Cigar Insider internet only
DECEMBER 18, 2018
n
VOL. 23, NO. 24
n
FROM THE PUBLISHER OF CIGAR AFICIONADO MAGAZINE
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IN THIS ISSUE:
CIGAR INSIDER’S TOP SCORES OF 2018 BRAND
COUNTRY SCORE
Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Robusto
Nicaragua
94
Average Score by Brand [page 2] n Special Report: 2018 Year In Review [page 3] n Average Score by Country and Size [page 3] n Humidor Selections—49 Cigars Rated 91 Points or Higher in 2018 [page 4]
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Torpedo
Nicaragua
93
Cohiba Siglo VI (Tubo)
Cuba
93
E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic
Dom. Rep.
93
Herrera Esteli Miami Toro Especial
U.S.A.
93
H. Upmann Connossieur B
Cuba
93
Analysis by Country [page 5] n Cigars for a Budget—Our Best Buys [page 6] n Comprehensive Tasting Report for 2018: 273 Cigar Ratings [page 8]
Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto
Nicaragua
93
My Father La Opulencia Toro
Nicaragua
93
Padrón Family Reserve No. 44 (Natural)
Nicaragua
93
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Churchill
Nicaragua
92
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Toro
Nicaragua
92
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic
Dom. Rep.
92
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art
Dom. Rep.
92
CIGAR NEWS:
Enclave Broadleaf Churchill
Nicaragua
92
Handmade Cigar Industry Showing Strong Year So Far [page 7]
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2
Cuba
92
Illusione Cruzado Short Robusto
Nicaragua
92
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva Robusto Grande
Nicaragua
92
Joya Silver Corona
Nicaragua
92
Micallef Gomez Sanchez 1RA Generacion Leyenda No. 1
Nicaragua
92
Montecristo No. 2
Cuba
92
OneOff +53 Super Robusto
Nicaragua
92
Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 (Natural)
Nicaragua
92
Padrón Family Reserve No. 50 (Natural)
Nicaragua
92
Quai d’Orsay No. 54
Cuba
92
Ramon Allones Gigantes
Cuba
92
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez Churchill
Nicaragua
92
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez Toro
Nicaragua
92
Room101 Farce it is a Magnum
Dom. Rep.
92
Tatuaje Fausto FT153 Toro
Nicaragua
92
Trinidad Santiago Belicoso
Dom. Rep.
92
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: n
n
n
Big Smoke Schedule [page 13]
n
CIGAR AFICIONADO RANKS THE TOP 25 CIGARS OF 2018 AFTER GOING BACK AND RE-TASTING THE HIGHEST-SCORING SMOKES OF 2018, the Top 25 cigars have finally been selected, which includes the 2018 Cigar of the Year. The Top 25 list is strictly performance based. It’s neither a popularity contest nor lifetime achievement award. This is a tournament where the top-scoring cigars throughout the year have to prove themselves once again in an entirely new series of blind tastings. To see which smoke is named Cigar of the Year, go to cigaraficionado.com. on Thursday at 10 am.
Source: Cigar Insider
WHERE THE TOP SCORERS ARE MADE COUNTRY
CIGARS RATED
90 POINTS OR HIGHER
PERCENT
CUBA
22
14
63.6%
U.S.A.
6
3
50.0%
133
47
35.3%
DOM. REP.
83
27
32.5%
COSTA RICA
4
1
25.0%
HONDURAS
25
3
12.0%
NICARAGUA
Source: Cigar Insider
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Cigar Insider
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AVERAGE SCORE BY BRAND Brand
Rating
Brand
Rating
Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988, Nicaragua (1 Cigar)
94.0
Ashton Estate Sun Grown, Dom. Rep. (5)
88.6
H. Upmann, Cuba (1)
93.0
Highclere Castle, Nicaragua (5)
88.6
Hoyo de Monterrey, Cuba (1)
92.0
HVC Cerro, Nicaragua (4)
88.5
Micallef Gomez Sanchez 1RA Generacion, Nicaragua (1)
92.0
E.P. Carrillo Elencos, Dom. Rep. (3)
88.3
Montecristo, Cuba (1)
92.0
La Aurora ADN Dominicano, Dom. Rep. (4)
88.3
Padrón Family Reserve (Natural), Nicaragua (5)
91.4
La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro, Dom. Rep. (4)
88.3
Cohiba, Cuba (3)
91.3
Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4, Nicaragua (5)
88.2
Alec Bradley Nica Puro, Nicaragua (1)
91.0
Camacho Diploma Special Selection, Honduras (1)
88.0
La Aurora Reserva Especial 2008, Dom. Rep. (1)
91.0
Camacho Liberty 2005 Throwback, Honduras (1)
88.0
Micallef Reserva, Nicaragua (1)
91.0
Casa Fernandez Aniversario, U.S.A (1)
88.0
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva, Nicaragua (3)
90.7
H. Upmann The Banker Ingot Rosé, Dom. Rep. (1)
88.0
Ramon Allones, Cuba (3)
90.7
Macanudo Inspirado White, Dom. Rep. (3)
88.0
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí, Nicaragua (5)
90.6
Micallef Experiencia, Nicaragua (2)
88.0
My Father La Opulencia, Nicaragua (6)
90.5
Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 San Andreas, Nicaragua (4)
88.0
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez, Nicaragua (4)
90.5
Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta, Nicaragua (4)
88.0
Herrera Esteli Miami, U.S.A. (5)
90.4
The Oscar Habano, Honduras (3)
88.0
Illusione Cruzado, Nicaragua (4)
90.3
Villiger La Vencedora, Nicaragua (3)
88.0
Montecristo Nicaragua Series, Nicaragua (4)
90.3
La Palina LP Number 1, Honduras (4)
87.8
Arturo Fuente Hemingway, Dom. Rep. (8)
90.1
Plasencia Cosecha 146, Honduras (5)
87.8
E.P. Carrillo Encore, Dom. Rep. (4)
90.0
Rocky Patel Tavicusa, Nicaragua (3)
87.7
Guardian of the Farm, Nicaragua (1)
90.0
Hit & Run, Dom. Rep. (5)
87.6
Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III, Dom. Rep. (1)
90.0
Avo Maduro 30 Years, Dom. Rep. (4)
87.5
Partagás, Cuba (1)
90.0
Punch, Cuba (2)
87.5
Room101 Farce, Dom. Rep. (4)
90.0
Camacho Coyolar, Honduras (5)
87.4
Trinidad, Cuba (1)
90.0
Espinosa Reggae, Nicaragua (3)
87.3
Enclave Broadleaf, Nicaragua (3)
89.7
MQBA, Costa Rica (4)
87.3
Trinidad Santiago, Dom. Rep. (3)
89.7
Nat Sherman Timeless Collection, Dom. Rep. (9)
87.3
Four Kicks Maduro, Dom. Rep. (4)
89.5
Archetype Dreamstate, Dom. Rep. (3)
87.0
Illusione Haut 10, Nicaragua (2)
89.5
My Father 10th Anniversary Limited Edition 2018, Nicaragua (1)
87.0
OneOff, Nicaragua (8)
89.5
Rocky Patel Fifty, Nicaragua (1)
87.0
Aging Room Pura Cepa, Nicaragua (3)
89.3
Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme, Dom. Rep. (4)
87.0
Ashton Virgin Sun Grown, Dom. Rep. (4)
89.3
Alec Bradley Medalist, Honduras (4)
86.8
