CigarsLover Magazine Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

DAVIDOFF: THE QUALITY - PETE JOHONSON - CAVALIER GENÈVE - SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA HABANA - CIGAR FESTIVALS HOW TO STORE SPIRITS - THE BEST QUALITY/PRICE BOURBONS - LOWLANDS: THE SOUTHERN PART OF SCOTLAND COOKING AND PAIRING WITH TOBACCO - THE COFFEE JOURNEY - BOLGHERI D.O.C. - DETOX - SNAKE HEAD FISH SOUP

TEAM

Editor: Deputy Editor: Graphic & Photography: Authors:

Mario Amelio Federico Bosco Giuseppe Mitolo Luca Cominelli Michel Arlia Nicola Ruggiero Roberto Canzi Roberto Manfrin Simone Poggi Brent Moyer Domenico Fiorentino Elisabetta Stella Justin Pilling Giuseppe Milillo Scott Sherer

Translations:

Antonio Baldassarre Rachelle Mauleon Simone Poggi

Spirit Blind Tasting:

• MARKETING & AD: info@cigarslover.com • EDITOR’S MAIL: luca.cominelli@cigarslover.com

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Michel Arlia

Collaborators:

Cigars Blind Tasting:

2

Luca Cominelli

Aaron Reddy (U.S.A.) Daniel Hardinger (U.S.A.) Dustin Wall (U.S.A.) Giuseppe Mitolo (Italy) Luca Cominelli (Italy) Michel Arlia (Switzerland) Nelson Campos (El Salvador) Nicolas Joseph Bevilacqua (U.S.A.) Richard Frazier (U.S.A.) Simone Poggi (Italy) Federico Bosco (Italy) Justin Pilling (U.S.A.) Kaarel Kluge (Estonia) Luca Cominelli (Italy)

cigarslover_magazine cigarslover.com

EDITORIAL

Editor’s thoughts What to expect in 2019!

T

he spring issue of CigarsLover Magazine always brings light on the innovations that will be developed during the year.

2018 did not coincide only with our anniversary, but it was a year of changes, with the introduction of the new layout, the new sections and the new colors identifying them. 2019 will confirm what has been proposed and the new “sections” will be expanded with a greater number of contents. In particular, the “spirits blind tasting” section will be made wider and a greater number of products will be tested, not only in terms of spirits tasted, but also in types of distillates, trying to covering an increasing number of different kind of spirits. In particular, this issue will bring the Armagnac to the magazine.

In 2019 our focus will remain well fixed on the pleasure that the palate can give us and our will is to continue to explore everything that is capable to increasingly refine our taste.

The biggest news that we are going to introduce during the final part of this year, will be another version of the magazine, dedicated to our growing chinese readers. This new version will feature Chinese language making CigarsLover available in English, Italian and also Chinese language.

#refineyourtaste

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

3

SECTIONS

Cigars ..................................... 8 Spirits ................................... 52 Taste ..................................... 68 Spirits Blind Tasting ...... 90 Cigars Blind Tasting .... 106

6

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

BLACK

STRENGTH. IMAGINATION. FLAVOR.

WHITE

RICH. UNIQUE. COMPLEX.

Smoking Kills

NUMERO - CigarsLover Magazine

7

CIGARS

CIGARS “If your wife doesn’t like the aroma of your cigar, change your wife.”

Zino Davidoff

8

NUMERO - CigarsLover Magazine

Cigars & e relax: fishing................... 10 San Cristobal De La Habana ...... 14 Cavalier Genève ................................ 18 Ashtrays for cars .............................. 22 Festival del Habano ......................... 24 Pro Cigar ............................................... 30 Bolivar Tubos No.1 ........................... 35 Pete Johnson ..................................... 36 Davidoff ................................................ 40 Bogotà. La Cava del Puro ............ 48 Prince of Smoke ............................... 51

NUMERO - CigarsLover Magazine

9

CIGARS

Cigars & relax: fishing Every fishing technique share a common rule: the wait.

Why not indulging in smoking a good cigar?

by Giuseppe Mitolo

I

t could happen, often, that a cigar is particulary appreciated not when it is tasted carefully, but when it is enjoyed while we spend our free time in activities and hobbies. It is no coincidence that the cigar/relax correlation is the best known among the aficionados.

Each of us relaxes with a hobby and, often, the picture is completed with a cigar.

Among the most popular leisure activities there is fishing, with its most diverse techniques: from the ground or boat fishing by the sea, river or lake, fixed barrel or trolling fishing.

All these techniques share one characteristic: the wait.

And what better way to deceive it if not in the company of a good cigar?

10

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Certainly there are fishing methods more suitable to enjoy a puro: difficult to think of smoking if you are immersed with the legs in the water, since the cigar should always be kept between the lips, being impossible to lay it somewhere.

Surely shore fishing or boat fishing will be more comfortable for both our hobbies. In both cases, however, some advice may be particulary useful to make it easier to manage and enjoy both activities.

The first advice is the use of a cigar holder, which can easily allow to switch from the smoking to the fishing rod. There are all sorts of them, from classic static models (in metal or wood) to dynamic ones, realized with spring pliers that can be anchored to tubular or flat supports, provided with an additional elastic hook that allows to hold the cigar. This

type of cigar holder was born first for golfers, but soon inspired various producers to meet any other leisure requirement. Another essential accessory is a windproof lighter, also known as jet flame. Needless to dwell on the reasons for this choice, except for a small suggestion: check the gas level because corrections or re-ignitions may be necessary outdoor and will drain the tank faster than a comfortable smoke in our haunt. Once chosen the accessories, we just have to choose which cigar to light. Obviously we will not mention any reference or suggest the lucky cigar that will allow you to catch a record size fish.

However, when approaching a smoke near an aquatic environment, it is good to mind very few advices, based on the experience of the writer. First of all, a dutiful clarification.

Cigar purists do not recommend smoking in environments

close to water for various reasons: a relative humidity level sometimes higher than the cigar storage, the presence of wind and, by the sea, the vaporized salinity.

All undeniably true. But let’s not forget the reason why we are smoking while fishing: enrich our hobby with something more, bartering for a moment the centrality of the cigar with an activity that gratifies us in the same way. Obviously, during adverse weather conditions (intense and incessant wind, high humidity), no aficionados will ignite a precious handmade cigar (regardless of its economic value). However, if we are not so unlucky or don’t want to dedicate ourselves to a tasting in the strict sense, these minor adversities will be overlooked into the background. Before choosing our smoking buddy, it is necessary to approximate the time of our fishing trip, in order to opt for a long smoke or for

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

11

CIGARS more cigars to be lit. In this case, it is worth to to start from the product with less force to move to more muscular ones.

Regarding the formats to choose, we must take in consideration that fishing is a sports hobby that requires a decent amount of attention, taking also into account to immediately intervene so as not allowing the fish to escape (which means disengaging the hands in the shortest time possible). This means not being able to dedicate proper attention to the mechanics of smoking, properly adjusting the puffs.

Reason for which we do not recommend thin formats, such as panetelas, in favor of more generous sizes that, even if far from our care, continue to burn for a while.

Once chosen the format, keeping in mind that the cigar will not be the main course, it would be good practice to favor a known reference, perhaps our favorite product. Lastly, considering the open air smoking and the presence of other

12

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

smells around our fishing post, aromatically more lively and structured products could be a better choice than other ethereal ones.

How do we transport our cigars? Humidity, to always keep in mind, is the key. Whatever fishing site we will choose, sea, lake or river, it will have, with good odds, a higher relative humidity level than our humidor. Thus the advice, where possible, is to store the cigars in a leather case. This material, being hygroscopic, will tend to lightly dry the cigar just enough to not expose it to over humidification once ignited (notice that we refer to a few percentage points variation). A cigar caddy, alternatively, with its hermetic seal will also be suitable for the purpose.

Now all the equipment is ready for an unforgettable and relaxing day dedicated to fishing and smoking. In any case, a good dose of luck is needed!

CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW Prensado Lost Art. Available at the ďŹ nest tobacconists worldwide.

Visit us at alecbradley.com or

/alecbradleycigar

@alecbradleycigar

@alecbradley

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

13

CIGARS

San Cristobal Niche brand by definition, in 2019 San Cristobal de La Habana celebrates its 20 years anniversary, commemorating not only the cigar, but the history of Cuba itself.

by Giuseppe Mitolo

I

t was 20th November 1999 when San Cristóbal de La Habana was officially launched in La Habana, thus becoming the youngest of the Cuban brands. This new brand was paying homage to the capital of Cuba, founded, in the current geographical position, in 1519 from the conqueror Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. History however mentions that the first urban nucleus of the city was founded four years before in the south of the island, with the name of Villa de San Cristóbal de La Habana.

Knowing this historical background, it is no surprise the first four cigars which have been launched, still in production, were bearing as vitolas de salida the names of the four fortresses built between XVI and XVII century to defend the city: El Principe, La Punta, El Morro and La Fuerza. These latter two cigars featured vitolas de galera created specifi-

14

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

cally for this event: paco (49x180mm - 7.1”) for El Morro and gordito (50x141mm - 5.5”) for La Fuerza.

The brand, since the beginning, was classified by Habanos as a “Niche Brand”, among the ones featuring a relatively small number of cigar sizes, and enjoying a more careful manufacturing process. The special editions released during these 20 years confirmed this positioning. At this stage, as an example, San Cristóbal is the only one among the three niche brands (the others are Cuaba and Trinidad) who did not feature any limited edition.

In 2004, in conjunction with the fifth anniversary, five hundred special anniversary humidors were released, featuring each hundred cigars among which, in addition to 25 El Morro, three extra sizes were included reminding, with

their apellidos de salida, the names of the most important streets of La Habana Vieja: the Mercaderes (Hermoso n.

1, 48x167mm - 6.6”), the Muralla (vitola de galera Rodolfo, 54x180mm - 7.1”) and the Oficios (Dalia Corta 43x135mm - 5.3”). With the Muralla and the Oficios two new vitolas de galera (Rodolfo and Dalia Corta respectively) were manufactured for the first time and, in the case of the Dalia Corta, never replicated in any Cuban cigar release.

Due to the interest showed by the aficionados for these special sizes belonging to the mentioned humidor, quite difficult to find due to the very limited released numbers, two years later (2006) the Muralla, the Mercaderes and the Oficios were released as la Casa del Habano special editions, packed in 25 pieces, reddish purple varnished elegant boîte nature boxes. Despite the three sizes have been dismissed from production in 2011, with a little luck it is still possible to find them in best shops.

The following special editions can be considered a further tangible sign of the manufacturing attention dedicated to this brand. In 2009 San Cristóbal de La Habana, celebrating 10 years since its birth, was the brand used for the Coleccion Habanos (also known as the “Book Habanos”), with the O’Reilly (56x160mm - 6.3”), another size specifically created only for this anniversary.

In 2012 the Torreon, a new Casa del Habano special edition, featuring vitola de galera geniales (54x160mm - 6.3”), was presented for official launch in a majestic 25 pieces jar. Even though it turned out that the cigar was found in the market only in 2013, the jar paid back the long await with its special aesthetic, reminding an old observation tower on the Cuban costs (where the name was originally taken from), with a detachable upper part, which transformed into an ashtray.

Recently, on 4th October 2018, in Sofia (Bulgaria) the last cigar created by San Cristóbal de La Habana was launched Worldwide, the Prado, whose name is the one of the famous street in La Havana connecting the center of the capital with El Malecon, the world-famous Cuban seafront. The cigar (vitola petit piramide, 50x127mm - 5”), which did not yet reach all the markets Worldwide, is boxed in 10 pieces SBN and, as per Habanos S.A.’s intentions, officially starts the 20 years anniversary celebrations for the brand.

Finally, it is a must mention this year Festival del Habano, which has been almost totally dedicated to San Cristobal de la Habana brand (and also Trinidad). There have been many events related to the historical recurrence of the birth of the Cuban brand and city, all culminating with the presentation of new commemorative cigars. The first release, available at the La Casa del Habano shops, was called “20 Aniversario”, and the vitola de galera (the format) is capuleto (a 52x162mm - 6.4”), previously used only for the the Limited Edition Romeo y Julieta of 2013. The packaging is very interesting, because it resumes a sort of treasure chest: the alternate use of wood of different colors, embellishes even more the content of this humidos: twenty are the capuletos inside of it.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

15

CIGARS The memorial humidor “San Cristobal de La Habana 1519” is made for a different audience. In fact, only five hundred of this particular release will be produced, each one containing one hundred cigars from the new vitola de galera “roque” (57x170mm - 6.9”). This will be the first Cuban cigar parejo to reach a ring gauge of 57. For the occasion, even the chosen band will be commemorative, with slight changes compared to the standard one San Cristobal de la Habana one.

This enphatises even more this very special release.

San Cristóbal de La Habana is one of the few Cuban brands that is capable of keeping a valuable brand differentiation.

All the products are featuring a medium-light to medium strength, developing a remarkable creaminess and aromatic nuances reminding sweet characters. For these reasons it is suggested to the newcomers, but also to all the ones seeking a remarkable constant quality of manufacturing in medium bodied cigars.

16

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

17

CIGARS

Cavalier Genève Elegant and aromatically rich, the brand’s cigars have their strong point in blend, thanks to a skillful mix of tobaccos coming from various terroirs from the World.

by Roberto Manfrin

S

ébastien Decoppet is the creator of the Cavalier Genève brand, which, in addition to the usual band, boasts the unique feature of a 24-carat gold leaf, with a diamond shape, on his cigars.

This distinctive trait, compared to any other brand, is the result of an intuition from Mrs Decoppet, Eylin.

The Geneva company was initially active on behalf of JTI (Japan Tobacco International), a global company founded in 1971 in Switzerland. Sébastien, eager to visit the Caribbean, made a change in his life by going to Honduras in 2014, a destination chosen because of the hurricane season in the Caribbean countries.

He spent about a year in the Central American nation, du-

18

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

ring which he was able to spend time with the Plasencia family who, in 1978, when the Sandinistas burned their farms in Nicaragua, were forced to move to Honduras. There was also the huge influence of the master blender from Plasencia Cigars, Adin Perez, with whom Decoppet created the blend of the Cavalier cigar.

Cavalier Genève is a brand that draws its origins from the passion and friendship. The adventure of Decoppet in Honduras dates back to 2014 and, as written, in a short period time he could count on the great support and sympathy from the members of the Plasencia family who, in him, recognized a particularly passionate young man. In only a few months he learned the main notions necessary for the realization of a cigar: from the cultivation of tobacco to the selection of the leaves, up to rolling a cigar.

Sébastien was therefore able to undertake an intensive training at one of the best cigar factories in the world.

Six months after his full immersion in this business he decided to take the step and started producing his own cigars.

The support and effective collaboration of Adin Perez proved to be fundamental to allow Decoppet to create his first line of cigars, Cavalier Genève in Danlí, Honduras. The blend was based on five tobaccos coming from four different countries: Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Paraguay. The concept linked to the brand logo was conceived and developed in collaboration with the late Danlí artist, David Rojas.

Once back in Geneva, his passion, combined with the remarkable quality of his products, allowed him to quickly establish himself on the market. Currently, there are three lines of Cavalier Genève cigars, the common denominator associated with them is the high quality standard and the sudden commercial growth at an international level.

The company entered the US market in 2016 and distribution was entrusted to Cigar Art based in Dallas, Texas; currently the Cavalier Premium Cigars U.S.A. LLC has taken over the distribution, which is located in the same US city.

