Some Kind of Monster
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internet only CigarOCTOBER 11, 2011 n VOL. 16,Insider NO. 19 n FROM THE PUBLISHER OF CIGAR AFICIONADO MAGAZINE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE IN THIS ISSUE: FEATURED CIGAR TASTING REPORT: AGING ROOM SMALL BATCH M356 PRESTO VERTICAL BRAND TASTINGS: DOM. REP. n PRICE: $7.25 n BODY: MEDIUM 94 POINTS n Aging Room Small Batch M356 [page 2] For a full tasting, see page two. n Thunder By Nimish [page 2] n Quesada Oktoberfest [page 3] NEW SIZES: BEST CIGARS THIS ISSUE n La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Digger [page 3] Aging Room Small Batch M356 Presto Dom. Rep. 94 n Ramon Allones Especiales Exclusivo Suiza [page 3] Ramon Allones Especiales Exclusivo Suiza Cuba 92 n Romeo y Julieta Julietas [page 3] Aging Room Small Batch M356 Rondo Dom. Rep 91 Aging Room Small Batch M356 Mezzo Dom. Rep 90 CIGAR NEWS Romeo y Julieta Julieta Cuba 90 n Lawsuit Over—Peace Between Pepin Garcia’s Thunder By Nimish Torpedo Nicaragua 90 Family and Eduardo Fernandez [page 4] Thunder By Nimish Toro Nicaragua 89 n Cuban Report—Status Update on Cuba’s 2011 Regional Edition Cigars [page 4] n Tatuaje’s Wolfman Smoke [page 5] n Padrón Family Reserve 85 Ships [page 6] SOME KIND OF MONSTER n Keeping the FDA Away from Cigars [page 6] THE WOLFMAN is the latest incarnation n Fuente and Newman Charity Smokes [page 7] of the Tatuaje Monster Series of cigars. These limited- n Dominican Cigar Festival Returns [page 7] edition smokes, presented in numbered boxes and sold only at 13 brick-and-mortar retailers, have been n Steven Ysidron Leaves Savinelli [page 8] a huge hit with collectors but have caused some grief for their creator, Pete Johnson. The full story about the n Big Smoke [page 8] spooky smokes begins on page five. CUBA’S 2011 REGIONAL EDITION UPDATE WHILE SOME COUNTRIES HAVE RECEIVED THEIR 2011 REGIONALS, MANY HAVE NOT. Countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Canada have at least one of their scheduled 2011 Regional Edition Cuban cigars, special smokes made only for sale in a country or region of the world. But the United Kingdom, Italy and the Middle East have yet to receive a shipment. To see who has what and who doesn’t, turn to page four. TO SUBScRIBE GO TO www.cIGARINSIDER.cOM Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE no-seed ligero grown in the La Canela region of the Dominican TASTING REPORT Republic, the M356 signifies the day of the blend’s creation— Monday, the 356th day of the year. The line seems to improve as AGING ROOM SMALL BATCH M356 the sizes get smaller. The smallest scored 94 points. Average Rating: 90.8. points NEW RELEASE—VERTICAL bRAND tasting Country: Dominican Republic Maker: Tabacalera La Palma THUNDER BY NIMISH Distributor: Habana Cuba Cigar Co. NEW RELEASE—VERTICAL bRAND tasting Filler: Dom. Rep. Country: Nicaragua binder: Dom. Rep. Maker: Tabacalera Tavicusa Sociedad Wrapper: Dom. Rep. Distributor: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars Release Date: June 2011 Filler: N/A PRESTO binder: Nicaragua 94 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 48 n $7.25 n Humidor Selection Wrapper: Ecuador An attractive little robusto that has hints of roast- Release Date: September 2011 ed nuts, baked fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg. Very flavorful and complex. TORPEDO body: Medium 90 POINTS n 6 1/4" x 54 n $5.95 A strong and intensely peppery smoke with a notably RONDO firm draw. Black and red pepper flavors give way to a 91 POINTS n 5" x 50 n $7.69 n Humidor Selection black tea finish. The uneven burn on this smoke eventually corrects body: Full itself. The draw is substantial, imparting earthy, peppery smoke complemented by coffee and orange peel. TORO body: Medium to Full 89 POINTS n 6" x 52 n $5.75 Dark and oily with an uneven burn but full draw. It’s MEZZO meaty and spicy with strong pepper notes and a bit of 90 POINTS n 6" x 54 n $8.06 oiliness on the palate. This starts out as a considerably powerful cigar, full of body: Full earthy flavors, but mellows to show dark coffee notes and a touch of cinammon. ROBUSTO body: Medium to Full 88 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 54 n $5.50 Topped with a pigtail cap, this dark, oily cigar starts MAjOR herbal and woody, gaining intensity with pepper, licorice 88 POINTS n 6 1/2" x 60 n $8.50 notes and a tarry finish. Covered in a spotty wrapper, this big cigar smokes well body: Medium to Full with a creamy flavor plus hints of meat and wood. The finish could be longer. BRAND SUMMARY: Blended with help by Rocky Patel’s cousin body: Medium Nimish Desai, Thunder is meant to be full bodied. It lived up to its mission, showing a very strong, peppery profile that was the BRAND SUMMARY: Small Batch, according to brand owner most intense in the Torpedo size, which received 90 points. While Rafael Nodal, is a blend that he previously approved, but delayed the most powerful, it was also the most balanced of the line. due to the scarcity of the required tobaccos. Made with Haba- Average Rating: 89.0 points 95-100: Classic n 90-94: Outstanding n 80-89: Very good to excellent n 70-79: Average to good commercial quality Below 70: Don’t waste your money n N/A: Not Available Note: Prices are manufacturers’ suggested retail, before taxes. 