Montecristo Línea 1935, Cuba (3)
89.3
Brick House Double Connecticut, Nicaragua (6)
86.7
Quai d’Orsay, Cuba (3)
89.3
Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour, Dom. Rep. (3)
86.7
CAO Nicaragua, Nicaragua (3)
89.0
Macanudo Inspirado Red, Nicaragua (3)
86.7
CAO Zócalo, Nicaragua (1)
89.0
Florida Sun Grown, Nicaragua (5)
86.4
Henry Clay, Honduras (1)
89.0
Hamlet 25th Year, Nicaragua (3)
86.3
Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018, Nicaragua (4)
89.0
My Father The Judge, Nicaragua (1)
89.0
Alec Bradley Black Market Filthy Hooligan Barberpole, Honduras (1)
86.0
Sancho Panza, Cuba (1)
89.0
Liberation by Hamlet, Nicaragua (1)
86.0
Viaje Craft Series Bales on Bales, Nicaragua (1)
89.0
Partagas Legend, Dom. Rep. (3)
86.0
Gilberto Oliva Reserva, Nicaragua (5)
88.8
E.P. Carrillo Interlude Natural, Dom. Rep. (2)
85.5
Joya Silver, Nicaragua (4)
88.8
Romeo y Julieta, Cuba (2)
85.5
Tatuaje Fausto, Nicaragua (5)
88.8
Espinosa Wasabi, Nicaragua (1)
85.0
Montecristo Epic Craft Cured, Nicaragua (3)
88.7
La Aurora Puro Vintage 2007, Dom. Rep. (1)
85.0
Source: Cigar Insider
2
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December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider CIGAR INSIDER SPECIAL REPORT: 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW BY GREGORY MOTTOLA
C
igar Insider’s Year in Review is an all-encompassing recap of every cigar this newsletter rated throughout 2018. But this is far more than simply a list of cigars and scores. This is an analysis that looks at all of the year’s reviews and examines that data from different angles: by score, by country, by brand, by size and by price. Presenting the data through various perspectives provides more context and insight into how the handmade cigar industry has performed in the calendar year. As always, every cigar reviewed by Cigar Insider was purchased at retail and smoked blind. We rated 273 cigars this year, and most of them were new releases. The brands we rated are a reflection of the current premium market and include small-batch cigars, limited editions and large-scale brands with wide, national distribution. You’ll also find some classic mainstays that have been a major presence in cigar store humidors for many years. The quality level of these cigars is quite high. Ninety-five of the 273 cigars scored 90 points or higher—that’s 35 percent. And 49 cigars scored 91 points or higher, earning our highest accolade of Humidor Selection (see page 4). Every major cigar-producing country has cigars on that list, though 29 of the cigars in this elite segment hail from Nicaragua. If you’re looking for a 90 pointer, you’re more likely to find it from Cuba than any other country. Out of the 22 Cuban cigars we rated this year, 14 of them (63.6 percent) scored 90 points or higher. That’s a larger percentage of 90s than any other country. The cigars in the test were a combination of core Cuban brands, new releases, Edición Limitadas and a few Regional Editions. Half of the American-made cigars we reviewed scored in the 90s, but the sample size was small, a mere six cigars. Nicaragua ranked third, with 47 of its 133 cigars (35.3 percent) reaching or surpassing 90 points. The Dominican Republic was nearly neck-and-neck with Nicaragua, as 27 of the 83 Dominican cigars (32.5 percent) made it to 90 points. Honduras had the least impressive performance, with only three of its 25 cigars making it to 90 points, or 12 percent. Costa Rica had an even smaller sample size than the U.S. (four cigars, one of which scored 90 points) and is statistically irrelevant. The top score this year came from a very small brand, the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Robusto, which scored 94 points. Made in Nicaragua at the Aganorsa Leaf factory (formerly known as TABSA) and produced in small quantities, the cigar came to market in August and is named for the birth year of brand owner Kyle Gellis. 3
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AVERAGE SCORE BY COUNTRY 1. U.S.A.
6 Cigars
90.0
2. Cuba
22 Cigars
89.7
3. Nicaragua
133 Cigars
88.9
4. Dom. Rep.
83 Cigars
88.3
5. Honduras
25 Cigars
87.6
6. Costa Rica
4 Cigars
87.3
Source: Cigar Insider
AVERAGE SCORE BY SIZE 1. Miscellaneous
12 Cigars
89.2
2. Churchill
29 Cigars
89.0
3. Figurado
48 Cigars
88.9
4. Corona Gorda
95 Cigars
88.8
5. Corona
6 Cigars
88.7
6. Double Corona
2 Cigars
88.5
6. Robusto
57 Cigars
88.5
8. Lonsdale
3 Cigars
88.0
9. Petit Corona
3 Cigars
87.7
17 Cigars
87.5
1 Cigar
86.0
10. Grande 11. Panetela Source: Cigar Insider
Eight cigars this year scored 93 points and half of them came from Nicaragua, which is now exporting more handmade cigars to the United States than any other country. The cigars in this small grouping range in blend, body and even price. On the more expensive end, the Padrón Family Reserve No. 44 (Natural) was one of the pricier cigars to score 93 points. It should come as no surprise to see a Padrón on the upper echelons of this list. The company’s cigars consistently achieve high scores in Cigar Insider, and the Family Reserve is another example of excellence from Padrón. This was a cigar once reserved for private events where a family member was present (hence the name) but eventually, Padrón decided to release the cigar commercially. The Family Reserve is made in Nicaragua with Nicaraguan tobaccos. Of the many varieties found within the My Father range of cigars, the Garcia family still manages to make each one distinct and interesting. This is particularly true of the My Father La Opulencia, a 2017 release made from a blend of Mexican wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos. [continued on page 6]
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December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider
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2018 HUMIDOR SELECTIONS SCORE BRAND PRICE
RING GAUGE
LENGTH
COUNTRY
94
Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Robusto
$9.00
50
5 1/4”
Nicaragua
93
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Torpedo
$8.75
52
6 1/2”
Nicaragua
93
Cohiba Siglo VI (Tubo)
£46.10
52
5 7/8”
Cuba
93
E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic
$11.50
52
5 3/8”
Dom. Rep.