The White Series line uses a Habano wrapper, a Honduran

Connecticut binder and Nicaraguan, Dominican and Paraguayan filler tobaccos. Initially there were four sizes available, while the number of cigars currently available on the market are seven. They are packed in 20 count boxes.

At the IPCPR of 2016 they presented the Medio (58x89mm - 3.5”), Diplomate (56 x 140 mm) and Elegantes (52x114mm - 4.5”). Subsequently they introduced the Toro size (52x152mm - 6”), a Churchill (48x178mm - 7”), a Salomones (50/58x178mm - 7”) and a Lancero (38x178mm - 7”).

On the occasion of the IPCPR association convention, still during the 2016 edition, Decoppet did not limit himself to presenting only the White Series to the US market, but went one step further. He introduced the Black Series line, which is dedicated exclusively to the States. The blend of the cigar includes a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a Brazilian Arapiraca binder, with fillers of Honduran and Nicaraguan origin.

There are three sizes available: Robusto (50x127mm - 5”), Toro (54x152mm - 6”) and Double Corona (52x190.5mm 7.6”). The release includes an additional Corona size, which, however, was not destined to reach the market but remained a limited release, but there is only one exception to its lack of commercial availability. You will have the opportunity to taste a Black Series Corona by visiting the ‘’Rhein 1905‘’ store in Geneva, the flagship store of the Cavalier Genève brand. In February 2017, the Decoppet company announced the purchase of the oldest Genevan cigar shop,

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

19

CIGARS “Tabak Rhein”, founded in 1905 by the Ukrainian immigrant Salomon Rhein. The intent of Sébastien was to maintain the classic atmosphere of the shop and to respect the history that ties it to Geneva, however it still underwent renovations that affected all three floors of the store.

other than in the United States, also in Europe, Switzerland (obviously), Austria, Sweden, Holland, Norway and Germany. The cigars are produced in Danlí, at the San Judas Tadeo Cigar Factory, which also makes other brands, such as Villa Zamorano and Maya Selva.

The diamond-shaped gold leaf saw its return to the market at the 2017 IPCPR, where Cavalier Genève officially presented the Black II release (box-pressed), that pays homage to ‘’ Tabak Rhein“. The Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper is rolled over an exclusively Nicaraguan binder and filler.

Five sizes are available: Robusto (50x127mm - 5”), Robusto Gordo (54x127mm - 5”), Toro (54x152mm - 6”), Toro Gordo (60x152mm - 6”) and Torpedo (54x152mm - 6”).

Since debuting in the world of premium cigars, in 2015, Decoppet has proven to be a capable and competent person, able to stimulate the palates of fans, from both the Old and New Continents, through high quality products .

In 2018 he debuted the first limited edition of the brand: Cavalier Genève Limited Edition 2018. For this release, the diamond-shaped gold leaf on the wrapper, is underneath the second band, the one bearing the references to the limited edition and to the relative year of the release. The cigar is a Parejo, which measures 58 x 120.6 mm. It is based around the blend of the Black II line, but which is distinguished by the wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés Negro, over Nicaraguan a binder and filler. The release was limited to five hundred numbered boxes, each containing ten cigars. Of those, only two hundred boxes were destined for the US market.

The Cavalier Genève boutique brand is currently distributed,

20

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

21

CIGARS

Car ashtray the ash is no longer a trouble when traveling

by Michel Arlia

M

any cigar smokers enjoy their hobby in peace, while doing nothing else, so they can better appreciate the cigar. Others smoke on the go, during a commute to work, or on a trip.

When you are on the go, there isn’t always an ashtray around, or something that acts like one. Many new cars don’t have an ashtray built in anymore and ashing out of the window, while you are driving, is not really safe, it also will, most of the time, blow the ash back into your car. You could use an empty paper cup, but that is only a clumsy bump away from a mess. So, where do you put the ash, or the finished cigar?

This is where the Ashtray Can comes in handy, especially when you are driving. It fits nicely into most cupholders of any vehicle. It has a clean slick look and for the fancier among smokers, there are also leather wrapped versions

22

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

available. The main thing of the ashtray is the wire on the inside: it has a ring on one side and a spiral on the other, to better secure your cigar. No matter how many turns you take, the cigar will stay in place. The deep reservoir can hold the ash of a couple of cigars and once you decide to empty it, you can simply take out the wire and dump the ashes and cigar butts into a trashcan. Wash it out, if you want to.

Put the wire back in and voila, you are ready to go again.

Another important part is the lid. With the lid on, there won’t be any messy surprises if the can ever falls over. The lid also keeps the odors contained. The only possible negative, when you use the can in your car, is the location of the cup holder. If it is between the seats slightly behind you, getting the ash, or cigar, in the can, without taking your eyes off the road, can be quite tricky. Nevertheless, it is a good addition for the smoker on the go.

“Nicaragua’s best kept secret...”

Rated

93

2016-Nicaragua

#5

2017-Nicaragua

#1

2018-Nicaragua

#3

Rated

91

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

23

CIGARS

Festival del Habano The twenty-first Festival of the Isla Grande

by Michel Arlia

F

ebruary is Festival season, which also means that the biggest of them has aficionados gathering from all over the world, to the city of Havana, Cuba. We are of course talking about the Festival del Habano.

In its twenty-first edition, the event didn’t take place during the traditional last week of February. Instead, Habanos S.A. decided to move the Cuban festivity a little earlier, specifically, one week before. This also meant that the date coincided with the Dominican Cigar Festival.

With an estimated 2.200 attendees, from over 70 countries, the Festival kicked off on Monday, February 18th, with the opening of the Trade Fair.

Also, 227 exhibitors were present during the Festival del Ha-

24

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

bano, making numbers of this fair event bigger.

The Welcome Evening was held again at the Antiguo Almacén del Tabaco y la Madera and was dedicated to the 20 Anniversary of San Cristobal de la Habano and the 500th Anniversary of the city of Havana.

For the occasion of the San Cristobal anniversary, Habanos launched the San Cristobal de la Habana 20 Aniversario (a Casa del Habano exclusive measuring 50x156mm - 6.1”) and the 1519 humidor, which holds a special size called Roque (50x170mm - 6.7”).

During the week, the program was kept mostly the same as last year: visit to tobacco plantations in Pinar del Rio, Factory tours, International Seminars (such as a Keynote

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

25

CIGARS Speech on the 500th Anniversary of Havana, cigar rolling), different tasting and pairing and the second edition of the Habanos World Challenge Contest.

One event that was nowhere to be found this year, was the Habanosommelier contest.

Wednesday, halfway through the week, another evening dinner was held at the El Laguito Reception Hall.

The night was dedicated to the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Gran Reserva Cosecha 2013. This was one of many releases that were launched during the week. Habanos SA presented many new launches, such as: Trinidad line extensions (Topes 56x125mm - 4.9”, Esmeralda 53x145mm - 5.7”) and the Media Luna (50x115mm - 4.5”), Punch Short de Punch (50x120mm - 4.7”), the trio of Limited Editions (Montecristo Supremos 55x130mm - 5.2”), Ramon Allones Allones No. 2 (52x140mm - 5.9”) and the Quai D’Orsay Senadores (48x157mm - 6.2”), Habanos Collection 2019 Trinidad Casilda (53x185mm - 7.3”) and lastly a La Casa del Habano exclusive Cohiba called Novedosos (50x156mm 6.14”).

26

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Especially unique are the boxes for this years Limited Editions, which all come in lacquered and differently shaped boxes. As many might have noticed, the trend of large ring gauged cigars continues also this year, with only one cigar, out of all the releases, measuring less than 50.

Lastly, the week culminated in the famous Gala Dinner Evening, that was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Trinidad brand.

To commemorate the event, Habanos presented the Trinidad 50 Aniversario, that also includes a special cigar, a Gloriosos size that measures 59 x 155 mm. The night was highlighted by different musical artists, the Habanos Awards that are given each year and the Gala Evening wouldn’t be the Gala Evening without the Humidor auction at the end.

Seven humidors, especially created for the event, that each represents the brands Cohiba, H. Upmann, Hoyo de Monterrey, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, San Cristobal de la Habana and Trinidad.

Like every year, the raised money goes to the Cuban public health system and this year it managed to raise â‚Ź1,505,000.

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

27

CHINESE VERSION CigarsLover Magazine, starting from this year on, is going to be present in the Asian market, with a full Chinese version of the magazine.

Starting from Winter 2019 issue, we are going to align the three versions.

《雪茄愛好者》(CigarsLover)是歐洲最受歡迎的雪茄雜誌，在全球 亦是排行第二大，於國際上有極高評價及知名度。 我們備有電子版本及印刷本。於2016年開始，我們增加了「烈酒」的 欄目；於2018年，我們更新增了「品味」一環，務求將最好的享受帶 給讀者。 由始至終，我們也沒有改變對雪茄的熱情。直到今天，我們一直致 力於推廣雪茄文化，盼望讀者能在我們的文章中感受到我們對雪茄 的熱愛。

CIGARS

Pro Cigar The twelfth edition confirms the leading Dominican event.

Cigars, relaxation and culture.

by Michel Arlia

A

new February brings a new ProCigar Festival, celebrating its twelfth Edition. It was again held in mid February, from the 17th up to the 22nd, and it was the best attended ProCigar ever, with 900 guests of which 450 were international.

seminar that could be attended.

As it has become tradition over the last couple ProCigars, the event kicked off again at the Casa del Campo resort, in La Romana. Compared to the other known festival the ProCigars starts with the first two days more focused on relaxation. This is also where the biggest factory in the Dominican Republic is located, Tabacalera de Garcia, which produces many of the Cuban brands not made in Cuba. The factory also celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

In Santiago start also the farm, and/or factory tours of the many producers that open their doors to the public, which included the likes of: La Flor Dominicana, Davidoff, E.P. Carrillo, Arturo Fuente, La Aurora, De los Reyes, Quesada, PDR Cigars, Tabacalera Palma and Altadis U.S.A..

The first couple days also included a boat ride and a cigar

30

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

After Casa de Campo the event moves to Santiago de los Caballeros, the second largest city of Domincan Republic.

This is also where the large part of the visitors arrive.

Next to the tours, attendees had also the opportunity to visit the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation and the House of Dreams. Visitors had also the possibility to choose among other exciting activities, including the annual ProCigar Poker

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

31

CIGARS Tournament (with benefits going to local charitable institutions), a day a the beach at the Ocean Club, a single malt whisky and cigar pairing seminar. It also held the second edition of the Official Qualification Tournament for the Cigar Smoking World Championship 2019.

Wednesday night’s party, the Traditional Night, highlights just that, tradition. Held at the Jardin Cabrera Vidal, where attendees could join the famous merengue contest. The winner got to choose 50 cigars manufactured by one of the ProCigar members.

The White Dinner Party was again held at the Monumento a los Héroes da la Restaruación. It was highlighted by local cellist Raymond Felix, a live painting by René Peña and music from DJ Poché.

The week long event ends with the famous Gala Dinner Party on Friday, at the Centro Español. It was accompanied by an acrobatic show and music from La Banda.

Friday night at the ProCigar means auction time for unique items and humidors, from some of the ProCigar members.

The auction raised $175,000 for two nonprofit organizations: Hospicio San Vincente de Paúl (which helps low-income elders) and Voluntariado Jesús con los Niños (which helps sick children). The evening culminates in an After Party to the sound of DJ Luz, Trinity Music, with many dancers.

32

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

33

RUBRICA

IF YOU’RE NOT RUNNING WITH US, RUN FROM US.

34

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

CIGARS

Bolivar Tubos No.1 Another piece of Cuban history is gone

by Luca Cominelli

T

he Bolivar Tubos No.1 is not a well known or a sought-after Cuban cigar. Not many aficionados give it much consideration, with the result that this is usually a sort of second choice cigar.

However, its history boasts a remarkable path. Production of Tubos No.1 dates back to well before the Cuban revolution and is therefore among the oldest Cuban productions.

Initially sold in Cajiun containing 100 cigars, after the revolution they switched to the 25 pieces dress boxes, definely more affordable for both retailers and consumers.

In 2009 the new aesthetic trend of the Bolivar Tubos was also extended to No.1: their metallic packaging, was changed from yellow to red. Despite this, the slow decline of this format continued inexorably, until the last year, when production has finally ceased.

The Bolivar Tubo No.1 is a genuine product, capable of giving off a masculine and direct smoke, with no frills, in typical Bolivar style. Moreover, the constancy is very good compared to other much more considered products.

So why was production taken away? Simple. His only fault is having dimensions that nowadays are practically no longer considered: 42x 142 mm (5.6�) means Corona format, perhaps one of the least smoked sizes in modern times, as it combines a small ring gauge with a longer length than what is mostly demanded nowadays.

Will it ever come back? A hope that seems a lot far away from the present.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

35

CIGARS

Pete Johnson “I am a student of this industry and the people that came before me will always be my teachers.”

(Pete Johnson)

by Michel Arlia

B

eing in business for 15 years is quite an achievement. Tatuaje Cigars celebrated this milestone last year and what a ride it has been for Pete Johnson, creator and owner of the brand, so far. By many he is regarded as the godfather of the boutique brand and, over the years, he has become a mainstay in the industry. We sat down with Pete and talked about the past, present and future of Tatuaje Cigars.

Pete, let’s go back in time. Cigars wasn’t your first calling and in the beginning you were headed in a different direction, career wise. Tell us a little about the time before you started playing with the idea of a cigar brand.

I was a musician playing in the famous clubs of the Sunset Strip. Once I completed high school in 1989, I moved myself to Los Angeles, California from Gardiner, Maine in hopes to

36

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

become a rock star. Came close but my band broke up before anything came to fruition. I needed a job after that and eventually started working at a tobacco store in Studio City, in California.

How did you get introduced to cigars and what was the decisive moment, when you thought “I want to create a cigar brand“?

I always knew what cigars were but was never really interested in the hobby until I was about 21 years old. I saw something on the television about people smoking cigars. It looked like fun so I went and bought a cigar. I quickly realized that I really loved the culture and I wanted to be part of it. Making my own cigar didn’t come until around 1995/96.

At that time the cigar industry was going through a thou-

gh time. It was the tail end of the cigar boom of the late 90s, early 2000. What do you remember?

In 1997 I took a job with the Grand Havana Room as their Director of Retail for their retail and club locations. I slowly started to lose interest in making my own cigar and I started concentrating on my job instead. I would visit factories and meet manufacturers at my job and would always try to give them ideas about cigar styles and packaging concepts. I just wanted to be involved in some way. I loved the industry and loved being part of it.

It is impossible to talk about Tatuaje Cigars without mentioning Don Jose Pepin Garcia, as both your legacies go hand in hand. How did you get to know him? Did you immediately know he was the guy you wanted to work with?

In 2003 after working for the Grand Havana Room for 6 years I started to lose interest in the industry. I really thought my career was going nowhere and I needed a change. I wanted my own business. I wanted to have my own store. I saw a change happening in the cigar business and I wanted to evolve with it. In early 2003 I received a call from an old friend and sales rep asking me if I still wanted to make a cigar. I told him that I lost interest in the whole thing but he said he had a guy that might be able to make the right cigar for me. I told him to send me some samples but I ultimately didn’t like the cigars they sent. He called to tell me he was coming to visit me in person with this roller. It took us four new samples and a brief conversation before I knew that

this Pepin guy was the real deal.

