Indholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2015 i Cigar Aficionado

This was a particularly strong issue for Cuban cigars, with Havana-made smokes posting the best score in four of our six categories. One of them—the bold, brawny and consistently impressive Bolivar Belicoso Fino—scored 94 points, the highest score for the entire issue. The Bolivar brand is among the smaller Cuban marques, but connoisseurs reach for them often, seeking strength and complexity. This figurado is the best in the line, a cigar built for those who prefer strong smokes. This issue marked the first CIGAR AFICIONADO tasting of the Heritage by Dunhill Robusto (93 points) and the Montecristo Churchill Añejados (91 points). TOP FIGURADO BOLIVAR BELICOSO FINO Spicy, bold and chocolaty, this impeccably crafted figurado is the best cigar of our issue, and the standout smoke in Cuba’s superb Bolivar brand.…

Thanksgiving meat preferences are limited by custom to two: white turkey meat or dark. By December’s holidays, one might be ready for a respite from eating of the big bird, whatever the color of its meat. If your next choice is for a prime rib roast, your dilemma may also seem to only be two-sided: rare or well-done. But the truth is far from that. Your perfect holiday roast experience is loaded with decisions that may be pitfalls if not well made. First consider the name. Prime rib roast is often something of a misnomer, which will lead to confusion at the meat market. While we use the term loosely to describe a cut of meat, the USDA won’t let your butcher call it that unless it is officially graded…

When meteorite hunter Luc Labenne first placed a piece of the moon in the hand of Jean-Marie Schaller, the CEO and creative director of the boutique watch brand Louis Moinet teared up. “It’s very touching to hold something from the moon,” says Schaller. The meteorite had traveled 239,000 miles to land on the earth before it ended up on the face of the Moon Tourbillon watch. It is part of a growing (and costly) trend that employs dials fashioned from slivers of the rare interspace material. Now Louis Moinet’s one-of-akind Mars Tourbillon (about $253,000, pictured left) features a meteorite that made the 140-million-mile journey from the red planet. “It’s more expensive than gold, platinum and diamond combined,” says Schaller. Jiddat al Harasis 479 meteorite is one of fewer than 50…

VERONICA STODDART Former editor in chief for travel at USA Today, and founding editor of Caribbean Travel & Life magazine, Stoddart has spent her entire career in travel journalism. She is now a freelance editor and content marketing consultant for the industry (veronicastoddart.com). ANNE SCULLY, CTC Travel agent to the stars and president of McCabe World Travel, Scully has been recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine as a top 10 Super Agent for years and is one of the most soughtafter names in travel planning (mccabeworld.com). FRAN GOLDEN A well-known cruise journalist, Golden is the expert for USA Today’s Experience Cruise, chief blogger/contributing editor of Porthole magazine and coauthor of Frommer’s Easy Guide to Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call. MARY JEAN TULLY Founder and CEO of The Cruise Professionals,…

The Punch Royal Coronation, available only in glossy green tubes, was the highest achiever of the corona category (at 91 points) and proved once again the distinction of that venerable brand, even as it has been whittled down to just five cigars. Four other coronas scored 90 points. Though the Ashton Corona is rolled in a light-colored, Connecticut shade wrapper, it exhibited more body than its appearance would suggest. New to the market, the CAO Pilón Corona from General Cigar is so named for its fermentation method in which tobacco is arranged in circular piles. The Cohiba Siglo III has been made for 23 years and its score is consistent with reviews we have done of the cigar. Drew Estate’s Herrera Esteli carries the name of its blender Willy Herrera,…

A 60-ring-gauge cigar can be difficult to take seriously. The exaggerated thickness may not only seem awkward in the mouth, but also come across as a caricature of what smoking is about. Dismissing them completely, however, may also be a mistake. In this tasting, we found four very impressive 60-ring-gauge cigars. The standout was the CAO Flathead V660 Carb, which scored 92 points. It’s a blocky, box-pressed behemoth with four sharp corners that only serve to enhance the appearance of heft. The Flathead series is themed around hot rod engines and pinup girls, but all kitsch aside, it showed a rich, resonant quality and—despite its chunky dimensions—excellent combustion (no pun intended). The name Gagger isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement for a cigar, but this thick, pigtailed smoke from 7-20-4 scored…

