NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
2019
Back Black in
featuring Espinosa p. 58
20
yrs of
Acid p. 49
RC6
Maker's Mark's newest
Expression p. 71
Behind the wheel at
DAYTONA p. 39
with
NESTOR
MIRANDA p. 96
editorials NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
26
PERFECT PAIRINGS 26 ARCHETYPE AXIS MUNDI / ARCHETYPE FATAL REFLECTION 28 CASA CUBA / CIGAR CITY HUMIDOR SERIES IPA 46 CAIN DAYTONA / SMOKEY & THE BANDIT COCKTAIL
32
GIFT GUIDE
39
BEHIND THE WHEEL
49
ACID 20 YEARS
71
MAKER’S MARK
96
Q&A NESTOR MIRANDA AND JASON WOOD
We’re highlighting some of the coolest gadgets, cigar gear and other toys that have been sent to us for review. If you don’t find gift ideas here, it’s only because you’re buying this stuff for yourself.
Head to Daytona Beach for a racing-themed Autograph Collection hotel and one of the most exhilarating driving experiences you’ll ever have.
ACID is a lot of things to a lot of people. No matter where you stand on Drew Estate’s infused brand, there’s no denying that it’s a juggernaut in the cigar market. And with the ACID 20, they’re working to win converts among traditional cigar smokers.
A company that’s die-hard about commitment to its recipe uses stave finishing to open new possibilities for its iconic bourbon.
Miami Cigar is turning 30, and they’re celebrating, in part, with a cigar that pays tribute to one of Nestor Miranda’s lifelong passions.
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NOV / DEC 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |
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features NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
16
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
20
FEEDBACK
22
WHAT’S BURNIN’
58
SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB
77
RATINGS
BACK IN BLACK
100
TWITTER SCOREBOARD
102
EVENT COVERAGE 102 DAVIDOFF CHEF’S EDITION AT PER SE 104 NEPTUNE’S 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY 106 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CIGAR FESTIVAL 108 DAVIDOFF DINNER AT SABOR HAVANA 110 CASA CUEVAS AT MASTER’S CIGARS 112 22ND ANNUAL SMOKIN’ BLUES BBQ – TWIN SMOKE SHOP 114 BREW CITY CIGAR FESTIVAL 116 DAVIDOFF CARS AND CIGARS 118 WASHINGTON CIGAR & SPIRITS FESTIVAL 120 MEGA HERF 122 CAMACHO AT THE WHARF
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NOV / DEC 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
VO L . 11 IS SU E 6 www.cigarsnobmag.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Erik Calviño SENIOR EDITOR Nicolás Antonio Jiménez COPY EDITOR Michael LaRocca SALES & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Oscar M. Calviño PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivan Ocampo ART DIRECTOR Andy Astencio ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jamilet Calviño DIGITAL RETOUCHING SPECIALIST Ramón Santana DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Gianni D’Alerta CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Benoliel Andy Astencio EVENT PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamilet Calviño Keisha Kochanowski Victoria Hunt Ari Shapiro EsperConsulting Cover Photography by David Benoliel www.davidbenolielphotography.com Cover Model - Zienna Sonne Wiliams Cigar Snob is published bi-monthly by Lockstock Publications, Inc. 1421-1 SW 107th Ave., #253 Miami, FL 33174-2509 Tel: 1 (786) 423-1015 Cigar Snob is a registered trademark of Lockstock Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Cigar Snob is printed in the U.S. Contents copyright 2006, Lockstock Publications, Inc. To subscribe, visit www.cigarsnobmag.com
(SUBSCRIBE TODAY) - Only $18 for one Year (six issues) of -
- Magazine delivered to you Visit: www.cigarsnobmag.com or write: subscribe@cigarsnobmag.com
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It’s a mad, mad world out there, ladies and gents. Our collective sense of community and overall civility is at dangerously low levels. I’m not saying anything earth-shattering here. We’ve all seen it in traffic, on social media, and in casual interactions where people treat each other in horrible ways. I’m even seeing it more than ever in schools. Kids have been mean since the beginning of time. There was probably a little caveman kid who was given a loincloth wedgie on a daily basis. When I was a teenager, friction usually led to a fight and stuff was generally resolved. Kids who had previously tried to beat the snot out of each other would sometimes end up as best friends. But in today’s “more civilized” world of bullying prevention, the kid who’s being mean goes on unchecked. The kid who’s