93
Herrera Esteli Miami Toro Especial
$11.75
52
6”
U.S.A.
93
H. Upmann Connossieur B
54
6”
Cuba
93
Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto
$11.75
54
5”
Nicaragua
93
My Father La Opulencia Toro
$11.80
54
6”
Nicaragua
93
Padrón Family Reserve No. 44 (Natural)
$31.30
52
6”
Nicaragua
92
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Churchill
$8.75
50
7”
Nicaragua
92
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Toro
$8.50
52
6”
Nicaragua
92
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic
$9.55
46
7”
Dom. Rep.
92
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art
$9.65
60
4 7/8”
Dom. Rep.
92
Enclave Broadleaf Churchill
$9.50
52
7”
Nicaragua
92
Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2
£22.30
50
4 7/8”
Cuba
92
Illusione Cruzado Short Robusto
$8.35
48
4 1/4”
Nicaragua
92
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva Robusto Grande
$9.50
52
5 1/2”
Nicaragua
92
Joya Silver Corona
$6.30
42
5 1/4”
Nicaragua
92
Micallef Gomez Sanchez 1RA Generacion Leyenda No. 1
$14.00
54
7 1/2”
Nicaragua
92
Montecristo No. 2
£27.00
52
6 1/8”
Cuba
92
OneOff +53 Super Robusto
$30.00
48
5 3/4”
Nicaragua
92
Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 (Natural)
$26.30
52
6”
Nicaragua
92
Padrón Family Reserve No. 50 (Natural)
$25.00
54
5”
Nicaragua
92
Quai d’Orsay No. 54
54
5 3/8”
Cuba
92
Ramon Allones Gigantes
£30.02
49
7 5/8”
Cuba
92
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez Churchill
$14.00
50
7”
Nicaragua
92
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez Toro
$13.00
52
6”
Nicaragua
92
Room101 Farce It is a Magnum
$12.90
60
6 1/2”
Dom. Rep.
92
Tatuaje Fausto FT153 Toro
$8.75
50
6”
Nicaragua
92
Trinidad Santiago Belicoso
$9.90
52
6”
Dom. Rep.
91
Alec Bradley Nica Puro Diamond Rough Cut
$9.13
54
6 1/4”
Nicaragua
91
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller
$7.85
55
4 1/2”
Dom. Rep.
91
Avo Maduro 30 Years No. 2
$10.50
50
6”
Dom. Rep.
91
CAO Nicaragua Matagalpa
$6.59
46
5 5/8”
Nicaragua
91
Cohiba Talismán Edición Limitada 2017
£69.00
54
6 1/8”
Cuba
91
Herrera Esteli Miami Robusto Grande
$11.00
50
5”
U.S.A.
91
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva Belicoso
$10.75
54
6”
Nicaragua
91
La Aurora Reserva Especial 2008 Belicoso
$27.00
52
6 1/4”
Dom. Rep.
91
Micallef Reserva Limitada Privada
$42.00
52
7”
Nicaragua
91
Montecristo Línea 1935 Leyenda
£39.30
55
6 1/2”
Cuba
91
My Father La Opulencia Corona
$8.90
46
5”
Nicaragua
91
My Father La Opulencia Petite
$7.10
48
4 1/2”
Nicaragua
91
My Father La Opulencia Robusto
$10.10
52
5 1/4”
Nicaragua
91
Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 Churchill
$7.29
52
7”
Nicaragua
91
OneOff Carthuchos
$11.95
52
3 7/8”
Nicaragua
91
Padrón Family Reserve No. 85 (Natural)
$20.00
50
5 1/4”
Nicaragua
91
Plasencia Cosecha 146 San Luis
$13.50
54
5 3/4”
Honduras
91
Punch Sir David Exclusivo Hong Kong
HK $388.00
49
7 1/8”
Cuba
91
Tatuaje Fausto FT114 Short Robusto
$7.75
52
4 1/2”
Nicaragua
14.00 euro
14.00 euro
Source: Cigar Insider 4
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December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider
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ANALYSIS BY COUNTRY BRAND CIGARS AVERAGE SCORE
AVERAGE PRICE
COSTA RICA
MQBA
4
87.3
$14.29
TOTAL
4
87.30
$14.29
BRAND CIGARS AVERAGE SCORE Alec Bradley Medalist
4
86.8
Alec Bradley Black Market Filthy Hooligan Barberpole
1
86.0
$8.75
TOTAL
25
87.58
$10.56
$6.63
CUBA
H. Upmann
1
93.0
NICARAGUA
Hoyo de Monterrey
1
92.0
£22.30
Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988
1
94.0
$9.00
Montecristo
1
92.0
£27.00
Micallef Gomez Sanchez 1RA Generacion
1
92.0
$14.00
Cohiba
3
91.3
£47.60
Padrón Family Reserve (Natural)
5
91.4
$25.78
Ramon Allones
3
90.7
£20.14
Alec Bradley Nica Puro
1
91.0
$9.13
Partagás
1
90.0
Micallef Reserva
1
91.0
$42.00
Trinidad
1
90.0
£33.30
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva
3
90.7
$10.08
Montecristo Línea 1935
3
89.3
£33.13
Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí
5
90.6
$8.55
Quai d’Orsay
3
89.3
£10.16
My Father La Opulencia
6
90.5
$10.47
Sancho Panza
1
89.0
£21.30
Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez
4
90.5
$13.50
Punch
2
87.5
£30.82
Illusione Cruzado
4
90.3
$9.94
Romeo y Julieta
2
85.5
£19.20
Montecristo Nicaragua Series
4
90.3
$12.60
TOTAL
22
89.72
£25.59
Guardian of the Farm
1
90.0
$7.80
Enclave Broadleaf
3
89.7
$9.00
Illusione Haut 10
2
89.5
$17.45
14.00 euro
15.50 euro
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
La Aurora Reserva Especial 2008
1
91.0
$27.00
OneOff
8
89.5
$17.08
Arturo Fuente Hemingway
8
90.1
$10.99
Aging Room Pura Cepa
3
89.3
$13.00
E.P. Carrillo Encore
4
90.0
$12.00
CAO Nicaragua
3
89.0
$6.79
CAO Zócalo
1
89.0
$8.49
Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2018
4
89.0
$10.74
Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III
1
90.0
$16.00
Room101 Farce
4
90.0
$11.55
My Father The Judge
1
89.0
$11.70
Trinidad Santiago
3
89.7
$9.40
Viaje Craft Series Bales on Bales
1
89.0
$11.00
Four Kicks Maduro
4
89.5
$9.90
Gilberto Oliva Reserva
5
88.8
$5.99
Ashton Virgin Sun Grown
4
89.3
$12.09
Joya Silver
4
88.8
$6.88
Ashton Estate Sun Grown
5
88.6
$20.20
Tatuaje Fausto
5
88.8
$8.45
E.P. Carrillo Elencos
3
88.3
$8.83
Montecristo Epic Craft Cured
3
88.7
$15.63
La Aurora ADN Dominicano
4
88.3
$8.31
Highclere Castle
5
88.6
$14.00
La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro
4
88.3
$8.03
HVC Cerro
4
88.5
$8.53
H. Upmann The Banker Ingot Rosé
1
88.0
$12.00
Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4
5
88.2
$6.87
Macanudo Inspirado White
3
88.0
$6.92
Micallef Experiencia
2
88.0
$13.00
Hit & Run
5
87.6
$12.20
Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 San Andreas
4
88.0
$10.38
Avo Maduro 30 Years
4
87.5
$10.50
Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta
4
88.0
$9.61
Nat Sherman Timeless Collection
9
87.3
$8.29
Villiger La Vencedora
3
88.0
$9.50
Archetype Dreamstate
3
87.0
$12.03
Rocky Patel Tavicusa
3
87.7
$10.73
Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme
4
87.0
$6.60
Espinosa Reggae
3
87.3
$10.23
Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour
3
86.7
$18.90
My Father 10th Anniversary Limited Edition 2018
1
87.0
$24.00
Partagas Legend
3
86.0
$12.82
Rocky Patel Fifty
1
87.0
$21.00
E.P. Carrillo Interlude Natural
2
85.5
$3.13
Brick House Double Connecticut
6
86.7
$6.52
La Aurora Puro Vintage 2007
1
85.0
$22.00
Macanudo Inspirado Red
3
86.7
$6.99
TOTAL
83
88.30
$11.21
Florida Sun Grown
5
86.4
$13.92
HONDURAS
Hamlet 25th Year
3
86.3
$9.35
Liberation by Hamlet
1
86.0
$11.10
Henry Clay