Jazzing It Up page 152 Clockwise from left: Colibri Slice cutter, in black carbon fiber/polished chrome ($65, www.colibri.com); Colibri Julius lighter, in matte black/polished chrome ($125, www.colibri.com); Black Label Stanley lighter, in chrome velour/black matte ($29.95, www.integral-style.com); VPI Classic Turntable ($3,000, www.vpiindustries.com); Colibri Stealth 3 lighter, in polished chrome/matte black ($100, www.colibri.com); Xikar Allume tabletop lighter, in steel silver ($99.99, www.xikar.com); Davidoff Century humidor, in macassar palladium ($3,253, www.davidoff.com); Faber-Castell Snakewood collection fountain pen with platinum cap, tip and spring tip ($775, www.fabercastell.com); Morgenthal Frederics Puro frames ($495, www.morgenthalfrederics.com); Davidoff Double Blade cutter, in black lacquer ($350, www.davidoff.com); Nachtmann Aspen whiskey tumbler ($35/set of four or $120/set of two with decanter, www.nachtmann.com); Colibri Quasar ashtray, in matte black ($150, www.colibri.com); Baade II cuff links, in sterling silver, black enamel and…

A garment as traditional as the smoking jacket—in use since the mid 19th-century and with a pedigree that reaches back to the 1500s—isn’t expected to make fashion turns. But this coat, made for one special purpose—enjoying tobacco—has a few tricks up its, er, sleeves. No, smoking jackets are not making a splashing comeback on the runways. But the garment, once reserved for leisurely, at-home entertainment amongst a small klatch of like-minded cigar lovers, is now known to travel far afield. Going out on the town, at nightclubs and fevered parties, these cheeky coats are as likely to resemble traditional tuxedo jackets (albeit with certain flamboyant liberties) as they do the parlor robes they are descended from. Smoking jackets became a fixture of gentleman’s attire around the start of the Crimean…

The return of cold weather is a good reason to remember that brandy—the most warming of spirits—played a formative role in the development of mixology. Already a key libation in colonial America, fruit distillates rivaled whiskey and gin in 19th century. What better season to ease them back in? The Sazerac, hailing from New Orleans, not surprisingly was born of Cognac. Sweet brandy helped the medicinal bitters go down. Later, a shortage of Cognac allowed spicy rye into the mix. 1 tsp sugar syrup Absinthe or anise pastis 3 dashes Peychaud bitters 2½ oz Cognac Chill an Old-Fashioned glass and coat inside with absinthe. Muddle sugar and bitters in a mixing glass. Stir in Cognac and ice. Strain into Old-Fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. The French 75 was…

At one time the entry level girth for a corona gorda (46 ring gauge) was considered fairly thick. While those days are gone and the new definition of “heavy ring gauge” has shifted, the H. Upmann Magnum 46 still proves that with fine tobacco the minimum width is still viable. The average-sized smoke scored an above-average 93 points, based on body and refinement. Measuring a full 10 ring gauges more, the limited-edition Quesada Reserva Privada scored 92 points. The blend was created as a vehicle to best showcase a Dominican filler tobacco that company patriarch Manuel Quesada has kept in storage since its harvest in 1997. Note the holographic print and image on the band. CUBA RING GAUGE: 46 LENGTH: 5 5/8" FILLER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA WRAPPER: CUBA BOX DATE:…

It’s been many years since the classic Dunhill “white rose” band design has been in production, but the pattern is back, and it adorns the new, full-bodied Heritage by Dunhill, whose Robusto scored 93 points. It’s not only the highest-ranking cigar of the robusto category, but the highest-rated, non-Cuban Dunhill since General Cigar took over production and distribution a few years ago. Ramon Allones is not Cuba’s largest cigar brand, but has a very passionate following, especially considering the fact that there are only three sizes left. One of them, the Specially Selected, scored 92 points and has a reputation for being more full bodied than most other robustos made in Cuba. Though this particular sample was not overly strong, the cigar did exhibit plenty of its signature earthiness. HONDURAS…