With what idea in mind did you create your first blend, the Seleccion de Cazador, and how many trials and errors did you go through until you had it where you wanted it to be?

I have always been a fan of tradition and the history of Cuban cigars. I wanted to go completely old school with the packaging. Respect the history and the tradition, but put a twist on it. The name Tatuaje being the twist. Once I had the artwork done the packaging came together pretty quick.

The cigars were already in production in Miami. Six vitolas that all had a personal meaning to me. I named each size with the first letter of each name spelling out the word HUNTER. Hunter in Spanish is Cazador. Hunter was my Rottweiler that passed away the month before I met Pepin. I wanted something to remember him by so I decided to dedicate my first line of cigars to my first dog.

In 2003 you launched the brand, what was going through your mind and how were the early years of Tatuaje Cigars?

It was slow going at first. I didn’t really care because if I couldn’t sell any cigars, I knew I could smoke every one of them. Every trade show for the first few years was small but with every rating in Cigar Aficionado, the brand expanded.

I didn’t have employees and I did everything from product design, invoicing, packing and shipping. In 2005 I finally found someone to pack the boxes with me. That person still works with me as my distribution manager. At no point have

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

37

CIGARS I ever thought about calling it quits.

When was your first big break, when you thought “I’ve arrived, I’ve made it“? Who are/were some of the people you looked up to in the business?

My first big break was making the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list the first year they started it. The phone started ringing a lot more after that. There are probably too many people to list that I look up to in this industry. Some are still around and are the most respected names in the industry and some are greats that have left us. I am a student of this industry and the people that came before me will always be my teachers.

You have always been outspoken about some of your inspirations coming from old Cuba. What do you think about the state of the Cuban tobacco today compared to how it was in the past? And how has the Nicaraguan tobacco industry changed over the years?

I love the history of Cuban cigars. The packaging and the sizes are the template for everything. Cuba is the wheel, but honestly today I don’t believe they make the best wheels anymore. I was a cuban cigar smoker and the cigars I was smoking from the late 80’s and early 90’s were special. I slowly started noticing a change to the quality. I believe the crops are rushed and the processing of the materials is not always done completely before they use it in a cigar. That’s personal opinion, but if you truly know cigars you can taste it. Other countries have done a great job showing the world that Cuban cigars are not always the best. Nicaragua has evolved so much just in the last 10 years and the growers and the manufacturers are some of the best in the world.

You mainly work with Nicaraguan tobacco, but you also use other types as wrapper, some of the fans favorites are the Connecticut Broadleaf and the Ecuadorian Sumatra.

Are there any tobacco varieties that you are dying to try out, or others that you tend to stay away from and why?

I don’t think there is any tobacco that I am dying to try. I have access to pretty much every tobacco and the tobaccos I use now are more than enough. I’ve used Cuban tobacco in sample blends before and I suppose if one day we are able to acquire a large amount that we can process ourselves, I would like to use it in a production.

That sounds interesting. What would a Tatuaje with Cuban tobacco taste like and have you ever thought of growing your own tobacco?

They are not that different when you are blending a small amount in the cigar. We did it with a few cigars just for fun.

I’ve thought many times about buying a farm in Nicaragua but in the end I would want someone I trusted to take care of the land. Those people would be the Garcia family.

The most sought after cigars are the limited releases / shops exclusives that you have created over the years, like the Monster series, the Barclay Rex, Mission Pipe CQ1, Federal 90th, and many more. How much work does go into each release? And what do you think about the secondary market prices that some of your releases have recently reached?

38

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Every project to me is like writing a new song. They all take a lot of time and they have a very personal meaning to me.

I am not a fan of some of the prices on the secondary market, but I guess I can’t complain. If people didn’t like my cigars there wouldn’t be a secondary market for Tatuaje.

In 2012 you launched L’ Atelier Imports. With what mission did you start it and what differs between a Tatuaje and a L’Atelier project?

L’Atelier was an outlet for me to work with family and friends on new projects outside of the normal Tatuaje profile. The best analogy would be is that Tatuaje is the solo act and L’Atelier is the band with me being the lead singer. Since early 2018, L’Atelier has been rolled up into Tatuaje and no longer runs as a separate company.

You were also one of a few American brands that came over to the European Market, way before the FDA focued its attention to the cigars. What are the differences between the two markets? You even launched releases exclusively for this side of the pond. Like the RC 1,2 and 3, or the Italian Fausto exclusive. How did you approach these projects?

The Fausto Italy exclusive for example was based on comments and praise from a lot of Italian cigar smokers that smoked Fausto. I wanted to create a cigar that was in a style they already enjoyed. The RC 1,2 and 3 are available for every client outside the United States. Europe being the biggest of those markets, I wanted to make something that was very classic and in a profile that the consumers can relate to.

For your 15th anniversary you went a different route. You also introduced two new sizes, but both with different wrapper variation. What was the intent behind it?

The blend and the sizes are originally from 2004/2005. I made the cigars originally for the Grand Havana Room.

The reasoning behind the different shades was to show the consumer how the natural variation of the same outer leaf could change the flavor of the cigar so much. Same blend and same wrapper but with very strict color sorting.

Last year was a very busy year for Tatuaje. Not only you celebrated your 15th anniversary, you also introduced the new Nuevitas line, the last Monster (the Bride) and new sizes for the Surrogates line. Amidst all this you also found the time to produce a documentary, namely the Hand Rolled: A Film about Cigars. How was it working on that project?

Working with the filmmakers of Hand Rolled was one of the most satisfying things I have done in the 26 years I’ve been working in this industry. I wanted to give something back to the industry that gave me so much.

I’m glad that Jesse and Steve walked into my booth at the trade show three years ago.

What can we expect from you in the future?

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I will be bringing back some of the classics and I have a special surprise for the Monster this year. Stay tuned.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

39

CIGARS

Davidoff the constant attention to exclusivity and quality

by Giuseppe Mitolo

D

avidoff is undoubtedly one of the most well-known brands in the world and in its fifty years of history (1968 - 2018) it has been able to offer products with an impeccable quality, always pursuing a very specific direction: offering aficionados not just a cigar but “the best of the best”.

This business purpose is exactly the idea of the cigar designed by Zino Davidoff, that continues to resonate even after his death.

To offer the smoker an unexceptionable and satisfying cigar experience, capable to celebrate every moment, was not only the guideline of a marketing strategy, but the real

40

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

philosophy of monsieur Zino about the tobacco world.

It is clear, however, that attention to quality alone cannot always guarantee a brand’s longevity. This is the crucial point on which the Swiss company has been able to look far ahead, offering its customers not only a quality that starts with exclusive seeds, but also new experiences of enjoyment, exploring terroirs outside the Dominican Republic.

To guarantee the best choice for the consumer, products and cigar lines have grown more and more. This should not mislead aficionados, since Davidoff has grouped its product lines in three distinct hierarchies, each one with different taste and consumer profiles.

The “white label” line offers the most classic blends in the brand’s portfolio, mainly made with the use of Dominican tobaccos dressed up in Ecuadorian wrappers (Signature, Grand Cru, Aniversario, Millennium, 702 Series) and all cigars are adorned with the iconic white cigar ring. However, the range of flavors is wide: it ranges from very sweet and creamy blends to medium-to-full-bodied aromas, delighting aficionados with the sophisticated refinement of the unmistakable Davidoff taste.

More recent and open to taste exploration are the Nicaragua, Escurio and Yamasa cigar lines created to answer the growing interest of aficionados who, are increasingly inclined to try and experiment new flavors and terroirs. In

fact, these three lines represent the very essence of Davidoff’s research for new terroirs and tobaccos. Through the use of Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Yamasá tobacco leaves, it is possible to obtain new and more daring flavors, never before offered to aficionados, while always maintaining the company’s philosophy of balanced and consistent blends.

The spectrum of cigars offered, thanks to this plurality of terroirs, is very large, ranging from medium-bodied, sweet and spicy cigars to flavors that are full-bodied and combine sweetness with spicy notes.. All cigars are specifically blended for the adventurous aficionado, in search of new tastes and experiences No less important is the Davidoff Winston Churchill brand

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

41

CIGARS

Henke Kelner

Eladio Diaz

Vice chairman of Tabadom

1911

FIRST DAVIDOFF STORE IN GENEVA BY HILLEL DAVIDOFF.

1936

ZINO DAVIDOFF CREATES THE FIRST CLIMATE-CONTROLLED CELLAR FOR CIGARS.

Sam Reuter

Master blender

Head of Product Dev. & Strategic Innov.

1968

1990

2001

The legendary white cigar ring heralds the birth of the Davidoff cigar brand. Created in Cuba.

Davidoff cigars travel to new horizons, as they begin production of the Classic, Mille, & Grand Cru series in the DR.

Davidoff creates a unique and flavourful wrapper in Ecuador and launches the Millennium Blend Series.

THE BIRTH OF AN ICON

NEW HOME IN DOMINICAN R.

1946

CHÂTEAU LINE CREATION Zino Davidoff creates the cigar-wine analogy with the Château Line in Cuba. This becomes the predecessor to the Grand Cru line.

42

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

THE MILLENIUM BLEND

1992 1976

INTRODUTTHE MILLE SERIES Davidoff launches the Mille series, including the legendary Davidoff 2000.

DAVIDOFF SPECIAL R Davidoff recognizes the demand for the bigger ring gauges and adds the first Robusto cigar with a 50 RG to the brand’s portfolio.

Hamlet Espinal

Vice president - Head of global production

Klass Kelner

Pedro Pablo Perez

Davidoff Brand Ambassador

Head of operations

2005

2008

2012

2018

Davidoff blends the Especiales 7, the first Davidoff cigar to have 7 different types of tobaccos.

The collaboration with the Churchill family sees the launch of the Winston Churchill cigar series.

Davidoff introduces into the Asian market the Year of the Dragon Limited Edition, creating the Chinese Zodiac series.

Davidoff marks its 50th anniversary by looking forward to many new milestones to come.

DAVIDOFF ESPECIALES 7

DAVIDOFF W. CHURCHILL

CHINESE ZODIAC LTD SERIES

50th ANNIVERSARY

2006

2009

A UNIQUE WRAPPER

2013

In the year marking the century of Zino Davidoff’s birth, the famous Davidoff Diademas Finas are launched.

Davidoff creates the famous and proprietary 702 hybrid wrapper from Ecuador and introduces the 702 Selección.

Davidoff ventures into Nicaragua and new tobacco lands with Escurio and Yamasá.

ZINO’S 100th BIRTHDAY

NEW TERRITORIES

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

43

CIGARS offering two cigar lines (the “Classic collection” and “The late Hour”) which represent the multi-faceted character for which the English statesman was known.

In this case, blends use multi-origin tobaccos from four different countries (Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic) to create a perfect balance of complex flavors. In the spirit of Sir Winston Churchill, Davidoff used original Scottish Whisky barrels to ferment the tobaccos for the “The Late Hour” line, in order to give the cigar a more intense experience. These are complex and multifaceted blends, which represent the deep character of Sir Winston.

Furthermore, it is not possible not to mention the exclusive editions (“Oro Blanco” and “Royal Release”) and limited editions (“Chefs Edition”, “Master Selection”, “Year of ...”, etc.), that, in addition to supporting all the basic lines, ignite the desires of smokers and collectors from all over the world.

All Davidoff cigars, however, meet two specific objectives: exclusivity, pursued with continuous agronomic research, and maximum attention to production quality and excellence in taste and innovation.

EXCLUSIVE AGRONOMIC RESEARCH: HYBRIDIZATION Behind every cigar and line of the brand is a careful selection of the seeds used and it is no coincidence that, despite an enormous agronomic variety of seeds available on the market, hybridization is one of the Swiss company’s strengths in being able to constantly innovate.

The economic investment in agronomic research and hybridization of seeds are, however, directly related to the time factor: it takes years to create a new exclusive seed (“proprietary seed”) or to find the perfect soil for every seed. An entire team is dedicated to this purpose, led by chief agronomist Manuel Peralta, who carries out research and development activities throughout the year.

It took years to choose the fifteen different regions in the Dominican Republic, for example, and the many others scattered around the world, which met the required criteria to grow high quality tobacco. This also meant tightening partnerships with local companies and farmers, both for the analysis of the soil and for the supply of fertilizers and organic materials needed for the different terroirs.

In terms of seed hybridization, on the other hand, development times are much longer. It may take several years to create a new seed (hybrid) with the desired flavor profiles, genetic resistance and yield. The genetic capacity of each seed is then combined with the different terroirs and tested for several years before being established as an official Davidoff seed.

All this, in addition to responding to a specific corporate strategy, continues to keep the pioneering and innovative spirit of Zino Davidoff alive, to constantly look for new experiences in taste. However, in an agronomic market wi-

44

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

thin which, especially in recent years, a vast variety of seeds can be found, Davidoff chooses to create hybrid and exclusive seeds. This answers three main reasons: genetic resistance, yield and, last but not least, the creation of new and exclusive flavor profiles.

From a biological and genetic point of view, by crossing the starting seed with others that are genetically more resistant to diseases and insects, Davidoff can grow new tobaccos in regions that are subject to these types of problems. The goals are both to obtain healthier crops and to add new seed / soil combinations to the brand’s portfolio.

With reference to the yield, it is necessary to deal with the time factor. Over the years, the seeds will lose their genetic capacity to produce the desired flavors and / or to resist new types of diseases. To cope with this problem, it is important to always develop new seeds that can replace those that may one day no longer have the genetic capacity to produce the required results.

Finally, the search for new flavor profiles allows them to create types of aromas never tasted before by the aficionado.

This fully responds to the philosophy of Davidoff to “Taste the Wider World”, thus offering consumers the chance to discover new combinations of flavors and aromas. The other side of the coin is that the hybridization offers seeds that are unique and exclusive creations (“proprietary seeds”) on the agronomic market and, therefore, not reproducible by anyone else.

MAXIMUM ATTENTION TO PRODUCTION QUALITY Another characteristic that, in its fifty-year history, the company has managed to tie inextricably to its image, is the quality of the cigars. Offering the smoker not only a perfect cigar to look at, but also an enjoyment which has been made by a devote attention to the entire production chain, from the agronomic stage to the manufacturing phase.

According to the corporate vision, in order to get to this quality, it is necessary to respect six key factors that must be controlled and kept constant over the years.

Soil and seed Everything can only be born from here. The combination of soil and seed will give the typical flavors and aromas, without prejudice, as mentioned, that the research and development of new seeds (and the exploration of new terroirs) can produce new flavors. However, it is more important to cultivate tobacco with the right attention to detail and to constantly maintain the quality of craftsmanship.

Leaf priming and year / climate The combination of the tobacco leaf primings harvested over the years will give the cigar its intensity and properties.

To meet this need, a strict classification and sorting of the leaves is necessary, both with respect to their priming level and taking into consideration the harvest year by year. This

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

45

CIGARS guarantees that the cigar always has the same intensity and level of strength that is expected at the time of purchase: in a few words, the same production consistency.

conditioned for an average of at least five years before it is deemed ready to be turned into a Davidoff cigar.

Standardized agricultural practices Different agricultural practices can change the flavors of tobacco. This is why at Davidoff they are careful that farmers and agronomists have the same knowledge and follow standardized techniques to obtain the healthiest and most consistent tobacco year after year.

Production of cigar.

Each cigar is inspected several times, weighed and measured by the different supervisors before it leaves the Galera.

Each cigar must be considered perfect before being passed to the packaging department. In addition, a Davidoff torcedor must be trained for a minimum of ten years before he is allowed to craft Davidoff cigar.

