This week both Macanudo and CAO announced the introduction of new front-marks to some of their more successful brand lines. Macanudo has added a “Gigante” size (6×60) to their best-selling Café, and Macanudo Maduro lines, joining the “big-ring” trend that has been increasingly popular in recent years, while CAO has expanded upon their La Traviata Luminoso (4 ½x50) with a new maduro-wrapped version. In both cases, the new additions are intended to cater to their customer’s preferences, and offer more variety. According to The Cigar Nut.com, CAO senior brand manager Ed Mckenna was quoted as saying “CAO La Traviata Luminoso is one of our top sellers, so it was only natural that we give CAO fans a new take on one of their favorite cigars.” I personally have no doubts that these new stogies will be as successful as their predecessors.

In other news, Eddie Ortega stepped down from his role as president of EOBrands Inc., the company that brought us Cubao and 601 cigars, among others, to pursue an independent venture based out of Sunrise, Florida. Eddie’s new company, Ortega Cigars is set to debut their first line, the Ortega Serie D sometime next month. In an industry that seems to be leaning more and more towards limited release “boutique” brands, Ortega has stated he is only interested in building solid, on-going-production brands that he hopes will be here to stay. In a particularly humble quote from Cigar Aficionado.com, Ortega stated: “I have no interest in the so called limited-release market— plenty of those around. I’d much rather build solid brands. And I’m not looking to be the next big thing”. Here’s wishing Mr. Ortega good luck with his new endeavor, hopefully we can expect some great new smokes from Ortega Cigars.

The Vega Fina Sumum 2010, a cigar that was previously only available to European retailers, will finally make it’s way to the U.S. Altadis U.S.A. has confirmed that the cigar, which contains two-year aged fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru, will finally be made available in the states. The American Sumum will come non-tubed, which differs from the original European tubo version, and will be sold in boxes of ten, in the robusto (5×54) vitola only. According to Halfwheel.com, 2500 boxes will be produced at Tabacalera de Garcia in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Keep an eye out, as these will be on our shelves very soon.

And finally, another new brand we can look forward to in 2012 is Epicurian Cigars, which was founded by Steve Ysidron, formerly of Savinelli cigars. The brand will kick off with two cigars that will be produced at Plasencia Cigars S.A., in Estelli, Nicaragua. The first release, “Armando Gutierrez”,  features Nicaraguan fillers and a Honduran and Jalapan dual binder wrapped in a Habano Colorado wrapper, and was named for Ysidron’s great grandfather, who was a roller himself. Each cigar will come wrapped in a cedar sleeve and will be available in boxes of 20. The second new stogie from Epicurian has been dubbed “Gonzo”, and will be a box-pressed limited production release showcasing an aged Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper atop dual binders ( San Andres and Jalapan), and Nicaraguan fillers. Both cigars are set to debut sometime in late March.

That about wraps it up for this week’s round-up.  Have any questions or comments? Please feel free to post them below and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest cigar news, updates, and reviews.

Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve Torpedo (6 1/8 x 52)

The Grand Reserve Torpedo is a recent small-batch release from cigar-giant Nestor Miranda that combines Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. Produced at the famous My Father factory in Estelli, Nicaragua, the blend was limited to only 10,000 sticks made, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on a few. Mr. Miranda has been responsible for a lot of stogies I’ve enjoyed in the past, so I went into today’s review eager to sample his latest creation.

The cigar looked to have seamless construction, with a “soft” box-press torpedo shape topped off with a solid triple cap. The wrapper was a smooth dark brown with some pronounced veins. I really dug the snazzy green-and-gold band on the stogie, it was really sharp. Pre-light notes were pretty vague, giving off just a little cocoa and light cedar. It was time for the torch.

Right away I was hit with heavy black pepper and cedar, with a coffee note in the background. This cigar had a very robust opening that almost took me by surprise with its intensity. I noticed the burn-line was straight all the way around, and had a thick, “burning leather” look to it. About an inch in, a very distinct chocolate note piped up, adding a little sugary sweetness to the profile.

Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve Torpedo (6 1/8 x 52)

In the second third the smoke became much creamier, and carried balanced notes of cocoa, cedar and leather. The pepper calmed down significantly, and the cigar came across just a tad bit smoother. After a quick purge, I detected a new malty flavor in the mix. At this point the burn started to waver a little, but with minimal touch up work with the lighter I was back to straight-smoking in no time.

The final third of the cigar was definitely the mellowest portion. Here the flavors were smooth and consistent, with the pepper note popping up every now and then to keep things interesting. Rich tobacco taste was the main course, with undertones of dried fruit sweetness. Until I set the nub down, the stick remained cool and tasty.

The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve is billed as medium-to-full-bodied, and in my opinion it leans a little more towards the full-bodied end, and is most certainly full-flavored. It brought a good variety of flavor to the table without coming across as overly complex, making it a good choice for seasoned smokers, as well as new-comers to the hobby. I could definitely see pairing this stick with a nice, stout IPA, as I think the spicy flavors of the Grand Reserve would balance well with those of the hops. I give this stogie a grade of B, and I would like to smoke it again, perhaps next time with the aforementioned cold beverage. These stogies have become a bit scarce already, but we still have a good amount in stock, and you can check em’ out here.

Have any questions or comments about our latest review? Feel free to post them below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest cigar news, updates, and reviews.

Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown Toro (6x50)

Pinar Del Rio cigars are handmade at one of the smaller factories in the D.R. under the supervision of  Abraham Flores.  Though the brand is relatively new to the cigar scene, it has been steadily gaining big industry buzz over the past few years. For today’s review I decided to light up the Habano Sun Grown, which is a blend of filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and D.R., a Criollo 98 binder, and a Dominican Habano Sun Grown wrapper, which sounded like a stout mix.

The cigar had a nice “upscale” presentation to it, with two regal-looking gold bands and a red ribbon at the foot. The wrapper was reddish-brown and just slightly veiny, and the stogie appeared to be well-constructed. Pre-light draws gave off a cedar note, with a hint of baking spice. It was time to get smokin’.

Right off the bat, this cigar had a lot of flavors popping. I immediately tasted strong notes of sweet cedar, butter, hay, and a really smooth baking spice. The stogie was quite a bit sweeter than I had expected, and the opening notes were bold, but not harsh. The more I smoked, the more the flavors smoothed out, and the cigar was burning mean and clean.

A bit further in, a nutty note surfaced, which balanced out the creamy cedar really well. The zesty spice flavor was still kicking, but was a little more subtle. During this portion of the cigar all the flavors began to work together perfectly, and with very tasty results. The burn-line started to go a bit crooked, but nothing too crazy. Right as I approached the stage of removing the band, a new buttery smoothness emerged, bringing this stick to a new level.

In the last third I got an unexpected note of light anise, and the baking spice disappeared, but the stogie still had a natural spicy tobacco flavor to it. I noticed the burn had straightened out, and the cigar was still smoking nice and cool. I was beginning to feel the full-bodiedness here quite a bit, and I decided it was time for me and this stick to part ways.

The flavor of the Habano Sun Grown was absolutely killer. Admittedly, this was the first cigar I’ve tried from Pinar Del Rio, and I was impressed. Despite very minor burn issues, this stick had all the makings of a top-notch stogie. It was tasty and complex, and only at the very end did the flavors start to wane a little. All in all, I have to say the Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown is a solid choice, with interesting flavor and good performance, and I give this stick a strong B grade. This company has officially piqued my interest. Stay tuned, as I plan on reviewing the newest addition to the Pinar line, the 1878 Reserva Dominicana, soon.

Have any questions or comments about our latest review? Please feel free to post them below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest cigar news, updates, and reviews.