1
89.0
$4.25
1
85.0
$7.95
Camacho Diploma Special Selection
1
88.0
$20.00
133
88.89
$11.48
Camacho Liberty 2005 Throwback
1
88.0
$22.00
The Oscar Habano
3
88.0
$11.50
La Palina LP Number 1
4
87.8
$9.62
Plasencia Cosecha 146
5
87.8
$12.80
Camacho Coyolar
5
87.4
$9.10
Espinosa Wasabi TOTAL
U.S.A.
Casa Fernandez Aniversario
1
88.0
$13.50
Herrera Esteli Miami
5
90.4
$11.32
TOTAL
6
90.00
$11.68
Note: All Cuban cigar prices have been converted into British pounds for sake of comparison. 5
AVERAGE PRICE
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Source: Cigar Insider December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider 2018 BEST BUYS SCORE
CIGAR
PRICE
90
Gilberto Oliva Reserva 5x50
$5.80
89
Gilberto Oliva Reserva 5.75x43
$5.25
89
Henry Clay Rustic Cheroot
$4.25
88
Brick House Double Connecticut Corona Larga
$6.00
Source: Cigar Insider
[continued from page 3] The Toro size scored 93 points and is made at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua, where all My Father cigars are rolled. It seems that whenever a large cigar company wants a modern reboot of its classic brand, the company turns to cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez. That’s what Altadis U.S.A. did. And through the collaborative efforts of Fernandez and Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Altadis U.S.A., the Montecristo Nicaragua Series was born. The brand hit the market in August, and the Robusto scored 93 points. Fernandez makes it in Nicaragua using only Nicaraguan tobaccos. Also from Nicaragua, the Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Torpedo is a follow-up to the first Black Market brand, only this version is made at the Plasencia Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. At 93 points, it has a predominantly Nicaraguan blend, save for one of its two binders, which comes from Honduras. Two Cuban cigars scored 93 points, one a new release and the other a cigar that’s been around for more than 15 years. The H. Upmann Connossieur B started shipping globally earlier this year and is a cigar made exclusively for La Casa del Habano and Habanos Specialist retail stores. The Cohiba Siglo VI has been out since 2003 and became a favorite among Cohiba fans almost immediately. Upon its release, it was the thickest Cohiba on the market. It was also the first Cohiba to show off the next generation of Cohiba bands printed with embossed gold lettering to thwart counterfeiters. Ironically, the only Dominican cigar to score 93 points doesn’t have any Dominican tobacco at all. The E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic is made in the Dominican Republic at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza factory, but it’s rolled with only Nicaraguan tobacco, all of which come from the three major growing regions of the country: Jalapa, Condega and Estelí. It was previewed at the 2016 IPCPR, but PerezCarrillo thought the wrapper needed more time, so he waited until March of 2018 to bring it to market. American-made, handmade cigars are rare, but they can be superb, and this year one excelled with a score of 93 points: the Herrera Esteli Miami Toro Especial. The brand is owned by Drew Estate, conceived by Willy Herrera (Drew Estate’s master blender) and made at the small El Titan de Bronze factory in Little Havana. This is a departure from the core line, which is made in Nicaragua, and differs in blend, 6
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incorporating an Ecuadoran wrapper and binder along with filler tobacco from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. For a broader perspective on 2018, we’ve organized the 273 rated cigars ranked by average score by brand (see page 2). The highest ranking cigar brand with more than one cigar rated was the Padrón Family Reserve, which scored an impressive 91.4 point average for its five cigars. Only one of the cigars in the line scored lower than 90 points. Cuban Cohibas averaged 91.3 points over three cigars, a positive indication for the quality of Cuban Cohibas, albeit from not a particularly large sample. My Father La Opulencia averaged 90.5 points, with six cigars rated. And we rated eight Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars, which delivered a brand average of 90.1 points, giving this Dominican line of perfectos an impressive showing of consistency. Cigar Insider rated 133 Nicaraguan cigars this year— more than any other country—and they had an average rating of 88.9 points, which is a very strong indication of quality and consistency given the large number we tested. But why did we rate so many cigars from Nicaragua? The answer points to the export numbers. Last year, Nicaragua exported more handmade cigars to the U.S. than any other country. And judging by the import data for 2018 so far, it looks like Nicaragua will be the leader this year as well. Nicaragua’s dominance is reflected in tobacconists and cigar shops across the U.S. as Nicaraguan brands have a strong presence in many retail humidors. Nicaraguan cigars are very hot right now, and the city of Estelí (the country’s epicenter for handmade cigar production) is experiencing a boom. Despite the high volume pouring into the U.S., Nicaragua’s cumulative average is compelling evidence that it can sustain quality while still meeting large demand. High-performing brands like Padrón Family Reserve, Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Gran Reserva, Montecristo Nicaragua Series and My Father La Opulencia all had brand averages in the 90s, helping to keep Nicaragua’s year-end average quite high, despite the high volume. Now the second largest supplier to the U.S., the Dominican Republic had an overall average of 88.3 points representing the 83 Dominican cigars we smoked in 2018. Top-scoring brands from the Dominican Republic include Arturo Fuente Hemingway and E.P. Carrillo Encore. While not averaging quite as high as Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic performed better than Honduras, which had an average overall score of 87.6 points for its 25 cigars. Costa Rica’s average of 87.3 points is statistically irrelevant, as the calculated mean is for only four cigars. Many of these averages are comparable to the performances in 2017 Cigar Insider ratings. Cuba and Nicaragua each had an average that was down 0.4 points from their respective 2017 numbers. Ratings for Dominican cigars rose slightly this year, up 0.2 points from the average score in 2017. Honduran cigars, by contrast, showed a relatively steep decline, down by 1.6 points from last year.
