THE DOMINICAN ISSUE
September / October 2018
Dominican CIGAR TRAIL
Chateau de la
FUENTE COLONIAL
SANTO DOMINGO
YEARS OF DAVIDOFF Smoking with OLD DOMINION
editorials SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
27
PERFECT PAIRINGS ARTURO FUENTE DON CARLOS / MACALLAN MURDERED OUT ROB ROY A cigar like this deserves an upgraded cocktail. Our go-to mixologist brought a killer single-malt into the mix to replace the customary blended Scotch and bring the Rob Roy to a level of sophistication worthy of this Fuente.
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EXPLORE THE DOMINICAN CIGAR TRAIL Follow us on a journey to get up close to the rich colonial history, world-class cigar factories and delicious homemade pastas of the Dominican Republic. Plus, buckle your seatbelt and warm up those turn signal fingers; we’re about to do a whole lot of defensive driving.
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DAVIDOFF CIGARS AT 50
87
OLD DOMINION ON FAME, FAMILY, COUNTRY MUSIC AND CIGARS
When Zino Davidoff got his first shipment of branded cigars, could he have imagined how far his vision would take the family name half a century later? We explore the history of the brand and the manufacturing and blending operation that have made Davidoff a symbol of Dominican cigar excellence.
Old Dominion is one of the hottest acts in country music. This group of veteran musicians and songwriters was already accomplished, but now they’re in the spotlight. Whether capping off a tour stop, celebrating an award or just taking a breather from life on the road, they’re never far from their next cigar.
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SEPT / OCT 2018 | CIGAR SNOB |
11
features SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
16
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
18
FEEDBACK
22
WHAT’S BURNIN’
54
SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB
69
RATINGS
96
TWITTER SCOREBOARD
98
SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB
108
BIRTHPLACE OF A DREAM
SOL Y SOMBRA
EVENT COVERAGE 108 MY FATHER DINNER 110 DREW ESTATE MEDIA PARTY 110 GENERAL MEDIA COCKTAIL 112 DAVIDOFF GOLDEN BAND AWARDS 114 AGIO HOSPITALITY SUITE 116 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CIGAR FESTIVAL 118 ESPINOSA AT CAVA CIGARS 120 ASHFEST 2018 122 VICTOR CALVO AT CAVA CIGARS
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Ask for it by name, In fine cigar stores near you SEPT / OCT 2018 | CIGAR SNOB |
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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
VO L . 1 0 IS SU E 5 www.cigarsnobmag.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Erik Calviño SENIOR EDITOR Nicolás Antonio Jiménez COPY EDITOR Michael LaRocca SALES & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Oscar M. Calviño PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivan Ocampo ART DIRECTOR Andy Astencio DIGITAL RETOUCHING SPECIALIST Ramón Santana CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Benoliel Andy Astencio Brad Ziegler Mason Allen EVENT PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamilet Calviño Rob Roth Cover Photography by David Benoliel www.davidbenolielphotography.com Cover Model - Megan Samperi Cigar Snob is published bi-monthly by Lockstock Publications, Inc. 1421-1 SW 107th Ave., #253 Miami, FL 33174-2509 Tel: 1 (786) 423-1015 Cigar Snob is a registered trademark of Lockstock Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Cigar Snob is printed in the U.S. Contents copyright 2006, Lockstock Publications, Inc. To subscribe, visit www.cigarsnobmag.com
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14 | CIGAR SNOB | SEPT / OCT 2018
B E
I T
T A K E S
A
LEGEN DA RY
L E G E N D
INTRODUCING
SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Cigar Smoking Can Cause Cancers Of The Mouth And Throat, Even If You Do Not Inhale.
T O
C R A F T
PARTAGAS
A
L E G E N D
L EGEND
PA RTAG AS .CO M / L E G E N DS
SANTO DOMINGO FACTORIES 1. ABAM (Villiger) Jose@abamcigars.com
Royal Agio (Balmoral) d.mena@agio.com.do (Royal Agio is not mapped, as it’s located east of Santo Domingo in San Pedro de Macorís.)