being harassed has no choice but to tell the teacher, who then tells the jerk to stop it and the cycle continues. In other words, there is no actual, physical repercussion for the mean kid’s actions and worse, the kid being harassed is forced to live a miserable existence. No one wants to get in trouble for fighting because it could end up being reported and affect his participation in the school’s sports teams or honor society. The knucklehead goes through all of his school years unchecked and unchallenged, so he thinks it’s OK. By the time he’s old enough to walk into a cigar shop and hang out with us, he’s likely to be a grade-A asshole. Bad behavior has to be checked. The more we get away from this very natural and effective, albeit ugly, part of life, the closer we move to a dystopian existence. That sounds a little extreme, but all I’m saying is that the more you remove us from the ugly realities of life, the more you remove us from being human. The ugly parts are what make the good parts possible. If it wasn’t that a beautiful, brand new human being was entering the world, the act of childbirth is itself not a pretty sight. There’s blood, pain, screaming, more blood, maybe a couple of choice words yelled at a frightened, nervous husband. But then the child is born and there is nothing but pure love, a love so great and unconditional that it genuinely takes your breath away. If you keep trying to remove the ugly realities from life, where will it stop? On a more immediate and pressing front, make an effort to be kind to a stranger. I’m not talking about going out of your way to buy a stranger a breakfast sandwich, although if I’m the stranger on the receiving end of the sandwich I would be extremely thankful and would pay it forward. I’m talking about a simple act of kindness like letting one car merge into your lane in traffic without a fight. Even just saying good morning to the other person on the elevator when you walk into it tomorrow morning. But, listen ... the breakfast sandwich idea is not a bad one either. This last issue of the year is upon us and it’s a good one! I sent Nick
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to Daytona to get behind the wheel of a real NASCAR stock car and take it around the world-famous speedway a few times (pg 39). I hope he enjoyed it. I’ve kicked myself several times about giving away that assignment! On the flip side I was privileged to take part in Davidoff’s Chef ’s Edition dinner at Per Se in New York (pg 102). One word: outrageous. I can’t really complain because I also took a trip to Loretto, Kentucky to rekindle an old love affair with Maker’s Mark bourbon (pg 71). Speaking of falling in love, please check out our photo shoot with the beautiful Zienna titled Back in Black featuring Espinosa Laranja Escuro (pg 58). Finally, Nick wrote an interesting piece about ACID Cigars as they turn 20 (pg 49). Enjoy what is left of 2019. Remember to be kind to one another, to look more at what makes us similar than what makes us different, and share a breakfast sandwich with someone!
Keep ‘em lit,
Erik Calviño ecalvino@cigarsnobmag.com
A stellar Brazilian Stalk-Cut Maduro wrapper, rich in texture, complements an enticing blend of diverse well-aged northern Nicaraguan fillers and Connecticut broadleaf binder. This medium bodied, full flavored smoke is lush and earthy with balanced layers of naturally sweet fragrant spice, rewarding aficionados with a satisfying cigar smoking experience that in a word, is Perfeição!
“As Master Blender of Drew Estate, this selection of cigars reflect on the personal journey I’ve embarked on to craft blends to satisfy my tastes, my curiosities, and above all else – my creative passion for blending cigars that I’m humbled to share with you.” - Willy Herrera. Follow me on Instagram @herreraesteli and learn more about the journey we share together.
THE REBIR TH OF CIGARS L A GRAN FABRICA DREW ESTATE ESTELI, NICARAGUA
WWW.DRE WE S TATE.COM
HERRER A E S TELI BR A ZILIAN S TALKCU T MADURO HERRER A E S TELI BR A ZILIAN S TALKCU T MADURO HERRER A E S TELI BR A ZILIAN S TALKCU T MADURO HERRER A E S TELI
Brazilian Dream
VILLIGER CUELLAR BLACK FOREST
which first appeared in 2015, will be made available only through Drew Diplomat retailers at a price of $217.96 for a box of 15. “The Norteño Edicion Limitada is a killer stick bro,” said Drew Estate master blender Willy Herrera in a press release. “At all of my events consumers come up and ask when it is coming back. I am happy to say this limited release will satisfy some of the demand, but they better grab them quick before they disappear.”