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December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider While it was easy to find a top-quality cigar in 2018, most of the top-scoring smokes were expensive, some of which had retail prices of $25, $30 and $42 going all the way to £69 (nearly $86) per cigar. Bargains and steals were scarce. Of the 273 cigars we smoked this year, only four were classified as Best Buys (see page 6), which means they have a suggested retail price of $6 or less and scored 87 points or higher. Oliva’s Gilberto Oliva Reserva topped the small Best Buy list, scoring 90 points and retailing for only $5.80. Cigar lovers looking for a bargain are most likely to find it with Honduran cigars. The average suggested retail price for the 25 Honduran cigars we rated was $10.56, the lowest of the survey (see page 5). The average price for cigars coming out of the Dominican Republic was $11.21, with Nicaragua slightly higher at $11.48. Cuban cigars showed the highest average retail price at £25.59 (about $31.82). The market has moved away from smaller, thinner traditional sizes in favor of thicker robustos, heftier toros and bulkier figurados, and our ratings reflect those trends. Cigar Insider rated very few petit coronas, lonsdales or panetelas this year. Oddly enough, the Miscellaneous category scored highest, averaging 89.2 points (see page 3). Churchills followed with an average of 89 points for 29 cigars. The figurado category was only a tenth of a point behind, averaging 88.9 points over 48 cigars. Figurados can be torpedos, belicosos, perfectos or any shaped cigar with a point, curve or taper. Corona gordas (also known as toros) was the largest category by volume. We rated 95 corona gordas and the category maintained an average of 88.8 points. Classic coronas were next at the No. 5 spot with an average of 88.7 points for 6 cigars. Double coronas and robustos tied with the same average of 88.5, but we only rated two double coronas compared to 57 robustos, still a very popular size among consumers. Three lonsdales and three petit coronas averaged 88 and 87.7 points, respectively, while 17 grandes (60 ring gauge or larger) posted an average of 87.5 points. The one panetela we reviewed averaged 86 points, the lowest average of the year. Looking at the year-end numbers, one thing is quite obvious: the market is teeming with Nicaraguan cigars. Some are quite expensive, others more reasonably priced, but currently, Nicaraguan cigars take up a lot of shelf space in the humidor and this was reflected in the high number of Nicaraguan cigars we rated in 2018. As our scores indicate, quality is being upheld despite the big demand for Nicaragua’s cigars. However, you can still find top-scoring smokes from the other three major cigar-producing countries. There was no shortage of highscoring, excellent cigars. And if you look at each suggested retail price, they’re not all expensive. Relatively speaking, there’s a cigar for almost every budget, taste and preference, although you might have to look a little harder for some more than others. n 7
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HANDMADE CIGAR INDUSTRY CONTINUES ITS STRONG 2018 BY DAVID SAVONA
I
mports of premium, handmade cigars continue to be robust. In September, the latest month reported by the Cigar Association of America, imports were up 21.3 percent over September 2017. Year-to-date imports are up 11.1 percent, with 263.7 million handmade cigars imported for the first nine months of the year. This strong start for 2018 comes on the heels of a particularly strong 2017, when handmade cigar shipments reached 330 million units, the most in 19 years. The industry seems poised to mark its seventh consecutive year with imports of 300 million or more.
Leading the way once again is Nicaragua, a country that just isn’t slowing. Despite some unrest in the country, Nicaragua shipped 14.3 million premium cigars in September, up 27.7 percent from the 11.2 million shipped in the same period of 2017. So far this year, Nicaragua has shipped 126.7 million cigars to the United States. Dominican cigar shipments also grew at a blistering pace—up 23 percent, from 9.1 million cigars in September 2017 to 11.2 million. The country has shipped 86.4 million cigars so far in 2018. Honduran shipments rose, too, albeit by only 6 percent, growing from 4.9 million to 5.2 million handmade smokes. For the first three quarters of 2018, Honduras shipped 49.5 million premium, handmade cigars. The big three producers—Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Honduras—account for more than 99 percent of premium, handmade cigar exports. There are three more months of reporting to account for, so it’s too early to tell, but should this 11.1 percent rate of growth be maintained in the final quarter of the year, handmade cigar imports will reach 366 million units. n