Dear Marvin, Thank you for the De Niro interview. I always wanted to meet him and now I feel like I have. Keep up the good work. Phil Firich Wadsworth, Illinois Dear Marvin, As a relatively new subscriber I was surprised and pleased to see your cover interview with Robert De Niro, a notoriously private person. Not only did you get the interview, but you continually pressed forward with great probing questions gaining further insight into this legendary actor and entrepreneur. Kudos on a job well done. Chuck Campbell Malven, Pennsylvania Dear Marvin, I’m delighted you had the opportunity to interview Robert De Niro. From your comment(s) in the Editor’s Note, speaking with him had been a longtime goal for the magazine. Mr. De Niro is a brilliant actor and…

I’ve been talking to my kitchen counter, and she’s been talking back. She’s a great listener, Alexa, and clever, too. She knows the forecast, the score of the latest Jets game and what’s on my calendar. My only complaint is that she gives me the silent treatment when I ask where I am. I have a history of acquiring aspirational home appliances, but the Amazon Echo might be one of the few I’ll actually use. Unlike my bread maker, saddled with a manual the size of the Gutenberg Bible, Echo simply listens for my requests. Say “Alexa,” and it lights up, eager to serve. It’s like having Apple’s Siri across your home. Despite some impressive internal tech, the Amazon Echo doesn’t require much counter space. A spare black cylinder about…

It’s the most trusted institution in America. Its most prominent practitioner is the most trusted man in America. By an overwhelming margin, Americans give it high marks for fairness. What is this paragon of virtue that our citizens hold in such high esteem? Network television news. Now before you hurl these pages to the floor and demand to know what planet these assertions come from, there’s one footnote to keep in mind: This is how Americans regarded TV news half a century ago. Today? A recent Gallup Poll found that TV news ranked among the least admired of institutions: only 10 percent of us had a “great deal of trust in the medium; only 11 percent had “quite a lot.” Only big business and the U.S. Congress had lower numbers.…

Sitting across the table from me, contemplating the lunch special at a Chinese restaurant in suburban Las Vegas, the man who calls himself Dustin Marks looks neither devious nor notorious. He’s so nondescript, so devoid of a big personality that you wouldn’t give him a second consideration. He certainly does not look like a person who used highly developed skills to break laws, loot casinos, infiltrate from the inside and do it all without ever breaking a sweat. But during the 1980s and into the ’90s, he ranked among the most successful, most enduring blackjack cheaters in the world. Best of all, he’s never been caught. Despised as he may be by the casino personnel he swindled, Marks is a man who would return your wallet if he saw it…

A new Churchill size from Habanos S.A. was certainly an unusual introduction to the market. Most of the recent debut sizes from the state tobacco company of Cuba have followed modern taste trends: fatter and shorter. Nevertheless, the Montecristo Churchill Añejados, released in 2014, scored 91 points for best cigar in this category. While it may be new to the market, the cigar was aged in Cuba for five to eight years before its release, according to Habanos. (The samples we smoked were made in 2008.) Although the Montecristo Churchill Añejados is a classic size, it’s still somewhat unorthodox—regular-production Montecristos are not rolled in a Churchill vitola. Purists and sticklers for tradition will note its dimensions, while all cigar fans should enjoy the Churchill’s nuance and sophistication. Three cigars scored…

Whether pyramid or perfecto, figurados are the most challenging cigar shapes to roll, but when they’re crafted properly, the result can be transcendent. With some of the highest scores of the issue, this tasting showcases the market’s wealth in shaped cigars. Bold and earthy, the Cuban Bolivar Belicoso Fino scored an exceptional 94 points, by offering not only a solid core of strength, but a well-integrated subset of softer notes for balance and finesse. The Partagás Serie P No. 2 scored 93 points, but flavors in this cigar were communicated much differently with more pronounced, up-front sweetness, and earthiness as an accent rather than a foundation. Dynamic and effervescent, the Illusione Epernay L’Alpiniste (92 points) is evidence that a cigar needn’t be full bodied to make an indelible impression. Its…

Step into a time machine, and dial the year back to the 1950s. The Second World War was over, the U.S. economy was thriving and consumers were ready to spend their cash. Cigar lovers puffed away on panetelas and perfectos made from Cuban tobacco, and cigars seemed to be sold everywhere, even in upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue. If you walked into Saks in the 1950s, you may have been able to buy an H. Upmann Saks No. 30. We’re certain it was a splendid smoke back then, but after some six decades protected in the beautifully branded foil wrapping within the box, the corona-sized cigar has turned into utter perfection. It was one of four smokes here rated classic, joining a trio of younger Havanas that…