JANUARY2001

7" x 50

NicholasPerdomo Jr., president of Nick's Cigar Company, is a third generationcigar-maker.   Hisgrandfather was in the business in Cuba, and his father, Nick Sr. hasworked in the cigar industry in both Cuba and the United States. NickJr. was born in the United States shortly after his family fled fromCuba after the revolution in 1961.   Nick Sr. worked for numerous cigar companies and in otherindustries until the early 1970s when the family moved to Miami andNick Sr. returned to the cigar industry full time.   Originally all of Nick’s cigars were made in Florida, but dueto the high labor cost, most of the cigar rolling is now done in theirown family run factory in Nicaragua under the watchful eye of Nick'sfather, Senor Perdomo.    

Thered Rosado wrappers featured in the La Tradicion line, which Perdomoreports some consumers find reminiscent of cigars produced in Cubadecades ago, are harvested from very near the tops of tobacco plantsgrown in Ecuador. These are leaves which get more sun and whichcontain a relatively high content of sugar and starch, thus impartingan oily sheen to he surface of the cigar and a flavorful, even born tothe smoking experience.   The line was later extended again to include 4-yr. AgedEcuadorian maduro wrappers as well.   The La Tradicion Cabinet Series is a medium-to-full bodied lineavailable in Natural, Rosado, and Maduro wrappers.   You’re gonna want more of this one! 

Binder:   Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican/Honduran/Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-Rosado
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   7
Panel Rating:   95  

Notes from the Panel:    

Wefirst featured the La Tradicion line in 1998 and received morereorders for the torpedo version of this line than any cigar we’dever featured!   Get readyfor a delightful experience as the Churchill is every bit as good.   Again we found it to be an exceptionally well-crafted cigar.   Like the torpedo, it begins mild, and builds steadily instrength as you smoke. Look for a pleasant distinct cedar aroma andplenty of smoke volume.   Wefound that the sweet mouthwatering flavor of the Nicaraguan tobaccoreally asserts itself in this cigar.   You should get plenty of cedar and some spiciness and a touchof sweetness we’d attribute to the Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper.   Overall, a fantastic cigar.   Rich, packed with flavor, and medium-bodied.   This line is easily, one of the lines we’ve had the pleasureof rating.   Considerpairing it with your favorite single malt scotch, a pinot noir orfull-bodied Merlot.

4.75" x 50

Prepareyourself for a treat.   TheMayorga Cigar line was created by Master blender, Carlos Mayorga whenhe and his brother, Martin, founded the relatively small Cigarmanufacturing company less than five years ago.   The Nicaraguan-born brothers oversee operations at theplantation which is located in Esteli, in the famed Jalapa Valley justfours hours north of Nicaragua’s capitol, Managua.   The plantation employs 60 rollers and manufactures only 300,000cigars per month.    

Thecigar line was introduced to the United States 5 years ago when it wasone of only 12 cigars offered for sale at each of the five GrandHavana Rooms, one of the more highly exclusive cigar clubs in thecountry.   Extended aging in Spanish cedar-lined rooms provides aperfect balance of flavor and consistency in this complex cigar line.   The Sumatran Seed Indonesian wrapper gives this line a uniqueslightly sweet spiciness. 

Binder:   Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero & Seca
Wrapper: Costa Rican Broadleaf - Maduro 
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   8
Panel Rating:   92

Notesfrom the Panel:

Thiscigar’s dark, rich, oily wrapper commands your attentionimmediately.   We found itto be expertly rolled, quite firm with no soft spots.   Note a near-perfect draw and extended, consistent white ashdemonstrating that no young tobacco was used to produce this cigar.   It was definitely properly aged.   We found it to be a very relaxing smoke with overtones ofcomplex spiciness and a hint of sweetness on the tongue.   It’s a full-to-medium-bodied smoke with a creamy, richbody.   Consider this cigarbefore dinner with either your favorite single malt scotch or brandy.

6" x 50

Introduced in 1995, theMontero cigar line, manufactured by Davidoff of Geneva, is rolled froma blend of long filler Dominican binder and filler tobaccos aConnecticut-seed wrapper from Ecuador. 

A llDavidoff cigars maintain well-defined standards of quality andexcellence. The tobaccos that are used in the different blends havebeen cultivated in accordance with the most ancient traditions, in therichest soils and ideal climatic conditions of carefully selectedfields. The choicest leaves from various harvests undergo four yearsof aging, which imparts to Davidoff cigars their rich aroma andconsistently smooth taste. All Davidoff cigars are handmade in theDominican Republic, where for over five centuries this art has beenpassed on from generation to generation. 

