CA Report: Top New Cigars (Mar 2 2020)

Though there’s a nip still lingering in the air you can’t help but daydream about the impending spring. The flowers blooming, bunnies and birds, and…yeah…nobody cares about that. We just want to smoke OUTSIDE again. So, pull that patio furniture out of the garage and dust off your trusty humidor. It’s just about that time.

In our opinion, now is when you’ll want to start rebuilding your stash. Why? It’ll give your fresh sticks the week or two they need to acclimate to your humidor before the mild weather arrives. Trust me, you’ll want some incredible cigars to light up for those first comfortable evenings spent in the backyard.

Along with your favorites, it’s always wise to leave room in your collection – because you never know when one of these will end up becoming your next daily smoker. In this edition, we have new cigars from Oliva and Diesel Cigars, along with some new sizes added to existing lines from Punch, Trinidad, and Macanudo.

CIGAR SPOTLIGHT: OUR MUST-SMOKE CIGAR OF THE WEEK

Famous Nicaraguan Selection 7000

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Old Man Winter has finally killed your car battery – significantly denting your monthly cigar fund in the process. It’s times like these you discover that less can sometimes be more. I can think of few better examples than the Famous Nicaraguan Series to make the most of a tight budget. And now the 7000 has made a comeback via the cigar wizardry of Oliva. Live it up with beefy notes of coffee, leather, spice, and wood – for seriously short money. It’s probably the only time you’ll ever be glad that your battery went belly up.

Diesel Delirium Limited Edition

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

The Diesel Cigars brand has been on a revival tour. Last year, AJ Fernandez resurrected Hair of the Dog with a new recipe. It’s Delirium’s turn, now. With a fresh recipe of its own, Delirium dishes earth, wood, sweetness, spices, and red pepper. It’s very much an AJ cigar: bold, flavor forward, and complex. But, refreshingly, it’s also more inviting and subdued – a trend we’ve been seeing in some of his recent releases. AJ disciples are sure to gobble them up quickly, so be warned…this limited-edition cigar won’t stick around long.

Some New Cigars Sizes…

The remaining cigars on our list aren’t new blends, but each has a size that’s new to Famous Smoke Shop. If you’re particular to Coronas and Gordos, you might want to take a look below.

Punch Rare Corojo Rapido

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, and Dominican Piloto Cubano

It’s been joked that Punch Rare Corojo is neither rare, nor Corojo. The blend was such a hit when it debuted that few people cared enough about the irony to complain. The cigar is now offered in the Rapido size – a 5” x 40 – and a first in the portfolio to go below a 50 gauge. This means you get to taste more of that sweet and spicy Sumatra wrapper. There’s still plenty of the cedar, coffee bean, and cocoa nuances that Rare Corojo fans love, but it’s a little punchier…if you’ll excuse the pun. It may be getting warmer, but we’re not out of the woods yet; the Rapido will get you back inside faster.

Trinidad Espiritu Magnum

Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Big-ring Nicaraguan fans can rejoice: the Trinidad Espiritu Magnum has landed. Rolled by AJ Fernandez in his Esteli-based factory, these cigars impart a ribbon of cream (almost like vanilla cookies), leather, citrus, and a dash of salt-n-pepper. We reviewed the Trinidad Espiritu Toro and found it to be quite strong, but this 6” x 60 softy is more approachable and closer to medium-bodied. This is a perfect cigar for an extended Friday evening at home. Tell the boys you’ll catch up with them later…you’ve got a date with flavor.

Macanudo Inspirado White Gigante

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut (aged 6 years)
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaragua Condega/Jalapa and Mexican San Andres

Those of you yet to experience the Inspirado blends probably consider Macanudo an old-school brand made for old-school smokers. Even the Inspirado White, which is mellow-medium by today’s standards, is a bomb in comparison to their legacy blends. Flavor wasn’t the only change. In recent years, the demand for large-ring cigars has risen, and now Inspirado White’s Gigante – all 6” x 60 of it – is ready to answer the call. Sweet swaths of cedar and caramel stand out above a base of charred oak and savory salt. It’s creamy, and smooth, and everything you’d want in a plump Connecticut smoke.

See a full overview of the new cigars in this video:

That’s it for this edition. Let me know what new cigars you’re smoking in the comments below!