Care, fermentation and aging It is now established that these processes set the physical and chemical characteristics of the tobacco, giving rise to certain aromas and a proper combustion. If one of these processes is rushed, or performed abruptly, the tobacco will not be in perfect condition and, therefore, will not be a pleasure to enjoy. At Davidoff the tobacco is processed and

Inventory and conditioning Last but not less important is the company policy linked to the stock inventory: it takes a minimum of five years for the tobacco in stock to guarantee the consistency of the individual blends over time. Add to this, to complete the whole quality control chain, the attention in retail, so that a cigar comes perfectly conditioned to the aficionado.

46

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

47

CIGARS

Bogotà, La Cava del Puro “Each person is the language he speaks” Fernando Vallejo Rendon

by Simone Poggi

I

n the country where even taxis navigate the traffic at the rhythm of the most romantic salsa, and where singers are proud of never “downgrading” themselves in singing in English language, the traveler could think to be light years distant from a metropolis time schedule.

On the contrary Bogota’, with its ten million inhabitants knows how to keep two faces, business-oriented during the day and dancer in the night, maintaining a seductive and ambiguous soul. However the image we prefer to keep in mind is the one of an August Saturday, when the sky finally opens up after several rainy days, and relaxed families gathers towards the green parks, to raise up in the sky towards the now scattered clouds hundreds of kites, such a rare entertainment in our European lands, more dedicated to virtual fun. And the shouts from the young learning to run fast, as

48

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

only thanks to their performances the kites can finally hurtle in the blue. Even though our nature is pretty pragmatic, it is impossible to deny a certain magic is in the air. We would love to remove our shoes and sit down directly on the green with our favorite puro, and enjoy this return to the emotions provided by small things, at least for a Saturday.

In the shopping area, a modern and vibrant one, full with the most popular bars (and the least high level ones), the Chapinero Zona T, la Cava del Puro can be found, a site that from outside can be easily mistaken just for a tobacco and accessories shop. Don’t be fooled: the entrance desk and the large humidors, safeguarding several Cubans, and even difficult to find Colombian cigars, created using Ecuadorean wrappers, are antechambers to a smoking room which needs to be at least defined as “Petit Lounge”, small but de-

finitely comfortable and refined, embellished by a bar featuring few, but interesting pairing solutions for the smokes. As said before, the Saturday is a sunny one after a lot of rain, thus it is far better to opt for the small front terrace of the shop. In front of us a loud gringos American couple is seated; he lights up a Talisman, satisfied of getting access to the forbidden Cuban fruit, despite the 50 euros spent, while she has some difficulties in managing the Siglo VI in her hands, a smoke we really believe he has chosen for her, not taking into proper account what she is used to smoke...

We are more careful; we always carry cigars with us, but the humidors are well maintained, cigars are humid to the right percentage, thus we buy a Punch Regios de Punch, one of the Limitadas of 2017, for a reasonable price (approx. 14 euros) and proudly light it up. It smokes very well, tobaccos are well aged, and nuts aromas are alternated with leather and noble wood, while we pair it with a double espresso made Colombian style, perfectly balanced yet rich (very different from some burnt cups we have been very unlucky to drink),

offered by the shop, a very much appreciated and today very rare gesture. On the contrary the Rafael Gonzalez Perla that we suggested to our friend to start in the Cigar World is so tight that we find ourselves busy in “massaging” it such as we wanted to roll it again...

The person who helped us is Oscar, a gentle individual quite proud about the Cuban cigars tradition, yet open to present with high words the Colombian cigars, which we buy with no hesitation, in line with our payoff “Refine your Taste”, which means exploring with no rest. Behind his support role, a Habanos Sommelier graduated individual is disguised, and he is very open in suggesting humble pairings for cigars, such as sparkling water, and we can not but thank him for this.

If you find yourselves traveling into this land of mountains, beaches, dance, amazing women, and intentions to “desfrutar”, stop by at Oscar’s, and listen to his gentle suggestions. And do not stop being driven by emotions, both for a well-aged Cuban, and for the show that kites in the sky and happy children in the field can provide.

POSIZIONE

RAGGIUNGIBILITÀ

SIGARI

DISTILLATI

SERVIZIO

central

VERY EASY TO REACH

GREAT CHOICE of CUbans, (also limited editions) and colombian cigars

decent choice of spirits and cocktails

precious advices

INFO

La Cava del Puro Avenida 82 N. 12 - 41, Bogota’, Colombia. www.lacavadelpuro.com - Tel. +57 1 236 78 82

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

49

CIGARS

50

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

CIGARS

Prince of smoke A short documentary about the most famous Cuban cigar related family

by Michel Arlia

The documentary tells the story about Cuban tobacco farmer and artisanal cigar maker, Hirochi Robaina following in the footsteps of his legendary grandfather, Alejandro Robaina, as he fights climate change and torrential rains to bring in the harvest and preserve the 171 year-old family legacy. In his time, Alejandro Robaina grew the largest and most perfect tobacco leaves, prized by the legendary cigar brand Cohiba. Skipping a generation, Alejandro had passed the torch to Hirochi as his heir before he died. Now without his grandfather at his side, Hirochi has to face the challenges of a depleted ozone layer and its effect on the tobacco cultivation, as well as battling layers of government bureaucracy, for the sake of his workers and community. The movie was shot on location in the Cuban tobacco province of Pinar del Rio. The movie itself was directed by Matthew Gelb and produced by David Gelb. Matthew Gelb is a do-

cumentary filmmaker from New York City and is based in Los Angeles. Over the past 10 years, he specialized in editing trailers for feature films. Prince of Smoke was his first documentary and it stemmed from his passion for Cuban cigars. He was always curious about how the best cigars were made and who the masters were that crafted them.

With this in mind he wanted to make a film that showed the true artistry involved in the cigar making process, but he also wanted to focus on the human aspect of the story as well. When he met Hirochi Robaina in Pinar Del Rio, he knew that he had found the perfect subject and that the tobacco harvest would make for an exciting time to film him. He is grateful to the Robaina family and the team for sharing their moving story with him. This is a story with important messages about tradition, land and family. You can watch the documentary on Amazon Prime Video.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

51

SPIRITS

SPIRITS “The light music of whisky falling into glasses made an agreeable interlude.”

James Joyce

52

NUMERO - CigarsLover Magazine

Spirits: how to store them ............ 54 Bourbon ................................................ 58 Lowlands .............................................. 62

NUMERO - CigarsLover Magazine

53

SPIRITS

Spirit Storage Keeping our bottles in good “health”: suggestions for our cellar

by Federico Bosco

H

ow to properly store bottles is a topic involving many people passionate with whiskies, being them real collectors or mere spirits lovers with several different bottles open at the same time.

In both cases storage has to be carefully considered: practical rules are few, but important ones.

Open bottles may represent a problem, especially when spirit level reaches half of the total bottle volume; in this case the percentage of air inside, thus also the oxygen one, is quite high, much higher than the closed or just opened bottle. Oxygen can deteriorate the spirit, starting the ’oxidation, process, a chemical phenomenon modifying the inner structure of the liquid. This will lead to change the characteristics of our distillate, making it way different from what it

54

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

tasted the first time we opened up the bottle.

Without providing a detailed chemical explanation of the process involved, oxidation slowly, yet relentlessly alters the spirit in a big way.

We directly tested this phenomenon with two different bottles: Talisker 10 and Bowmore Laimrig Batch 3, both opened in 2012 and with same level of whisky inside, approximately a quarter of the total volume when re-tested.

• The Talisker, probably due to the lower alcohol percentage, lost some of its original character: it has become mellower and the smoked character has vanished.

• The Bowmore, on the contrary, with an alcohol percenta-

ge higher than 50°, seems to have kept the original aromas and tastes, which are also in this case slightly less intense, however without passing the limit and becoming unrecognizable. The current tastings, done when the bottles have been opened the first time, tell us stories of different products, especially when looking at the Talisker.

Physical storage of the bottles is of course quite relevant, such as for the wine: even in our case the best solution is defined by our capabilities and by the spaces devoted to storage, especially if we own several bottles.

Here below we added some suggestions valid for both open and closed bottles.

• Temperature and humidity should be controlled: temperature should be between 15 and 23 degrees centigrade, and humidity between 55% and 75%, the latter impacting, more than the spirit, labels and external boxes, precious materials for collectors and shops. Sudden temperature changes have to be avoid as much as possible. Several small cellar types, suitable for several bottles, are available for this purpose and can be very helpfull.

• Vertical position: wine requires an impregnated cork to avoid air to enter the bottle. This is not the case for the spirit: a wet cap is not suitable for our spirit, which can rest in vertical position for several years.

• Light: direct light has to be avoided, even though behind a glass or a display showcase. Closed places, such as basements and wardrobes, are more effective, even better if the bottles are kept in the external packing, tube or carton.

• To further protect our bottles we could use transparent kitchen tape (or other commercially available tapes) to seal the cap area, thus avoiding extra air exchange, isolating the parts in contact with air (label) and preserving the eventual collectors’ value.

• Even though it seems not evident, and maybe slightly redundant, it is fundamental to keep a list of the bottles belonging to our collection, especially for large stored quantities.

This will be useful to periodically verify the status of our collection, monitoring the bottles with some evaporation problems, and finally to avoid purchasing undesired bottles we already own.

Extra tips can be provided to store open bottles.

To avoid the unpleasant breaking of the cap, which can sometimes happen, it is useful to periodically verify the cap itself, and slightly rotate it from time to time. When caps are not perfect, they can be substituted with other ones, kept for this specific purpose.

For the areas where whisky can be tasted, the suggestion is to keep the bottles away from sudden temperature variations (ovens, coffee machines, fridges, grills) and from particular or intense smells.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

55

DISCOVER FLAT FLAME.

SPIRITS

Bourbon The best quality/price bottles

by Justin Pilling

W

hen most people think of bourbon these days names like Van Winkle, Weller, Four Roses, and Michters are all over the place. The question is: why? These brands have cult-like followings for their highly-allocated, high-cost bottlings. For those that are able to get their hands on a bottle or two, they might tell you that it’s the best you can have, while others will tell you that it’s total hype. Now what happens if you only want a great drinker bourbon for a great price? Let’s touch on a few overlooked offerings that would make most drinkers happy.

Let’s start off with the most expensive of the bunch - Bookers. Bookers has gained popularity, and cost, in the last few years with the resurgence of the bourbon lifestyle. Generally, this is an easy to find, high proof, typically ranging from 6 to 8 years and usually coming in around the 125° marks. They are from the Jim Beam family. These are typically priced between $70-90, depending on location.

58

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Moving down the list price wise is the well-known Elijah Craig Small Batch. What was once the Elijah Craig 12 Year Small Batch, the age statement was dropped a few years back and the bottle itself has changed, the liquid inside is still relatively the same. This comes at 94°. This is a year-round offering from the Heaven Hill Distillery and can usually be had for around the $35 mark.

Last, but certainly not least, is Old Grand-dad 114. While this might be the least expensive, it still packs its own punch.

This is an over-proofed version of the Old Grand-Dad bourbon at 114° versus the 80° and 100° bottles that they offer, which makes quite the difference with this one. Another classic from the Jim Beam family, this can be found at most places around the $25 mark.

There are many ups and downs with pricing, allocations, and other variables within the bourbon world. This makes it

extremely difficult to personally choose a “best-bang-for-yourbuck” bourbon. Every person, every palate, and every wallet is different. What one person may enjoy, another won’t. What one person may find in stores, another won’t. What one person may be able to afford, another won’t. With that being said, I believe these are a few offerings that the masses overall would be able to find, and enjoy. So, even though I can’t give you a “the best” list, I can give you a “try this if you haven’t” list.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

59

JOYACIGARS.COM

SPIRITS

Lowlands The lands of the South of Scotland

by Federico Bosco

L

et us imagine to draw a line between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the two most important Scottish cities: northern than this imaginary line we can find the Highlands, southern than the line we can find the Lowlands. The Lowlands border in the south with the rest of England, while the Highlands face the sea on three sides on four and include the Speyside area. A short history re-

62

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

view: in 1784 the Wash Act actually divided the two areas, introducing different taxation for the distilleries. Highlands’ ones were decided to pay taxes based on the dimensions of their stills, while Lowlands’ ones were decided to pay taxes based on the amount of barley must produced, suddenly increasing the taxes paid in the south of Scotland, thus generating major dissatisfaction.

Lowlands region is often not taken into full consideration by whisky drinkers: not so many distilleries are present in the area and some of them are using triple distillation method, making the final result rather smooth, for sure less intense than the flavorful and full-bodied Islay’s ones, or when compared to the ones produced by some Speyside’s ones using extremely bold sherry casks. At the same time, many distilleries have disappeared from this region year after year: names such as Rosebank and Littlemill may from one side make some passionate expert drinkers go emotional, from another side they can stimulate the appetite of collectors as well as more aggressive investors. Even though the average strength of Lowlands’ whiskeys is not very high, it is also true that finesse and complexity of some of these malts have contributed to the history of whisky according to many passionate drinkers: distilleries such as Rosebank and Littlemill need no introduction. In addition, Lowlands’ region is historically associated with major grain whisky distilleries, and many blended products are crafted including large quantities of Lowlands’ whiskies to take advantage from their smooth and refined character, an important appeal to the less careful drinkers or to the ones used to light, yet very pleasant products.

Here it follows a short excursus among this area’s distille-

ries, also including some no longer existing brands.

• Ailsa Bay: this distillery is located on the West Lowlands’ coast, belonging to William Grant & Sons group. It was founded in 2007 and built in the same exact location where Ladyburn was previously located; while Ladyburn was mainly focusing on blends, Ailsa Bay has a real dedication to single malts, completing the lines of the other well-known brands belonging to the group, Balvenie and Glenfiddich. Ailsa Bay has eight stills, with a maximum potential production of 5 million liters per year; after several years distilling and stocking, the first malt was launched in 2016.

Property guaranteed to this production site a great deal of flexibility, carefully controlling each and single aspect of the manufacturing process.

• Auchentoshan: every passionate whisky drinker knows “Auchentoshan” as a synonymous of “triple distilled”, similarly to what is still common in Ireland and was common in Scotland many tens of years ago. Founded in 1823, property has changed several times: Bulloch, Hart, Filshie, Curtis, Greenok, Ferguson, McLachlan, Tennent, Charrington, Cairns families came one after each other leading Auchentoshan up to 1984, when the current owner Morrison-Bowmore (Suntory group) acquired this distillery. In 1941 a Ger-

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

63

SPIRITS man bombing destroyed one of the storage areas. Today this distillery produces several different malts, both with declared aging time as well as NAS (No Age Statement), focusing its offer on different wood varieties used for the aging process. • Bladnoch: one of the distilleries who received highest attention in the last two/three years is for sure Bladnoch.

Purchased in 2015 by David Prior and Gavin Hewitt, in 2017 some official bottlings have been released to market which are very good signs for the future of this distillery. Bladnoch was founded in 1817 by McClelland brothers, and was closed from 1905 up to 1911 and from 1937 to 1956, before the 1993 closure. After a basically stuck period, in the first years of XXI century the two investors started leading the production and distribution aspects. Today Bladnoch features a rather unique squared, elegant bottle, and the old stock has been used waiting to have new products ready to be commercialized, something that will happen in soon future.