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Seca & Ligero
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Piloto Cubano – Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   6
Panel Rating:   88  

Notes from the Panel:    

Immediatelynote a slightly oily rustic wrapper that we found very inviting.   It should come as no surprise that the Montero samples weevaluated were all well constructed considering they are manufacturedby Davidoff.   We found itto have a light herbal character to it and a creamy finish.   It builds as you get into it to a pleasant slightly sweet, richtobacco tastes.   Overall,we enjoyed the taste very much.   Very well made.   Trythis one with Ron Anejo’s Pampero Anivesario Rum.

63/4" x 48

Anall-consuming passion for cigars is the unsurpassed characteristic ofCarlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr., Chairman and President,respectively, of the Dominican Republic based Tabacalera A. Fuente yCia., manufacturers of internationally renowned Arturo Fuente handmadecigars, the Fuente Fuente Opus X brand as well as the PremiumDominicana line featured this month. 

ThePremium Dominicana line, one of the Fuente Family’s newest editions,has received high marks from Cigar Aficionado, Smoke Magazine andnumerous other industry publications.   It is handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic and in additionto the corona extra featured this month, is available in a corona,churchill, double corona, lonsdale, robusto and toro.   For more information about the Fuente family of cigars, visittheir web site which does not currently contain information on thePremium Dominicana line at http://www.cigarfamily.com. 

Binder:Dominican Cubano Olor
iller: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Ecuador – CO Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   7
Panel Rating:   9 1 

Notesfrom the Panel:

The constructionof the entire Premium Dominicana line is exactly what we would expectto see from the Fuente factory.   Immediatelylook for rich, silky, light coffee colored wrapper with very fineveins.   We found theflavor to be mellow and creamy, offering tones of cedar and coffeebean that build as you get into the cigar.   We found it to burn evenly and offer and effortless draw.     Note a slightly sweet flavor and some cedar and classicDominican spiciness coming through.    Overall, full rich clean tobacco taste, not overpowering.   A great morning or early afternoon smoke.   Try smoking it with an American Wheat Ale like Sierra NevadaWheat.  

6.5" x 26/54

ThePurofino Gold Label line is manufactured entirely by hand in themountainous heart of Spanish Honduras' lush Jamastram Valley, andrepresents a tradition of more than two decades of experience in theart of creating the finest, premium quality cigars possible.   While being made in the hands of Honduran Master Cigar Makers,the blend is brought together from a complex spectrum of individuallyselected tobaccos from select growing regions in Nicaragua, CostaRica, Mexico, and Ecuador, where their Sumatran-seed wrappers areproduced.   Much of thetobacco used in both lines is grown on Purofino’s plantationslocated in the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua.   Tobacco obtained from Costa Rica, Mexico and Ecuador are alsocured and processed at the Jalapa Valley plantation.    

Purofino’sGold Label line is a rich, complex five-tobacco blend of NicaraguanHabano (Cuban Havana seed) long filler, combined with select leaves ofthe finest sweet Morron tobaccos, from San Andreas, Mexico, which isthen wrapped in a premium, Sumatran Capa Rosada, grown in the tropicalvalleys of southern Ecuador.    

Binder:Mexican Morron 
Filler: Mexican Morron & Nicaraguan Ligero 
Wrapper:   Sumatra-SeedEcuadorian-Claro 
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   7
Panel Rating:   93 

Notes from the Panel:    

Tobacco Bits
 

BEST JOB IN THEWORLD - Before the precious, genuineHavana brands leave their various Habanos S.A. factories, the smokesmust pass rigorous taste and aroma tests judged by the officialHabanos S.A. Tasting Committee.   There,tasters are separated in cubicles and given unbanded samples toevaluate before a batch of cigars can be distributed for sale.   Unfortunately, job openings for this prestigious panel arerarely listed in the New York Times Classifieds. 

SMOKING ISDANGEROUS - When Columbus returned toEurope, he brought many varied new gifts to the court of Ferdinand andIsabella, among which were tobacco leaves.   One of Columbus's crew, Rodrigo de Xerez, had brought a supplyof the leaf back with him for his personal use.   Upon lighting up one of these primitive smokes in public, Xerezwas thrown in jail for three years for suspicion of being in leaguewith the devil! 

BAND LEADER - During the mid-eighteenth century, the Russian Empress Catherine IIimported her supply of cigars from Holland decorated with a silk bandto prevent the cigars from staining her hands while smoking.   This gave Dutchman Gustave Bock, a cigar manufacturer of theera, the idea to wrap a paper band with his logo around his cigars todistinguish his stogies from his competitors'.   Soon everyone was doing it, and the cigar band was born. 

HERE FIDEL, TRYTHIS ONE - Fidel Casto was so fond of hiscountry's cigars in his early years as Cuba’s dictator, U.S. covertoperatives considered killing him with a exploding cigar.   Today, Fidel says he no longer smokes cigars, in an effort tobe a better role model for the youth of Cuba.   Or perhaps, he's just protecting himself.