Villiger Cigars announced the release of the Villiger Cuellar Black Forest. An extension of the Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Kreme line, Black Forest is made at Jochy Blanco’s Tabacalera Palma in the Dominican Republic and features a maduro wrapper. The name of the cigar is a reference to the Black Forest in the south of Germany. Villiger Chairman Heinrich Villiger grew up near the Black Forest.
The Norteño Edicion Limitada features tobaccos from the Estelí and Jalapa growing regions of Nicaragua, along with a Honduran binder and Mexican San Andrés wrapper.
TOSCANO GARIBALDI
HERRERA ESTELI NORTEÑO EDICION LIMITADA
Toscano has announced the release of the Garibaldi in the United States. It’s named for Giuseppe Garibaldi, “the Hero of the Two Worlds,” a military general, Italian Nationalist, and smoker of Toscano cigars. The cigar is made at the Toscano factory in Tuscany and “captures the sweet aromas of our natural tobacco and wood while maintaining subtle notes of spice and toasted nuts,” according to a press release. The blend comprises tobaccos from Italy and Kentucky. Garibaldi will be available in 5-packs at a retail price of $18.95.
GRIMALKIN SEASONAL EDITION Drew Estate announced today the limited release of the Herrera Esteli Norteño Edicion Limitada Churchill. The 7 x 48 cigar,
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BLACK LABEL TRADING COMPANY ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF SANTA MUERTE Black Label Trading Company’s Santa Muerte has been released. The cigar is made at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí. “We have gone out of the box with Santa Muerte. It features Broadleaf, San Andres, Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco among the 6 filler tobaccos. You experience layer upon layer of coffee, malt, spice and cocoa. As the name suggests, there is a Day of the Dead tribute to honor those we have lost,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra, in a press release. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the United States. It’s available in Corona Gorda (5½ x 48) and Short Robusto (4¾ x 52). Both retail for $10.
“We very much look forward to releasing the Villiger Cuellar Black Forest, as it marries Caribbean artisan tobacco craftmanship with German/Swiss folklore, culture, and mysticism. Both our passion for tobacco and the Villiger culture are represented in this cigar,” Heinrich said in a press release. The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest is being made in four vitolas: a 5 x 48 Robusto, a 6 x 54 Toro Gordo, a 7 x 50 Churchill, and a 6¼ x 52 Torpedo. They range in price from $7.80 to $8.40 per cigar.
Grimalkin Seasonal Limited Edition, a Nicaraguan puro, will be available in limited quantities at select retailers. It’s a 5 x 50 Robusto packaged in 25-count boxes with an MSRP of $9.75 per cigar.
Emilio Cigars announced the release of the Grimalkin Seasonal Edition. The cigar is manufactured at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí.
DITKA & JAWS CIGARS WITH THE STARS PARTY The Ditka & Jaws Cigars with the Stars Party will be held Thursday, January 30, 2020 in Miami. The event will feature cigars from the industry’s top brands, Scotch, football celebrities, and a silent auction. The annual event is where Ron Jaworski and Mike Ditka bring friends and smokers together to raise funds for Jaws Youth Playbook, which focuses on improving the overall health and wellness of at-risk youth, primarily in the Greater Philadelphia Region, and the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, whose mission is to assist dire need retired NFL players who were pioneers of the game and who have greatly contributed to the NFL’s status as the most popular sport in America. Learn more about the event and buy tickets at ditkajawscigars.com.
“An opulent and delicious limited edition Nicaraguan Puro.”
“A bold, rich expression of well-aged Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.”
THE 2019 TIMELESS & EPOCA LIMITED EDITION TOROS Available for only a limited time. 1.800.MY.CIGAR
www.natshermanintl.com
Site limited to smokers 21 years of age or older. WARNING: Smoking cigars regularly poses risks of cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx and esophagus similar to smoking cigarettes. ©2019 NAT SHERMAN INTERNATIONAL, LLC NSI557
SABOR HAVANA’S SMOKE THIS! Sabor Havana’s annual Smoke This! Event will be held at the Doral, Fla. tobacconist December 7, 2019 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; a “pre event” dinner the night before called “Cigars Under the Stars” will be catered by Ruth’s Chris Steak House and will feature cigars paired with The Macallan and a showcase of specially selected wines by Mega Wine & Spirits. The main event will be set up at Sabor Havana and a giant tent right outside the shop. The blowout event features wine, spirits, and food from Sushi Sake, Divieto Italian Cuisine, Christy’s Coral Gables, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Coral Gables, Diced, Chef Paella, Mega Wine & Spirits, Breakthru, Brown Forman, Republic National Distributors, Zafra Rum and many others. Cigar makers represented at the event will include Arturo Fuente, Villiger, Dav-
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idoff, My Father, Rocky Patel, Miami Cigar, Perdomo, Oliva, C.L.E., Espinosa, Altadis, HVC, Plasencia, La Flor Dominicana, Casa Fernandez, AJ Fernandez, Gurkha, Ashton, Drew Estate, EPC, Lords of England, and El Galan. Get more information and purchase tickets at saborhavanacigars.com.