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December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider TASTING REPORT = Humidor Selection = Best Buy
ARCHETYPE DREAMSTATE Dominican Republic
Rondo 5" x 50
n
90
$12.50
88
Toro 6" x 50
87
Piramides 7" x 52 n $11.00
89
86
No. 3 7 1/2" x 50
85
n
$12.00
No. 2 6" x 50
91 n
$10.50
n
$11.00 85
Robusto 5" x 50 n $9.50
ARTURO FUENTE HEMINGWAY Dominican Republic
89
Classic 7" x 46 n $9.55
92
89
Work of Art 4 7/8" x 60 n $9.65
92
BRICK HOUSE DOUBLE CONNECTICUT Nicaragua
91
Short Torpedo 5 1/2" x 52 n $6.20
89
Best Seller 4 1/2" x 55
90
Corona Larga 6 1/4" x 46 n $6.00
88
Short Story 4" x 49 n $6.80 93
90
Churchill 7 1/4" x 50
87
Signature 6" x 46 n $8.80
92
Between the Lines 4 1/2" x 54 n $15.10
89
Robusto 5" x 54 n $6.20
87
Churchill 7" x 50 n $8.75
85
Toro 6" x 52
92
89
$8.50
Masterpiece 9" x 52 n $15.60
Mighty Mighty 6 1/4" x 60 n $7.20
88
88
Toro 6" x 52
84
$9.20
Untold Story 7 5/8" x 54 n $14.60
Grande 6 1/2" x 56 Mezzo 6" x 54
n
n
$13.50
$13.00
ALEC BRADLEY BLACK MARKET ESTELÍ Nicaragua Torpedo 6 1/2" x 52
Gordo 6" x 60
n
n
n
$8.75
Robusto 5" x 52 n $7.55
88
ALEC BRADLEY BLACK MARKET FILTHY HOOLIGAN BARBERPOLE Honduras Toro 6" x 50
86 n
$8.75
ALEC BRADLEY MEDALIST Honduras Gordo 6" x 60
89 n
$7.00
Churchill 7" x 50 n $7.00
87
Robusto 5" x 52 n $6.00
86
Toro 6" x 54
85 n
$6.50
ALEC BRADLEY NICA PURO Nicaragua Diamond Rough Cut 6 1/4" x 54 n $9.13 8
AVO MADURO 30 YEARS Dominican Republic
Churchill 7" x 48 n $12.78
Robusto 5" x 52 n $11.30
AGING ROOM PURA CEPA Nicaragua
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91
n
$7.85
n
n
$7.00
$6.50
CAMACHO COYOLAR Honduras
ASHTON ESTATE SUN GROWN Dominican Republic 90
Super Toro 6" x 52 n $9.00
89
20-Year Salute 6 3/4" x 49 n $20.00
89
Perfecto #1 4 1/4" x 50 n $8.50
88
23-Year Salute 6 1/4" x 52 n $19.75
88
Rothschild 4 1/2" x 50
88
21-Year Salute 5 1/4" x 52 n $18.25
n
$8.50
22-Year Salute 6" x 52 n $21.00
88
Figurado 6 1/8" x 54
n
$9.50
24-Year Salute 6 5/8" x 48 n $22.00
88
Titan 6" x 60
ASHTON VIRGIN SUN GROWN Dominican Republic Sorcerer 7" x 49 n $12.40
90
Torpedo 6 1/2" x 55
90 n
$13.70
Trés Mystique 4 3/8" x 44 n $10.25
90
Pegasus 5" x 54 n $12.00
87
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87 85
n
$10.00
CAMACHO DIPLOMA SPECIAL SELECTION Honduras 88
Robusto 5" x 54 n $20.00
CAMACHO LIBERTY 2005 THROWBACK Honduras 11/18 6" x 54
88 n
$22.00 December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider CAO NICARAGUA Nicaragua Matagalpa 5 5/8" x 46
91 n
$6.59
95-100
Granada 6" x 50 n $6.99
88
Tipitapa 4 7/8" x 50
88 n
$6.79
89
CASA FERNANDEZ ANIVERSARIO U.S.A. 88 $13.50
COHIBA Cuba Siglo VI (Tubo) 5 7/8" x 52 n £46.10
93
Talismán Edición Limitada 2017 6 1/8" x 54 n £69.00
91
Medio Siglo 4" x 52 n £27.70
90
DAVIDOFF WINSTON CHURCHILL THE LATE HOUR Dominican Republic Robusto 5" x 52 n $17.50
89
Churchill 7" x 48 n $20.10
86
Toro 6" x 54
85 n
$19.10
E.P. CARRILLO ELENCOS Dominican Republic
n
80-89
n
70-79
n
FLORIDA SUN GROWN Nicaragua
POINT SCALE
Belicoso 6 1/2" x 54
Classic
Outstanding Very good to excellent
Average to good commercial quality
n
n
Not Available
Note: Prices are manufacturers’ suggested retail, before taxes.
90
El Primero 6 7/8" x 54
n
$12.50
Valientes 6 1/8" x 52
n
$12.25
Celestial 6 1/8" x 50
n
$11.75
$5.80
90
6x50 6" x 50
n
$6.10
90 89
89
n
$6.40
88
6x52T 6" x 52
n
$6.40
$9.00
n
$5.25 88 87
GUARDIAN OF THE FARM Nicaragua
Don Rubino 5 1/4" x 50 n $8.25
88
$10.50 85
ESPINOSA WASABI Nicaragua Robusto 5" x 52 n $7.95
n
7x50 7" x 50
87
93
5x50 5" x 50
5.75x43 5 3/4" x 43
Toro 6" x 52
$11.50
GILBERTO OLIVA RESERVA Nicaragua
92
88
n
FOUR KICKS MADURO Dominican Republic
88
Acto Mayor 6 1/4" x 52 n $9.25
Majestic 5 3/8" x 52
83
Robusto 5" x 54 n $12.00
Robusto 5" x 50 n $9.60
90
E.P. CARRILLO ENCORE Dominican Republic
87
90
ENCLAVE BROADLEAF Nicaragua
Short Churchill 6 1/2" x 48 n $10.30
$15.00
Sublime 6" x 54 n $10.40
85
n
n
87
ESPINOSA REGGAE Nicaragua
$9.00
Sixty 6" x 60
90
Robusto Grande 5 1/2" x 54 n $9.90
n
$13.00
Robusto Extra 5 1/2" x 56 n $10.65
Carrillitos 4" x 38 n $3.00
Robusto 5" x 52 n $8.50
n
90
86
n
88
Toro 6" x 52
90
Rothschild Jr. 3 3/4" x 48 n $3.25
Toro 6 1/2" x 54
$13.60
Corona Gorda 5 5/8" x 46 n $8.95
E.P. CARRILLO INTERLUDE NATURAL Dominican Republic
Churchill 7" x 52 n $9.50
88 n
Limited Edition Trunk-Pressed Toro 86 6" x 54 n $16.00
Don’t waste your money
89
Elites 6" x 54
9
90-94
N/A
San Andrés 6" x 60 n $8.49
n
n
BELOW 70
CAO ZÓCALO Nicaragua
Perfecto 6 1/4" x 52
100
OUR
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85
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Rambo 4 1/2" x 48
90 n
$7.80
H. UPMANN Cuba 93
Connossieur B 6" x 54 n £12.22
H. UPMANN THE BANKER INGOT ROSÉ Dominican Republic Churchill 6 3/4" x 48
88 n
$12.00 December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider HAMLET 25TH YEAR Nicaragua Toro 6 1/2" x 52
n
$9.30
Robusto 5 1/2" x 50
n
$8.75
Sixty 6" x 60
86 n
$10.00
Rustic Cheroot 5 5/8" x 38 n $4.25
HERRERA ESTELI MIAMI U.S.A.