64

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

• Cambus: grain distillery, this site is today converted into cooperage and storage building. Cambus features a long history, as it was founded in 1806 and managed by the Moubray family for the entire century; each following generation added something to the manufacturing site. In 1877 Cambus was merged into the DCL group, building up its success with very solid products. In 1914 a major bonfire destroyed a large portion of it, making the remaining unU.S.A.ble until 1937. In 1993 Diageo (former DCL) decided to close Cambus as well as other distilleries as a result of a reorganization of the company itself. Many Cambus samples are available in the market, including a forty years old official bottling, released in 2016 in limited quantities. • Glen Flagler: this is quite an obscure name for many people, due to the limited number of products and the difficulty in finding them; it is rather young distillery, as it was founded in 1964 as a result of the enthusiastic atmosphere which Scottish whiskey generated in those years, and few years

later closed. In 1985 in fact, a short time after the closure of many other distilleries, Glen Flagler was closed and demolished few years after, in 1988. Inver House Distillers, the owner company, decided to open back Glen Flagler nearby Garnheath, grain distillery, in order to have available nearby all the ingredients which are to be used in blend crafting. It is very rare to find Glen Flagler bottles. No traces are available regarding left casks, listing Glen Flagler among the completely disappeared distilleries.

• Glenkinchie: distillery belonging to the Diageo group, founded in 1837. It experienced several ups and downs during its history, long periods when it was closed and many properties changes. The one currently available is a light, floral, yet not trivial malt. The Diageo group includes Glenkinchie in the Classic Malts group to represent the Lowlands, in addition to the yearly Distillers Edition, which started in 1999.

Glenkinchie is probably the most widely available and easiest to find product among the Lowlands’ ones.

• Inverleven: talking about distilleries focusing in the blends production, Inverleven can be considered a great example.

A great portion of yearly production was used for property’s main blend, Ballantine’s. Its history is strongly related to the one of the properties, Hiram Walkers, Canadian company who purchased Ballantine’s in 1936. Not having available distilleries in Scotland capable of providing casks for the blend, Hiram bought Miltonduff’s distillery, getting ready to build a large distillery nearby Glasgow, due to the easy transport possibilities to and from the site. This process gave birth to Dumbarton, grain distillery, united to Inverleven, which is a smaller dimensions manufacturing site, mainly focusing on malt whisky. In addition to its own stills, after few years a Lomond style still was added, quickly taking over and basically becoming autonomous up to 1985, when the major whisky crises blocked Lomond production.

Inverleven itself was closed in 1991 and its stills moved to Bruichladdich, on Islay. Dumbarton was closed in 2002 and the buildings of the three distilleries were demolished.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

65

SPIRITS • Littlemill: one of the pearls in the necklace of the distilleries closed after the ‘80s crises. Littlemill was founded at the beginning of 1800 and from that moment suffered several propriety changes, making it quite unstable. The last very difficult moment is dated 1992, when Gibson International, the owner company, bankrupted and sold the distillery to Glen Catrine group, who started distilling, but later sold the stills to Loch Lomond. Littlemill burnt in a 2004 bonfire. Littlemill products can be found on the market, but at high prices; despite this, the whisky produced by this site has undisputed value, being a refined and evocative malt, deserving a great deal of attention in each of its declinations.

• Rosebank: October 2017, Ian Macleod, renowned independent bottler, announces the purchase of Rosebank and its reopening after 25 years of silence. This news has generated a great enthusiasm in many people, as this distillery created great drams, providing intense emotions. The

66

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Rosebank name was already used for years when James Rankine decided to found a homonymous distillery; at the beginning it was an independent one, then merged into Scottish Malt Distillers and finally into DCL first and Diageo later. Bottles bearing Rosebank name started to be noticed in the ’80s; its malts were very appreciated, and even today the few available bottles reach remarkable prices. The official releases obtained high rates and are often object of discussion among aficionados. The distillery is expected to be back functional in 2019.

Lowlands’ distilleries tell us a long, yet detailed story. Today the region counts on few distilleries, but many are somehow about to be start being present in the market: Annandale, Borders, Clydeside, Daftmill and more. The area can thus be considered as florid and, thanks to the good trend of the whisky market, may be back to the great moment of some tens of years ago.

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

67

TASTE

TASTE “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations” Oscar Wilde

Tabacco & food ................................. 70 The coffee journey ........................... 74 Bolgheri D.O.C. ................................... 80 Detox ...................................................... 84 Snake head soup ............................. 88

TASTE

Cooking with tobacco Many chefs are experimenting and reintroducing tobacco use in cooking as an element to be used for infusions, marinades or smoking.

by Elisabetta Stella

T

obacco, removed from restaurants dining rooms in the ‘90s, is very slowly trying to enter back from the kitchens, this time not as a hedonistic pleasure closing a meal, but rather to embellish and highlight specific dishes.

A mere “new life” for this ingredient, offering different types of pairings.

For years chefs have been experimenting and reintroducing the use of tobacco in cooking as an element for infusions, marinades or smoking techniques.

It is impossible not to mention Davide Scabin (a two Michelin stars rated chef) amazing customers with the “smoke box”, used to smoke meats and fishes with the cigars cho-

70

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

sen by clients.

Up to this point we discussed about the smoke obtained by burning leaves. Tobacco leaves can however greatly help during the preparation of several different seasonings of specific meats (in particular the red ones, pork, beef and even duck), to bind and enrich the character of side preparations accompanying the main dish.

A different technique is the infusion one, used to transfer the tobacco aroma to meat and fish sauces, even to enrich the taste of cakes. If the chosen infusion liquid is milk, cream or spirits, it is possible to obtain mousses or creams to either garnish or fill the dessert, similarly to what is done with pralines. With this technique, after choosing the tobacco to be used, it is necessary to submerse it into the liquid: a fat-ba-

sed one when choosing milk or cream, an alcohol-based one for infusions based on whisky, cognac or other spirits.

Infusion time varies depending on the chosen liquid type: a fat-based infusion requires several hours, from six up to twenty four, also depending on the level of intensity of tobacco aroma the final result should be provided with.

Extraction times are, on the contrary, much shorter with alcohol-based infusions, but since the original spirit has its own character, it is crucial to carefully calibrate time as a function of the aroma which is selected to be the dominating one.

A general hint which is valid for both the infusion base liquids is to select cold infusion technique, since it tends to avoid extracting components which may turn out to be unpleasant in the final product.

Tobacco can be used in marinades in preparations mixing salt, sugar and spices: these are often used as dry ones, with meats and fishes which, by osmosis, will tend to absorb the tastes allowing some of the internal liquids to flow out. Liquid marinades, based on olive oil, seasonings and spirits (to which tobacco should be added), into which different meats can be submersed before cooking, are slightly more complicated.

In every type of tobacco aromatization the golden rule is to avoid exaggerating, since the risk is to extract unpleasant, too herbal, too woody or bitter notes.

Talking about the best tobacco types to be used in cooking, choice is not a simple one. Tobacco aroma is not yet well codified in cooking, differently from wine. It is often generally identified as single aroma, while many different aromas can be identified when smoking a cigar.

Many variations can be introduced by the different processes included in the making of a cigar (fermentation and aging, just to mention two of the most important ones), without considering climate, soil and seeds variations.

Once the tobacco type is selected, it is important to have clear the final destination we are using it for, keeping in mind that since tobacco belongs to the solanacee plants, it contains a high concentration of alkaloids, among which nicotine, which in low dosage can provide pleasant stimulation effects, while in higher quantities can generate discomfort.

Here the Golden Rule of not exaggerating in the chosen technique (infusion, marinade, etc‌) comes at a premium, keeping the used quantity to a few grams (max a spoon, also considering the quantity of product we aim to aromatize).

A simple to approach tobacco U.S.A.ge if the one in cakes and sweets. In the panna cotta it is possible to bind together simple ingredients such as fresh cream and tobacco, using few hours’ infusion technique. After filtering the infusion result, the procedure is quite straight-forward and conventional, binding sugar and gelatin.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

71

NICARAGUAN HIGH QUALITY SMALL BATCH WRAPPER AND BINDER

LEAVES FROM CONDEGA

TASTE

The coffee journey From the field to the cup

by Domenico Fiorentino

W

hile enjoying a good cup of coffee is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine what long way there is upstream of a couple of sips. Nevertheless the steps of transformation, but also the nations and continents crossed , are so numerous that we can rightly speak of a real “journey� of coffee, from the field to our cup.

The coffee plant is an evergreen shrub belonging to the family of the Rubiaceae of the genus Coffea. The coffee is grown from mountain slopes to the sea coasts, in full sun or shadow, protected by dense foliage of trees, semi-sylvan or in large intensive plantations . Obviously, as the pedoclimatic conditions vary (soil, microclimate, shadow or sun, etc.) the intrinsic qualities of the coffee bean and of the finished product will change accordingly. When the fruits reach full

74

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

ripeness, they must be collected almost immediately, a procedure that is not simple, considering that the cherries (the outer envelope enclosing the two beans) does not mature at the same time. After being processed and dried, before being bagged, the coffee is cleaned by destoners, to eliminate, through the aspiration of beans, pebbles, dust and topsoil. Any metal bodies are removed using magnets. The selection of the beans is carried out through the use of sifting machines, which subdivide them by size (from 4 to 8 mm) and shape (flat, round or malformed).

In many countries, once completed the cleaning and sorting phases, the so-called raw or green coffee is selected manually. Personnel responsible for the selection, with the help of simple baskets or selecting them through a conveyor belt, remove the beans with particular defects . In

producing countries, before marketing, coffee is classified on the basis of external appearance and genetic (origin, botanical species, year of harvest, grain form, color, size, just to name a few) and its organoleptic characteristics . After the selection, the coffee is weighed, bagged in jute or sisal sacks and stored, ready to be exported (generally in sacks of 60 kg).

Behind the cup of coffee you taste at the bar, at home or in the office and behind each technical transformation step, there is a world that involves countless professionalism and various types of services: in addition to the professionals mentioned so far, think of the financial markets (London and New York, for example) that daily determine the market benchmark for green coffee, to the carriers, the shipping companies, to the brokers, the trading companies, the in-

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

75

TASTE surance, to specialized shippers, up to roasters. The boarding of coffee from the producing countries, its transport by ship and all the landing operations in the various ports of the consuming countries are the less known phases, but no less important , of the coffee route from the plant to the cup. In the port of landing then, the coffee is emptied from the container for its storage, is weighed and sampled, to verify both the weight and quality, according to the description of origin or the purchase contract and its compliance with sanitation requirements.

Green coffee is an agricultural product, therefore can be subjected to qualitative variations which, if not managed before roasting, can negatively influence the final taste of the beverage; for this reason it’s paid a lot of attention during the initial selection and correspondence between the goods purchased by contract and the one reached at the purchaser’s destination.

76

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

The roasting process is one of the fundamental steps in the processing of coffee beans. As well as to making green coffee ready for consumption, it gives each blend its peculiar characteristic, in terms of both aromatic and organoleptic profile. The roasting of the beans, more than a technical skill is a true art.

We need a long training to become experienced roasters.

As a painter combines colors to give new shades, so the master roaster mixes different kinds of coffee to create new compositions.

To perform the roasting operation there are two methods: the industrial one and the artisanal one. The two techniques differ in the intensity of the heat and in the toasting times.

The slowness of the artisanal method is considered the only way to bring out the sophistication and complexity of top quality coffees.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

77

TASTE Coffee is the most loved drink in the world: it is estimated that every year no more than 100 million sacks of coffee beans are consumed, transformed into the famous elixir and tasted in the most varied ways . Different methods and rites have been developed all over the world to taste coffee: in the Middle East, in Greece and in the Balkan countries, the “Turkish” method is widespread, in the Scandinavian countries they consume it boiled and filtered, in the United States the Filter Coffee is the most used preparation, in Japan they drink it in cans also, in Italian houses we find moka. In this panorama of preparations, the Italian espresso (not to be confused with the homemade preparation through the moka) stands out for being the method that manages to extract from the beans, thanks to Italian technology, a true concentrate of flavors and aromas. Its cream, the aroma , the body and the taste are the four unmistakable characteristics that differentiate espresso from other preparations.

78

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Its name (espresso) stands for the preparation technique itself, because it means that the coffee is prepared “expressly for the customer”, at the moment of its request. With about fifty grains of toasted coffee, finely ground, brewed by hot water at high pressure, not only is the so popular black beverage, but also a concentrate in which a thoU.S.A.nd aromatic substances are released that make the espresso unique. In addition, the sensations it returns in the cup do not end at the moment of tasting, but persist for a long time.

A great mixture, however, is not enough to taste a great coffee and a wrong step in the brewing process may nullify all its journey and the work of skilled hands that have processed it. The experience of those who prepare the drink, combined with the correct equipment and professionalism of their use, will make every sip of your beloved coffee a truly unforgettable experience.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

79

TASTE

Bolgheri D.O.C. Not only Sassicaia, but so many wineries of great importance and a unique history

by Federico Bosco

B

olgheri : an evocative name in the world of wine, an area that has produced and produces well-known reds all over the world. Sassicaia , Ornellaia , Le Macchiole, Grattamacco.

These are just a few names of what has become a true institution in terms of quality red wine, the Bolgheri DOC. The Consortium for the Protection of Bolgheri DOC wines was established only in 1995 but the history of Bolgheri wine dates back many years before.

Area We are in the territory of Castagneto Carducci municipality, province of Livorno, Tuscany, Italy. Imagine being surrounded by the metalliferous hills in the east, valleys of two rivers, Cecina and Cornia in the north and south and the

80

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Adriatic Sea to the west. A sort of quadrilateral area where, in various geological eras, the land has conformed in a unique, peculiar, but not univocal way: from alluvial soils to marin ones and to the volcanic rocks of the nearby hills; clay, sand, silt, all in a handkerchief of earth.

There are three micro-zones: the hills, the marine area and the intermediate zone.

However, since the peasant tradition advised against planting the vines by the sea, the first branch was planted 400 meters above sea level in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri in 1944.

The decision was taken by the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, the progenitor of all the winemakers of the area, but this was but a moment in history, a decisive moment but not the beginning of the Bolgheri wine history.

History Let’s take a step back and go back to 1600: despite there are traces of Etruscan cultivation of the vine, were the Counts of the Gherardesca, landlords of the area, to want to develop this sector in their land. The two main vineyards were in San Guido and Belvedere. Later, in the mid-1700s, Count Camillo Pandolfo had several vines planted around Castagneto (today known as Castagneto Carducci). His son, Guido Alberto, obtained the position of court wine butler at the Grand Duke Leopoldo the II and met the French wines, at the time much more renowned than the Italian ones, full of history and quality, thanks to a control on cultivation and on the supply chain unequaled elsewhere.

In 1816 the vineyards were planted in the area that today occupy those for Sassicaia; unfortunately, however, the Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) gave a negative contribution and, shortly thereafter, the area was almost entirely destined to high yield vines, Sangiovese and Trebbiano, at the expense of quality.

The Marquis of Rocchetta, fascinated by French wines, Bordeaux in particular, planted not only Cabernet grapes, little known at the time in Italy, but led to a long aging in barrels, method that seemed strange to the locals: the Bolgheresi (the villagers) were accustomed to drink only young wine. But soon was noticed the potential of this innovative method and the Marquis continued planting the vineyards

of Sassicaia (still there nowadays), in the mid-50s.

The wine remained exclusively for private use of the family that could count on a wine expert, Nicolò Antinori, appreciated the product so much that he sold it thanks to the hand of his oenologist, Giacomo Tachis , later in 1972.

