Cigar Buying Guides

CA Report: Top New Cigars (July 11, 2022)

More of our Favorite New Cigars Fresh from Famous Smoke Shop!

Here we are—the dog days of summer. When you don’t dare touch the lawnmower until the sun dips behind the trees. When eggs fry right off the asphalt. When you start seeing mirages of a pool you never had installed…

It’s time to beat the heat, so pop up that picnic table umbrella and fill your cooler with some icy brews from the fridge. We’ve got a trio of new cigars right off the shelves at Famous to pair with them. This week, we’re reviewing the latest cigars from Chogui, HVC, along with AJ Fernandez’ take on El Rey del Mundo.

Which one will you choose as your next summer smoke? Let us know in the comments below!

Chogui Dos 77 Corojo

Wrapper: Dominican Sun Grown Corojo
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano & Havana Vuelta Arriba

Originally released in 2014, Chogui cigars were only available in the Dominican Republic. All that changed this year. And with a re-blend under its belt, and distribution handled by Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars fame, this boutique brand is making some serious waves in the cigar social media scene. I found an inviting Corojo sweetness, leather, earth, and wood, with a spritz of citrusy spice. Not too heavy (even for midday). Not too light. Just right.

El Rey del Mundo by AJ Fernandez

Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua

When El Rey del Mundo wanted their cigar to stand out, they gave AJ Fernandez the keys to the blending room. And boy…did it pay off. These limited-edition boxes of 10 cigars come wrapped in Nicaraguan Habano wrappers, Connecticut Broadleaf binders, and potent Nicaraguan long fillers. A properly full-bodied smoke in true AJ form. I found notes of earth, dark wood, coffee, and cashews, along with AJ’s signature spicy sweetness in every puff. El Rey del Mundo by AJ smokes perfectly on these warm summer nights. Light one up and lemme know if you agree.

HVC Vieja Cosecha

Wrapper: Nicaragua Criollo ’98
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

We’re excited to finally have one of the most popular HVC cigars in the Famous library. The Vieja Cosecha name translates to “old crop,” and it certainly lives up to it with five-year-aged tobaccos in each position—all of them grown on Aganorsa’s legendary farms in Nicaragua. HVC Vieja Cosecha has an overall buttery quality to its flavor, mixing notes of earth, citrus, wood, and sweet spices. Plus, I love its old-school Figurado format. By the box, they’re well under $10 a stick—a steal at that price.