SHOPS & LOUNGES 2. Arturo Fuente Cigar Club arturofuentecigarclub.com
3. Cameroon Cigar Bar facebook.com/camerooncigarlounge/
4. Cigar Market cigarmarket.com.do
5. Cigar World
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The aging room at Tabacalera Palma; dishes from Augusto Reyes’ Saga Restaurant & Cigar Club: a twist on sushi, the tomahawk steak on a Himalayan salt block, and toffee cake topped with vanilla ice cream
instagram.com/cigarworldrd
6. Cabinet Tabaco Boutique facebook.com/cabinettb
other level for guests.” Even for me, having visited many cigar factories over the years, this was impressive. It had also been on my bucket list for quite some time, as my very first cigar was a La Aurora Preferidos Sapphire Edition. With time for just one more cigar factory in this trip, we headed east to Tabacalera Palma. You might know their more recently launched La Galera brands, but Palma has developed a reputation over years, especially with the Aging Room brand, some of which is still manufactured here even after the brand was acquired by Altadis USA. This factory, which is a neighbor to PDR Cigars, is worth paying a visit to even if only to take a look at the massive amount of tobacco they are fermenting in pilones at any given time. On the production side, they seem like they might be in a situation like the Cuevas family. Space is in short supply, and as a smoker, it’s always exciting to see factories run into that problem. We headed back to the hotel room to shower and change. We needed to look decent for the very last stop on our journey: Saga Restaurant. Owned, as you might suspect, by Augusto Reyes, whose De Los Reyes Cigars makes the Saga cigar brand, this is the one true must-do dining experience in the city if you’re a lover of cigars. This is where the cigar industry in the Dominican Republic comes to hang
44 | CIGAR SNOB | SEPT / OCT 2018
out and eat great food. Specifically, it’s where they come to eat a massive tomahawk steak sitting on a sizzling block of Himalayan sea salt. I won’t describe the flavors much because… why bother? If you’re doing this right, you’re letting the meat speak for itself, and that’s the approach that Augusto’s restaurant takes with the tomahawk.
7. Tabaco y Ron Cigar Club and Lounge
It just so happened to be Augusto’s birthday that night, so he was there celebrating with family and friends. That made it even more fun to see how proud he is of this place. He’d come over to the table every so often with a knowing look on his face that screamed, “That thing you just ate. Is that awesome or is that awesome?”
8. D’Luis Parrillada
It was. All of it was awesome. From the tomahawk to the salmon tartare to the toffee cake sitting in a shallow pool of dulce de leche and topped with ice cream. Holy crap. After a cigar with Emmanuel, who had tagged along to help out with that tomahawk, we waddled back to the front of the restaurant and drove to the Hodelpa Centro Plaza. We’d been in this country several days and had only begun to scratch the surface of what was possible with a cigar tour (not to mention a tostón tour). I, for one, am already counting down to my next trip to the Dominican Republic. Next time I’m packing my dominoes and doing some advance omelette research.
facebook.com/tabacoyroncigarclub
RESTAURANTS & BARS facebook.com/DLuisParrillada
9. Pat’e Palo http://www.patepalo.com/
10. La Dolcerie facebook.com/ladolceriecafebistrord
11. Bottega Fratelli facebook.com/bottegafratelli
12. Buche’Perico bucheperico.com
13. Mesón de Bari
OTHERS 14. Alcázar de Don Diego Colón 15. Fortaleza Ozama
R TE
RESIDENCIAL PASEO DEL PARQUE
ZONA INDUSTRIAL LA ISABELA
LICOS
LA ZURZA
ES C
AVDA. REPUBLIC
15. Kukara Macara kukaramacara.net
4. Tabacalera La Alianza (EPC)
LOS RIOS
facebook.com/ilpasticcio.restaurante LA YAGUITA
(Casa Cuevas)
17. NOAH Restaurant & Lounge 1
LOS CAMINOS LA ALDABA
JARDINES DEL NORTE
11
5
BB RA
HA ML
OL INC
N
10
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8. Tabacalera Arturo Fuente 9. PDR
MANGANAGUA
Hodelpa.com
11. Tabacalera La Flor (LFD)
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CENTRO LA OTRA BANDA HISTORICO DE SANTIAGO
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URB. MIRAFLOR
CERRO ALTO SUR
RESIDENCIAL ENSANCHE CLARIBEL N BOLIVAR Ó OL LOS PLATANITOS ÉC OM SAVICA RTOL
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LA ESMERALDA
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LOS MOLINOS
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NIDA CIRCUMVALACIÓN NORTE AVE LA DELGADA
GE AV.