2 TO SUBScRIBE GO TO www.cIGARINSIDER.cOM October 11, 2011 Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE LA FLOR DOMINICANA DOUBLE LIGERO BRAND SUMMARY: Intended to be a match for the hearty Märzen-style beers produced for the German holiday of Okto- NEW SIZE berfest, the new Quesada Oktoberfest is a Dominican puro using Country: Dominican Republic a dark wrapper the Quesadas have dubbed “Dominican Cibao.” The smokes come in boxes of 20. Maker: Tabacalera La Flor S.A. Average Rating: 87.5 points Distributor: Premium Imports Inc. Filler: Dom. Rep. binder: Dom. Rep. RAMON ALLONES Wrapper: Ecuador NEW SIZE August 2011 Release Date: Country: Cuba Maker: N/A DIGGER Distributor: Habanos S.A. via Intertabak AG 88 POINTS n 8 1/2" x 60 n $10.00 Dark, oily and the size of a mini-baseball bat, this behemoth Filler: Cuba could use a fuller draw. It starts with some spice and binder: Cuba minerality, leaving the palate a bit grassy. Wrapper: Cuba body: Medium box Date: June 2011 ESPECIALES ExCLUSIVO SUIZA qUESADA OKTOBERFEST 92 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 52 n 16.00 Sw. Fr. n Humidor Selection A good-looking cigar with a well-crafted head and fairly NEW RELEASE—VERTICAL bRAND tasting easy draw. Its core of woody flavors are balanced by coffee, Country: Dominican Republic leather and orange peel notes. Complex and tasty. Maker: Manufactura de Tabacos S.A. (MATASA) body: Medium Distributor: S.A.G. Imports Inc. Filler: Dom. Rep. binder: Dom. Rep. ROMEO Y jULIETA Wrapper: Dom. Rep. NEW SIZE Release Date: September 2011 Country: Cuba Maker: N/A BAVARIAN Distributor: Habanos S.A. 88 POINTS n 5 1/2" x 52 n $7.95 Filler: Cuba There is a distinct licorice taste to this dark, bumpy cigar, binder: Cuba which draws and burns evenly. Charred meat flavors are also quite prominent. Wrapper: Cuba body: Medium to Full box Date: March 2011 ÜBER jULIETA n n 87 POINTS 6" x 65 $8.95 90 POINTS n 4 3/4" x 33 n 31.00 Sw. Fr. (Tin of 5) A dark, unusually hefty smoke that draws and burns Small with an evenly colored wrapper, this toasty petit evenly. It is full of roasted meat flavors that leave toasty, corona is pleasant with cedar, cashew and touches of cedary notes on the palate. dried orange. A satisfying little smoke. body: Medium to Full body: Medium 95-100: Classic n 90-94: Outstanding n 80-89: Very good to excellent n 70-79: Average to good commercial quality Below 70: Don’t waste your money n N/A: Not Available Note: Prices are manufacturers’ suggested retail, before taxes. 3 TO SUBScRIBE GO TO www.cIGARINSIDER.cOM October 11, 2011 Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE factory (one of the larger cigar factories in Nicaragua), accusing the Garcias of channeling business around El Rey CIGAR NEWS de Los Habanos and Tabacalera Cubana in an effort to circumvent the terms of the partnership. After the Garcias formed My Father Cigars in July 2008, they transferred trademarks to two cigar brands (My Father and Tabacos Baez) from El Rey de Los Habanos to My Father “unbe- LAWSUIT OVER: FERNANDEZ AND knownst to Fernandez,” according to the suit. By late 2010, Fernandez had filed charges against GARCIAS SETTLE OUT OF COURT the Garcias in the Southern District Court of Florida, By GREGORy MOTTOLA Miami Division, accusing them of breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, tortuous interference and civil conspiracy. he lawsuit filed more than a year ago by Eduardo The Garcia’s rebuttal in their official affirmative defense TFernandez, owner of agricultural conglomerate Agan- maintained that “Fernandez, as director and shareholder of orsa S.A., against cigarmaker José “Pepin” Garcia and his fifty percent (50 percent) ownership interest in El Rey, had family, has been settled out of court. complete access to all transactions.” The document also Fernandez, who owned 50 percent of the Miami-based described that the trademarks in question were never the El Rey de Los Habanos cigar factory, as well as half of property of El Rey de los Habanos, and therefore “cannot Tabacalera Cubana S.A.