CA Report: Top New Cigars (Apr 26 2021)

Besides day drinking in the yard (courtesy of working from home), I can’t think of a better way to enjoy this warm spell than with a tasty cigar to puff on. And not just any old cigar that’s collecting dust in my humidor. I want something fresh. Something exciting. I want one of the best new cigars I can find.

If you’re new to our Top New Cigars series – that’s exactly what we do here, a relentless search for the most exciting new flavors, the most anticipated cigar releases, and simply, cigars we think are worth your while.

So…strap in, my friends! Let’s go and make the best of smoking season before we’re looking at it longingly from the rearview. And always remember…if there’s a new cigar you think we should be talking about, give us the skinny in the comments below!

L’Atelier Selection Speciale

Wrapper: Ecuador Sancti Spiritus
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

So often these days, the Nicaraguan blends we see are just straight up pepper bombs. That’s cool and all if you’ve just had a four-course meal or can bench press 550. But for the rest of us mere mortals, the rising mercury means that those pepper fests become a little too much in the summer heat and humidity. So, how to get that Nicaraguan flavor without burning out? The L’Atelier Selection Speciale we recently reviewed is flavor forward the way a Nicaraguan blend should be without cauterizing your throat the way so many of them can. The blend’s flavors lean rich and creamy with notes of espresso, baking spices, and earth. Light this thing up, and you can tell the sun to bring it on. Because you’ll be ready. And at its price, your wallet will be ready, too.

Trinidad Espiritu No. 2

Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Those of you who eyerolled my sensitivity to pepper can hold off the hate mail because this next selection brings it all back. Trinidad Espiritu No. 2 spotlights Brazilian tobacco with a lush Arapiraca wrapper that’s heavy on the tooth, and even heavier in flavor. Pepper bomb? Check. That’s almost assured considering AJ Fernandez had a hand in its creation. Notes like earth, black coffee, red peppers, salt, and a woody sweetness shine through the intensity of the spices, meaning that it’s not only strong, but delicious as well. Not many cigars can pull off both. I’d light this one up after sunset, and make sure to take it slow and savor it. You’ll be rewarded for your patience.

Aganorsa Rare Leaf

Wrapper: Nicaragua Jalapa
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Last year’s Supreme Leaf was out of stock more often than it was in, and Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf seems destined for the same highly demanded fate. With A-grade harvest leaves, Rare Leaf produces a salty, citrusy chorus of woody sweetness, spice, earth, and fresh vegetable flavor. We found coffee on the finish and a creamy smoke that envelops you with sweet and nutty aromas. Best of all, it’s medium-bodied, so this cigar will be just as at home paired with your morning coffee as it will be on the sun-soaked beach of your upcoming (and long overdue) vacation getaway. Consider grabbing a few while they’re available and let us know what you think!