DECEMBER 2002

Churchill

7" x 54

The Big Butt El Hefe line of cigars is manufactured by Altadis USA, proud manufacturers of several highly regarded industry standards such as H. Upmann, Montecristo, Te Amo, Royal Jamaica, and Romeo y Julieta. The El Hefe featured this month is hand rolled in Honduras and offers a medium to full bodied smoke. It's wrapper hails from Indonesia, the binder is Mexican, and the filler is a blend of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican tobaccos. The blend offers earthy and spicy flavors. We'd suggest pairing it with a dry martini or your favorite pilsner. I suppose we could have made a joke about the name, but we couldn't get off of our big butts long enough to think of one. Ba Da Bump!

Strenth:  6
Panel Rating:  89

Robusto

5" x 56

C.A.O International, Inc. is the producer of one of the country's top lines of premium cigars, cigar accessories, Meerschaum pipes, and pipe tobaccos. CAO's Meerschaum pipes are smoked by presidents, senators, actors and other dignitaries. Their cigars will even be featured in the third season of HBO's "The Sopranos." So they got that going for them… which is nice. CAO was founded in 1973 by Cano A. Ozgener; using his initials to name the company. They put five years of planning into the production of this cigar before it was released. It was well worth the wait though. This Robusto is a full-bodied dandy of a smoke, made from the finest Brazilian wrapper leaves and aged Nicaraguan long leaf filler and binder tobaccos. Look for a powerful smoke, offering a strong, meaty flavor, with hints of cedar, cinnamon, and pepper. Try pairing it with a smoky single malt scotch.

Strenth:  7.5
Panel Rating:  96

Corona

6" x 43

Just about anything that comes out of Nick Perdomo's company is worth savoring and we feel that the Perdomo Squared line stands out amongst a line up of exceptional brands. Each cigar is box-pressed with a select, pure blend of Piloto Cubano Nicaraguan leaves aged in cedar casks for over 5 years. Truly a satisfying cigar for anyone that can appreciate unparalleled construction and exceptional tobacco flavor. Handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Exponente's wrapper is rustic and slightly oily. We found it flavor packed, offering a bit of spiciness. Look for an easy draw and a pleasant, earthy finish with hints of cedar. Consider pairing this up with a hoppy pale ale.

Strenth:  6.5
Panel Rating:  94

Toro

6" x 50

The Rastfari line is made by Felipe Gregorio in, as the name implies, none other than Jamaica mon! While Jamaica is better known for its other, slightly more controversial "tobaccos", we found that, once again, Felipe Gregorio has not let us down. The owner of the line, Philip Wynne, was born and raised in Switzerland and is the son of an American Foreign Service officer. Growing up in a country where one could partake in Cuban products without worrying about breaking the law inspired Philip to produce his own line, one that would compare to the stronger, fuller Cuban brands he grew up with. At that time, Americans weren't used to strong cigars and so his first brand, Petrus, did not sell well in the States, but did do well in Europe and the Middle East. Wynne then decided it would be better to introduce a line of cigars that weren't quite so full bodied and that's when he saw his US sales take off! He now sells nearly 10 million cigars in the United States and there's a reason for it… they're damn fine smokes. This Toro's filler tobaccos were grown in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, the binder is all Dominican, and it's all wrapped up with a beautiful West African Cameroon wrapper! Look for this medium bodied cigar to have a woody and nutty flavor along with some sweetness on the palate. A definite must try with a smoked porter.

Strenth:  6
Panel Rating:  92

Rothchild

4.75" x 48

If your first thought was, "La Gloria Cubana," you'd have been close. The El Rico Habano by La Gloria Habano is the lesser known, but even fuller-flavored, stronger blend made by Ernesto Carillo of La Gloria Cubana fame. This line of cigars is probably one of the most robust premium cigars on the market and closely resembles those Cuban made beauties in appearance and flavor. This Rothchild is wrapped in a reddish-brown Colorado wrapper, which helps provide this smoke with its full, yet surprisingly smooth, flavor. We found this cigar to offer rich, earthy flavors and hints of leather and wood. Best when smoked with serious Barley wine. Might we suggest either the Stone Brewing Company's Old Guardian Barley wine or Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley wine Ale?

Strenth:  8
Panel Rating:  90