Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo Scores A 91 Rating!

A heartier version of the traditionally mild Fonseca brand, this current release from MATASA features a wrapper known as Dominican HVA (Havana Vuelta Arriba) a Dominican binder with a filler blend consisting of Connecticut broadleaf, Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. Combining the traditional smoothness Fonseca is known for with a new intensity of flavor, this cigar celebrates the heritage of the brand while at the same time offering a new taste profile that will satisfy cigar aficionados of all kinds.

Cigar Insider recently did a tasting of the Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo and gave the following ratings:

ROBUSTO

91 POINTS 5 1/2" x 52 Humidor Selection

The smoke is rich and nutty with a cocoa sweetness that overlaps 

subtly spicy ground red pepper notes and a hint of cedar.

Body:    Medium

CORONA GORDA

89 POINTS 6" x 46

A box-pressed cigar whose toasty intonations and subtle woodiness lead to 

notes of French roast coffee with touches of macadamia and walnut.

Body:    Medium

BELICOSO

87 POINTS 6" x 52

Perfumey and woody in character, this box-pressed torpedo smokes evenly, 

delivering some toasty notes with a dry woody finish.

Body:    Medium

GORDO

87 POINTS 6 1/2" x 60

Thick and pressed with a matte brown wrapper, this cigar holds a 

solid ash and offers some floral, grassy character that dissipates quickly.

Body:    Mild

Click here for more information!

Till next time,

-Josh

LIMITED RELEASE- Camacho Black Out

The newest in a wave of releases from Camacho is now available. Camacho Blackout 2013 Limited Edition, a limited-production, vintage-dated line from the Oettinger Davidoff Group, is now available nationwide.

As with all Camacho products, Blackout is rolled in the company’s Honduran factory. The blend consists of a Honduran wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Honduran, Nicaraguan and Brazilian filler tobaccos. The company said that the wrapper leaf was grown in 2006, the binder in 2009 and the fillers are from a variety of years. Camacho states that the cigars were rolled several years ago, and aged for two years rather than the typical period of several months.

What makes this cigar special is its dark oily wrapper.  The Honduran leaf was picked from the top 2/3’s of the plant and was fermented differently than most tobaccos. A process known as “press-fermentation” was used by placing additional weight on the top of the “pilones” (piles where the tobacco ferments), which intensifies the internal temperatures. The tobacco is worked hard, but carefully, then allowed a longer than usual resting period once packed in bales for aging.

Leaves from the top 2/3’s of the plant get additional sun ripening, which boosts the level of sweetness with additional sugars created during the process of photosynthesis. The heavy oil noticed on this wrapper leaf is as a result of the plants natural defenses, the plant tries to protect itself by creating more oils to fend off the sun’s glare.

Blackout comes in five sizes: a 5 inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto; Figurado at 6 1/8 by 54; Toro at 6 by 50; a 6 by 60 Gordo, and a 7 by 48 Churchill.

Only 1,000 boxes of each size were made for the Camacho Blackout project, amounting to a total production run of 100,000 cigars.

Click here for more information!

-Josh

Limited Relase- Macanudo Estate Reserve

First the Davidoff Nicaragua, then the Casa Cuba, now the Limited Release Macanudo Estate Reserve. I love this time of the year! Some of the best cigars are being released and they taste great!  And now introducing the:

Macanudo Estate Reserve

Macanudo Estate Reserve is a limited edition collection that commemorates the 45^th anniversary of America’s best-selling premium cigar brand. To showcase the extraordinary range of flavors that can only be achieved by blending tobacco from the most limited of origins, General Cigar’s artisans have sourced a delicate Connecticut Shade wrapper from an independent grower, and built an outstanding blend around it.

"The Estate Reserve series will feature an annually released, limited-edition blend made with tobaccos that have never been considered for Macanudo or any other General Cigar brand," said Alan Willner, General's vice president of marketing. According to the company, the wrapper leaf for this year's Estate Reserve was sourced from an "independent grower" and all the tobacco in the blend was aged at least eight to 10 years.

A rare filler & binder core composed only of EXTREMELY RARE Dominican tobaccos aged 8 to 12 years (an unusual move for Macanudo), and is capped by a Connecticut Shade-grown wrapper. This cigar screams mild body with creamy notes!