DOMINICANOS AUSENTES
BUENOS AIRES MIRAMAR OS
LOS GUANDULES
LA FUENTE
LA PRIMAVERA
EL CACIQUE ROCA MAR N TO JARDINES DEL ING CARIBE GE WAS H
ALFIMAR
SAN MIGUEL
BARRIO SAN PABLO
LA BOMBA VIEJA
COSTA BRAVA
ATALA
MIRADOR SUR
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6
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LOS MAESTROS
Hodelpa.com
VILLA GONZALEZ
CO
MIRADOR NTE.
3 20. Hodelpa Centro Plaza RENACIMIENTO
10. Tabacalera William Ventura
F
ZONA COLONIAL GAZCUE
LA ESPERILLA
3
OS
TE
CIS
VILLA FONTANA
2
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AN
VILLA MARIA
VILLA JUANA
ENSANCHE MIRAFLORES
ESTELA MARIA RER FEB DE QUISQUEYA 27 O RES LA JULIA 18. Monumento a los Héroes deELlaMILLON II EXP LOS MILLONES EL MILLON Restauración EL MANGUITO LOS RESTAURADORES BELLA VISTA EL MILLONCITO 19. Hodelpa Gran Almirante
7. General Cigars
LL
1
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PIANTINI
LAS PRADERAS
RE
TE
EN
N RA
BOROJOL PUEBLO NUEVO
ENSANCHE NACO
A. A
OTHERS
6. Tabadom (Davidoff)
D AV
D PA A.
S CA
EXPRESO J. F. KENNEDY
6 4
JULIETA MORALES LOS PRADOS ENSANCHE JULIETA SAN GERONIMO LOS PRADITOS
ENCARNACIÓN
We didn’t visit the following factories, but thought we’d include them to give you a lay of the land.
ÑO
ENSANCHE LA FÉ
1
ENSANCHE ENSANCHE CARMELITA PARAISO
facebook.com/NoahSantiago
E AVDA. PEDRO L. CED
EZ
5. Tabacalera Las Lavas
EL HOTEL
LA AUGUSTINA
D AV
16. Il Pasticcio
info@casacuevascigars.com
VIEJO ARROYO HONDO
BOTANICAL GARDEN
EDCabrera@epccigar.com
PU
VANDO AVDA. NICOLAS DE O
AVDA. MAXIMO GOM
cpena@tabacalerapalma.com
24 DE ABRIL
LIBERTAD
CRISTO REY
facebook.com/sagarestcigarclub
3. Tabacalera Palma (La Galera)
ENSANCHE CAPOTILLO
11
OSARIO S. LR
A
LAS 800TA
SEO DE L OS R E Y AV DA. PA
LAS CAÑITAS
RIO OZ A
A DE COLOMB
14. Saga Restaurant & Cigar Club
NUEVO ARROYO HONDO
LOS TRES BRAZOS BARRIO CANTARES
MA
jingrisano@debonairehouse.com
ALTOS DE ARROYO 2
IA
ALTOS DE ARROYO 3
Debonaire House
AT O
RESTAURANTS & BARS
2. De Los Reyes Cigars (SAGA) /
LA BARQUITA
1
URBANIZACION MAXIMO GOMEZ
LOS MIRANDAS
11
COLINAS LA JAVILLA DEL OZAMA
LA JAVILLA
RESIDENCIAL SOL DE LUZ
CERROS DE CUESTA ARROYO HONDO HERMOSA II LA CAÑADA ARROYO MANZANO
laauroracigarworld.com
1
A. M
NO
OR
AVD A
facebook.com/las3reinasrd/ CUESTA BRAVA
1. La Aurora
AV D
D IR A
. JA
13. Las 3 Reinas
CERROS DEL PARAISO
ZA
12. House Blend
FACTORIES
J MA
JARDIN MEMORIAL
CO B O
SANTIAGO
EL CHACON
ALTOS DEL PARQUE
AR AZ TA LU
SHOPS & LOUNGES
HERMANAS MIRABAL
COL. DE LOS DOCTORES
LAS PALMERAS
URBANIZACION
LAS GAVIOTAS SEPT / OCT 2018 | CIGAR SNOB |
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A CIGAR PRESS Early in the cigar making process, the buncher prepares the filler blend and keeps those tobaccos together by wrapping them with a tobacco leaf referred to as a binder. The buncher then inserts the rustic bunch of leaves into a cigar mold. Stacks of molds will give cigars their shape after about an hour and a half in one of these presses, which are tightened with turns of a large wheel like the one in this shot. When the molds are re-opened, wrapper tobacco will be applied to the perfectly shaped bunch.
