Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2019 från Cigar Aficionado

An impressive 35 of the 81 cigars rated in this tasting scored 90 points or higher. Nicaragua continued its dominance, as cigars made in the Central American country led three of the six size categories in this issue. Also, the top-scoring smoke, the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988, hails from Nicaragua. TOP ROBUSTO WARPED SERIE GRAN RESERVA 1988 ROBUSTO Named for the birth year of owner Kyle Gellis, this Nicaraguan puro comes in one size only, a robusto measuring 5 ¼ inches by 50 ring gauge. NICARAGUA 94 TOP CHURCHILL FUENTE FUENTE OPUSX RESERVA D’CHATEAU An all-Dominican mainstay powered by a shade-grown, Cuban-seed wrapper from the fertile fields of Chateau de la Fuente. DOM. REP. 93 TOP PETIT CORONA BOLIVAR CORONAS JUNIOR This tiny Cuban measures a mere 4 ⅜…

It’s as if the wingtip tanks and cockpits of a postwar jet merged with the dashboard of a chrome-laden cruising car from the ’50s and landed on your wrist, where it morphed into a watch. It’s not hard to trace the design origins of the MB&F HM9 Flow. Swiss creator Max Büsser, a self-proclaimed social outcast as a child, grew up immersed in sci-fi comic books, TV shows and movies, providing a fertile inspiration for fantastical watches. He dubs them “Horological Machines”—mechanical sculptures that also happen to tell time. Büsser credits the roots of his latest creation to aerodynamic design of the late ’40s and early ’50s, specifically 1954’s Mercedes-Benz W196, 1948’s Buick Streamliner and the snub-nosed De Havilland Venom aircraft that patrolled Swiss airspace in the postwar era. It…

They say follow your passion, and Michael Rodriguez, once a paralegal, did just that, turning his cuff link collecting into The Missing Link, a New York City shop with 20,000 pairs. Most are vintage, and some have even been in the spotlight, featured on television’s “Mad Men” and “Boardwalk Empire.” The charm of novelty cuff links, says Rodriguez, is wearing your passion on your sleeve. Of course, we were driven to the cigar theme illustrated by the 1950s Dolan & Bullock links in 14K gold with ruby insets (pinned to the blue cuff, bottom right, $1,450) and a set with inlaid cigar images circa 1980 (bottom left, $75). Rodriguez also has what he calls “doers,” links that perform a function. Examples include the 1950s Austrian roulette wheels at upper right…

It isn’t enough to simply be a good cigar, or even a great cigar. Draw and combustion have to be flawless, flavors need to be varied and appealing and the overall qualities must be uniquely resonant. Many cigars we smoke throughout the year fit that criteria, but there’s one very important quality that many cigars lack—consistency. And that’s what Cigar Aficionado’s annual Top 25 list strives to bring you: a selection of not only the year’s finest performers, but the handmade cigars that could repeat the stellar performance over and over again. The Top 25 list is strictly performance based. It’s not a popularity contest or a lifetime achievement award, but a tournament where the highest-scoring cigars of the year have to prove themselves once again in an entirely new…

Hanging near the center of all the memorabilia that decorates and accentuates Jimmy Dunne’s office in midtown Manhattan is a small, framed piece with the words “Jimmy’s Motto” written as a headline. “Every morning in Africa a zebra wakes up and knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed,” it reads. “Every morning the lion wakes up and knows it must outrun the slowest zebra or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a zebra, when the sun comes up you better be running!” There is an accompanying photo of a zebra chasing a lion. The zebra is labeled “Sandler O’Neill,” and the lion, “everyone else.” As the senior managing partner of Sandler O’Neill, a New York-based multifaceted investment banking company, Dunne…

NICARAGUA LENGTH: 5 ⅝" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA WRAPPER: MEXICO LA AROMA DE CUBA MI AMOR RESERVA BESO Coarse and rustic in appearance with a dark, gritty wrapper. First puffs immediately show big notes of chocolate-covered almonds and earth while hints of raisin and minerals lead to the rich, nougat-like finish. U.S.: $9.25 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 92 NICARAGUA RING GAUGE: 52 LENGTH: 6" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA WRAPPER: NICARAGUA PADRÓN FAMILY RESERVE NO. 45 A tall, box-pressed toro that draws and burns evenly. It’s a spicy, woody smoke with rich touches of chocolate, coffee and vanilla bean. U.S.: $27.10 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 92 NICARAGUA LENGTH: 5 ⅝" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: HONDURAS WRAPPER: HONDURAS CAO NICARAGUA MATAGALPA There’s a good draw and burn to this dark, oily cigar. It’s…