Let’s see…

The cigar lights easily and presents a perfect draw.  The first third of the Estate Reserve starts off with a pleasant mix of cedar and sweet cream. The second third brings in some spice as well as nuts with the sweet cream.  The final third loses the sweetness and the spice starts to kick in more with cedar and nutty notes. 

Macanudo did something great with this cigar- they made a super premium cigar that not only experienced smokers, but also beginners can really enjoy.

Click here for more information!

Happy Smoking,

-Josh

Arturo Fuente Short Story Rated 93!

I was reading the newest issue of Cigar Aficionado and was happy to see a little guy making it up on the highlights section. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story scored a 93 and the said the following: "This distinctive perfecto, wrapped in toothy Cameroon leaf, has been around for years. Simply put, it is one of the best small cigars in the world."

Sounds great but how does it taste? Please comment on here and let me know what you think of this little cigar!

I personally love the flavor profile the Short Story can provide. This 4 inch 48 ring gauge is my cigar of choice when I go on my lunch break. Its mild-medium body goes great with a strong black coffee or espresso.

If your reading this and have never tried the Hemingway Short Story, do your self a favor (and you will be happy you did) and click HERE to try one for your self!

Happy smoking,

-Josh

Cigar Family Charitable Foundation 2013: Opus 22

"It's not about cigars...It's about people. 

Thank you for making a difference in this world... one child at a time" 

- Carlito Fuente

In commemoration of the 10th Release of Fuente Fuente OpusX for Cigar Family Charitable Foundation (aka Opus22), 1,500 sets of FFOX 6 for CFCF (aka FFOX 6) will be released. Each FFOX 6 set comes with:

The Fuente Story Passion behind the Tradition and Legacy (biography of Carlos Fuente Sr.)

Journey to Chateau de la Fuente (photo essay book)

The Fuente Family: An American Dream (documentary DVD)

6 rare vintage Fuente Aged Selection cigars

1 Fuente Fuente OpusX, El Escorpion Natural

1 Fuente Fuente OpusX, Tauros the Bull

1 Fuente Fuente OpusX 13, Belicoso 1 Angel's Share, Toro

1 Arturo Fuente 13

1 Don Arturo Gran AniverXario, Toro

Total release quantity: 1500 boxes (375 of White, Blue, Macassar Ebony, and Red)

NEW RELEASE- Arturo Fuente Casa Cuba!

I love this time of the year. The weather starts changing, new football season, and all the anticipated new products start being released!

Introducing the Pre-Release 2013 Arturo Fuente Casa Cuba!

You may have noticed my September post about this when I first heard about it, so imagine my excitement when I received these beautiful cigars! 

A little recap: 

                  "In the January 2012 Cigar Aficionado cover story on the Fuente family, it                                                      was revealed that Carlos Fuente Jr. had blended all of the company’s 

                   cigars in modern memory, including the Hemingway and Don Carlos lines. 

                   Carlos Fuente Sr., the patriarch of the family, handed over the blending 

                   reigns to his son years ago. 

                   Casa Cuba is his return to making cigar blends. “I blended this cigar the way 

                   I used to blend Cuban tobacco,” he told Cigar Aficionado during a 2011 interview, 

                   speaking of his days when he made cigars in Tampa using then-legal Cuban tobacco."

There are four sizes:

• Doble Tres, 5 1/2 by 44 
• Doble Cuatro, 4 1/2 by 54 
• Doble Cinco, 5 by 50 
• Doble Seis, 6 by 52 

The tobacco used in this cigar will be:

• Wrapper:   Ecuador
• Binder:       Dominican
• Filler:         Dominican

This is a medium bodied smoke with a slightly sweet tobacco aroma that will excite your taste buds. The Casa Cuba carries the traditional creaminess that you get with all Fuente's with just a touch of spice. This is definitely an "Old Fashioned" cigar that delivers with a very enjoyable smoke! 

I have a very limited Pre-Release quantity! For availability and pricing, please email me at: josh@dwcigars.com or call us at 877-392-4427.

Happy Smoking,

Josh