Innehållsförteckning för March/April 2023 från Cigar Aficionado

TOP TORO OLIVA SERIE V MELANIO TORO Oliva took its Serie V brand to the next level when it released the Melanio, a cigar largely defined by its Ecuadoran wrapper grown from Sumatra seeds. The Toro approaches perfection with its astounding score. $15.75 NICARAGUA 96 TOP FIGURADO LA AROMA DE CUBA MI AMOR BELICOSO Mexican wrapper and Nicaraguan tobacco find beautiful synergy in this Belicoso. While the core La Aroma de Cuba line is made with broadleaf wrapper, the Mexican leaf on Mi Amor brings another dimension. $9.25 NICARAGUA 95 TOP GRANDE PADRÓN FAMILY RESERVE NO. 95 MADURO Originally a brand only available at events where a member of the Padrón family was present, the Family Reserve eventually went commercial. Padrón brings the brand to huge proportions with this fat smoke.…

This year, Hublot revisits the watch that started it all: the Classique Automatique. In 1980, the Italian entrepreneur and brand founder Carlo Crocco had the audacity to pair a precious yellow-gold case with a sporty rubber strap in black that was infused with a subtle vanilla scent. The bezel of its round case was secured with 12 screws that served as hour markers. With its blacklacquer dial, it had a sleek, minimalist vibe inspired by a ship’s porthole, which translates to hublot in French. The 2023 Classic Fusion Original range pays tribute to that groundbreaker with some subtle changes of its own. Most notably, six screws now attach the bezel, keeping with a design signature introduced by watch industry legend Jean-Claude Biver when he took over Hublot in 2004. Other…

It’s no surprise that the powerhouse teams like the Chiefs and Eagles will continue to contend. The 49ers are also in good shape, as head coach Kyle Shanahan is an elite play caller and he’ll be loaded again on both sides of the ball. As long as the Bengals can keep Joe Burrow in one piece, they’ll be dangerous (giving Burrow more reasons to light his victory cigars in the locker room), and Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs will keep threatening to nab the Bills’ first Lombardi Trophy. Keep an eye on the emerging Lions, who hold the sixth and 18th picks in the 2023 draft. The offensive line is already elite and highly-respected offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has worked magic with quarterback Jared Goff, who will now have deep…

Nicaraguan filler and binder tobacco blended with Mexican wrapper is becoming a common combination in the world of premium cigars, but it rarely comes together as cohesively as it did on the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso, a Classic cigar that scored 95 points. This box-pressed belicoso is made by My Father Cigars in Nicaragua for Ashton Distributors Inc., and saturates the palate in layer upon layer of sweet and savory elements. Ashton seems to be on a streak of excellence in this category, as its Virgin Sun Grown Enchantment—a fat perfecto made by the Fuentes in the Dominican Republic—scored 94 points. Also from the Dominican Republic is La Flor Dominicana’s Andalusian Bull, a former Cigar of the Year. It scored 93 points, showing it’s still a fantastic…

Two world-class robustos from different countries sit at the top of this section. The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto has been on the market for more than four decades, but its exquisite blend of Dominican and Cameroon tobacco is still fresh and impressive. The cigar was created by Carlos Fuente Jr., who named it after his father, respectfully referred to as Don Carlos. The Bolivar Royal Corona was named Cigar of the Year in 2006 and it is still superb. This version comes in a glossy reddish tubo and delivers the signature earthiness that Bolivar fans have come to expect. Two cigars scored 93 points, the Cuban Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill and the Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus B52, made in the Dominican Republic by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for Tim Ozgener.…

The latest attack on cigars is dramatic and outlandish—but it can’t be ignored. On February 14, a California State Assembly member introduced a bill that aims to eventually make tobacco sales illegal for all Californians. It’s a phased tobacco ban that would prohibit the sale of all tobacco products, including cigars, to anyone born on or after January 1, 2007. It’s a generational attack, a forever attack, that would mean that anyone born after that date would never be old enough to buy cigars in that state. The bill was introduced by newly elected Democrat Damon Connolly, an attorney who represents California’s 12th district. The intent is clear: tobacco prohibition. Cigars, cigarettes and other products made from tobacco would become illegal substances, something future generations of Californians would never be…

Every March 17, it’s incumbent upon the Irish (and those just claiming to be) to show allegiance to Erin with some kind of drink. Most aren’t very creative in their choices, which usually runs the spectrum from Irish stout (don’t even get us started on beer dyed green) and Irish Coffee, the most famous mixed drink to either come out of Ireland or contain java. But it doesn’t have to be so limiting. The whiskeys of Ireland are so smooth and amicable that they invite combinations with almost anything. From the blends typically triple-distilled in a column to the heartier single-pot-still and single-malt whiskeys and even the occasional peated offering, the spirit of Ireland offers many mixing possibilities. Here are a few of our favorites. Elderflowers of Meath Named for…

Wayne Gretzky HOCKEY LEGEND Montecristo White He’s the greatest hockey player that ever drew breath, but you’ll never get him to say it. The man with the slight build from Brantford, Ontario was called, “The Great One.” His number 99 is retired throughout the league. Yet, due to either an excess of humility or a philosophy that scribes should do the analyzing while he did the playing, he deflects the question. Today, he can often be seen on the golf course, a cigar in his hand or in his mouth. He says his current favorite is the Montecristo White Series, a milder smoke made in the Dominican Republic. Asked about being the greatest, he has said: “I’m not a believer in people who like to brag.” The question is pressed.…