CUBA RING GAUGE: 42 LENGTH: 4 ⅜" FILLER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA WRAPPER: CUBA BOX DATE: MARCH 2014 BOLIVAR CORONAS JUNIOR Perfectly rolled with a flat head and clean wrapper. It’s a leathery, earthy smoke with a strong coffee bean character and a sweet-and-spicy finish of dark chocolate and dried jalapeños. U.S.: N/A U.K.: £12.13 STRENGTH: Full 93 CUBA RING GAUGE: 42 LENGTH: 4 ⅜" FILLER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA WRAPPER: CUBA BOX DATE: MARCH 2017 PARTAGÁS SHORT Toasty and woody at first, this little smoke gets strong quickly, loading the palate with heavy notes of nutty marzipan, espresso beans and a ground red pepper spice. U.S.: N/A U.K.: £12.57 STRENGTH: Full 91 HONDURAS RING GAUGE: 40 LENGTH: 4 ¼" FILLER: HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, COLOMBIA BINDER: COSTA RICA WRAPPER: NICARAGUA 7-20-4 FACTORY 57…

95 FUENTE FUENTE OPUSX PERFECXION “A” (2010) This massive Dominican cigar is more than nine inches long, the longest Fuente Fuente OpusX in the brand’s considerably large portfolio. It comes artfully presented in an individual wooden box, and the cellophane has yellowed over time. Age has barely tempered this cigar’s power. It shows red pepper spice from the first puff, layered over coffee bean, wood and red meat notes. The spiciness fades as you get deeper into the smoke, and it becomes increasingly woody, with a touch of mint. A well-aged powerhouse that takes two hours to smoke. —David Savona 96 TRINIDAD FUNDADORES (2009) While not covered in the most pristine wrapper, this 10-year-old Trinidad sings a song of sweetness with base notes of caramel, a mid-palate of almond-studded vanilla nougat and…

1 GREAT ESCAPES—OCEANSCAPE YACHTS The old saw is the two greatest days in a boater’s life are when he buys and sells his yacht. But what if you could have the joys of boating without the headaches of ownership? That’s the concept of OceanScape Yachts, sort of a NetJets or Uber for boatsmen. It brings the concept of the sharing economy to the high seas, making use of luxury yachts that would otherwise stand idle. From there, the club works to tailor your sea dream vacation. oceanscape.com 2 GREEN SPEED—ZERO MOTORCYCLES Zero Motorcycles, a premier maker of electric motorcycles in California, has improved its Zero DS dual road and dirt models for 2019. This year’s edition comes with a dual-sport windscreen, tank grips and hand guards to go with its 116 lbs.…

Translated from the Italian, its name is less than inviting: bitter. But when amaro finds it way into a cocktail it becomes a pleasant surprise. What’s more, many of these pungent liqueurs are quite friendly when enjoyed neat or on the rocks. If the term is unfamiliar, it’s not because amari (that’s the plural) are so rare. One of the most popular examples in the world—Campari—is a key ingredient in the Negroni cocktail. But you won’t find the word amaro on its bottle. Instead, Campari is labeled as an aperitif. That may be because the category is so loosely defined. Amari include before- and after-meal liqueurs (even, some say, vermouth) and may be made all over Europe and the United States. But the roots trace to the ancient Romans, who…

Those who remember the birth of home television projection also recall its expensive foibles. The three-lens console took up yards of real estate and delivered a fuzzy picture with dull colors unless professionally installed. In the meantime, the advent of digital streaming and 4K resolution has nothing but stoked the dream of a home experience to rival the movie theater. Now, fantasy meets reality with a new breed of affordable, compact units that project wow factor in big-screen dimensions. An upper-echelon device like Epson’s Home Cinema 4010 4K PRO-UHD Projector ($1,999) casts video in razor-sharp quality with vivid colors. And, unless your house enjoys the dimensions of a Newport-style mansion, its picture will fill any room. The Epson projects on screens ranging from 50 to 300 inches wide. In comparison,…