89
Epicure No. 2 4 7/8" x 50 n £22.30
92
= Humidor Selection = Best Buy
93
Robusto Grande 5" x 50 n $11.00
91
Piramide Fino 6 1/2" x 54 n $12.75
90
Lonsdale Deluxe 6 1/2" x 44 n $11.30
89
Short Corona Gorda 5 3/4" x 48 n $9.80
89
HIGHCLERE CASTLE Nicaragua Churchill 7" x 48 n $16.00
89
Corona 5 1/2" x 46
89 n
$13.00
Robusto 5" x 50 n $14.00
89
Petit Corona 5" x 42 n $12.00
88
Toro 6" x 52
88 $15.00
HIT & RUN Dominican Republic
Almost Robusto 4 3/4" x 54 n $11.50
90
Super Toro 6" x 54 n $12.50
89
Corona 6" x 46 n $10.50
88
Piramide 6" x 50 n $13.25
87
Perfecto 5 1/8" x 60
84 n
$13.25
Ultra 6 1/4" x 46
HVC CERRO Nicaragua Robusto 5" x 50 n $8.30
90
Sabrositos 4 1/2" x 46
89 n
$7.80
Robusto Gordo 5 1/2" x 58 n $9.40 Toro 6" x 54
Toro Especial 6" x 52 n $11.75
n
HOYO DE MONTERREY Cuba
86
HENRY CLAY Honduras
10
87
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88 87
n
$8.60
ILLUSIONE CRUZADO Nicaragua Short Robusto 4 1/4" x 48 n $8.35
92
Churchill 6 3/4" x 48
90
Gordo 6" x 56
n
$11.35 90
n
89 n
$9.20
Churchill 6 3/4" x 48
90 n
$17.95 89
$16.95
JOYA DE NICARAGUA ANTAÑO GRAN RESERVA Nicaragua Robusto Grande 5 1/2" x 52 n $9.50
92
Belicoso 6" x 54 n $10.75
91
Gran Cónsul 4 3/4" x 60 n $10.00
89
Robusto 5" x 50 n $7.25
90
Toro 5 3/4" x 54
90 n
$8.25
Churchill 7" x 47 n $8.50
87
Gran Toro 6" x 58 n $9.25
86
LA AURORA PURO VINTAGE 2007 Dominican Republic Salomon 6 1/2" x 60
85 n
$22.00
Corona 5 1/4" x 42
92 n
LA AURORA RESERVA ESPECIAL 2008 Dominican Republic 91 n
$27.00
LA FLOR DOMINICANA COLORADO OSCURO Dominican Republic No. 4 5 1/4" x 54
n
$8.40
No. 5 5 3/4" x 60
n
$8.80
No. 3 5" x 50
90 90 87
n
$7.70
No. 2 4 1/4" x 48
86 n
$7.20
LA PALINA LP NUMBER 1 Honduras
JOYA SILVER Nicaragua $6.30
Robusto 5" x 50 n $7.10
90
Toro 6" x 52
88 n
LA AURORA ADN DOMINICANO Dominican Republic
Belicoso 6 1/4" x 52
ILLUSIONE HAUT 10 Nicaragua
n
$6.30
$10.85
Robusto 5 1/4" x 50
Gordo 6" x 56
85 n
$7.80
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Petit Corona 4 1/2" x 44 n $7.99
90
Robusto 5 1/2" x 50
89 n
Toro 6 1/2" x 52
n
Gordo 6" x 60
$9.50 87 $10.00 85
n
$11.00 December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider LAS CALAVERAS EDICIÓN LIMITADA 2018 Nicaragua LC46 5 5/8" x 46 LC54 6" x 54
n
90
88
Belicoso 6 1/8" x 52
88
Toro 6" x 52 86
$11.10
MACANUDO INSPIRADO RED Nicaragua 87
Toro 6" x 50
87 $6.99
Robusto 5" x 50 n $6.49
86
Churchill 7" x 48 n $7.29
89
Toro 6 1/2" x 50
88 n
$6.99
Robusto 5" x 50 n $6.49
87
MICALLEF EXPERIENCIA Nicaragua
$15.75
n
$24.00
MY FATHER LA OPULENCIA Nicaragua 93
Toro 6" x 54
n
$11.80 91
Corona n
$8.90 91
4 1/2" x 48
n
$7.10 91
Robusto 5 1/4" x 52
n
$10.10 89
Super Toro 6" x 60
MONTECRISTO LÍNEA 1935 Cuba Leyenda 6 1/2" x 55
n
£39.30 89
n
£33.50
Dumas 5 1/8" x 49
88 n
£26.60
Robusto 5" x 54 n $11.75
93
No. 2 6 1/8" x 52
90 $12.70
Prominente 5 1/2" x 58 n $13.00
86
Churchill 7" x 56 n $13.70
$12.54
n
88
$12.40
MY FATHER THE JUDGE Nicaragua 89
Toro Fino n
$11.70
NAT CICCO ANIVERSARIO 1965 LIGA NO. 4 Nicaragua 91
Churchill
90 n
7" x 56
6" x 52
MONTECRISTO NICARAGUA SERIES Nicaragua
n
n
Toro Gordo 91
90
$12.25 88
7" x 52
n
$7.29 88
Robusto 5" x 52
n
$6.19 88
Nicaragua Toro 6" x 52
n
$6.89 87
Robusto Grande
92
MICALLEF RESERVA Nicaragua Limitada Privada 7" x 52 n $42.00
n
Petite
$16.00
La Crema 7" x 52 n $13.00
Leyenda No. 1 7 1/2" x 54 n $14.00
87
6 1/2" x 52
5" x 46
90
Toro 6" x 54
MICALLEF GOMEZ SANCHEZ 1RA GENERACION Nicaragua
11
$16.50
MONTECRISTO GRUPO DE MAESTROS PRIVATE BATCH III Dominican Republic
Maltés 6" x 53
MACANUDO INSPIRADO WHITE Dominican Republic
n
88 n
Belicoso 6 1/8" x 52
Gigante 6" x 60 n $7.49 n
MONTECRISTO EPIC CRAFT CURED Nicaragua Robusto 5" x 52 n $14.65
LIBERATION BY HAMLET Nicaragua n
£27.00
89 $10.10
$10.95
Toro 6 1/2" x 55
92 n
MY FATHER 10TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION 2018 Nicaragua Toro
$11.95 n
No. 2 6 1/8" x 52
$9.95 89
n
LC56 5 1/2" x 56 LC50 5" x 50
MONTECRISTO Cuba 90
n
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91
MQBA Costa Rica Toro 6" x 52
5 1/2" x 56 90 n
$14.29
Torpedo 6" x 52 n $14.29
87
Diadem 7" x 56 n $16.59
86
Nikka
86
6 1/2" x 42
n
$12.00
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n
$6.99 87
Torpedo 6 1/4" x 52
n
$6.99
= Humidor Selection = Best Buy
December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider NAT SHERMAN TIMELESS COLLECTION Dominican Republic
90
Churchill 7" x 48 n $9.00
