internet only CigarSEPTEMBER 25, 2012 n VOL.Insider 17, NO. 18 n FROM THE PUBLISHER OF CIGAR AFICIONADO MAGAZINE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE IN THIS ISSUE: FEATURED CIGAR TASTING REPORT: CAMACHO LIBERTY 2012 VERTICAL BRAND TASTINGS: HONDURAS n PRICE: $16.70 n BODY: MED. TO FULL 91 POINTS n 2012 2 CLE Corojo [page ] For a full tasting, see page three. n Cuenca y Blanco [page 2] NEW SIZES: n Camacho Liberty 2012 [page 3] BEST CIGARS THIS ISSUE CURRENT RELEASES: Camacho Liberty 2012 Honduras 91 n Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 1 [page 3] n Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 [page 3] Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 1 Cuba 91 Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 Cuba 91 CIGAR NEWS—NEW CIGARS OF 2012 (PART FOUR) CLE Corojo 2012 11/18 Honduras 90 n Premium Imports Inc. [page 4] Cuenca y Blanco Corona Real Nicaragua 90 n Prometheus International Inc. [page 4] Cuenca y Blanco Lonsdale Club Nicaragua 90 n Puros Indios/Cuba Aliados [page 5] n Rocky Patel Premium Cigars [page 5] Two Tied At Various 89 n S.A.G. Imports Inc. [page 6] n Santa Cruz Tobacco [page 7] n Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. [page 7] n Tabacalera Perdomo [page 8] A GRAND CELEBRATION n Tabacalera Tropical/Casa Fernandez [page 8] CIGAR AFICIONADO JUST TURNED 20 n Tabacos S.A. [page 8] and celebrated with a party hosted by editor and publisher n Toraño Family Cigar Co. [page 9] Marvin R. Shanken at the Grand Havana Room. The n Viaje Cigar Co. [page 9] party not only brought together some of the biggest names in the premium cigar industry, but also honored n Ventura Cigar Co. [page 10] nine of them with induction into our Hall of Fame. For n Villiger Cigars North America [page 10] the story and photos, visit CigarAficionado.com. HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRADE SHOW HIT THE MARKET AS WE GET CLOSER TO OCTOBER, MORE BRANDS SHIP TO SHOPS. Ever see a La Flor Dominicana Chisel shape in a tube? Nobody has until now with the Oro Chisel tubo (left). Salutem from the Toraño Family Cigar Co. (second from left) features Cameroon filler—a company first. What was once a house brand to Rocky Patel’s posh Burn lounge in Naples, Florida is now distributed nationally, though the blend for Burn Naples Florida (middle) has been adjusted for a little more sweetness. Villiger turns to the Plasencia family to produce its Talanga brand (second from right), a medium-bodied cigar that showcases a Honduran wrapper from the Talanga Valley. Casa Magna Colorado gets box pressed (right) in this three-size Nicaraguan puro. TO SUBSCRIBE GO TO WWW.CIGARINSIDER.COM Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE Cigar Co. (his middle name is Luís) earlier this summer. Eiroa, TASTING REPORT who sold his Camacho brand to Davidoff in 2008, left the Swiss company last year and announced his return to cigars with CLE in July. He has since put his first two self-branded lines on shelves, CLE COROJO 2012 including CLE Corojo 2012. The CLE blend is intended to be NEW RELEASE—VERTICAL BRAND TASTING medium to full in body, and Eiroa said it reflects his changing Country: Honduras tastes in cigars. Eiroa is vintage-dating all of his cigar lines and plans to sell the 2012 version (rated here) until March 2013, when Maker: Tabacos Rancho Jamastran he will start selling the new vintage. He told Cigar Insider that Distributor: CLE Cigar Co. vintage dating is important for him, in part because, “Tobacco is Filler: Honduras different year after year—a new year is a new vintage.” While the Binder: Honduras CLE brand is being made at the factory that makes Camachos, Wrapper: Honduras Eiroa is in the process of forming his own factory called El Aldino in Danlí, named after and built in the footsteps of an old movie Release Date: July 2012 theater owned before by his family. Of the CLE Corojo 2012 line, the bulging 11/18 size performed the best, scoring 90 points in 11/18 our blind test. 90 POINTS n 6 x 54 n $6.50 " Average Rating: 88.3 points Earthy coffee notes lead to a sweet vanilla finish on this well-made, even-burning cigar. It is rolled with a bulging middle, tapered foot and three-seam cap. Body: Medium to Full CUENCA Y BLANCO 5 X 50 89 POINTS n 5" x 50 n $5.95 n Best Buy NEW RELEASE—VERTICAL BRAND