In one moment, I had thought of table tennis as a pedestrian pursuit: fun, but with an easy learning curve that allowed you to make contact and win points in no time—nothing like the self-loathing that comes with developing a graceful tennis swing. Then I faced a barrage of celluloid spheroids, smashed with a mix of wicked pace, treacherous spin and impossible-to-defend placements. And my view of ping-pong changed forever. Being schooled by a 14-time Swedish table tennis champion will do that to you. I happened to be at the mercy of Malin Pettersson at SPiN, a hip Chelsea ping-pong bar, because I was somehow scheduled to play the tennis great Rafael Nadal at an upcoming cocktail party in his honor. Despite my low estimation of the game, I thought…

while auto dealers don’t soap up their windows anymore to build excitement for the new model year, you still have plenty of reasons to be excited about the 2019 cars, trucks and crossovers now in showrooms or set to get there in the months to come. That’s especially true for luxury buyers. For one thing, there are more choices than ever from a wide range of foreign and domestic brands. They come in all manner of body styles and offer a dizzying array of premium features suitable for every budget. If performance is your top priority, you can choose from more than a dozen different models delivering over 700 horsepower. If you’re determined to save the environment, 2019 brings the launch of a wave of new battery cars, some delivering…

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RING GAUGE: 60 LENGTH: 4 ⅞" FILLER: DOM. REP. BINDER: DOM. REP. WRAPPER: U.S.A./CONN. BROADLEAF ARTURO FUENTE HEMINGWAY WORK OF ART MADURO A beautifully curved and tapered perfecto. Firm at first, the draw eventually opens to deliver a rich smoke full of woody, leather and licorice notes that lead to a big chocolate finish. U.S.: $8.93 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 92 HONDURAS RING GAUGE: 60 LENGTH: 4 ½" FILLER: HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, DOM. REP. BINDER: U.S.A./CONN. BROADLEAF WRAPPER: ECUADOR PUNCH RARE COROJO CHAMPION An unusual perfecto with a bulging foot and dark wrapper. Warm and woody, this cigar also brings sweet notes of cocoa, nougat and vanilla before a cedary finish. U.S.: $6.29 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium 91 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RING GAUGE: 52 LENGTH: 6 ¼" FILLER: DOM. REP.…

NICARAGUA RING GAUGE: 50 LENGTH: 5 ¼" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA WRAPPER: NICARAGUA WARPED SERIE GRAN RESERVA 1988 ROBUSTO Rich impressions of malty chocolate, coffee bean and earth unfold with each puff of this well-made robusto. It’s complex and delicious with an even draw and burn. U.S.: $9.00 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 94 HONDURAS RING GAUGE: 50 LENGTH: 4 ½" FILLER: DOM. REP., NICARAGUA, HONDURAS BINDER: HONDURAS WRAPPER: ECUADOR ARCHETYPE STRANGE PASSAGE SHORT ROBUSTO Sweet, warm notes of chocolate and toast set the tone for this box-pressed robusto, which also imparts a nutty, nougat sweetness and a salty hint of leather. U.S.: $9.59 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Full 92 CUBA RING GAUGE: 50 LENGTH: 4 ⅞" FILLER: CUBA BINDER: CUBA WRAPPER: CUBA BOX DATE: SEPTEMBER 2016 HOYO DE MONTERREY EPICURE NO.…

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You’ve gone out for a day of leisure, provisioned with a few well-chosen cigars. When the wind picks up on the golf course, you need a torch lighter to ignite your smoke. But later, at the cigar bar, you find such pyrotechnics to be overkill. Different smoking conditions call for different lighters. Sometimes you want the gentle touch of a soft-flame lighter. At others, a powerful torch is the only answer. Roving smokers have the option of toting two lighters or compromising with one flame that is right only half the time. Or, with the Le Grand S.T. Dupont, they can arm themselves with a device that packs both flames and always provides the perfect toast to the tobacco. Flick the cylindrical roller of the Le Grand and twin soft…

You may recognize Cortina d’Ampezzo as the impeccably chic alpine destination that attracted jet-setters, jewel thieves and a clueless police inspector in the 1963 film The Pink Panther. Today, it’s an under-the-radar resort town in an extensive ski network that just got a $100 million upgrade to go with the recent renovation to the Cristallo, where Peter Sellers resided between takes as Inspector Clouseau. The craggy peaks of the Dolomites, shifting from gray to pink with the light, surround the charming village. This season, the enormous Dolomiti Superski zone, covering 12 ski resorts and nearly 800 miles of runs, has new cable cars and lifts, slopes and snowmaking equipment. Largely geared for beginner and intermediate skiers, it also provides plenty of black-diamond slopes and the options to heli-ski or go…