Body:

One of the first things to decide on when picking the perfect cigar is the type of bodied cigar that you want. The overall strength of the cigar should taste good without overwhelming your palate, so if you’re a beginner, you may want to start with a mild cigar rather than going straight for full strength.

Size/shape: 

Believe it or not, the size and shape of the cigar doesn’t just dictate how long you’ll be smoking it for, it can help determine flavor too. However, the timing of your cigar is essential and the longer the cigar the longer it will take for you to smoke it. If you’re a beginner, you may want to start with a smaller size to build up your smoking skills.

Rating:

Cigar Aficionado magazine has devised a rating system that is used far and wide to rate cigars – so a cigar rating will usually come up when you’re talking about cigars. Remember, like anything involving personal taste, cigar smoking is a highly subjective experience, and while ratings can be a good guideline in terms of indicating how good a stogie is, it all comes down to your preference. Generally a 70-79 rating is average, 80-89 is very good to excellent, and 90-100 is outstanding.

Price:

Although pricing shouldn’t be the most important factor when choosing a cigar, remember that expensive doesn’t always mean better, And if it’s your first time smoking a cigar, you should probably stick to mid-range cigars-at this point you will be developing your palate, and moderately-priced stogies are more than adequate for this purpose.

Taste:

The many different types of tobaccos used in hand-made cigars can produce drastically different flavor profiles, depending on a number of factors. Everything from the country of origin, type of leaf, amount of exposure to the sun, and fermentation or aging time can affect the taste of the cigar. With so many variables, it may take you a while to figure out what your taste preferences are for a cigar. As a very basic guide, natural or Connecticut-wrapped smokes tend to be creamy and mild, darker-wrapped Maduro cigars often have a “darker taste”, with hints of coffee and cocoa, sun-grown wrappers typically lend a slight sweetness and a bit of spice, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Smoking and testing out a variety of cigars is the best way to learn about different tobaccos, and determine your taste.

The end of January is here, and all of our resolutions are well under way (well…you know…some them). Here at BestCigarPrices.com, we resolve to bring you the best deals, best customer service, and best product selection around and are committed to doing so for years to come.

With that said, we are excited to present today’s January Closeout Sale. We’re running insane deals on cigars from Illusione, H. Upmann, and Don Lino, to Cigar Aficionado’s top 25’s Aging Room by Habana Cuba, the maker of our popular Bella Torres brand (oh yeah, we threw them on sale too).

This is the perfect opportunity to stock your humidor with premium stogies for as little as $1.80 a stick! These deals tend to sell out quickly, so it is first come first serve. Hurry and place your order to take advantage of these amazing savings!

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Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 Toro(6 1/2x52)

Rocky Patel’s original Winter Collection blend was released in 2009, and turned out to be a big hit, earning rave reviews from many notable sources. Late last year the all-new 2012 Winter blend hit our humidor, and I’ve been clamoring to test it out ever since. Featuring a cool mix of Panamanian and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, dual Costa-Rican and Mexican binders, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, this worldly blend seemed like it might be right up my alley. So for today’s review, I pulled out a sample of the Toro( 6 ½ x 52), to finally see what Rocky’s new seasonal blend was all about.

The wrapper on the cigar was super-oily and silky, with light, non-obtrusive veins. This stick had some of the sharpest box-press construction I had ever seen, it was kind of thin, and almost had the feel of a “wafe” to it in my hand. After snipping the cap, this cigar gave off enticing pre-light tasting-notes of sweet, dark, dried fruit, milk chocolate and a spicy white pepper. It was time to spark up.

This stogie opened up with a pepin-esque peppery zing, followed by savory notes of dark fruity sweetness. The draw was easy, and the smoke itself was creamy and full. As I ventured further in, the pepper settled down a little bit, and notes of leather and cream made their way to the forefront.

Now that's a box-press!

The 2^nd third of the stick presented the same basic flavors, but in this portion they came across much smoother, and very well-balanced. By this point, a nice two-inch grey and black tiger-striped ash had accumulated, and no burn problems had occurred. Leather and creamy anise were the dominant notes here, accompanied by a smooth peppery-spice note ever-present in the background.