TASTING A veiny robusto that burns well, showing pencil lead, Country: Nicaragua mineral flavors and peppery, spicy notes with a some- Maker: Joya de Nicaragua S.A. what dusty finish. Distributor: Drew Estate Body: Medium Filler: Nicaragua, Peru 5 3/4 X 46 Binder: Dom. Rep. 88 POINTS n 5 3/4" x 46 n $5.50 n Best Buy Wrapper: Ecuador There is a constant woody, cedary undertone to this Release Date: August 2012 dark, attractive corona gorda. Wheaty notes also emerge before a coffee-like finish. CORONA REAL Body: Medium 90 POINTS n 5 1/2" x 46 n $7.45 A dark and well-made corona, this full-bodied cigar 6 X 60 delivers a chewy, toasty smoke that is sweet and nutty 86 POINTS n 6" x 60 n $6.95 on each puff. A thick log with a lopsided cap, this hefty cigar is a Body: Full primarily woody, cedary-tasting smoke. It draws evenly throughout, but leaves a gummy finish. LONSDALE CLUB Body: Medium 90 POINTS n 6 1/2" x 44 n $8.45 This solidly rolled lonsdale has a slightly firm draw, but BRAND SUMMARY: Longtime Camacho Cigars president is full of flavor, imparting malty notes of dark stout, Christian Eiroa marked his return to the cigar business by meaty flavors and a sweet cocoa finish. announcing the founding of his new eponymous venture CLE Body: Medium to Full 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 September 25, 2012 Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE CAMACHO LIBERTY TORPEDO ESPECIAL 89 POINTS n 6 1/4" x 52 n $10.45 NEW RELEASE First puffs of this dark torpedo show plenty of sweet Country: Honduras dried fruit and orange peel character, as well as touches Maker: Tabacos Rancho Jamastran of cedar, but the finish is dry and heavy with minerals. Distributor: Davidoff of Geneva (FL) Inc. Body: Medium to Full Filler: Honduras ROBUSTO DELUXE Binder: Honduras 88 POINTS n 5 1/4" x 50 n $7.25 Wrapper: Honduras A strong robusto whose bold meaty, earthy flavors Release Date: June 2012 underscore some creamy coffee notes on the finish, though it could use some sweetness. LIBERTY 2012 Body: Full 91 POINTS n 6" x 54 n $16.70 n Humidor Selection Contoured with a bulbous middle and tapered foot, TORO SUPREMO this cigar imparts a rich combination of coffee bean, 87 POINTS n 6" x 54 n $9.35 complex woods and dried fruit to the palate. A sweet profile of cedar, dried fruit, and tea flavors are Body: Medium to Full slightly offset by some perfumey notes. The wrapper is dark and attractive, though the draw is a bit firm. Body: Medium to Full HOYO DE MONTERREY BRAND SUMMARY: Cigar industry veterans Alejandro Martinez Cuenca and José Blanco teamed up to produce the new Cuenca y CURRENT RELEASES Blanco brand, a cigar made at the Joya de Nicaragua factory and Country: Cuba distributed by Drew Estate. Martinez Cuenca is the president of Maker: N/A Joya de Nicaragua, and José Blanco (formerly of La Aurora) serves Distributor: Habanos S.A. as the senior vice president. “This cigar is the quintessential expres- sion of how two minds, two experiences and two origins worked Filler: Cuba together,” Cuenca said of the project earlier this summer. “Each Binder: Cuba venturing off our traditional paths of only making puros to Wrapper: Cuba instead creating a cigar of diverse tobaccos.” The result is what Box Dates: July 2011, November 2011 Martinez Cuenca calls a unique blend, made with Ecuador Habano wrapper, Dominican Piloto Cubano from the La Canela EPICURE NO. 1 region for the binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan tobacco 91 POINTS n 5 5/8" x 46 n £15.92 n Humidor Selection from Ometepe and Estelí, and Peruvian viso from the Tarapoto Rich and savory from the first puffs, this cigar is full of region. The line was officially introduced at this year’s IPCPR pronounced leather flavor that lingers on the palate, trade show, and it performed well, netting two 90-point scores along with fresh ground coffee and nutty notes. for the Corona Real and the Lonsdale Club. Body: Medium Average Rating: 88.8 points EPICURE NO. 2 91 POINTS n 4 7/8" x 50 n £15.11 n Humidor Selection An oily wrapper and three-seam cap adorn this tasty, balanced smoke, whose sweet and nutty intonations are complemented by leather and licorice notes. 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 September 25, 2012 Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE Filler: Dom.