The average retail price of a Top 25 cigar is more than $16, but you don’t have to reach for Andrew Jackson to buy a great smoke. We analyzed the hundreds of hand-rolled cigars from this year’s tasting database, and discovered two dozen that impressed our panel and also delivered wallet-friendly prices—and that makes us happy. Here are 24 cigars that scored 87 points or higher, each with a suggested retail price of $6 or less (before taxes). There are some big names here, with cigars from Arturo Fuente, H. Upmann, La Aurora, Oliva, Punch and Padrón, in a variety of shapes and sizes (robustos, coronas and a trio of Churchill-sized cigars). And price-conscious connoisseurs take note—there are even two Top 25 cigars that made the Best Buy list: The…

Years ago, my brother was house hunting and asked me to check out a nearby beach property. What impressed me more than its views of the Long Island Sound was the interior: almost every room had a wet bar, replete with an ice-making machine. I remarked that the owner must be a serious cocktailian, and the realtor revealed that this was an East Coast abode owned by none other than Rodney Dangerfield, who had decamped for Hollywood. Despite his onstage pro-testations, the comedian earned my immediate respect—as well as envy. Dangerfield’s setup may be overkill, and frankly I’ve never been able to match his level of liquid hosting. But over the years, I’ve moved into and out of many homes, ensuring that each one had a proper bar for entertaining.…

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RING GAUGE: 48 LENGTH: 7" FILLER: DOM. REP. BINDER: DOM. REP. WRAPPER: DOM. REP. FUENTE FUENTE OPUSX RESERVA D’CHATEAU There’s slight resistance to the draw of this solidly packed Churchill. It’s a toasty, nutty smoke with an elegant, fresh-tobacco sweetness and a refined finish of roasted coffee bean. U.S.: $15.30 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Full 93 HONDURAS RING GAUGE: 50 LENGTH: 7" FILLER: NICARAGUA, HONDURAS BINDER: NICARAGUA, HONDURAS WRAPPER: HONDURAS ALEC BRADLEY PRENSADO LOST ART CHURCHILL A box-pressed Churchill with an even burn and full, lush draw. The smoke is rich and earthy, carrying a graham-cracker sweetness that builds to a finish hinting of chocolate-covered raisins. U.S.: $12.50 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 91 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RING GAUGE: 49 LENGTH: 7" FILLER: DOM. REP. BINDER: DOM. REP. WRAPPER: U.S.A./CONN. SHADE…

NICARAGUA RING GAUGE: 38 LENGTH: 7 ½" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA WRAPPER: BRAZIL LARANJA RESERVA LANCERO This lancero has the sweet, bready qualities of a saffron brioche bun punctuated by hints of orange peel, a touch of earth and a graham cracker finish. U.S.: $9.90 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium-Full 91 NICARAGUA RING GAUGE: 38 LENGTH: 7" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA WRAPPER: ECUADOR VEGAS DEL PURIAL GRAN RESERVA LANCERO The wrapper of this pigtailed lancero has the rich hue of milk chocolate. It draws well, imparting a sweet and savory smoke with notes of gingersnap and a cocoa-like finish. U.S.: $9.20 U.K.: N/A STRENGTH: Medium 91 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RING GAUGE: 38 LENGTH: 7 ½" FILLER: DOM. REP. BINDER: DOM. REP. WRAPPER: U.S.A./CONN. BROADLEAF LA FLOR DOMINICANA DOUBLE LIGERO LANCERO MADURO Though…

It’s a Sin City tradition—for the past 23 years, cigar connoisseurs from all over the globe have come by the thousands to smoke, drink and attend educational seminars at CIGAR AFICIONADO’S Big Smoke Las Vegas weekend. This past November, nearly 4,000 Big Smoke guests took home dozens of premium handrolled cigars, spent the weekend indulging in fine food and drink, and shook hands with some of the best cigarmakers in the industry. The Big Smoke travels next to Hollywood, Florida, on March 23rd. It returns to Vegas November 15 through 17 for another extravagant, smoke-filled weekend. For complete coverage of the Las Vegas Big Smoke, go to cigaraficionado.com…