DRESS CAROLINE CONSTAS
DRESS INTERMIX
CURING BARN At Chateau de la Fuente, the curing barns are painted red and covered with thatch. When tobacco is harvested from the nearby fields, it is hung in the curing barn to dry. The hanging tobacco will go from green to yellow to brown before it is taken down and moved to the next step, fermentation.
ROBUSTO Cabaiguan
$ 9.50
)
N I CA R AG UA
)
92
VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
Robusto Extra 5 1/4 50 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua
Epoca
)
$ 9.25
)
91
VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
Admiral 5 50 Ecuador Dominican Republic Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
)
Balmoral Añejo XO Connecticut
)
91
) )
90
D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Creamy and smooth with a profile of soft cedar and spice complemented by almond, cinnamon, and a touch of coffee. Impeccably constructed leaving behind a solid, compact ash. Mild to medium strength.
$ 9.75 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
Rothschild Masivo 5 55 USA/Connecticut Ecuador USA, Brazil & Dominican Republic
Victor Calvo U.S. Shade Reserve
D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Smooth and nuanced, this medium strength blend delivers a core of wood, sweet spice, and hazelnut accompanied by a touch of light coffee and cream on the finish. Consistently draws and burns perfectly.
$ 7.75 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
Robusto 5 1/2 50 USA/Connecticut Ecuador Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Espinosa Crema
N I CA R AG UA Smooth and balanced. This blend is consistently well made and cloaked with a supple, golden colored wrapper. Mild to medium bodied with a profile of cedar, earth, and soft spice complemented by a rich vanilla cream finish.
$ 8.65
)
N I CA R AG UA
)
90
VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
No. 4 5 1/2 52 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua
Quesada Fonseca
Consistently well constructed and covered with a supple, light brown wrapper with only minimal veins. This medium strength blend delivers a balanced profile with notes of wood, soft spice, and a light touch of earth complemented by hints of coffee and vanilla cream on the finish.
$ 8.25
)
D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C
)
89
80 | CIGAR SNOB | SEPT / OCT 2018
Beautifully balanced and ultra smooth with flavors of cedar, roasted almonds, cinnamon, light coffee, and a touch of spice. This mild to medium blend is consistently well constructed and finished with light brown wrapper with slight veins.
VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:
5-50 5 50 USA/Connecticut Mexico Dominican Republic
Delivers flavors of wood, soft spice, and vanilla accompanied by soft floral notes in the aroma. This consistently well-constructed robusto is covered with a supple, golden colored wrapper with sheen. Mild to medium bodied.
