CA Report: Top New Cigars (October 25 2021)
The Best New Cigars in the Famous Smoke Shop humidor!
Sadly, my kids are too old to take trick or treating. And I’m too old to throw the “Paul-O-Ween” parties of old—I used to go all out and rent a room and have a DJ and slasher films playing silently. Yeah, I love Halloween. But now, my Samhain is relegated to watching classic horror flicks or listening to “I Put a Spell on You” (and it must be the Screaming Jay Hawkins version) and the Misfits around the firepit as I puff away on a choice cigar. And speaking of choice cigars, check out the primetime premiums from La Aurora, Flor del Valle, and Odyssey that we’re featuring in this edition of Top New Cigars at Famous Smoke Shop.
Have you enjoyed a new cigar that you think should be on our must-smoke list? We’d love to hear from you! Please give us the details in the comments below!
La Aurora Hors D’Age
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic, Colombian
According to La Aurora, Hors D’Age epitomizes “the ideal level of perfection.” The tobaccos used in Hors D’Age were grown in 2008 and rolled into a cigar in 2019. But in the pursuit of perfection, these vitolas were laid to rest for an additional two-plus years in the aging room. Add it up and it all amounts 12 years before the cigar reaches your hands. This cigar displays its quality from first light as you’re greeted with notes of cedar wood and cinnamon before a nutty flavor enters the fray. Notes of baking spices and leather join in, with a pleasant cedar note remaining. Black pepper also plays a role, although you might have to really look to find it. All in all, this handmade is subtle and rich, and a worthy addition to La Aurora’s stable of premiums.
Warped Flor del Valle Cristales
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Flor del Valle Cristales features the cream of Aganorsa’s crop—coming dressed for the ball in a stunning Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper. The Nicaraguan long fillers are not simply bunched, rather they are ‘entubado’ bunched—an old Cuban technique that provides an airy, dense, and slow burning smoke with dead perfect construction. You’ll experience mouthwatering notes of cedar wood, cocoa, and baking spices with a consistent, slightly floral undertone. Cristales is medium plus, not quite full, and is a boutique blend that begs you to take your time and savor it.
Odyssey Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
This isn’t the cigar for enthusiasts seeking a mellow smoke. Also, if you’re looking to shell out big bucks for a cigar with a fancy label—I’d look elsewhere. Odyssey Full is what other cigars pretend to be—uncomplicatedly good. This Nicaraguan puro probably won’t have you dreaming of private jets and Rolexes—but wise decisions like choosing an outstanding value cigar like Odyssey might have you approach those dreams on your cigar savings alone. Odyssey is full bodied, spicy, leathery, and has notes of black pepper, dark chocolate, and espresso. Odyssey isn’t a pretender, and it doesn’t need to be—and it might be the best bang for your full-bodied loving buck out there.