NOVEMBER 1999

6" x 50

6" x 50

Great Buy! Suggested Retail:  $240.00

4.5" x 54

Great Buy! Suggested Retail:  $151.25

6.5" x 42

Full draw with an even burn. It’s smooth with a core of toast and spicy wood flavor. There are earthy undertones and hints of wood and nuts in the finish. Beautifully balanced. Rated 87 by Cigar Aficionado.

8.5" x 52

Draws beautifully from the start. Burns even producing a solid ash. Lots of earthy flavors with notes of nuts and coffee. Finishes with a note of cola. Rated 89 by Cigar Aficionado.

Greetings from the Humidor

If you’d like to take a look back at what the year had to offer, feel free to visit us online at www.mailordercigars.com . Here, you’ll find all the featured selections during the past year as well as helpful information on all of our products and services. And be sure to sign into our Guest Book if you haven’t done so already.

In the honor of innovative cigar-making, we bring you the world’s first Habana2000 Maduro cigar from Consolidated Cigar Corp. Previously a low-profile brand wrapped with Mexican leaf, Cabañas are the first cigars to be wrapped in an H2000 wrapper dark enough to be called maduro. The wrapper is grown by Central American cigarmaker, Nestor Plasencia, in Esteli, Nicaragua. Many of you may recall the industry buzz earlier this year over this new crossbreed of Cuban-seed tobacco and Connecticut shade that was first developed in Cuba, and then grown in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ecuador. The notion of being the "next great wrapper" is now becoming a reality as it joins other brands such as Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Henry Clay with the H2000 mark of distinction. Cabañas was founded in Cuba in 1733, making it the oldest brand of Cuban origin that’s still being made today (Cabañas is defunct in Cuba). Manufactured in the Dominican Republic, this month’s Cabañas No. 2 Habano Maduro torpedo is a medium to full-bodied smoke with elegant coffee bean flavors, wood, and light spice notes.

Got the Y2K blues? Well, we’ve got the perfect solution. The H. Upmann 2000 Torbusto was made just for the Millennium. Presented in a stunning finished wood humidor box of 40, the Torbusto is yet another innovation in cigar making combining the H2000 wrapper, torpedo and robusto sizes, and the celebration of the millennium all into one cigar. Legendary is the only way to describe H. Upmann. Originating in Cuba over a century and a half ago, H. Upmann hit the U.S. market with a Dominican version in 1975 combining first-class construction and consistency. Since then it has just become an old dependable as well as a favorite for long-time aficionados.

We appreciate great marketing as much as the next guy, but there’s something to be said for down-right outstanding quality. Nick’s Cigar Company screams just that. Guys like Consolidated and General do a great marketing job with their deep pockets full of cash, but Nick’s Cigar Company is the boutique cigar factory based in Miami that understands how to make a great cigar before anything else. While "back-ordered" is a term of the past for most cigar manufacturers, Nick’s rarely has significant stock of anything they produce. The truth of the matter is that they’re just too good to limit featuring in our cigar club because of brand repetition. This means you’ll be seeing them again soon. The makers of the highly acclaimed La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve X have pumped out a new line that’s name is so long, it’s got to be good. Introducing the La Tradicion Cabinet Series "Perdomo Reserve" No. 1 Maduro - better than any box of chocolates!

Our fourth feature of the month is a strong comeback from León Jimenes. Introduced in the 1970’s, León Jimenes produces their cigars in the Dominican Republic and perfects their creation with the prized US Connecticut Shade Wrapper. This month’s León Jimenes No. 3 Lonsdale exhibits exceptional earthy character with a blend of toastiness, nuts and wood.

Finally a cigar with just one name: Torcedor! It means "cigar-roller" in Spanish. We should all love at least one cigar with just one name. Ahh, but you’re thinking, "Yah, but look at the size of this thing." Well, our last feature actually has a second name: it’s General and we saved him for last. You may do the same, but understand that the General should not be denied. Please find the time for the recently 89 rated Torcedor General . We promise you’ll enjoy it to the knub!

Happy Smoking!

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

Laughing Stock of the Cigar World

I travel quite a bit and have heard my fair share of jokes made about the United States. Usually the jokes are about how we never find time to relax, our strange drinking laws, our presidential scandals, or Jerry Springer. On a recent trip to London, however, I heard a tirade like I had never heard before.

I was in the humidor at Davidoff’s, one of the nicest cigar shops in London. When you walk into the store, you are greeted by a well-dressed sales associate who walks into the humidor with you and answers any questions you may have. Now I have to be honest, I go there to pick Cuban cigars and nothing more. Unlike many Americans in London, I generally know exactly which cigars I want and how much they should cost, so I don’t normally have any questions. For this reason, I walk quietly through the humidor soaking up the smells of the lovely Cuban cigars that are just waiting to be smoked.

As I walked methodically through the humidor this time, I heard two men walking into the humidor. Their conversation went something like this:

Man #1: Boy, Americans must be like kids in a candy store when they come in here.

Man #2: Yes, they do get pretty excited by all the Cuban cigars.

Man #1: Those Americans are so stupid that they don’t even let themselves enjoy a good cigar.

Man #2: It is a little strange.

Man #1: The richest country in the world and they let their politics interfere with cigar smoking!

he sales associate who was standing with me had this terrified look on his face. I think he was truly afraid that I was going to turn around and punch the guy. What he didn’t know, was that I totally agreed with what the man was saying. Having been to Cuba recently, I knew that the embargo was doing nothing to Fidel Castro, but was killing the Cuban people.

Being patriotic and being realistic do not always go hand in hand. While it’s generally our gut reaction to defend our country, there is no doubt that there are things about the United States that I would not defend. This happens to be one of them.

Ambassador of Smoke