PROCIGAR FESTIVAL 2020
Registration for the 2020 ProCigar Festival in the Dominican Republic is now open. The event kicks off in Casa de Campo February 16 to 18. Guests there will enjoy some time on the country’s most pristine beaches,
a visit to Tabacalera de García, and special dinners featuring premium Dominican cigars. The rest of the event takes place in the cigar making hub of Santiago de los Caballeros. Guests will take part in factory and farm tours led by some of their favorite cigar makers, access to new and unreleased cigars, lunches with industry gurus, seminars and workshops, dinner parties, and a whole bunch of Dominican beer and rum. ProCigar provides all the meals and transportation, so all you need to worry about is getting yourself there. The event is the best way to get up close and personal with not only your favorite cigar makers, but with the farmers, rollers, and facilities behind the Dominican stogies you love. It’s also a great way to learn more about the broader Dominican culture that surrounds the cigar industry there. Learn more and register at procigar.org.
WE’RE TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT SHOPPING WITH THIS GUIDE TO SOME OF THE COOLEST, MOST IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO CIGAR SNOB HQ FOR TESTING. FROM WATCHES TO HEADPHONES TO AIR PURIFIERS FOR A HOME CIGAR LOUNGE, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
GIFT GUIDE
SKYROAM SOLIS X skyroam.com
$179.99 CASIO EDIFICE EFS-S550 SOLAR POWERED CHRONOGRAPH edifice.casio.com
$200 “Solar-powered” is a bit of a misnomer here. Casio’s solar-powered Edifice watches can actually be charged even with exposure to fluorescent light! The EFS-S550 in particular brings some racing cred along with it, as it was developed in tandem with the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 pit crew. The super-tough, scratch resistant sapphire crystal and the anti-reverse bezel are the perfect combination of rugged good looks and precision timekeeping.
PSB M4U 8 HEADPHONES psbspeakers.com
$399
ORANGEWOOD MORGAN MAHOGANY LIVE GUITAR orangewoodguitars.com
$275 It’s an accessible, handsome guitar that’s attractive enough to display, simple enough in its design to appeal to most anyone. Featuring a solid mahogany top and a Pau Ferro fretboard with black binding, this beauty produces rich, natural tones acoustically or amplified with the built-in Fishman EQ. It will keep everyone at your cigar lounge talking about how good you sounded when you played for them. Maybe they’re just being nice, but still.
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Why should wires get in the way when you’re listening to music or movies or — if you’re smart — the Cigar Snob Podcast? With noise canceling and the very latest in Bluetooth tech and the M4U 8’s RoomFeel technology, you’ll get a layer of lush realism to your audio, whether you’re listening to thundering bass, a Stradivarius, or Ivan’s famous horn on podcast.
Connect up to 10 devices at once to this global 4G LTE WiFi hotspot to get Internet access in more than 130 countries. Pay $9 for a day of unlimited data, $9 for a month with a 1GB cap, or $99 for a month of unlimited access. You can also use the Solis X as a battery pack to charge your devices.
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GET IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT OF A STOCK CAR ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST LEGENDARY TRACKS, THEN KICK BACK IN A DAYTONA BEACH HOTEL THAT’S LOADED WITH RACING HISTORY. BY NICOLÁS ANTONIO JIMÉNEZ
JANUARY 30, 2020 PARAMOUNT MIAMI WORLD CENTER Join Coach Mike Ditka and Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, along with NFL Legends for an evening of cigars, camaraderie and anticipation of the big game!