89
Robusto 4 3/4" x 50
$7.95
89
n
No. 2 6 1/4" x 52
n
$8.00
No. 5 3 3/4" x 43
n
$6.75
n
$9.55
88 88
Serie No. 1 Edición Limitada 2017 5 1/2" x 52 n 15.50 euro
90
Fabuloso Leyenda 6 1/2" x 48 n $12.49
87
Churchill 7" x 50 n $14.00
92
Toro Leyenda 6 1/4" x 54 n $14.49
86
Toro 6" x 52
92
Corona Extra Leyenda 5 1/4" x 44 n $11.49
85
87
PLASENCIA COSECHA 146 Honduras
86
Especiales 6" x 38 n $6.20
86
San Luis 5 3/4" x 54
Hermoso 5 1/4" x 54
83
San Agustin 6 1/4" x 52 n $13.50
89
La Vega 5 1/4" x 52
87
n
$7.00
91 n
n
$13.50
$12.00
+53 Super Robusto 5 3/4" x 48 n $30.00
92
Monte Carlo 6" x 58 n $14.00
Carthuchos 3 7/8" x 52 n $11.95
91
La Musica 5" x 50 n $11.00
Robusto 4 7/8" x 50
n
$14.95
90
Cañonazo 6 1/8" x 52
n
$16.95
Corona 5 1/2" x 42
n
$12.95
Pyramides 6 1/8" x 52
n
$16.95
89 89
Sir David Exclusivo Hong Kong 7 1/8" x 49 n HK$388
91
Regios de Punch Edición Limitada 2017 84 4 3/4" x 48 n £23.70
89 88
Julieta 7" x 47
88
No. 54 5 3/8" x 54
PADRÓN FAMILY RESERVE Nicaragua
85
n
$13.00 90
Robusto 5 1/2" x 50
n
$12.00
Torpedo 6 1/2" x 54
n
$15.00
88
ROCKY PATEL FIFTY Nicaragua Toro 6 1/2" x 52
n
87
$21.00
ROCKY PATEL TAVICUSA Nicaragua Robusto 5 1/2" x 50
n
$10.30
Toro 6 1/2" x 52
n
$10.60
Sixty 6" x 60
Corona Gorda 5 3/8" x 46 n $14.95 $17.95
87
PUNCH Cuba
QUAI D’ORSAY Cuba
n
= Humidor Selection = Best Buy RAMON ALLONES BY AJ FERNANDEZ Nicaragua
PARTAGAS LEGEND Dominican Republic
Divinos 5" x 50 n $8.50
ONEOFF Nicaragua
12
PARTAGÁS Cuba
Super Lancero 8" x 38 n $11.65
Gordo 6" x 60
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
89 88 86
n
$11.30
ROCKY PATEL VINTAGE 2006 SAN ANDREAS Nicaragua
89
Robusto 5 1/2" x 50
n
$9.55
Toro 6 1/2" x 52
n
$10.10
89
92
Churchill 7" x 48 n $10.10
87
Corona Claro 5 1/2" x 42 n 10.50 euro
88
Sixty 6" x 60
87
No. 50 4 3/8" x 50
88
n
n
14.00 euro
10.00 euro
n
$11.75
ROMEO SAN ANDRÉS BY ROMEO Y JULIETA Nicaragua
No. 44 (Natural) 6" x 52 n $31.30
93
No. 45 (Natural) 6" x 52 n $26.30
92
No. 50 (Natural) 5" x 54 n $25.00
92
No. 85 (Natural) 5 1/4" x 50 n $20.00
91
Small Club Corona 4 3/8" x 42 n £11.80
90
Short Magnum 5 1/2" x 60 n $9.85
88
No. 46 (Natural) 5 1/2" x 56 n $26.30
89
Specially Selected 4 7/8" x 50 n £18.59
90
Toro 6" x 54
87
RAMON ALLONES Cuba Gigantes 7 5/8" x 49
92 n
£30.02
TO SUBSCRIBE GO TO WWW.CIGARINSIDER.COM
Robusto 5" x 50 n $9.35
89
Pirámides 6 1/8" x 52
88
n
n
$9.70
$9.55 December 18, 2018
Cigar Insider ROMEO Y JULIETA Cuba
Petit Royales 3 3/4" x 47 n £13.50
87
Tacos Edición Limitada 2018 6 5/8" x 49 n £24.90
84
ROOM101 FARCE Dominican Republic
92
It is a Robusto 5" x 52 n $10.90
90
It is a Lonsdale 6 1/2" x 42 n $10.50
89
It is a Toro 6 1/4" x 54
89
n
$11.90
SANCHO PANZA Cuba Belicoso 5 1/2" x 52
n
£21.30
TATUAJE FAUSTO Nicaragua
89
FT153 Toro 6" x 50 n $8.75
92
89
Toro 6" x 54
88
n
$9.40
FT114 Short Robusto 4 1/2" x 52 n $7.75
Toro 6" x 52
n
$11.00
VILLIGER CUELLAR CONNECTICUT KREME Dominican Republic
89
Churchill 7" x 50 n $6.80
88
Toro Gordo 6" x 54 n $6.60
88
Torpedo 6 1/4" x 52
87
n
$7.00
Robusto 5" x 48 n $6.00
VILLIGER LA VENCEDORA Nicaragua
85
Churchill 7" x 50 n $10.00
90
91
Robusto 5" x 50 n $9.00
87
FT166 Short Churchill 6 1/2" x 48 n $9.00
89
Toro 6" x 50
87
FT127 Robusto 5" x 54 n $8.25
87
FT140 Robusto Extra 5 1/2" x 52 n $8.50
85
THE OSCAR HABANO Honduras
90
Sixty 6" x 60
87
n
n
$12.50 $11.50
TRINIDAD Cuba
La Trova 6 1/2" x 52
n
£33.30
TRINIDAD SANTIAGO Dominican Republic Belicoso 6" x 52 n $9.90
n
$9.50
WARPED SERIE GRAN RESERVA 1988 Nicaragua Robusto 5 1/4" x 50
Robusto 5" x 50 n $10.50
Toro 6" x 52
13
Robusto 5" x 48 n $8.90
VIAJE CRAFT SERIES BALES ON BALES Nicaragua
It is a Magnum 6 1/2" x 60 n $12.90
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87
90
n
$9.00
94
CIGAR AFICIONADO “BIG SMOKES” MARCH 23, 2019 HOLLYWOOD, FL SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO NOVEMBER 15-17, 2018 LAS VEGAS, NV THE MIRAGE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW 92
Visit thebigsmokes.com
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Editor and Publisher Executive Editor Senior Contributing Editor Senior Editor Associate Editor/ Manager, Cigar Aficionado Online Assistant Editor/ Tasting Coordinator Assistant Editor Designer
Marvin R. Shanken David Savona Gordon Mott Gregory Mottola Andrew Nagy David Clough Blake Droesch Todd Miller
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December 18, 2018