SEPT / OCT 2018 | CIGAR SNOB |
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‘Cause the sun’s too bright, The sky’s too blue Beer’s too cold to be thinking about you Gonna take this heartbreak and tuck it away Save it for a rainy day Yeah, the music’s too good,
One positive addition has been the grooviness of hip-hop beats. It’s opened up all different types of songs you can have. You don’t have to have that same Nashville or country feel. You can get really creative.” Those hip-hop influences might be most vivid in the lyrics and rhythms of Dirt on a Road:
My friends are all out
My mama taught me how to treat a lady with respect
And they’re all too high to be bringing ‘em down
But what the heck did you expect with the perfume on your neck
If they ask about you
Is smellin’ all so good, peaches and cream
I’ve got nothing to say I’ll save it for a rainy day — Save it for a Rainy Day “I’m pretty proud of that song,” said Brad. “Kenny is such a top-tier artist and he’s so great at picking songs that to pick one that we wrote is pretty awesome. And to be able to watch it connect to so many people… It’s such a simple idea, when you’ve had a heartbreak and then you have that moment where you’re like, ‘Forget this. I’m gonna have fun today.’” Like Brad, the rest of the guys in this band are proud of their craft, their writing and their musicianship. While they’ve been around each other a long time, each brings a set of influences to the table that colors the work they put out. “In the ‘90s, country was a thing. It had a very specific feel to it,” Matt said. “‘90s country was always on in my parents’ kitchen. It wasn’t what I was listening to by choice. I’m from a very small town and that’s what everyone was listening to. I was listening to things like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, but I knew everything about country because it was constantly on. As I grew older, I started to realize, ‘Actually I kind of like some of this stuff.’ As far as my writing goes, all of that bleeds in.” Anybody who was listening to ‘90s country on the radio was probably at least also passing through some ‘90s hip-hop stations to get there. In Trevor’s case, growing up in Detroit meant rap and rock played a big role. “I was a huge Eminem fan. I also grew up listening to NWA,” Trevor said. “For me, it’s the coolest music. You listen to that stuff and you’re like ‘We’re not that cool.’” “It’s the rhythm in the song too,” said Whit. “One of the advantages of country is that it co-opts any genre with no guilt whatsoever.
90 | CIGAR SNOB | SEPT / OCT 2018
You’re so fly you make a trout want to jump right out the stream So, walk those little boots you’re wearing Over here to where I’m standing Let’s get to causing a scene… — Dirt on a Road “You can’t be an adolescent male and not have that part of your brain tickled by hip-hop,” added Geoff. “There’s a magic to that genre at that age and we all grew up through that.” As true musicians, these guys are also perpetually curious. Whit has been on a Latin kick lately, putting special focus on Cuban music and Caribbean rhythms. “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart has a Caribbean rhythm it’s built on. None of us had any idea we were doing that, but it turns out it’s a soca. There’s so many different things to have fun doing,” he said.
“Crowned Heads has a lot of nice stuff, like Las Calaveras,” said Brad. “They’re also Nashville based which is pretty cool. This Herrera Estelí I really like. And of course the Padróns. Their cigars are by far the most consistently good.” During our sit-down at La Casa, other members of the band smoked cigars by Padrón, 7-20-4, and My Father, among other brands (some of us had more than one). I asked when it is they tend to make time to smoke together. “I can’t think of a specific moment,” Geoff said. “It’s mostly post-show good feeling. When things feel good, let’s just sit and soak it up. And our life is not about sitting down. Our life is about moving.” “[After winning] any award,” added Whit. “If an accomplishment is big enough, a cigar celebration is done by default. I probably smoke cigars less than anybody in the band, and that’s when I’m thinking, ‘I would like to have a cigar right now.’” This is a change from Whit’s initial attitude toward cigars. “[When I smoked my first cigar] I’d only had experience with a cigar wrapper. Just the wrapper; it wasn’t filled with any tobacco, though. Like, ‘This isn’t just a delivery system? I thought you always took the tobacco out.’”
Well it was down some street we couldn’t even pronounce We were smoking a little from a half an ounce Tequila was cheap but the flow we were feeling was real
After a pause to think about the possibilities, the country-Caribbean fusion inspiration hits. “You play soca and you sing about a truck… Boom!”