DITKAJAWSCIGARS.COM F O R $ 1 0 0 D I S C O U N T U S E C O D E:
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TWENTY / PUSHING THE ENVELOPE / GROUNDBREAKING / COUNTERCULTURE / HANDMADE / NICARAGUAN / A CHANGEUP / INFUSED / UNWELCOME / ART / REFRESHING / NONTRADITIONAL / RICH / NEW YORK / DIVISIVE / SWEET / HONORING TRADITION / HIP-HOP / A GUILTY PLEASURE / DISRUPTIVE ... ACID CIGARS ARE MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE. BUT 20 YEARS AFTER THE BRAND LAUNCHED, WHAT’S OBVIOUS IS THAT THE BRAND ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE. THIS IS OUR LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST POLARIZING LONG-FILLER CIGAR BRANDS ON THE MARKET AND WHAT HAS HELPED IT ENDURE FOR TWO DECADES, EVEN AFTER SO MANY WERE BETTING AGAINST IT. BY NICOLÁS ANTONIO JIMÉNEZ
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• featuring •
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Escuro
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Maker’s Mark recently made waves with a new nationwide limited release, the Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series
I took a trip to Loretto, Kentucky, home to the Maker’s Mark distillery to reconnect with an old favorite, understand a little more about stave finishing, and figure out what the heck RC6 means. By Erik Calviño
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FB/ procigar.org  IG/ @procigar_rd
REGISTER AT: procigar.org
56 cigars CIGAR CASE: Davidoff Cigar Case Black Croco (us.davidoffgeneva.com) CUTTER: S.T.Dupont Fuente 20th Anniversary Black MaxiJet Cigar Cutter (st-dupont.com) NOV / DEC 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |
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DAVIDOFF CHEF’S EDITION DINNER at PER SE NEW YORK CITY
Only Davidoff could pull off this type of magic as a grand finale to their wildly successful Chef’s Edition collaboration. The project kicked off two years ago when the company brought together five extraordinary chefs from around the globe to co-blend a masterpiece cigar alongside Davidoff’s master blenders. Coming into the collaboration, all of the chefs were experienced cigar smokers and each currently held at least one Michelin star: Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Per Se, and others), Alvin Leung (BO Initiative), Klaus Erfort (Gästehaus Klaus Erfort), Heiko Nieder (The Restaurant), Shaun Rankin (Ormer Mayfair). These international tastemakers’ ability to discern flavors, aroma, and mouth feel proved to be just as useful in blending cigars as in preparing world-class cuisine. “The key to creating a recipe and blending a cigar,” stated chef Heiko Nieder, “is that you have to do it with your heart as well as with the tongue and the nose.” The Davidoff Chef’s Edition was released in September 2018 and almost instantly sold out. An additional 500 boxes were set aside and saved for this grand finale dinner. The evening started at chef Thomas Keller’s highly acclaimed Per Se in New York City’s Columbus Circle. Guests were served canapés and cocktails in the garden followed by a specially curated fourcourse meal, two of the dishes by chef Keller and two by chef Nieder. Each dish was paired with an old world wine and drew inspiration from the Chef’s Edition cigar. Chef Nieder’s turbot with “Champignon de Paris,” pears, and cigar flavors served alongside a glass of Domaine Nicolas Joly, Coulée de Serrant, Savennières 2015, particularly stands out. That was until chef Keller served an Elysian Fields Farm lamb prime rib with a “ragout” of sweet corn, Black Mission figs, and Piedmont hazelnut jus accompanied by a glass of La Rioja Alta’s Gran Reserva 904 Rioja 2010. The most difficult thing from the evening was answering, “Which dish you like the most?”
Heiko Nieder, Anna Bolz, Alvin Leung, Jeslyn Theo and Thomas Keller
Lana Fraser
Chef Keller's lamb prime rib
As if the four-course tour de force was not enough, desserts were served after a limousine ride down to Davidoff of Geneva since 1911 at Brookfield Place. Guests were greeted with a Davidoff Chef’s Edition cigar and a Patrón Smoked Old Fashioned. Then Per Se’s pastry chef, Anna Bolz, brought down the house with an array of cigar inspired desserts. With this level of sweets, cigars, and libations flowing in the company of chef Keller, chef Nieder, and a surprise appearance by chef Alvin Leung, the night and this special collaboration ended with plenty of fireworks. Thomas Keller, Susanne Minder, Alvin Leung and Heiko Nieder
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Dylan Austin, Beat Hauenstein and Mark Jacob
Patrรณn Smoked Old Fashioned
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