Dec ‘08 Cigar Aficionado Taste Sampling Report Card

The Cigar Aficionado tasting panel recently rated 70 cigars in six sizes: Churchills, corona gordas, figurados, lonsdales, panetelas and robustos. Below are the top picks for each of the six sizes.

TOP CHURCHILL
The much anticipated La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami is no ordinary La Gloria cigar. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo created this brand insisting that it be made only at the El Credito rolling gallery in Miami. The Elegante was both rich and balanced, well deserving of 91 points.

U.S.A.
RING GAUGE: 49
LENGTH: 6 7/8"
FILLER: NICARAGUA, DOM. REP.
BINDER: ECUADOR
WRAPPER: NICARAGUA

LA GLORIA CUBANA ARTESANOS DE MIAMI ELEGANTE
A beautifully made cigar with a dark wrapper and Cuban-style cap. The smoke has a substantial mouth-feel, full of rich coffee notes and a nutty sweetness.
U.S.: $11.00

91

TOP CORONA GORDA
Corona gordas continue to be very popular cigars, and they’re not getting any thinner. The most impressive smoke in the lineup was the Casa Magna Colorado Robusto. It was rich and complex without being overpowering, and scored 92 points.

NICARAGUA
RING GAUGE: 52
LENGTH: 5 1/2"
FILLER: NICARAGUA
BINDER: NICARAGUA
WRAPPER: NICARAGUA

CASA MAGNA COLORADO ROBUSTO
Well made with a dark and oily wrapper. It draws nicely, loading the palate with rich coffee and leather notes, yet it is balanced by a cedary sweetness.
U.S.: $5.25

92

TOP FIGURADO
The figurado is an intriguing cigar. It requires considerable skill on the roller’s part to construct and can vary in shape. The highest rated cigar in this tasting with a score of 93 points was the
Litto Gomez Diaz Chisel Puro 2008 – more commonly known as the LG Chisel – so named for its chisel-like head.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
RING GAUGE: 54
LENGTH: 5 1/2"
FILLER: DOM. REP.
BINDER: DOM. REP.
WRAPPER: DOM. REP.

LITTO GOMEZ DIAZ CHISEL PURO 2008
A perfectly rolled, wedge-shaped cigar with a great draw and even burn. There’s lots of leather and pepper in the smoke, which is complimented by a cedary sweetness.
U.S.: $11.00

93

TOP LONSDALE
Too thick to be a lancero, too long to be a corona, too thin to be a toro, the lonsdale is a sometimes overlooked size that is becoming more and more difficult to find. But the lonsdale can be a rewarding smoke, offering a lot of flavor in a slim size. As with all thin cigars, construction can be a challenge and a firm, sometimes unworkable draw is often the flaw of the lonsdale. Luckily, many cigar companies are still making them and making them well. The fairly new La Riqueza No. 1 is made in Nicaragua by Pepin Garcia and scored 91 points.

NICARAGUA
RING GAUGE: 42
LENGTH: 6 1/2"
FILLER: NICARAGUA
BINDER: NICARAGUA
WRAPPER: CONN. BROADLEAF

LA RIQUEZA NO. 1
A dark, pressed cigar with a toothy wrapper, fine cap and perfect burn. The draw is a bit firm but imparts spicy cocoa intonations underscored by hickory notes.
U.S.: $9.00

91

TOP PANETELA
Long panetelas capped with a pigtail or flag are known as lanceros, and the style has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity. The most impressive performance was turned in by a newcomer. Made by Pepin Garcia at the El Rey de los Habanos factory in Miami, the
Don Pepin Garcia Lancero showed world class flavor, scoring 92 points.

U.S.A.
RING GAUGE: 38
LENGTH: 7 1/2"
FILLER: NICARAGUA
BINDER: NICARAGUA
WRAPPER: ECUADOR

DON PEPIN GARCIA LANCERO
An almost perfectly constructed lancero with an exemplary pigtail cap. The draw is perfect, loading the palate with rich coffee notes well balanced by spice, chocolate and a leathery finish.
U.S.: $9.00

92

TOP ROBUSTO
The Dunhill Signed Range is crafted by the Toranos in Nicaragua and includes a line of comely crimson tubes. The Robusto Tubo was balanced and enjoyable, scoring 90 points.

NICARAGUA
RING GAUGE: 52
LENGTH: 4 1/2"
FILLER: NICARAGUA, DOM. REP.
BINDER: CAMEROON
WRAPPER: NICARAGUA

DUNHILL SIGNED RANGE ROBUSTO TUBO
Rich, oily and slightly reddish. The draw is superb, layering the palate with woody, chocolate and nutty flavors. Well balanced.
U.S.: $12.00

90