Since then, the story changed: Sassicaia became the wine we know today, one of the best known and popular on the planet, and various other winemakers decided to launch new products on the market.

Just to name a few of them: Piermario Meletti Cavallari founded the Grattamacco estate in 1977 on the hills and launched his wine in 1982, followed by the sons of Nicolò Antinori, today Tenuta Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso, and Michele Satta that founded the homonymous enterprise.

In 1995, on December 14, it was decided to establish the Consortium; what followed up is under our eyes, with a number of products well balanced between super premium wines and wines intended for the average consumer, without ever exceeding prices or expiring quality (the same Sassicaica costs less than 200€, ten time less than exclusive French reds).

Some Data The grapes: we start with 40% of Cabernet Sauvignon, 25%

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

81

TASTE Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The percentage of Syrah is rising to 7% while the Sangiovese is up to 2%. Several producers live only with non-local grapes, but we must stress that many winemakers are not of Tuscan origin.

The hectares are over 1300 of which over 1100 are registered as DOC, a rather high percentage.

The density of the vineyards varies between 5000 and 10000 vines per hectare, with an average of 7000; the climate is rather mild, thanks to the proximity to the sea and the natural shelter given by the hills behind, as the rainfall is moderate and well distributed throughout the year.

Two DOC wines coexist within the area: on one hand the Bolgheri DOC , for all registered producers; on the other hand the DOC created specifically for Sassicaia , from which it takes its name.

The Bolgheri DOC was approved in 1983 and deals with certifying both red and white wines; for the so-called Bolgheri Superiori, the certification requires an aging of at least 2 years of which at least 1 in oak barrels. There are five grapes, the percentages vary from producer to producer and often

82

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

year by year: Cabernet Sauvignon (0% - 100%), Cabernet Franc (0% - 100%), Merlot (0% - 100%), Sangiovese (0% 50%) and Syrah (0% - 50%).

The Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC goes to certify only the homonymous wine, going to delimit with extreme precision the areas of the vines that can be used. The production of grapes must not exceed 7 tons per hectare. In this case the wine must age at least 2 years after the January following the harvest with at least 18 months in oak barrels which must not exceed 225 liters. Tenuta San Guido was the first Italian company to obtain a special DOC for its flagship wine, as it rarely happens in France.

The wines Now let’s list the producers of Bolgheri: not so many, just because the area is not huge. For each producer we have listed only the products classified as Bolgheri Superiore (ie with an already prolonged aging) • Aldrovanby – DOC Bolgheri Superiore; • Aia Vecchia – Sor Ugo DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Argentiera - DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Batzella – Tam

• Caccia al Piano – Levia Gravia • Campo alla Sughera – Arnione • Campo al Mare – Baia Al Vento • Castello by Bolgheri - DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Ceralti – Alfeo e Sonoro • Cipriana – San Martino • Dievole – Tenuta Le Colonne • by Vaira - Bolgherese • Donna Olimpia – Millepassi • Donne Fittipalby – Superior • Eucaliptus – Ville Rustiche • Fabio Motta – Le Gonnare • Fattoria Casa di Terra – Maronea e DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Ferrari Iris - DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Fornacelle – Guarda Boschi • Giorgio Meletti Cavallari - Impronte • Giovanni Chiappini – Guado De’ Gemoli • Grattamacco – Rosso e L’Alberello • Guado al Melo - Atis • Guado al Tasso - DOC Bolgheri Superiore e Matarocchio • I Greppi – Greppicaia • I Luoghi – Campo Al Fico e Podere Ritorti • Le Grascete – Antero e Le Grascete

• Michele Satta – I Castagni e Piastraia • Mulini by Segalari - DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Ornellaia - DOC Bolgheri Superiore e Il Carisma • Pietra Nova - Renzo • Poggio Al Tesoro – Dedicato A Walter e Sondraia • Poggio dei Tramonti - Supremo • Sapaio - DOC Bolgheri Superiore • Tenuta San Guido – DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia Together with these Bolgheri Superiori, all the wineries produce Bolgheri Rosso in various variations, Bolgheri Bianco and IGT Toscana, red and white. We point out some noteworthy products: • Le Macchiole produces three high level IGT Toscana (Paleo Rosso, Messorio and Scrio); • Ornellaia also produces Masseto, IGT Toscana in a 7-hectare single vineyard, the most prestigious bottles in the area; • The Alberello by Grattamacco takes its name from the particular type of vineyard used, two hectares in total with this conformation.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

83

TASTE

Detox When sipping a cocktail turns healthy

by Giuseppe Milillo

V

ery often the bartending world is pretty sensitive to trendy fashions, thus it is not infrequent being asked for a “detox” cocktail. This beverage is actually associated to an entire new mere “detox world”, which means a specific lifestyle to be embraced by the ones aiming to free the body from toxins and daily stress. This wellness culture is not intended to extend life, rather to improve quality of the same, through a special quality attention to “green food” and “bio” products.

Detox can be seen as the final stage of a path, as the answer to acknowledgement of the impoverishment of the food we eat every day: full-sugar sparkling beverages, alcohol, fats and highly processed elements, on a long run are debilitating our organism. However dedicated research has identified specific “superfoods”, which means fruits, spi-

84

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

ces, barks, roots, seeds, flowers, seaweed and tubers with high vitamins, minerals and enzymes percentages, able to improve the quality of our lives starting from what we eat, being them administered raw or manipulated. Among the “raw” most known elements we can find Goji berries, curcuma, spirulina seaweed, Chia seeds and quinoa. It is in addition impossible to talk about Detox and wellness without mentioning juices (obtained by centrifuge or extraction), fermented drinks, teas, coffees and herbal teas (obtained by infusion or decoction).

Coffee has to be intended as “single origin”, divided in Arabica and Robusta, dry type, half-washed and washed and in its various level of roast, equipped with different organoleptic properties which can also help stimulating, draining liquids and alleviating pains. The espresso is one of the

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

85

TASTE least common extraction methods used worldwide, while Moka, Syphon, V60 and Chemex are the most widely spread ones, and Aeropress and Cold Brew extra ones; different extraction methods provide different final results in terms of taste, but also in terms of extracted nutrition principles.

On the other side when we speak about tea, powerful anti-oxidant and stimulating drink, we refer to Cammelia Sinensis plant and to its different varieties, which can also be processed in different ways: white, black, green and Oolong. What changes is the age of the leaves and the “rolling” method; these aspects are also modifying taste and the suggested infusion extraction. A notable variation is the Japanese Matcha, which is steamed and crushed later on.

Herbal teas can be split into infusions and decoctions, depending whether flowers, barks or roots are processed, thus modifying the temperature required to extract the nutrients.

Artichokes and dandelions, as an example, being flowers have to be processed by infusion, while ginger and curcuma have to be processed via decoction being them hard roots, requiring longer timings and higher temperatures to make the healthy properties readily available.

For the sweetening process of the above mentioned products, the myth associated to the brown sugar commonly sold in shops has to be dispelled, being that normal highly processed white sugar, obtained from sugar cane or beetroot, then colored with caramel. To keep the detox aim it is highly recommended using raw/whole products, such as

86

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

muscovado and panela (raw brown cane sugar), raw coconut sugar, syrups (corn, maple, agave or rice) and honey.

Fruits and vegetables noble substances can, on the contrary, be extracted by mechanical cold procedures using centrifuges and extractors. Depending on the result to be obtained, end-user can select different tools to use.

Using all the above mentioned elements it is possible to create very tasty cocktails, of marked healthy benefits, without jeopardizing palatal nice experiences.

“Cocktails” which are immediately coming to mind are “Frullati” (with fresh fruit, cow milk or yogurt, sweetened with honey or sugar), “Frappè” (also based on fresh fruit, mixed with ice cream or shaved ice), Smoothies (fresh fruit with soy milk or low-fat yogurt), Milkshakes (of a different caloric contribution, being those added with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate, and so on).

The drinks which can be obtained mixing several detox elements are various, also depending on the specific “purifying” objective to be reached. We suggest one which, based on Guatemalan single origin coffee with Chemex extraction, lime juice, whole coconut sugar, pineapple and mango extracts, features a complex, yet sweet taste, and positively influences the fats metabolism, increasing the release of mono-unsaturates from fat cells.

Detox INGREDIENTS: • 2cl Lime Juice • 3cl Whole coconut sugar syrup • 4cl of Guatemalan single origin coffee extraction • 6cl Pineapple and Mango extract • Ice PREPARATION: Pour all the ingredients into the shaker and shake until chilled. Pour the content in a high tumbler with ice and garnish with fennel leaves.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

87

TASTE

Snake-head Fish Soup Bangkok: discovering a very particular soup

by Simone Poggi

O

ne of the typical approaches of a traveler who sees himself as an “expert� is to ask suggestions to friends and locals. This trend can be spelled in different ways, starting from the hotel employee at the reception (who is almost never detached from economical involvements with specific restaurants), to the taxi driver (who will probably choose the most distant diner or the one belonging to his wife’s cousin), finishing with friends/colleagues. The sample is smaller compared to the reviews published in dedicated websites, however this more traditional method can be considered more personal; at least in this case the asked person will be responsible for the suggestion, and will also bear the burden of the satisfaction or of the delusion created by the indication.

With this objective clear in our mind, since our arrival in

88

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Bangkok we asked a former colleague of ours a suggestion for a seafood dinner and him, maybe slightly too quickly and without deeply investigating our preferences, immediately celebrates a small restaurant, located in the simplest and most chaotic area of the city. We thus jump on a taxi and, confident, show the address, written in English on our beloved smartphone; surprise, taxi driver continues to furrow his brows, not really understanding the direction to take. At that point our phone rings, and our colleague advises that most of the taxi drivers in Bangkok can not read European symbols, but only the local ones, which are meaningless hieroglyphics to us. He then talks to the man, who happily nods and in ten minutes brings us safely to destination. And of course he is wrong, as a worn-out, smoked windows place with Formica tables, only filled with locals is the place corresponding to the address.

We order the most evocative and strangest pictures (yes, this time also pictures are there) dish we identify on the menu: snake-fish sweet and sour soup! Our mind is captured by the images of real snakes, and we ask ourselves if the soup will actually be poisonous. On the contrary the dish is excellent: a light and clear fish broil, pleasantly sapid and aromatic, is paired with several different vegetables and herbs of unmatched freshness, and both are accompanied by a minor, barely present red chili pepper note, very distant from other Thai dishes which can really burn your lips. The fish slices, delicately pan-fried, feature a well-balanced taste, and their texture is a nice contrast to the more tasty soup without being obscured by it, obtaining an intense and remarkable final result. Maybe our former colleague was right, better looking at the content rather than stopping at the location, as not always top luxury in furniture also means

quality in the dish. It is nowadays unfortunately very rare to find restaurants allowing smoking, thus a mere cigar pairing with exotic dishes would make sense only when re-creating them home, a challenge which is sometimes beyond any possibilities. Let us try then to visualize this dish “as� a cigar.

The medium body of this dish, but above any other aspect the freshness of the spices reminds, in some parts, a Joya de Nicaragua Joya Red, maybe a Robusto, especially for the rewarding red chili pepper, or a Macanudo Inspirado Orange Perfecto, due to the sapid character of the smoke. Two cigars sharing a simple aromas profile, yet providing a tasty and fulfilling experience, such as the described soup.

And for one and only time pictures were actually there, and they proved to be pretty useful!

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

89

SPIRITS BLIND TASTING

Spirits Blind Tasting

Whisky ................................................... 93 Armagnac ............................................ 99 90

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

INFO

Legend

All the information in the blind tasting

1

To place the spirit inside of an ample rating scale, we adopt a scoring system made of 100 points. The rating of each spirit is made by the average given score by the reviewers.

Blind tasting means every spirit is tested without knowing what it is. No information about the brand, ABV or origins are given. This is the only way to evaluate spirits objectively.

1 2

Spirit image.

Name of the brand and name of the reviewed spirit in the blind tasting. “yo” means “Years Old” and indicates how many years the product has been matured. If there is no indication of that, it is because the producer didn't declare it.

HIBIKI 30 yo

43% | €€€€€ | Japan

2

3

• Price: € less than 50€ €€ less than 100€ €€€ less than 250€ €€€€ less than 500€ €€€€€ more than 500€

3

NOSE: rich fruity notes, together with some cinnamon and plum cake hints. Some light nuances of wood.

PALATE: mellow. It develops a fine wood note, together with cinnamon and nutmeg. Some rich caramel hints are perceivable as well.

4

FINISH medium-long persistence.

Mellow and woody, delivering an interesting spicy note.

Equipped with an excellent harmony, it results very balanced and complex.

A meditative dram, capable of being incredibly satisfying.

94

• Percentage of alcohol contained in the spirit (Alcohol By Volume).

• Country producer.

4 5

The tasting is divided in three parts: what perceived to the nose, to the palate and the finish.

The final rows describe the overall experience that brought to the rating.

Rating scale: 95-100 memorable and excellent in every detail. 90-94 great quality and highly satisfying. 86-89 high quality and very pleasant. 81-85 decent, delivering a good dram .

Less than 80 not recommended.

5 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

91

LOTUS DEFIANT 4 CONVERGENT FLAMES

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

Whisky

The chosen 12

Peat at the top

The tested whiskeys come from all over the world, for a

The whiskeys standing out in the blind tasting, taking the

blind tasting that includes products from India to the Uni-

first two positions, are both peated and coming from Scot-

ted States and from Japan to Scotland. Bottlings are recent,

land. One of them is more a confirmation than a news; the

each one with its own characteristics.

other instead, is a recent product.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

93

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

LAGAVULIN 12 yo

PORT CHARLOTTE

AMRUT

57.8% | €€€ | Scotland

57.8% | €€ | Scotland

50% | €€€ | India

NOSE: hints of peat, licorice and smoky aromas. Then a mix of lemon peel and cedar, followed by menthol.

Bonfire on the beach.

NOSE: intense hints of peat and smoke are followed by iodine, camphor and tar. Tropical fruits and a hint of plum syrup are also perceptible.

Lastly, fermented tobacco.

NOSE: intense aromas of wood and solvent. After a few moments, the cocoa is outlined, followed by rich notes of balsamic herbs, mainly menthol.

2007 CC:01

PALATE: fishing net, rock, licorice, black pepper and coastal peat. Intense and explosive. You can taste the whole sea. Citrus fruits (lemon peel) to complete the profile FINISH: long persistence. Peat and smoky notes. intense, explosive and persistent. A safe bet.

90 94

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

PALATE: oily. Powerful and direct and releases notes of walnut and peat, along with iodine, medicinal herbs and a hint of mineral. A touch of seafood.

FINISH: long persistence. Peat, a lot of peat.

Complex and intense. Satisfying.

89

Madeira Finish

PALATE: intense. Wood and spices, enriched with roasted notes and coffee beans. Then it develops a red fruits aroma, among which cherry stands out.

FINISH: medium persistence. Spices, wood and cherry.

Intense and harmonious, it has a satisfying and enveloping flavor profile.

88

MACALLAN

NOAH’S

ABERLOUR

40% | €€ | Scotland

57.2% | €€ | U.S.A.

48% | €€€ | Scotland

NOSE: sherry, vanilla and red fruits, in which cherry dominates. Then raisins and wood, enriched with nuances of cocoa. Finally, a mix of hazelnut and walnut.

