AUGUST 1998

7" x 52

Smooth natural wrapper. Good construction. Despite a narrow opening this cigar draws exceptionally well. A smooth and mild cigar with excellent flavors of eastern spices, wood, leather, and hints of orange peel. Smokes beautifully down to the nub. Rated 89 in Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

7" x 48

A gorgeous cigar. Smooth, oily natural wrapper. Superb construction. Elegantly box pressed. Good draw with a beautiful burn. A mild cigar with a unique earthiness. Hints of roasted nuts were also noted as well as an increasingly stronger spice character.

6.5" x 52

A well-made cigar featuring the unique rich reddish brown to chocolate brown Rosado wrapper. Good draw and great flavor from the start. Coffee grinds with a unique sweet note and vivid spice character. Rated 89 in Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

5.5" x 44

A small but solid medium to full bodied smoke. This cigar burns even and draws well producing a rich earthy backbone with hints of dried citrus and noteable pepper character. Rated 88 in Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

6.5" x 44

A well made cigar. Solid construction. This cigar is exceptionally smooth. Draws like a dream and burns well. A core of earthiness is balanced by a dose of toastiness. Rated 89 in Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

Greetings from the Humidor

Despite the overwhelming popularity of sizes such as the Robusto and Corona, 1998 is considered to be the year of the Torpedo by many industry insiders. Torpedos, pyramids, and belicosos are rapidly becoming some of the most popular cigars on the market. Their thick ring gauge allows for complex blends, while their tapered ends make them easier to smoke. Ultimately the overall impression of these sizes is high considering the extra attention these shapes require. Proof of their attention can be seen in the April 1998 issue of Cigar Aficionado Magazine. Sixteen non-Cuban manufacturers of torpedos, pyramids, and belicosos received ratings of 89 and up. This is not mentioning the fact that, of the 126 total tasting scores, 65% rated 85 or higher. For comparison, a recent tasting of 125 Lonsdales produced only 3 non-Cuban manufactures with a rating of 89 and up. This figurado shape also highlights a new aspect of the cigar business: most manufacturers see this size as their benchmark cigar, and are putting some of their best tobacco into them.

In our never-ending effort to stay current and give you the best of the best we’ve included 2 of the top rated pyramids in the world. The first one comes from Baccarat. The Baccarat line which depicts the face of some playing cards on the label, was formally introduced in 1978, but actually dates back to 1871 when it was supervised by Carl Upmann. The Baccarat cigar received its initial popularity from its mild body and sweetness attributed to a special sealing gum used in the cigar’s cap. Today, however, we believe the cigar has become truer to its name. The sophistication and high stakes of the Baccarat card game are exemplified in this month’s Baccarat Polo. Maintaining a mild body, the Polo produces "excellent" flavors. It is also is ranked in the top 20 group of highest rated pyramids.

Our second feature comes from the world renowned humidor manufacturer CREDO. There must be something about all these humidor companies wanting to make a cigar. Unlike Daniel Marshall, most of CREDO’s cigar are crap considering the exorbitant price tag. BUT, if you’re noticing only one cigar in the bunch, it’s probably the CREDO Ligas Churchill. Actually it could be any one of this months unique looking cigars, like the Dos Rios torpedo in your bag, but we will come to that cigar next. This CREDO Ligas gets 5 stars for aesthetics alone. This exquisite looking cigar is virtually extinct in the market place. In fact, most people will never see this cigar in their entire lives outside of this club. Their quantities are far too small for the general cigar marketplace, and even the finest cigar shops find it near impossible to get. Featuring a Jamastran wrapper the CREDO Ligas starts off mild but really packs a wallop of flavor in the end. A quick note regarding this cigar’s lack of a rating. Cigar Aficionado Magazines buys their cigars for sampling most often from retail stores around the country. Proof of their scarcity. Finally CREDO has produced a truly magnificent cigar. Get them while you can.

So about the big red torpedo. The truth is, even we were a little take aback by its looks. I was given a sample to try and loved it. I did keep checking to see if the color would rub off on my fingers like a pistachio nut but, it does not. The overall tally on this cigar was an overwhelming thumbs up. Dos Rios comes from the same manufacturers of the Tobacos San Jose. Produced in Nicaragua, the Dos Rios’ flavor is most similar to the famous Cuban Montecristo No. 2. In fact, it got the same rating of 89 in Cigar Aficionado’s April 1998 issueand a 91 Rating in Cigar Insider Magazine. This is yet another exquisite example of the complex blends produced by this shape.

Speaking of Cuban cigars, the trouble with them is they’re hard to get, and their expensive. If you do get your hands on some you generally have to save them for a special occasion. Fortunately the manufactures of Lone Wolf Cigars have solved this problem. Interestingly enough, the proprietors of Lone Wolf are martial artist Chuck Norris and movie star James Belushi. They’ve introduced three unique lines all from the Dominican Republic. This month we present a cigar from Jim and Chuck’s most celebrated Vintage Series line. The Lone Wolf Vintage Series Corona just received an 88 rating in Cigar Aficionado. It offers solid virtual-Cuban flavors for under $5 per cigar. Now that’s quality and a price that can’t be beat.

Our final selection comes from the world renowned family, Davidoff of Geneva. The subtlety of Davidoff combined with the finest Honduran tobaccos and a Connecticut shade wrapper is expressed in this month’s 89 rated Zino Mouton Cadet No. 1. The Mouton-Cadet series was originally selected for Baronne Philippine de Rothschild for its rich aroma and mild taste. It’s addition to our line up is a real "catch." Normally retailing in the upward range of $200 you will want to make sure you grab some of these at our exceptional club price. The Mouton Cadet No. 1 cigar has been exclusively allocated for club members until September 15, 1998. After this time it will be available to the public. Grab ‘em before they’re all gone.

Happy Smoking!

Hygrometer Highlights
(issues to keep an eye on & interesting topics)

Insurance Scam

A True Story…

A Charlotte, North Carolina man, having purchased a box of 24 rare and very expensive cigars, insured them against…fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of fabulous cigars, and having yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company.

In his claim, the man stated that he lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in normal fashion. The man sued, and won.

In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that the man held a policy from the company in which it was warranted that the cigars were insurable. The company, in the policy, had also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire, without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," and so, the company was obliged to compensate the insured for his loss. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge’s ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he had lost in "the fires."

However, shortly after the man cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson. With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case used as evidence against him, the man was convicted of intentionally burning the rare cigars and sentenced to 24 consecutive one-year prison terms.

Nice try, but no cigar!