Padrón has taken one of its most high-scoring blends, the Family Reserve, and managed to successfully scale it up to a hefty 60 ring gauge. The result was the No. 95 Maduro, a cigar that scored 95 points and maintained the character of the Family Reserve line despite the thick format. Few grandes have ever achieved classic status like the Padrón rated here. The cigar is made in Nicaragua, and so is My Father The Judge Grand Robusto, a softly pressed cigar that scored 92 points. Like many cigars from My Father, The Judge is made with a rich blend that’s enhanced by a thread of spice. The Rocky Patel Grand Reserve Sixty is made in Honduras by Nestor Plasencia. It scored 92 points as well, but this is a…

In our standard tastings section of unaged cigars, it’s rare for a cigar to reach 95 points—Classic by our rating system. But when a regular-production cigar scores 96 points, it’s not only an astounding achievement, but is a cause for celebration. Such is the case for the Oliva Serie V Melanio Toro. With its Sumatra-seed wrapper, precise renderings of flavor and resonant finish, we can say that this Nicaraguan smoke is an ideal example of what premium cigars are all about. Oliva also produced the E.P. Carrillo Allegiance Confidant, which scored 94 points. While Perez-Carrillo’s name is on the band, he turned Allegiance over to Oliva for this project. Like the Serie V Melanio, Allegiance is a blend of Nicaraguan tobacco and a Sumatra-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. NICARAGUA RING…

Dear Marvin, I really enjoyed the story about the comeback of jai alai [“High Hopes For Jai Alai,” Nov./Dec. 2022]. Other than Big Smoke evenings, some of the best times I have had in Las Vegas were at the fronton at the original MGM Grand. Jim Chavez Mesa, Arizona Dear Marvin, My first experience with your magazine was while I was killing time at the local Barnes & Noble. I had just started smoking cigars and found your magazine very helpful. But it was not just the cigar reviews. It was everything else that was in it. The advertisements, articles and especially the letters to the editor. Never a boring page. This is the definitive “cover-to-cover” magazine. When I retrieve your magazine from my mailbox, the biggest challenge is trying…

If you follow trends at the bar, you’ve doubtless heard of amaro, the herbal liqueur named for the Italian word for bitter that somehow pulls off sweetness. Even if you haven’t, you may have tasted some in the trendy Negroni and Aperol Spritz cocktails. But those who stick to just two concoctions are missing much of the fun. Amari (the plural) offer endless opportunities for taking familiar mixed drinks in new directions. Start with the king of cocktails: the Manhattan, which joins rye or Bourbon with sweet vermouth. Then punch it up with Fernet Branca, an impossibly rooty liqueur that is the secret handshake of amaro converts. Either use it in place of vermouth or add equal measures of each for a take on the Perfect Manhattan. Some call this…

If you play golf, you know Bob Parsons—even if you don’t know Bob Parsons. His raspy, gnarly, throaty baritone has dominated golf’s television advertising scene for more than five years, propelling his Parsons Xtreme Golf Co. into the major leagues alongside Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping and Titleist, the giants of the industry. The clubs have a distinctively mean look, devoid of the bright colors found on so many others, with jetblack drivers, putters decorated with a skull and prices that stretch the boundaries of traditional clubs. A full set can go for $5,000 or more. “Nobody makes golf clubs the way we do, period!” Parsons barks out at the end of these highly successful advertising spots. It’s far more than an advertising pitch. Parsons tells you straight to your face that…

The Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series performs consistently well in our blind tasting process, and the large Diplomatico Maduro, which scored 94 points, upholds the brand’s reputation for excellence. Box-pressed and rich, the Diplomatico delivers all the satisfying qualities the brand is known for, but does so in a long, slow procession—an extended experience that can only be had with a large format such as this one. As the name suggests, the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua is from the Central American country that exports more premium cigars to the United States than any other nation. It scored 92 points and is made for Altadis U.S.A. by A.J. Fernandez. He also produces the milder San Lotano Requiem Connecticut Churchill, which scored 91. NICARAGUA RING GAUGE: 50 LENGTH: 7" FILLER: NICARAGUA BINDER: NICARAGUA…

Cuba dominated the petit corona category and the country’s flagship brand was the highest performer. At 92 points, the Cohiba Siglo II offered an interesting contrast between spicy and savory elements. This cigar is part of Cohiba’s Línea 1492, casually referred to as the Siglo Series and blended to be milder than the core Cohiba line. Three cigars scored 91 points, two of which were from Cuba as well. The Punch Petit Coronation comes in a handy screw-cap tubo and showed a multi-faceted smoke, whereas the Ramon Allones Small Club Corona leans earthy and bold. While both are Cuban, the styles differed. The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Juniors are made in Honduras with Nicaraguan tobacco and a Cameroon wrapper—an uncommon combination. CUBA RING GAUGE: 42 LENGTH: 5 1/8" FILLER:…

TOP SCORES 96 Oliva Serie V Melanio Toro Nicaragua • $15.75 • Toro • Medium-Full 95 La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso Nicaragua • $9.25 • Figurado • Medium-Full 95 Padrón Family Reserve No. 95 Maduro Nicaragua • $29.50 • Grande • Medium 94 Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto Dominican Republic • $10.80 • Robusto • Medium 94 Ashton Virgin Sun Grown Enchantment Dominican Republic • $14.75 • Figurado • Medium-Full 94 Bolivar Royal Corona (Tubo) Cuba • £30.30 • Robusto • Medium-Full 94 E.P. Carrillo Allegiance Confidant Nicaragua • $13.10 • Toro • Medium-Full 94 Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Diplomatico Maduro Nicaragua • $16.10 • Churchill • Medium-Full 93 La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull Dominican Republic • $17.90 • Figurado • Medium-Full 93 Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus B52…