Innehållsförteckning för September/October 2023 från Cigar Aficionado

Michael Jordan sure seems like a visionary now. It was in 2018 when the basketball legend selected Bobby Weed Golf Design to build his own private golf playground, the invitation-only, super-private, you-need-toknow-a-lot-of-people-to-play-there track called Grove XXIII in Hobe Sound, Florida. Others had considered putting a golf course on that particular piece of land over the years. Jordan went ahead and made it happen. Only a few years later, he’s got new neighbors. And even more are coming. This is the tale of how Hobe Sound—a sleepy little town about 100 miles north of Miami that’s a mecca for boaters and fishing enthusiasts—is now becoming a hotbed of exclusive golf for some of the game’s most passionate and most fortunate players. Grove XXIII represents the epicenter of what is an incredible…

AFC EAST DIVISION WINNER //Buffalo Bills Every year is supposed to be the Bills’ year now, and the club will lose cap flexibility when it re-signs stud quarterback Josh Allen. Road grader O’Cyrus Torrence should help open holes on the line for James Cook (5.7 yards per carry), Damien Harris (a former Patriot) and short-yardage bruiser Latavius Murray. The defense was already tough and gets a healthy Von Miller back (and Leonard Floyd will help him chase quarterbacks) but losing Tremaine Edmunds stings. Head coach Sean McDermott calls defensive signals as coordinator Leslie Frazier sits out a year. (Maybe Frazier had an inkling that Aaron Rodgers would show up with the Jets.) The Bills have won this division three years in a row but have flamed out in the playoffs…

Ken Griffey Jr. BASEBALL LEGEND Romeo y Julieta 1875 Bully Ken Griffey Jr. finds it hard to name a favorite smoke, but he puffs quite a few Romeo y Julieta cigars from the Dominican Republic. “I like medium-bodied cigars,” he says. The native of Donora, Pennsylvania, was known as “The Kid,” an appropriate moniker for one who played baseball with extra juice in his step and a sort of perpetual joy. A manager reprimanded him for wearing his cap backward in practice, but that missed the point. The big uppercut swing, the running into outfield fences—and reaching over them to bring back home runs—all pointed to his boundless exuberance. “The Natural,” his other nick-name, captured his all-around ability; the running, fielding and hitting for power. There was pedigree, too. Ken…

It’s never easy making over an icon. Just ask Chris Walter, the lead stylist for the 2024 Ford Mustang. The “pony car” will soon celebrate its 60th anniversary, a makeover the automaker calls “all-new.” That’s a bit of a stretch as the seventh-generation Mustang retains the outgoing model’s platform and exterior dimensions. The two engine options offered at launch are essentially the same as well. And when it comes to exterior styling, Walter’s team opted for an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary approach. A recipe for disappointment? Not in the least. The changes made are precisely what’s needed, delivering better performance and handling and the sort of tech updates that younger buyers crave. Subtle exterior updates yield a sleeker, more elegant look, with wider haunches enhancing its muscularity. The interior, however,…

With more than two thirds of the planet covered in water, many beloved vacation spots are near the ocean. And sea kayaking lets you explore them with no special training, while still exercising. You glide quietly and immerse yourself in—without disturbing—local wildlife. In Alaska, that means sighting sea lions, dolphins, killer and humpback whales, bears on land and bald eagles overhead, sometimes all of these in a two-hour tour. The “sea” in the name loosely translates to benign. The term eliminates rapids, but includes lakes, calm rivers, bays and coastline. On white water, kayakers need to learn to roll under-water and steer aggressively, but first timers at sea kayaking don’t even need helmets. In hard-to-capsize kayaks, a quick demo teaches you how to paddle efficiently and how to steer with…

