CA Reports: Top New Cigars (Mar 15 2021)
I can taste the warm weather already. And by warm weather, I mean delicious new cigars smoked in the sunshine. In this edition of Top New Cigars, we have an annual favorite from Alec Bradley arriving just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the latest limited-edition Winston Churchill from Davidoff, and a game-changing new size to Southern Draw’s Cedrus line that’s been making waves in our humidor.
So…before you get out there and enjoy spring in all its glory, take a quick peek at this trio of fresh finds and see if they should have a place in your cigar stash. And be sure to drop us a line in the comments about which new cigars are on your must-smoke list!
Southern Draw Cedrus Lancero
Wrapper: Indonesian Besuki
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
People give Robustos and Toros all the love, but in my humble opinion, thinner smokes are where it’s at. Looks like Robert Holt and the Southern Draw family agree, because they’ve blessed their popular Cedrus line with a new Lancero measuring 7 ½” and a slender 40 ring gauge. The dimensions give the cigar some extra kick while still delivering on its mouthwatering array of fruit, sweet wood, cocoa, spices, and black pepper. Anyone who’s smoked Cedrus knows that it was a tall order to improve upon – but here I am with egg on my face thinking it couldn’t be done.
Alec Bradley Filthy Hooligan Shamrock
Wrapper: Candela, Nicaragua Habano, Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Panama and Honduras
Don your green Guinness and dollar-store top hats, Alec Bradley’s Filthy Hooligan Shamrock is back! Adding a third layer of natural Habano to the original Filthy Hooligan barber pole’s dual wrappers, Shamrock is both bolder and more complex. The blend’s flavors are equal parts sweet and zesty thanks to a spiral triple-wrap that allows all three wrappers to burn simultaneously. There is one caveat if I’m honest…these only come once a year, and they’re harder to get your hands on than a leprechaun’s gold (*crickets*). Bad jokes aside, I’ll be the first to admit this reeks of a gimmick, but Shamrock’s got what most gimmicks don’t: the flavor to back up the hype.
Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Hybrid Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
If you’ll only settle on the best, it’s hard to argue against Davidoff Winston Churchill. If that’s not even good enough, Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2021 line is what you’d expect to see in a movie scene where a guy has to slip the seller a 20 to see his really good stuff. And it is really good. We found notes of cream and caramel above a blanket of earth, spice, and white peppers. That all comes from a painstaking selection process of some of the world’s finest tobaccos. There are two truths in play here. These super-premium sticks certainly aren’t for the faint of wallets, but you do get what you pay for, especially if you like to treat yourself on occasion.