The final third was definitely my favorite part of this stogie. The pepper note vanished, and a delicious, light, malty sweetness took over. Subtle notes of cocoa and nuts emerged, and the culmination of all these flavors together made for a perfect compliment to the unique taste of the quality tobacco blend of the binders and filler. The smooth-smoking continued until I was holding nothing but a tasty, smoldering nub.

The Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 started off very robust, and bold in character, and then slowly evolved to a smooth and creamy profile, both of which were enjoyable and well-executed. This was definitely what I would consider a “clean” smoke, in that it left very little aftertaste on my palate. Far from boring, the Winter Collection 2012 was packed with tasty and entertaining complexity, which is something I can’t say for a lot of cigars I’ve reviewed.  I found myself really digging the entire smoking experience, from the look and feel of the stogie, to the awesome taste, and perfect burn. This was probably my favorite Rocky blend yet, and I have to give it a grade of A+. This, ladies and gents, is what a premium cigar should be like: interesting, tasty, and hassle-free.

Have any questions or comments about our latest review? Feel free to post them below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest cigar news, updates, and reviews.

BestCigarPrices.com, a leading online distributor of premium cigars from around the world, is asking customers and cigar enthusiasts to take a stand against the FDA regulation of the cigar industry. H.R. 1639 / S. 1461, known as the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act,” works to exempt premium cigars from government regulation.

If the FDA was to regulate the sale of premium cigars the following drastic restrictions could be imposed:

• Ban on mail order cigar sales
• Ban on walk-in humidors
• Ban on cigar events where free cigars would be available to legal-age adults
• Limits on special release and small-batch cigars due to mandates that cigar blends be submitted to the FDA for pre-approval
• Limits on nicotine levels in cigars to near zero, severely impacting the flavor of cigars
• New “user fees” [taxes] on cigars to finance regulations
• Ban on all cigar merchandise

Cigar Rights of America teamed up with legislators to come up with the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act. BestCigarPrices.com urges people to visit the Cigar Rights of America website in order to sign the petition against this FDA regulation of the cigar industry. The proposed regulations could have a dramatic impact on the cigar industry, negatively affecting thousands of jobs both in the United States and abroad. In order to prevent the FDA from adding cigars to its list of regulated items, the act must garner the support of 20 U.S. Senators and 150 Representatives.

To take a stand against the unfair regulation of the cigar industry by the FDA please visit http://www.cigarrights.org/.

To learn more about BestCigarPrices.com please visit http://www.bestcigarprices.com/.

About BestCigarPrices.com:

BestCigarPrices.com, a leading online cigar distributor, carries, sells, and promotes all major brands of premium cigars. Find the world’s bestselling brands, including Alec Bradley cigars and Illusione cigars, to an array of exclusive brands you won’t find anywhere else, and cigar accessories such as cigar cutters, humidors, and lighters. High volume sales, fast product turnover rates, and longstanding relationships with cigar manufacturers around the world enable BestCigarPrices.com to offer one of the most extensive collections of premium cigars at discounted prices, making it the premier online destination for cigar aficionados and beginning smokers alike.

Contact:

Greg Fox
info@bestcigarprices.com
845-658-7610

As we’ve reported in the past, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act (H.R. 1639 / S. 1461) is still in need of support in order to prevent the FDA from imposing regulations that would have devastating effects on the premium cigar industry as we know it.

If it were any other subject, I would consider this article to be overkill, but we can not afford to be passive when our jobs, livelihood, and civil liberties are at stake.

The good news is, support for S.1461 is growing, slowly, but surely. We now have 137 of the 150 representatives needed on board as co-sponsors for the act. The only way to garner the support needed to pass this important bill is to continue to make our voices heard, by contacting our local government officials and legislators, and expressing the critical need to protect our favorite pastime.

