OCTOBER 2000

5 7/8" x 42

The Balmoral line is manufactured by the Agio Caribbean Tobacco Company Ltd., located in San Pedro de Macoris in the southeastern corner of the Dominican Republic, between the country's capital Santo Domingo and the village of La Romana.   The line has been in production for just over 100 years for distribution in Europe, however was first introduced to the US market in February of 1998.   In addition to the corona you’ll sample this month, the line is also available in a Churchill, Lonsdale, Panatela, Robusto, and Torpedo and available in EMS, Sumatran and Maduro wrappers.   The rich & full maduro line’s wrapper tobacco is grown in Brazil.   We found the line to be well balanced, smooth, mild-to-medium-bodied and rich with flavor. 

Binder: Dominican Cubano Olor
Filler: Brazilian & Dominican Ligero
Wrapper: Brazilian – Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   7
Panel Rating:   89

Notes from the Panel:    

Balmoral makes a well-constructed smoke.   We found the burn to be quite open and even.   Look for a well-balanced smoke packed with rich flavor and more than adequate smoke volume.   Some panel members picked up hints of cocoa in this slightly sweet corona.   As with the rest of the maduro line, you’ll note that the longer fermentation of the Brazilian wrapper really brings out the sugars on the leaf and leaves a sweet taste on your lips.   It ends slightly spicy and lingers pleasantly.   Overall, another winner from Balmoral!   Well made, offering a great blend of tobacco flavor.   Consider pairing it with a creamy Irish Stout.  

5" x 54

There is an unwritten law in Costa Rica that anything worth having is also worth waiting for.   Tony Borhani, Owner and Proprietor of Bahia Cigars, makers of the Hoja Cubana XXO line, is considered by many to be one of the cigar industry’s most influential leaders. Tony knows Costa Rica’s unwritten law is true.   Manufactured in the Costa Rican factory Tabacalera Tambor under the supervision of Don Douglas and Tony, Hoja Cubana XXO cigars received the 3 ^rd highest rating from Smoke Magazine in the Winter 1999-2000 volume in a review of over 40 different maduros!    

The XXO line is a limited production line and the newest edition to the Hoja Cubana brand.   Released in the summer of 1999 after extensive aging, the Hoja XXO features unmatched construction, a smooth draw, and firm ash. The long-filler is a Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan blend, binder is Ecuadorian, and the wrapper is a lush Connecticut Broadleaf maduro. It’s rolled in four other sizes than the Belicoso you’ll have the opportunity to smoke and retails in the $8-12 range.   You’re gonna love this smoke!   Enjoy!  

Binder: Ecuadorian Olor
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano
Wrapper:   Connecticut Broadleaf - Maduro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   8.5
Panel Rating:   94

Notes from the Panel:  

Immediately note a deep chocolate brown, moderately oily and overall, very inviting wrapper.   No soft spots.   We found it firmly rolled, offering a perfect draw and even burn.   It is certainly aged properly.   The ash was firm and held well.   You’ll find it medium-bodied and well-balanced with a classic slightly sweet coffee/cocoa taste.   Just a hint of spiciness appears as you get into this bad boy.   Look for a sweet, toasty and rich aftertaste leaving you waning for another!   Overall, superb construction combined with full, rich taste.   A real winner in our book.   Try pairing it with either a robust Barley Wine or the cognac of your choice.

7" x 50

Jeffrey Avo Uvezian is the son of legendary cigarman Avo Uvezian, maker of AVO by Davidoff cigars, some of the most highly-regarded cigars in the world.   And Jeffrey has clearly learned his father’s trade well as evidenced by the quality of the NextGeneration cigar line. Introduced in 1997 and hand rolled in Canca La Piedra, the Dominican Republic, the line is offered in both a Sumatran-grown medium-bodied spicy wrapper and a milder Connecticut shade wrapper.   In addition to the robusto featured this month, the line is also rolled in a Churchill, Grand Corona, Torpedo, Lonsdales, and Toro.  

Smoke Magazine reviewed the line favorably quoting, “Several of our oh-so-knowledgeable reviewers indicated that these smokes were Havana-born, and two even went so far as to identify them as Montecristos...representing high praise for these tall, dark, and handsome Dominican-made smokes. An undeniably top-flight cigar. Highly recommended." 

Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Wrapper: Indonesian - Colorado
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   7
Panel Rating:   89 

Notes from the Panel:    

We found the NextGeneration robusto to be very well made, offering an exceptionally easy draw that tightens as you get into it.   It provided quite a bit more smoke that we anticipated for a cigar of this size.   It’s obviously been aged properly.   Note a fair amount of earthiness and spice in this medium-to-full-bodied Dominican.   We got a bit of woodiness as well.   It starts medium-bodied and builds to a full flavor quickly.   Look for plenty of smoke and a highly appealing aroma.   Note a pleasant cedary aftertaste.   Overall, medium-to-full-bodied and well made.   We liked it!   Pair it with your favorite single malt scotch or malty red ale.  

