Selection Includes One Each Of The Following Items:
Length: 6”
Ring Gauge: 60
Strength: Medium
Rating: 88
There’s something about the Swiss and premium cigars. Maybe there’s something in the water, or maybe it’s the mingling of cultures and traditions from France, Germany, and Italy. Whatever the case may be, many people from Switzerland have made the jump into premium cigars. The name of Zino Davidoff comes to mind (and rightly so), but there are a few others who have broken free from local distribution and entered the world market. One of those is Cavalier Geneve, and boy did it make a splash in the US market. Retailers were excited by the simple band featuring a man with a horse and the great quality of the cigars. But it was the gold diamond on every cigar that really piqued their interest. Was it a bit of a gimmick? Maybe. But it is their hallmark. The gold diamond made of smokable/edible 24k gold is on every one of their cigars.
Sebastien Decoppet, Cavalier Geneve’s owner, wanted to create something totally unique in the premium cigar space. He wanted to create a blend centered around a Viso Jalapa wrapper which is normally reserved for premium cigar filler tobacco. It took him plenty of time to source enough quality material to create a cigar using this wrapper. The blend includes Habano filler and binder tobaccos just like in their popular Black II blend. But the Viso Jalapa wrapper changes the blend and creates a cigar that is medium in strength, but deep with rich complex flavors of toasted breads, cedar, and earth along with hints of nuts, browned butter, and raisin-like sweetness. The brand’s hallmark smokeable Gold Leaf Diamond is prominently displayed on each cigar in hopes to entice you into picking some up. The packaging and gold may draw your attention, but the well balanced flavors and excellent construction will have you coming back for more.
Length: 6”
Ring Gauge: 60
Strength: Medium
Rating: 87
There are few people in the cigar industry who have achieved the level of recognition AJ Fernandez has in such short a time. Like many in the business, he was raised in Cuba where he was a student of tobacco growing and cigar making, but when AJ opened shop in Nicaragua, he quickly gained a reputation for being one of the nation’s best cigar makers. From the beginning, he understood that to produce outstanding cigars day after day, year after year, you have to grow your own tobacco and control the process. He operates 10 farms and 2 factories where his brands are precisely crafted under his watchful eye.
New World Cameroon is a brand that was created to commemorate the discovery and introduction of tobaccos grown in the New World (the Americas) to the old. Since 1492, these tobaccos have been the benchmark the world over. Additionally, the brand commemorates the 1st time AJ blended a cigar with his father, Ismael. Using Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos grown on his farms, AJ Fernandez capped this blend with a beautiful medium-brown, genuine Cameroon wrapper. Cameroon tobacco is a rare leaf and extremely flavorful. This box-pressed, medium-bodied cigar has wonderful notes of cedar and toasted nuts with hints of cinnamon, cocoa, and citrus. The New World Cameroon is a refreshing blend that will keep you coming back for more.
Length: 6”
Ring Gauge: 60
Strength: Medium +
Oscar Valladeres hit a walk-off homerun with his debut of Leaf by Oscar in 2012. While he is a long-time veteran of the industry, Leaf was the 1st cigar he produced at his new factory and was his introduction to the consumer side of the business. And what an introduction it was! Leaf took the market by storm thanks to its unusual packaging as each finished cigar is wrapped in a rough tobacco leaf. While it was a bit gimmicky, the cigars themselves were excellent. Because of his quality cigars and the following they developed, he quickly became one of Danli, Honduras’ most prominent boutique blenders. After a few years of conversations, Valladeres finally agreed to make us a store exclusive and the Stalk by Oscar was born.
Stalk by Oscar is a unique blend from Valladeres, but you can count on the quality, consistency, and flavor Leaf by Oscar lovers have grown to love. While the Stalk isn’t wrapped in the rough outer leaf, it uses an organic, smokable band made of homogenized tobacco. Stalk by Oscar Barberpole uses a choice blend of Honduran filler and binder tobaccos. Here’s where things get interesting. Valladeres takes an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and a Nicaraguan-grown Maduro wrapper laid on top of each other in a staggered fashion to create what looks like a barber pole. This Stalk is a well-balanced, medium body cigar featuring flavors of cocoa, coffee, and spice with hints of nuts and caramel. It’s another stellar creation from Oscar Valladeres!
Length: 6”
Ring Gauge: 60
Strength: Full
Christian Luis Eiroa (pronounced eh-row-hah) is the name behind the initials of C.L.E cigar company, and he’s no stranger to the industry. His breakout success was the Camacho brand, and it instantly cemented his legacy as one of the best cigar makers in Honduras. However, he didn’t just land on the scene and begin making great cigars. His family has been in the industry for over 100 years. Learning from his father Julio, Christian worked hard to understand every possible aspect of the industry. However, Christian’s marketing skills are what really took the family business to the next level. His unique approach has made each new release a rousing success.
The CLE Azabache was originally created as an exclusive for members of the TAA (Tobacconist Association of America). But when other retailers sampled this unique blend, the calls for a national release were too great to ignore. They quickly ramped production and the blend has been a hit ever since. Azabache features a blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian filler tobaccos along with a Honduran Corojo binder. Topping this blend is an almost black, Mexican Maduro wrapper. Tasting notes include flavors of dark chocolate, cedar, and earth along with hints of pepper, coffee, leather, and sweet cream. These box-pressed beauties may be one of the best blends that Eiroa has ever created.
Length: 5”
Ring Gauge: 62
Strength: Medium-Full
It’s not easy being known as the “Godfather” of premium cigars, but it is a title that Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr. wears well. Since 1980, Ernesto has been making some of the most sought-after cigars in the world. His journey began in his father’s (Ernesto Sr.) El Credito cigar factory in Little Havana, Miami in the mid 1970s. Four years later, his father passed away, and Jr. took the reins. He carried within him the four greatest lessons his father taught him: dedication to work, humility, patience and respect. These principles have guided him throughout his life and career. He is always patient and willing to lend a hand to friends in need, and it’s why he’s often known as the “godfather.” He may not be your relative, but he’s always around to provide advice or a helping hand to other cigar makers. He’s truly one of the nicest people in the cigar industry.
Ernesto Perez-Carrillo was one of the first manufacturers to make cigars with truly large ring gauges. It helped catapult his old brand, La Gloria Cubana, to the top of the charts with the Serie R. Now under the label bearing his name, the E.P. Carrillo Inch cigars are the talk of the town when it comes to big diameter cigars. And the newest version is made in Nicaragua by his good friends at Plasencia cigars. The blend is a Nicaraguan Puro featuring a reddish-brown Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper. Tasting notes include flavors of earth, cocoa, and honey-roasted nuts along with hints of pepper, cedar, and caramel. It’s nice to see Carrillo branching out and getting out of his comfort zone a bit, and the EPC Inch Nicaragua is a welcome addition to the portfolio.