If the FDA were to regulate the sale of premium cigars, they could very possibly eliminate mail order cigar sales, ban walk-in humidors, prohibit cigar events where free cigars would be available to legal-age adults, impose new taxes on cigars to fund the enforcement of these new regulations, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To many, the FDA’s proposed regulation would mean losing their hobbies, traditions, and even their source of income.

As a cigar smoker, I can attest that there are few things in life that invoke the kind of relaxation, sense of freedom, and enjoyment derived from smoking a good cigar. To intrude upon our right to do so is unconstitutional, in the most literal sense of the word.

Once again, we urge you to visit the Cigar Rights of America, to learn more about how you can do your part in making sure we keep our stogies out of the hands of the FDA, and preserve our enjoyment of premium handmade cigars.

Perdomo ESV 2002 Sun Grown Robusto

The Perdomo Estate Seleccion Vintage 2002 line is the highly anticipated follow-up to the ESV 1991, which has been a big hit for Perdomo since its debut in 2005. The Sun Grown blend consists of bourbon cask-aged Nicaraguan fillers from the 2002 harvest, complimented by a well-aged Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper. If there is one thing we’ve learned about Perdomo, it’s that they are no stranger to crafting a stogie using finely aged tobaccos, and based on the huge success of the original ESV, I was quite stoked to give the 2002 blend a go.

At a glance, the veiny sun grown wrapper on the cigar was a creamy reddish-brown color with a nice, oily sheen to it. The stogie appeared to be very well-constructed, and had a “classy” look and feel to it. Cold draws provided ample notes of sweet cedar and a rich nuttiness. Without further ado, I began toasting.

As soon as the stogie was lit, I was hit with a bold flavor blast, featuring notes of coffee, roasted nuts, cedar, and a powerful dose of lingering peppery spice. This was a really nice intro, and I could already tell that I liked where this stick was going, flavor-wise. Ensuing puffs saw the pepper chill out a bit, and a creamy note joined the mix, which played off of the nutty flavor quite nicely.

As I worked my way into the second 3^rd, the stogie was burning razor straight and had accumulated a nice inch-plus ash. The complex flavors were meshing together seamlessly, and seemed to become smoother with each puff I took. It was around this point that the smoke took on a meaty character, and the cedary sweetness ramped up a bit, culminating in a really nice taste.

The final third of this stogie was silky-smooth, with notes of butter and cream rounding out a nice, long finish. This portion was sweet and woody, with the pepper note making a subtle comeback. Simply put, the cigar still tasted awesome, with nuanced flavor notes emerging even as I grew close to the nub.

During my session with the Perdomo ESV Sun Grown I experienced absolutely no issues with burn performance, and the draw was just right from start to finish. While this cigar was definitely entertaining to the palate, hosting a wide range of interesting, complex flavor notes, the unmistakable taste of quality Nicaraguan tobacco was present throughout. Just about every cigar on the market claims to be “smooth”, and “rich”, but this stogie was the genuine article, it was extremely smooth, and very rich and tasty. I suppose a decade of cedar-aging will do that. Of the many stogies I’ve smoked in recent months, the ESV Sun Grown stands out in my mind as one of the best, in terms of over-all smoking experience. I give the Perdomo ESV 2002 Sun Grown a winning A grade, and my highest recommendation. The new ESV is a rock-solid, box-worthy smoke.

Have any questions or comments about our latest review? Feel free to post them below, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest cigar news, updates, and reviews.

Others plans for the new building include a custom blend lab, called G.A.R. deli, which will allow customers to create unique cigar blends tailored to suit their individual palates, and a luxury cigar lounge and humidor, open to the public, that will feature Gran Habano cigars that have not been widely available in the past, such as the#5 lancero, and the Cabinet Selection. As longtime fans of Gran Habano, we are excited to see their expansion as a company, and also look forward to sampling the new blends as they become available. Keep an eye out, and with any luck these hot new releases will be hitting our humidor sometime in the near future.