Neither one of us looking for three little words
Old Dominion might not have achieved Chesney-level success yet, but they’re on their way. In the meantime, there’s been a marked improvement in the tour cigar selection.
Checkout was s’posed to be noon but we slept in ‘til three
“I remember [my first cigar] was a Swisher Sweet. With the plastic shitty dipped tip. All my buddies were smoking cigarettes and I didn’t really like them, but for some reason I really liked those,” Matt said. These days, Matt’s a Padrón guy. He smoked a 1964 Anniversary Series during our interview. He takes the lead on stocking the band’s traveling humidor with Brad, who has more eclectic tastes.
Unless those three words were Do Not Disturb
— Hotel Key The more time you spend with Old Dominion, the more you realize these guys are having fun. It’s constant laughs, inside jokes, stories, and awe at the ride they’re on. Smoking cigars is part of the way they make sure they’re savoring every moment of it. They also look to their next steps with a clarity that probably comes from having achieved this fame in their late 30s. They’re country stars (it would even be fair to call them rock or pop stars consider-
ing their crossover appeal), but most of them were family men when they got here. The members all agreed that they preferred to keep their families out of the public eye and maintain all the normalcy they can. Country might be the ideal music genre for finding fame in that regard. “It’s understood that [country artists] are supposed to be more like a regular person,” said Matt. “And they’re viewed in that way so it’s not as eccentric as a pop artist. Walking through the airport you still look like a normal person. The biggest country star is still just wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a ball cap. He might be playing stadiums in that outfit.” And yet, to be fair, country has changed over the years. As I’ve noted in this piece, this crew has crossover appeal. That can bleed into their wardrobes. “I forget that we dress differently,” Trevor said. “I assume we dress like normal people, but someone will point out to me that normal 40-something year old people who take their kids to school don’t wear these skinny jeans.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Mason Allen
“It kind of creeps on you,” Geoff added, “because our world is insular and there’s five of us, so clothing-wise, we’re all changing slowly but together. So you look around and what’s normal is I’m wearing something closer to these guys, 200-plus days a year. You go back to Nashville and drop your kids off at school, and you realize, ‘Oh, I’m not with my four guys…’” “I look like a jackass,” said Matt, laughing. The flip side of fame is that it’s brought these five guys into situations they might never have imagined otherwise. From invitations to stay several nights in Hawaii in exchange for a short acoustic performance to run-ins with the band’s sports idols, the gig has come with a lot of perks. “We played Pittsburgh,” Matt said, “and Bill Cowher came and was like, ‘Oh, you guys are so great!’” I was like, ‘You’re Bill Cowher, man!’” During a stop in Denver, Trevor — who once had hockey aspirations — met some NHL players who introduced him to John Elway. “So John Elway says, ‘Any time you need anything in Denver, let me know. Actually, let me give you my number.’” The room went silent for a moment. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one hearing this story for the first time.
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Trevor Rosen (left) and Matt Ramsey during Old Dominion’s performance at Ford Field on Kenny Chesney’s Trip around the Sun Tour
Whit was first to react. “You have John Elway’s number?!” Then Geoff. “How long have you been sitting on John Elway’s number?!” A moment later, Whit had already figured out how the band would leverage this. “I have a feeling John Elway can get us a tee time.” While they’re journeying toward whatever tee times and packed stadiums are in their future, I left my meeting with Old Dominion convinced that the best thing the band has going for it is the band itself. It’s a group of friends who
became a band, not the other way around. And that’s the kind of thing you need if you’re going to put out the kind of tongue-in-cheek, playful, authentic country that will have staying power with country fans and newcomers. “You hit on something with hearing personality in our music. We’re friends and we don’t take ourselves seriously. We don’t think we’re that cool, so we’re not going to make music that’s putting up that front. So we’re just making music that we enjoy,” Matt said. “Our identity as a band is who we are as people and that’s translated into our recording and our writing.”
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