HOBE SOUND CLUBS Grove XXIII Owner: Michael Jordan Designer: Bobby Weed Opened: 2019 Initiation Fee: N/A Michael Jordan’s course sparked the interest in Hobe Sound. Jordan reportedly tried to keep membership below 100 people—all invited by him. The cost of membership (and the list of members) is a closely guarded secret. The club is so intriguing that any detail that leaks out makes headlines, such as when tennis great Caroline Wozniacki captured video of one of the course’s special features—drones bringing drinks to players on the course, just so they won’t have to stop at the turn and slow down play. Apogee Club Owners: Michael Pascucci and Stephen Ross Designers: Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner; Tommy Fazio and Mike Davis; Kyle Phillips Opens: December 1 Initiation Fee: $475,000 to $650,000…

You’re mingling at a party when suddenly cigars appear. Not expecting a smoke session, no one brought a cutter. But luckily you’re wearing your Punch Bracelet from Les Fines Lames. You unscrew it to reveal a cigar punch—and save the day. The French maker of smoking accoutrements provides an entire line of jewelry that prepares you for such smoking emergencies. The lightweight, beaded Punch Bracelet is easy to use. Simply unscrew the clasps to reveal a seven-millimeter, stainless steel cigar punch blade, gently twist the blade into the cap of your cigar, screw the clasps back together and light up. Each model is supported by a sturdy, waxed cotton cord, the length of which easily adjusts from 15 to 21 centimeters. If bracelets aren’t your look, the new Le Tag…

The word garnish was first a verb meaning “to decorate.” But to cocktailians it became a noun for a drink adornment. Mainly it acts as trimming—a piece of lime, say, that signals “this is a lime juice drink,” but doesn’t add much flavor. But in a Martini, a garnish is so much more. The fruit, vegetable or even seafood you put in this simple mix of dry vermouth and gin (or sometimes vodka) changes the character of the drink, and in some cases its very name. The classic Martini garnish is the green olive, a meaty stone fruit that is briny and slightly bitter. But plop in a cocktail onion instead and that drink is suddenly a Gibson. It earns that new distinction. The tiny, pickled pearl onion changes the…

Mark Wahlberg is one of the biggest names in movies, with a diverse series of roles that range from slapstick comedy to riveting drama. Whether fighting against the raging Atlantic in The Perfect Storm, talking to a sarcastic stuffed animal in Ted or portraying a no-nonsense Boston law enforcement officer in The Departed, Wahlberg’s roles have resonated. But there is far more to the Wahlberg story than acting. He is also a film and television producer, with movies such as The Fighter and television shows such as “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire.” He has also taken on one business segment after another, opening restaurants, investing in bottled water, fitness clothing and much more, such as the Flecha Azul Tequila brand. His is a story of resilience, rising from the streets of…

It’s standing room only. From the sweaty middle of the room, a glance around confirms precisely what you’d expect to see in a hip New York City bar at the height of summer: A fashionable crowd near perfectly split between men and women and trending well under 40 years old. But a few things are off. The sound system, for one: there’s no music, no dancing, only tense conversation as folks jostle and crane to see the TVs blaring from the walls. Your sense of time is off, too—because, despite the late-night venue, it’s 9:45 on a Sunday morning. Everyone is here to watch the Formula 1 race unfolding an ocean away. This scene, playing out in bars and brunch spots across the country from March to November, was once…

97 DAVIDOFF 80 ANIVERSARIO (1986) What a piece of history. This cigar was released in celebration of Zino Davidoff’s 80th birthday back when Davidoffs were still made in Cuba. You’ll notice a second band under the Davidoff label. That was put there by the retailer from Luxembourg who sold the box. While two cigars in this 10-count box come in wooden tubes, this was one of the untubed smokes. At more than eight inches long, it’s the longest Cuban Davidoff ever made and every inch is still full of life. The cigar burns slow and cool, starting with a woody character that warms to leave, rich, lasting impressions of nutmeg and cinnamon. Flavors get more vivid and precise as this refined cigar progresses. —Marvin R. Shanken 94 ASHTON VIRGIN SUN GROWN…