NOSE: hints of cherry in spirit, wood and vanilla, followed by cocoa and gum. Then floral notes and spices (white pepper).

NOSE: sweet hints of red fruits, including cherry. There are also some hints of fruit, including plum and raisins.

A cotton candy note completes the aratic profile.

12 yo Sherry

Mill

Cask Annamh

PALATE: warm and enveloping. It releases notes of wood, cocoa and red fruits (cherry), with a hint of vanilla in the background.

PALATE: cherries in alcohol, white pepper and vanilla. Candied fruits and a touch of citrus (cedar and orange peel) are released on a sweet base. Hints of caramel.

PALATE: particularly oily. Aromas of wood, red fruits and spices are outlined, among which the white pepper is the protagonist. It is slightly dry.

FINISH: medium persistence. Cocoa and hazelnut.

FINISH: medium-long persistence.

White pepper and vanilla. Cedar peel.

FINISH: medium persistence. Red fruits and white pepper.

intense, warm and enveloping. Balanced and fairly complex.

Intense, satisfying and explosive.

Wide and structured bouquet.

Harmoniuos, elegant and intense.

Very well balanced.

88

88

86 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

95

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

ICHIRO’S MALT MIZUNARA

GLENFIDDICH

MICHTER’S

46% | €€€ | Japan

43% | € | Scotland

43% | € | U.S.A.

NOSE: fresh. Scents of aged wood and nuts, among which the hazelnut stands out. Then a suave note of red fruits is released. Balsamic herbs.

NOSE: warm notes of yellow fruit, including pear and yellow apple. A touch of citrus and custard. After a few moments appear balsamic herbs.

NOSE: at first, scents of wood and raisins, soon followed by nuances of grass and vanilla.

PALATE: round and warm. White pepper, seasoned wood and a fruity component, which gradually becomes more present. Balsamic nuances. Hints of cocoa.

PALATE: good intensity. It develops a mix of white pepper and ripe fruits. There are laso spices, which culminate in piquant peaks. The background is sweet. Nuances of cocoa.

FINISH: Medium-long persistence.

Balsamic and spicy (white pepper).

FINISH: Medium persistence. Spices, including pepper, wood and walnut.

FINISH: medium-long persistence.

It develops notes of balsamic herbs, white pepper and malt.

Harmonious and balanced. It performs well on the palate.

Discreetly wide and intense bouquet.

Fairly satisfying.

Equipped with a good harmony and intensity. Fairly structured.

86

85

84

Wood Reserve

96

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

Fire and Cane

Us*1 Sour Mash Whisky

PALATE: wood and vanilla, with a balsamic touch. Then it deliver floral notes and a spices. An intense malt aroma completes the aromatic profile of this American whisky.

OCTOMORE 09.1

ROUGHSTOCK

THE KURAYOSHI

Montana Spring Wheat Whisky

Sherry Cask

59.1% | €€€ | Scotland

45% | € | U.S.A.

43% | €€€ | Japan

NOSE: intense peat aromas and mineral notes, followed by medicinal herbs and iodine. A hint of malt.

NOSE: the first impact is fresh and releases intense notes of cereals, which are enriched with a touch of vanilla. Sugar candies.

NOSE: contained. An important component of malt, biscuits and cereals is perceptible. Particularly fresh.

After a few moments, apples and sugary hints.

PALATE: black pepper and peat are the main aromas, followed by hints of chili pepper. Then brine and iodine.

Medicinal herbs reappear.

FINISH: long persistence. It is mineral and peppery, enriched with intense chili notes.

The aromatic bouquet of this Scotch whisky is dominated by peat. Balance is on the razor’s edge.

83

PALATE: it is sweet. It releases notes of vanilla and cereals, followed once again by an intense aroma that recalls sugar candies, that completes its aromtic profile.

PALATE: It keeps itself fresh and reproduces the apple and malt. Nuances of white pepper and vanilla are also perceptible. Hints of wood.

FINISH: medium persistence. Balsamic herbs.

FINISH: Medium persistence. Orange peel, marzipan and wood.

Medium intensity, but not particularly structured profile.

Very simple and young. Not particularly structured.

83

79 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

97

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

Armagnac

The chosen 12

The triumph of the 20 yo

All the armagnacs selected for this blind tasting have a pri-

The armagnacs in the first three positions have been aged

ce range that does not exceed the 100$. Some of them are

for a period of time of at least 20 years. Maturation is a fun-

widely available, while for others a bit of search is needed,

damental part of the production process and this result is

due to a not particularly high production.

definitely not a surprise.

SPRING 2018 - CigarsLover Magazine

99

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

COMTE DE LAUVIA

DARROZE G. ASSEMBLAGES

CASTARÈDE XO

40% | €€ | France

43% | €€ | France

40% | €€ | France

NOSE: it develops rich scents of red fruits, wood and a soft hint of nail polish. After a few moments, it delivers notes of medicinal herbs, that are barely perceptible.

NOSE: sweet scents of caramel and herbs, along with nail polish and notes of candy. It tastes kinda sugary.

A fruity component is also noticeable and complete its aromatic bouquet.

NOSE: hints of almonds are followed by a sweet spiciness of white pepper.

There is also a distinct fruity note of peach, which is outlined after a few moments.

PALATE: intense. Wood and red fruits, with a peppery touch. Then it releases intense notes of cocoa and cherry liqueur.

PALATE: spices, white pepper and chili, enriched with caramel and cocoa. Sugary and sweet. Then a fruity side is revealed.

PALATE: a mix of ripe fruit (apricot, white grapes and peach) is developed. The bouquet is then enriched with ginger and white pepper.

FINISH: Medium-long persistence.

Wood and peppery nuances.

FINISH: medium long. Wood, sugar and cocoa. Mildly dry.

FINISH: medium long persistence.

Dried fruits (dates) and cocoa.

It is an intense, balanced and well structured armagnac.

Very intense, harmonious and elegant. Velvety.

Very balanced and with a good intensity. Excellent harmony.

90

88

87

Extra 21 yo

100 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

20 yo

20 yo

MARQUIS DE MONTESQUIOU

SAMALENS

CLÉS DES DUCS

40% | € | France

42% | €€ | France

40% | €€ | France

NOSE: wood, red orange and white pepper at first, followed by vanilla, ginger and balsamic herbs (eucalyptus). Nuances of grape.

NOSE: aromas of cocoa and markei notes of walnut, followed by dried fruits, including dates and figs. Hints of molasses after a few moments.

NOSE: it delivers rich vegetal scents, together with hints of freshly cut grass. Then apple and vanilla. Very fresh and with a hint of fruit.

PALATE: wood resin and an important fruity component, which recalls peach and plum. Notes of raisins are also perceptible.

PALATE: round. Brown sugar, vegetable hints and peppery notes. Then the walnut returns to the limelight, along with hints of wood. Candied fruits and a touch of vanilla.

PALATE: liqueur. Vegetable notes, raisins and nuances of toasted nuts (mainly almonds). There is also a rich citrus aroma perceptible, which complete its aromatic profile.

FINISH: medium persistence. Brown sugar and red fruit.

FINISH: Medium-short persistence.

Vegetal and slightly sweet.

Balanced, structured and with very good complexity to it.

A well balanced and very easy to enjoy armagnac.

87

86

Extra Old

FINISH: medium persistence. White pepper and wood. Balsamic hints.

Excellent intensity and harmony. The aromatic profile is not particularly broad, but it is well structured.

87

1995 Vintage

XO

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

101

WHISKY BLIND TASTING

DELORD 15 yo

BARON DE SIGOGNAC

LOUBÈRE NAPOLEON

40% | €€ | France

40% | €€ | France

40% | € | France

NOSE: vegetal and herbal scents are soon joined by a rich nuts aroma (a mix of walnut and almond). Coffee beans and wood complete the aroamtic bouquet.

NOSE: very fresh. Fruits and raisin notes are perceivable, followed by sugar aromas and a touch of nuts, mainly hazelnut.

NOSE: wood, red fruits and intense cocoa aromas. After a while, it releases some hints of earth and apple jam as well. A touch of raisins.

PALATE: walnut, a touch of red fruits and wood. A note of orange jam is perceptible and there is also a suave spicy component of white pepper.

PALATE: wood, fruits and vegetal hints are delivered. Then there are also some notes of earth and vanilla, with a suave and almost imperceptible hint of ginger.

PALATE: balsamic herbs and vegetal notes, followed by nuts (mainly walnut) and cocoa. There is also a fruity component, but it is very contained and is barely perceptible.

FINISH: Medium-short persistence.

Cocoa and candied fruits.

FINISH: Medium persistence. Woody and vegetal. Slightly dry.

FINISH: medium persistence. Wood and balsamic nuances.

It is a well balanced armagnac, equipped with a discreet intensity.

Flavor profile with good intensity, but quite limited.

Flavor profile is not among the broadest, but with a discreet harmony.

85

84

83

XO Platinum

102 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

COMTE DE LAUVIA

CLOS MARTIN XO

JANNEAU

40% | € | France

40% | € | France

40% | € | France

NOSE: fresh notes of white grapes are then followed by fresh fruit, including dates. To complete the aromatic bouquet, a sweetly balsamic aroma get developed as well.

NOSE: caramel, cocoa, wood resin and wood solvent. Then cooked apples and hints of cinnamon, just barely mentioned.

NOSE: fresh but with a limited aromatic profile. There are some notes of candied fruits, followed by vanilla, together with a fruity component (a touch of apple).

Reserve

PALATE: freshness is confirmed.

Oily. A peppery touch, then seasoned wood and red fruits, followed by cocoa and dried fruit with shell (hazelnut). Rather dry.

FINISH: medium long persistence.

Fruity. A touch of white pepper.

15 yo

PALATE: round. Woody and with veiled fruity nuances. A slight pepper component is perceptible and then wood, which resembles sawdust.

FINISH: Medium-short persistence.

Slightly dry. Notes of wood and a veiled pepperiness.

Vsop

PALATE: raisins, a touch of earth and tropical fruit nuances, the latter is barely perceptible. There is also a hint of wood.

FINISH: Medium persistence. Raisins and wood are reproduced.

Dry. Harmonious. Good persistence.

More balanced on the nose. Wood dominates the palate.

Simple to appreciate and with a fairly balanced profile.

83

80

80 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

103

subscribe to our newsletter

PAGE

Receive a notificaions via e-mail as soon as a new issue is available.

Stay tuned!

INTERACTIVE

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

Cigar Blind Tasting

Lanceros ............................................ 108 Robustos ............................................ 112 Piramides ........................................... 116 Shorts .................................................. 120

106 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

INFO

Legend

All the information inside the blind tastings To place cigars inside of an ample rating scale, we adopt a scoring system made of 100 points. The rating of each cigar is made by the average given score by the reviewers. Blind tasting means every cigar is smoked without knowing what the cigar is. No information about the brand, blend or size are given. This is the only way to eveluate cigars objectively.

1

THE WISE MAN Maduro Corona Gorda

95 4

EXPLOSIVE. A VOLCANO OF FLAVORS.

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: Nicaragua SIZE: 46x143mm (5,6”) PRICE: 10$ - /€ WRAPPER: Mexico BINDER: Nicaragua FILLER: Nicaragua

An explosion of cocoa beans and black pepper starts off the smoke. Then rich roasted notes of coffee reaches the palate, together with earth and wood. In the last part, balsamic herbs get delivered. The finale is made of dark chocolate and nuts.

2

1 2 3 4

•••••

3

Cigar picture.

Cigar tasting notes. Here are written the aromas and the flavors delivered during the smoke.

• country: where the cigar is made.

• size: ring gauge (1/64 of inch) and legnth, written in both millimiters and inches.

• blend: wrapper (the external leaf ), binder (the leaf under the wrapper) and filler (the leaves inside the cigar).

• cigar strength: described on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is the lightest and 5 is the strongest.

Rating scale: 95-100 memorable and excellet in every detail. 90-94 great quality and highly satisfying. 86-89 high quality and very pleasant. 81-85 decent, delivering a good smoke . Under 80 not recommended.

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

107

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

Lancero

Cepo

Largo

Tiempo

it is the ring gauge of the cigar,

it is the cigar length,

smoking time

written in 1/64 of an inch

written in millimeters (and inches)

in minutes

44

178 - 192 mm | 7 - 7.6”

38 80’ - 100’

108 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

THE WISE MAN Maduro Lancero

93

A BLAST OF AROMAS

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 40x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 13$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: MEXICO BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

It releases alternating notes of wood, earth and cocoa, which make their way on a salty base. There is also an intense nuance of almond, which is soon joined by hints of pepper and notes of coffee.

••••

ILLUSIONE Hl Maduro

92

COMPLEX AND SATISFYING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 40x190 mm (7.5”) PRICE: 10$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: MEXICO BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The smoke revolves around notes of coffee, cocoa, wood and spices, including white pepper. In the central section, leather appears as well, while balsamic herbs are revealed in the last third.

•••

GRAN HABANO Corojo #5

91

STRUCTURED, INTENSE AND INTERESTING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: HONDURAS SIZE: 40x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 12$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: HONDURAS BINDER: NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA FILLER: NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA

It releases roasted notes of coffee and spices, which are enriched with leather and wood. In the central section, it delivers cocoa notes and in the last part of the smoke, the aromatic bouquet is further extended with mineral nuances.

••••

CALDWELL Eastern Standard Silky Road

90

CREAMY AND BALANCED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 40x184mm(7.2”) PRICE: 12$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R., NICARAGUA

Aromas of cedar wood open the smoke, soon followed by a spicy note of white pepper, which becomes more pronounced, culminating in chili spice.

Then, earth and toasted notes appear. In the end it turns to intense walnut notes.

•••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

109

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

LARANJA RESERVA Lancero

90

SPICY AND BALANCED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 38x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 10$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: BRAZIL BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The smoke opens with aromas of herbs, nuts (mainly walnut) and spices. Continuing, intense notes of ripe fruit also appear, enriched with wooden nuances.

••••

TRINIDAD Fundadores

90

INTENSE AND BALANCED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 38x192 MM (7.6“) PRICE: N/A$ - 22.5€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

A sweet smoke, which revolves around nuts and honey, enriched with balsamic nuances in some puffs. Halfway through, notes of cocoa and wood take over and the base becomes sweet.

•••

CASA FERNANDEZ Aniversario Voleur

89

INTENSE AND HARMONIOUS

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: U.S.A. SIZE: 40x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 12$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

A mix of wood and hazelnut starts the smoke.

Soon the flavor profile is enriched with earthy notes, joined by nutmeg and white pepper. In some puffs, some citrus can also be perceived.

••••

SAN LOTANO Connecticut Lancero

88

GREAT BALANCE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 38x178 mm (7“) PRICE: 7$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: HONDURAS FILLER: DOMINICAN. R., NICARAGUA

Pink pepper and wood give way to the smoke, followed by earthy nuances. The flavor profile then becomes sweet and honey and citrus can be perceived. In the final part the wood returns, becoming the protagonist.

110 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

••

ASYLUM 13 99 Problems

88

HARMONIOUS BUT LIMITED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: HONDURAS SIZE: 38x178 mm (7“) PRICE: 8$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The opening brings a flavor profile that revolves around black pepper, earth and walnut to the palate. The smoke is rather linear and the only change in flavor comes in the last third, where toasted notes appear.

•••

ROCKY PATEL Sun Grown Maduro Lancero

87

STRUCTURED BUT CONTAINED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 38x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: N/A$ - 9€ WRAPPER: U.S.A BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

It releases aromas of cocoa and nuts, including hazelnut. Seasoned wood is perceptible in the background, while black pepper is present in the retro hale. In the second part, earth and walnut alternate.