5" x 50

G uillermo Leon Herbert's family has been cultivating tobacco for six generations. His grandfather, Don Edwardo Leon Jimenes, founded La Aurora Cigars , located on the outskirts of Santiago, Dominican Republic with little more than a dream.   He selected Santiago de los Caballeros, a region blessed with fertile ground and ideal climate for tobacco to produce his cigars.   The Leon family began farming tobacco in the late 1880s, and in 1903 Don Edwardo began producing a traditional Dominican cigar -- smooth, sweet, and mild -- for public consumption.  

Over ninety years later, La Aurora is a giant in the Dominican Republic, producing both the La Aurora and Leon Jimenes lines of cigars, their brew, Presidente (which commands 98% of the Dominican beer market and may be found in select U.S. markets), and their line of machine-made petite cigars. La Aurora has used long-filler leaves from the same fields for over 3 generations and you can expect unrelenting consistency with this brand.   Rich, dark Cameroon wrappers from West Africa add a delicious touch to this famously mild, aromatic premium.   We really liked this cigar and know you will too!   

Binder: Dominican Republic Olor
Filler:   Dominican Republic Seca    
Wrapper:   Cameroon – CO Maduro 
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):   4.5
Panel Rating:   93  

Notes from the Panel:

The first thing you should notice is a toothy, oily, rich Cameroon wrapper that begs you to light it.   We found it to be expertly rolled and packed substantially with tobacco.   Surprisingly, this dense smoke draws very well and produces quite of bit of smoke.   Note a very complex blend of earthiness and slightly sweet herbal qualities in this properly aged treat.   The ash on the La Aurora Belicoso holds an extremely tight, white ash.   Look for a lingering spicy finish.   Overall, expertly crafted, mild-to-medium bodied and packed with rich flavor.   Consider pairing it with a tawny port.  

5.5" x 50

The year 1492 marked one of the biggest events of human history, as through the efforts of the Great Admiral, there was a marvelous encounter of two worlds and two cultures.  But the arrival of Columbus to La Española land also produced the first encounter between conquest and rebellion.  Caonabo, brave warrior and the Taino's chief who governed those lands, resisted the domination.  He showed his resistance by destroying the Nativity Fort in 1493, built by Columbus with the remains of the Santa Maria, the flagship of his first trip.  Upon Columbus' return roughly a year later, he promptly began building the establishment of Fort Saint Thomas in the Cibao Region.  In 1495, the great Chief Caonabo and his brave followers attacked the fort. Columbus immediately commissioned Don Alonso de Ojeda to embark on a peace mission in an effort to conciliate with the insurgent Indian leader.

Taken before Columbus under deceit, Caonabo was apprehended, chained and sent to Spain as a prisoner in 1496.  However, due to the difficulties of maritime travel, he died during the voyage and never made it.  Let this message serve as a tribute to the great King of the Maguana, the Man of Gold, to the harbingers of the marvelous tobacco leaf, to the grand Chief Caonabo.

It seems appropriate that the founder of the Caonabo Cigar line featured this month was himself also a leader and rebel not dissimilar to Chief of the Tainos.  Manuel Dominguez worked side-by-side with Castro in the 1950’s, a guerilla fighting the Bastida regime in Cuba’s mountainsides.  He was named Deputy Minister of Communication soon after Castro came into power and when informed of the dictator’s infidelity with Russia, tried to escape the island with one of Castro’s personal helicopters.  A gunfight killed several of his comrades and he himself was wounded and then placed in a Cuban prison for 26 years.  After President Regan negotiated asylum in the U.S. for Dominguez, he began to build his cigar production operations in the Dominican Republic.  We know that you will enjoy these exceptional cigars inspired by two exceptional men.  They have just recently been brought to the United States and have already received high marks from many varied tobacco publications. 

Binder:  Dominican Republic
Filler:  Dominican Republic
Wrapper:  Connecticut Shade-Claro
Strength (Mild 1, Full 10):  5
Panel Rating:  90  

Notes from the Panel:    

As much as we liked the Camaroon-wrapped Caonabo cigars sampled, this tasty little Connecticut Shade robusto is an exceptional cigar in its own right.  Note a very well constructed, beautiful cigar with a silky smooth Connecticut Shade wrapper.  We found its flavor to be smooth, relatively mild, yet very flavorful, offering hints of woodiness and mild spice.  Consider pairing it with a tawny port or English Special Bitter Ale

Tobacco Bits
 

BEST JOB IN THE WORLD - Before the precious, genuine Havana brands leave their various Habanos S.A. factories, the smokes must pass rigorous taste and aroma tests judged by the official Habanos S.A. Tasting Committee.   There, tasters are separated in cubicles and given unbanded samples to evaluate before a batch of cigars can be distributed for sale.   Unfortunately, job openings for this prestigious panel are rarely listed in the New York Times Classifieds.