, then a much more expensive Perdomo an hour later. The Soledad was a better smoke, with a pleasantly medium flavour, will definitely order a box of these. - Anthony Webb, Ooltewah, TN
Bahia B-Line B2 (5" x 52 / Medium)
Classy cigar. I really enjoy the Bahia line. I have smoked dozens of these cigars and have been consistently impressed. I played poker over at a friends house recently and brought him a B2 to try. He is an avid cigar smoker, but had not yet tried the B line. When I asked him to give an estimate of cost after he finished, he said that he figured it would be priced around $6.50 a stick. That makes a box of these Belicosos well worth it! - Shawn, Orange County, CA
AGREE/DISAGREE? Your opinion may be similar or completely different and is also appreciated, so don't be shy. Rate the cigars you smoke on our web site and write a review. You might even get your quote re-printed in our monthly mailorder catalog! What you say can help others make a more informed decision, even you!
*** CIGARS IN THE NEWS ***
By now many of you may have seen this little gem on Yahoo News, but for those of you who haven't, talk about irony.
Fabled for its tobacco, Cuba tells smokers to step outside
January 19, 2005
HAVANA (AFP) - Cuba may be world famous for its tobacco but the communist government - led by ex-smoker Fidel Castro - has decided to ban smoking in public places starting next month.
The ban will take place February 6, just one part of a broader anti-smoking initiative, authorities say. Tobacco products also will then be sold only to people over 16; there is currently no age minimum.
And cigarette vending machines will go the way of the dodo, the government says.
More than half of Cuban adults and a large percentage of young adults smoke, mainly strong cigarettes.
So ingrained is the smoking habit that government rationing cards distributed to every Cuban for basic foodstuffs give those born before 1955 four packs of cigarettes a month at a bargain seven cents (US) each. The regular price per pack is 26 cents (US).
The government said that the new initiatives, aside from underscoring the health consequences of smoking, are meant to respect non-smokers' rights.
The smoking ban will apply to all closed public venues including offices, theatres, buses, taxis, trains, schools, food preparation areas and sports arenas.
In open and semi-open public places -- presumably most restaurants -- smoking and non-smoking sections will be set up.
Castro, once a passionate fan of Cuba's legendary cigars, snuffed out his last one in 1986 and officially took up anti-smoking campaigning. But this is the government's biggest, broadest bid yet to put a dent in the Cuba's nicotine fix.
*** GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR! DEPT.***
If you live in or near the verdant Lehigh Valley of PA, stop by our
retail store at 1100 Conroy Place in Easton, PA for one of our cigar tasting events. For details and more information call 610-559-8800.
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It’s Like eBay® for Cigar Lovers!
Now you can get the cigars YOU want at the prices you want to pay by logging on to CigarAuctioneer.com. It's FUN, it's FAST and the ACTION is great! You'll not only find RARE cigars, closeouts, and discontinued cigar brands, but now you can bid on humidors, cigar lighters and more!
(“eBay” is the registered trademark of eBay, Inc. Famous Smoke Shop-PA, Inc. is not associated or affiliated with eBay in any manner.)
*** EYES ON THE PRIZE DEPT.***
Cigar Sightings
 
The Apprentice (air date: 1/27/05) - Magna Corporation celebrated their first victory by having dinner with Steve Forbes on his private yacht, which included after-dinner drinks and cigars.
The picture was taken at a herf where we enjoyed a cigar with none other than Tony Borhani.
(L-R) Paul, Paul, Tony Borhani, Karl and Vinny
- Karl
It's our own President, Arthur Zaretsky (center) with Ron and Brian Shapiro snapped by the paparazzi in Miami at a 40th Anniversary party for Padron cigars. (From Eventos magazine.)
Other Famous Cigar Smokers Caught “Infumare Delecto”
This photo was taken on January 15th. We have been the beneficiary of several boxes of cigars from one of your customers: Mr. Nicholas Kelly of Port Washington, NY--the man knows a great cigar--truly an Aficionado, as he has donated CAO Cameroons and AVO Robusto Tubos in the last couple of months. We obviously enjoy our cigars, our work and being Americans! Thank you for sharing our photos, not just us, but all service men and women serving today. - John Kelly
Here is a photo of: [me] Fitzy, Justin and John smoking a Tomahawk Maduro from Indian Tabac and a Perdomo Reserve. Can't wait to sit at my desk and smoke another fine cigar while reading your work again next month. Thank you. - Fitzy, Braintree, MA
A photo from the past, circa 1966, 4th Inf Div, Camp Enari, Viet-Nam, shot of 2d Lt Wes Ludwig, B Company, 4th Engineer Battalion....as I recall the "tasty" was a Dutch Master!...but good considering the times and location, also note the vintage NY Daily News, which my dad would send me to keep up with national & local NY/NJ news. - Wes Ludwig, Colonel (retired), USA
Me smoking a Rocky Patel Vintage over Christmas. - Leonard Li
I want to let you know that we have a local group of cigar smokers in Las Vegas that meets every Wednesday after work. We call ourselves the Las Vegas Cigar Posse. This picture is from our group from a night at Del Frescos. - J.C. Simon / Las Vegas
Sailing on Seneca Lake of NY with a Partagas Black Label trying to unwind from daily stress. -Brian Taggerty
WANTED! Cigar-smoking photos of you and your friends
Have You Made A Cigar Sighting Recently? It can be from a movie, TV show or a celebrity you've seen elsewhere or in-person puffing a primo. If you can name the brand of the cigar, even better! Or send in a herfing photo of you and your friends to me at and please put "Cigar Sightings" in the subject line. Limit: 1 sighting or photo (preferably, a .JPG) per email.
NEXT MONTH: An interview with Michael Chunko of Csonka Worldwide cigar accessories.
That's all folks. Until our next issue on March 2,
Happy Smokes!
Gary
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Shop Talk illustration at top of page by Robert Ingram.
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