•••

TATUAJE Seleccion de Cazador Especiales

86

BALANCED BUT LITTLE EVOLUTION

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: U.S.A. SIZE: 38x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 11$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The flavor profile revolves around notes of earth, spices and wood. Dried fruits are also perceptible in the middle section. They are enriched by mineral nuances in the final part.

••

ATABEY Spiritus

84

LINEAR AND NOT VERY EVOLVING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: COSTA RICA SIZE: 40x190 mm (7.5“) PRICE: 30$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: N/A BINDER: N/A FILLER: N/A

The smoke opens with notes of fine wood, followed by hazelnut and roasted coffee. The base is slightly sweet. A suave spicy hint of white pepper appears in the second half.

••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

111

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

Robusto

Cepo

Largo

Tiempo

it is the ring gauge of the cigar,

it is the cigar length,

smoking time

written in 1/64 of an inch

written in millimeters (and inches)

in minutes

54

115 - 127 mm | 4.5 - 5”

48 45’ - 55’

112 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

VEGAS ROBAINA Famosos

91

INTENSE AND CREAMY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 48x127 mm (5“) PRICE: N/A$ - 11€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

From the first puff, the smoke is creamy and exhibits intense aromas of cedar wood, hints of leather and a touch of spiciness (black pepper). The spicy component becomes more pronounced in the second half of the smoke.

••

AGING ROOM Quattro F55M Maduro Espressivo

90

SATISFYINH AND RICH

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINCAN R. SIZE: 50x127 mm (5“) PRICE: 10$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: MEXICO BINDER: DOMINCAN R. FILLER: DOMINCAN R.

Earth and aged wood open up the smoke, which is soon enriched by intense notes of black pepper, together with hot spices. Coffee beans are also outlined the middle section. The finale is toasted and spicy.

••••

PRINCIPLE CIGARS Aviator Series Envoi

89

HARMONIOUS AND LINEAR

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINCAN R. SIZE: 50x127 mm (5“) PRICE: 10$ - 11€ WRAPPER: DOMINCAN R. BINDER: DOMINCAN R. FILLER: DOMINCAN R. NIRACAGUA, PERU

It releases notes of cocoa and spice, soon followed by aged wood and white pepper. It then turns to earth and toasted notes of coffee. In the final third, the spices decrease, but remain present.

••••

ROMEO Y JULIETA Short Churchill

89

STRAIGHT AND INTENSE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 50x124mm (5”) PRICE: 10$ - 11.5€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

It opens up with vegetal notes and dried fruit with shell, among which the hazelnut stands out. A touch of leather and intense hints of coffee are then develop. In the second half, the cigar becomes very earthy.

•••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

113

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

BLANCO Nine Robusto

88

RICH AND SATISFYING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x127 mm (5”) PRICE: 8$ - 9€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

It delivers an intense mix of black pepper, cocoa and earth, enriched with hints of wood in the aftertaste. The spicy component becomes more and more intense, culminating in spicy peaks. In the second part, the balance is on the razor’s edge.

••••

ROCKY PATEL Vintage 2006 S. Andreas Robusto

88

STRAIGHT AND SATISFYING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 50x140mm (5.5”) PRICE: 9.5$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: SAN ANDRES (MEXICO) BINDER: U.S.A. FILLER: NICARAGUA

Hot spices and earth give way to the smoke. They are followed by earth and hints of bitter hazelnut.

Black pepper is present in the aftertaste. Moving forward, wood joins the earth, while the spices decrease in intensity.

••••

WYNWOOD HILLS Mayhem Corojo

88

SATISFYING. CHILI

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x127 mm (5”) PRICE: 8$ - 9€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

Damp earth and dried fruit with shell (mainly walnut) give way to the smoked, which is soon enriched with spicy tips and a mineral vein. There are also some metallic hints. Then the aromatic profile is completed with leather and vegetable notes.

•••

AVO Syncro S. America Ritmo Robusto

87

BALANCED. AGED WOOD

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 50x127 mm (5”) PRICE: N/A$ - 9€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: MEXICO FILLER: BRAZIL, DOMINICAN R., HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, PERU

The smoke opens up with sweet notes of seasoned wood that remain well present throughout the whole lenght of the cigar. In the central section, dried fruit with shell (walnut) are added, together with a leather touch. In aftertaste, wood resin.

114 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

••

DEBONAIRE Daybreak

87

WOOD AND NUTS

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 50x127mm (5”) PRICE: N/A$ - 9€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R., NICARAGUA

Hay and cedar wood alternate throughout the first half of the smoke. The cigar then turns to nutty notes, mainly hazelnut, which are joined by the omnipresent cedar wood.

•••

TATUAJE Nuevitas

87

BLACK PEPPER, EARTH AND WOOD

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 54x127 mm (5“) PRICE: 9$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The first puffs recall peppery and citrus. Then the smoke delivers aromas of earth, wood and spices, mainly black pepper, which alternate throughout the whole length of the cigar. The base gradually becomes more savory.

•••

DISEL Unlimited D.4

86

FLEETING INTENSITY AND PERSISTENCY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x140 mm (5.5“) PRICE: 7$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: MEXICO FILLER: NICARAGUA

The opening gives off notes of herbs and spices, which remain well present throughout the whole smoke. Advancing, vegetable nuances and spicy hints, both present in the retro hale, are added to the profile.

••

MY FATHER La Gran Oferta Robusto

85

LIMITED BOUQUET

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 50x127 mm (5“) PRICE: 8$ - 9€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

It releases notes of walnut and spices. Later on, a woody aroma appears, that is followed by a bitter taste, that becomes more and more pronounced.

•••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

115

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

Piramide

Cepo

Largo

Tiempo

it is the ring gauge of the cigar,

it is the cigar length,

smoking time

written in 1/64 of an inch

written in millimeters (and inches)

in minutes

55

133 - 158 mm | 5.2 - 6.2”

52 70’ - 95’

116 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

ARTURO FUENTE OPUS X 20th Anniver. Power of the dream

91

RICH, COMPLEX AND ELEGANT

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 55x152 mm (6“) PRICE: 13$ - 16€ WRAPPER: CAMEROON BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R.

The smoke opens up with notes of unripe hazelnut, which soon gives way to seasoned wood and licorice, together with intense nuances of coffee beans. In the background, an intene note of wild pepper is perceivable.

••••

OLIVA Melanio Torpedo

91

INTENSE AND RICH. EARTHY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x165mm (6.5”) PRICE: 14$ - 16€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

Rich notes of black pepper give way to dances.

They follow earth and seasoned wood, supported by a spicy vein of black pepper that accompanies all the puffs. In the central section the dried fruit with shell, a mix of hazelnut and walnut, is added.

•••••

PLASENCIA Cosecha 146 San Agustin

91

PEPPERY AND INTENSE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x158 mm (6,2“) PRICE: 13$ - 12€ WRAPPER: HONDURAS BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: HONDURAS, NICARAGUA

Peppery notes and nuts (a mix of walnut and almond) give way to the smoke, which is soon enriched with wood bark and toasted coffee nuances.

The finish is an explosion of spices.

••••

COHIBA Piramides Extra

90

REGAL AND SATISFYING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 54x158 mm (6,2“) PRICE: N/A$ - 30€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

The flavor profile revolves around notes of pink pepper and cedar wood, which are joined first by hints of honey and then by a mix of earth and cocoa. In some puffs, even hot spices reach the palate.

••••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

117

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

ALEC BRADLEY Black Market Esteli Torpedo

89

CREAMY AND REFINED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x158 mm (6,2“) PRICE: 8$ - 8€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The first part emits a creamy flavor profile that circles around notes of cedar wood and spices. It is soon followed by intense toasted nuances, which become more and more pronounced.

••••

BOLIVAR Belicoso Fino

89

PEPPERY AND PERSISTENT

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 52x140 mm (5,5“) PRICE: N/A$ - 12€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

Wood and spices alternate from the first puff on, becoming more and more pronounced and becoming the main flavors of the smoke. Notes of earth and leather are also revealed, but they remain in the background.

•••••

CAVALIER DE GENEVE Black Series II Torpedo

89

BALANCED AND REFINED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: HONDURAS SIZE: 54x152 mm (6“) PRICE: 9$ - 11€ WRAPPER: MEXICO BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

Wood, black tea and spicy notes are soon enriched with vegetable nuances. In the second part, the vegetable component is joined by cocoa and nuts, which is reminiscent of peanuts.

••••

VIKING Valhalla Torpedo

88

APPAGANTE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 54x127 mm (5”) PRICE: N/A$ - 10€ WRAPPER: N/A BINDER: N/A FILLER: N/A

La fumata si apre con intense note by terra umida e frutta secca con guscio, tra le quali spicca la noce. E’ presente anche una componente speziata by pepe nero, presto affiancata da cuoio e soavi sfumature by legno stagionato.

118 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

••••

ASHTON Symmetry Belicoso

88

BALANCED AND SPICY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 52x133 mm (5,2“) PRICE: 13$ - 14€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R., NICARAGUA

Wood and white pepper open the smoke, followed by notes of cocoa and camphor. The spicy component remains well present throughout the entire length of the smoke and in the end is joined by an intense walnut aroma.

•••

DAVIDOFF Millennium Blend Piramides

88

BALANCED AND CREAMY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 52x156 mm (6,1“) PRICE: 25$ - 25€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R.

The first puffs give off notes of spices, honey and walnut, which are soon followed by wood and balsamic herbs. White pepper, marzipan and a hint of nutmeg complete the profile.

•••

UNDERCROWN Sungrown Belicoso

88

COMPLEX AND CHEWABLE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 52x152 mm (6“) PRICE: 10$ - 11€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: U.S.A. FILLER: NICARAGUA

Pepper and cedar wood open the smoke and are soon enriched with cinnamon and earth. A note of bread is also perceptible. Cocoa is added in the middle section. The base is slightly sweet, with sugary nuances.

••••

SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA H. La punta

87

HARMONIOUS AND CREAMY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 53x140 mm (5,5“) PRICE: N/A$ - 12€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

Vegetal nuances and cedar wood, are soon followed by a smooth spiciness and nuts (the walnut stands out). In the second part, it outlines notes of biscuits and toasted coffee.

••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

119

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

Shorts

Cepo

Largo

Tiempo

it is the ring gauge of the cigar,

it is the cigar length,

smoking time

written in 1/64 of an inch

written in millimeters (and inches)

in minutes

60

82.5 - 110 mm | 3.3 - 5.3”

40 15’ - 35’

120 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

AVO Heritage Short Robusto

91

RICH AND STRUCTURED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 56x102 mm (4“) PRICE: 8$ - 7€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R.

Although small, the flavor profile that is reveals is respectable. It starts with cedar wood, nutmeg and coffee beans, which are then enriched with leather and balsamic hints. Traces of molasses.

••••

GILBERT DE MONTSALVAT Revolution Style Perla

91

GREAT AROMAS. STRUCTURED.

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 40x102 mm (4“) PRICE: N/A$ - 4€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R.

Spices and chestnut honey start the smoking, which is soon joined by black pepper and cocoa beans. There are also nuances of leather perceptible. The spices become more pronounced in the second half.

••••

MONTECRISTO Petit Edmundo

91

FULFILLING AND RICH

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 52x110 mm (4.3”) PRICE: N/A$ - 11€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

A riot of hot spices and black pepper opens up the smoke, which is soon enriched with intense aromas of leather, earth and seasoned wood. The spicy component remains the main character in the entire length of the cigar.

••••

HEDON CIGARS Eclatant

90

SMOOTH AND HARMONIOUS

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: FRANCE SIZE: 50x105 mm (4.1“) PRICE: N/A$ - 14€ WRAPPER: FRANCE BINDER: FRANCE FILLER: FRANCE

The opening outlines a broad flavor profile, which consists of hazelnut, refined spices, earth and wood. Hints of cinnamon in the background. The base is slightly sweet.

••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

121

CIGARS BLIND TASTING

MUWAT Night Crawler

88

SATISFYING AND STRUCTURED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 50x114 mm (4.5“) PRICE: 9$ - 8€ WRAPPER: MEXICO BINDER: ECUADOR FILLER: BRAZIL, NICARAGUA

Intense notes of coffee, earth and wood emerge in the first puffs. Then, a mix of nuts, mainly walnut, and a suave spicy component are added. The base is composed of a mix of salty and sweet flavors.

•••

ZINO Platinum Scepter Series Pudge

88

SURPRISING EVOLUTION

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SIZE: 50x102 mm (4“) PRICE: 10$ - 9€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: U.S.A. FILLER: DOMINICAN R., PERU

Sweet base, it releases floral and spicy notes, among which white pepper stands out. There are also earth and coffee present. In the second half, intense wooden notes appear as well and the base becomes saltier.

••

THE T Connecticut Short Robusto

87

CREAMY AND BALANCED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: NICARAGUA SIZE: 48x102 mm (4“) PRICE: 11$ - N/A€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: NICARAGUA FILLER: NICARAGUA

The smoke opens with notes of wood, hay and spices, including white pepper. Continuing, notes of tea are added, followed by nuances of bitters fruit.

In the end, tea and white pepper excel.

•••

HOYO DE MONTERREY Petit Robusto

86

INTENSE AND SATISFYING

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 50x102 mm (4“) PRICE: N/A$ - 9€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

Cedar wood, spices and brioche bread give way to the smoke, which is then enriched with coffee beans and nuances of cocoa. Vegetal notes and a peanut appear in the second half.

122 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

••••

LA GALERA Maduro Vitola No.1

86

INTENSE, BUT WITH A LIMITED AROMTIC PROFILE

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 50x82.5 mm (3.3”) PRICE: 5$ - 5€ WRAPPER: MESSICO BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R.

The cigar opens up with hot spices, followed by notes of damp earth and seasoned wood, which remain present throughout the entire smoke. Only in the final part, the spices return perceptible, but only in the background.

ROMEO Y JULIETA Petit Royales VEGETAL AND ACIDIC Green pepper, toasted coffee notes and intense vegetal aromas make up the flavor profile of this Romeo y Julieta. In the second part, there are also nuances of earth and metallic hints present.

••••

86 •••

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: CUBA SIZE: 47x95 mm (3.7“) PRICE: N/A$ - 8€ WRAPPER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA FILLER: CUBA

THE GRIFFIN’S Nicaragua Short Torpedo

85

BALANCED BUT CONTAINED

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: DOMINICAN R. SIZE: 54x127 mm (5“) PRICE: 8$ - 8€ WRAPPER: NICARAGUA BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: DOMINICAN R., NICARAGUA

Wood and herbs give way to the smoke, followed by peppery notes, wood and floral nuances. The second half turns to vegetal flavors, with floral hints. Aromas of honey are outlined in the finale.

•••

BRUN DEL RE 10 Anos Robusto

84

BALANCED BUT LITTLE INTENSITY

STRENGTH: COUNTRY: COSTA RICA SIZE: 60x102 mm (4“) PRICE: N/A$ - 11€ WRAPPER: ECUADOR BINDER: DOMINICAN R. FILLER: COSTA RICA, DOMINICAN R.

Wood and a touch of nuts (salted peanuts), are followed by white pepper and mild spices. A toasted aroma is added to the profile in the second half.

•••

SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine

123

CIGARS

124 SPRING 2019 - CigarsLover Magazine