CA Report: Top New Cigars (June 24 2019)

The sun is high in the sky, burgers are on the grill, and you’ve got a cigar in your hand. The only problem here is that it’s the same cigar you’ve been smoking for who-knows-how-long now… Maybe you’re content with that; but if you’re anything like me, you’re constantly on the prowl for the next smoke that knocks your socks clean off. With a double shot of Warped and new appearances from Espinosa, Villiger, and more, I’m here to hand you your map to herf heaven!

Villiger La Meridiana

Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

The last stop on your pub crawl is going to take you to a cigar bar. As excited as you are, you’ve still been tasked to bring the cigars, and that can be a tall order when you consider how picky your buddies can be. Villiger La Meridiana covers all manners of sins in the flavor department, and it may be your best bet to bring along. With its tangy citrus sweetness and a full-flavored helping of roasted nuts, earth, and spices, no cigar enthusiast gets left behind.

Henry Clay Warhawk

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduras

“Those Connecticut cigars don’t have any flavor.” This all-too-familiar stigma follows us wherever we go, but some of us are in on a secret. Connecticut-wrapped cigars don’t have to be boring, and Henry Clay War Hawk is ready to make your acquaintance and prove it. Properly flavorful and stout, a creamy shot of spice is predicated by an earthy array of pepper, cedar, and sweetness that rounds out to be one hell of a smoke with a medium plus profile. And its parting piece? A price point that virtually anyone can get behind.

Crux Limitada: Redline and Gunner

Wrapper: Nicaragua Engañoso
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua

There are two new sizes in town for the Crux Limitada to help curb your limited-edition appetite. The Redline, shown above, is out now in the popular 6″ x 50 size; the Gunner (on its way) will arrive in the smaller 5 3/8″ x 46 format – and both show that Crux is looking to please as many as possible with these gems. Spicy swaths of nuts, sweetness, and a flourish of cocoa converge to help you unwind after the most stressful of days. If rare birds are your forte, then you might want to consider one of these to grace your humidor.

Laranja Reserva Escuro

Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Maybe you caught a recent episode of Live with the Cigar Advisors and hurried out to the store to join me in orange-soda heaven. To your dismay, they’re all sold out… Damn it! Why not go for the next best thing: Laranja Reserva Escuro. With a name that emanates from the Portuguese word for orange, you’ll be rewarded by the cigar’s full-bodied citrus sweetness and spicy appeal all the way to the nub!

Lirio Rojo by Warped

Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo Habano
Binder: Nicaragua Aganorsa
Filler: Nicaragua Aganorsa

Your cigar-snobby, know-it-all-buddy is coming into town in a few weeks, and just like last time, he’ll be ready to pounce on your stogie collection, complaining at length about how much they suck compared to Cubans. Instead of the obligatory eyeroll, this time, head him off at the pass with Lirio Rojo by Warped. Meticulously crafted by Kyle Gellis to imbue the Cuban-esque profiles of years past, its all Nicaraguan bouquet of tobaccos make for a full-bodied array of robust flavor that will silence even the toughest of critics.

Warped La Relatos

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 Aganorsa and Criollo ’98 Aganorsa

The line at the box office is nearly around the block, but you still want tickets to see that sweet summer music festival. To ensure that you get yours, you’re probably looking at a few hours of waiting. Why not pack a travel chair and make the best of it with Warped La Relatos? Its billowing, aromatic waft of earth, dark wood, and sweet spices are granted by way of an Ecuador Habano wrapper with Nicaragua Corojo and Criollo tobaccos at its core. And let’s just be honest, the cigar smells a hell of a lot better than that group of hippies two spots ahead of you.

Is there anything I missed? What new cigars have you been smoking? Let me know in the comments below and as always, keep your ear to the ground for the next edition of Top New Cigars!