Saint Luis Rey Series G Maduro

  
This new, full-bodied SLR blend combines a toothy, jet-black Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro on the outside with a second Connecticut Broadleaf serving as the binder. These rich tobaccos conceal a robust mixture of Nicaraguan long-fillers and promotes a full-bodied, full-flavored sensation. A complex stogie with rich tobacco flavors delivered in a smooth, slow-burning fashion.
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An extraordinary achievement

Reconquista from Ave Maria is a thing of considerable beauty. Spectacular, inside and out. I would comfortably stack this against any medium to full-bodied blend available today....to say Reconquista will compare favorably is an understatement. Gorgeously packed in heavy, giant chests – inside each cigar is individually encased in cedar coffin boxes then laid neatly over a bed of tobacco leaves. As good as this looks, the real juice is unquestionably the blend itself. Reconquista is made in one size only: a stately 7”x54 Torpedo.

This big, yet manageable, vitola optimizes the rich blend of aged tobaccos….a size perfectly tailored to the cigar’s formulation. The wrapper is a dark, toothy Habano Oscuro variety grown in Brazil: thick and oily, sodden with a feisty and voluptuous character. Its filler tobaccos combine rich, well-aged, Cuban-seed, Nicaraguan-grown leaves from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa. The combination explodes with uniquely rich and dense, finely balanced, and smooth flavors. Hearty notes of espresso, pepper, oak, spices, tobacco, and cocoa lightly dust the palate, leading to a toasty-sweet finish. 

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A Jet Black Beauty from CAO

CAO’s MX2 is a long-awaited, limited production cigar that employs two flavorful wrappers. The outermost leaf is an ultra-dark, super oily Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. Underneath, there’s a second wrapper leaf — fuller-flavored Brazilian Maduro. On their own, each of these wrappers would be high-quality enough. But combine the two, and you’ve got something completely stunning. 

To mix the pot even more, the folks at CAO use a blend of select long-fillers from Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, and the Dominican Republic to complete this complex handmade. The resulting profile is packed with layer after layer of spicy, sweet flavors. If you’ve ever enjoyed a maduro cigar, you better add this one to your cart as quickly as possible. 

Black Dragon
 

Behold, the Black Dragon.

Few cigars can match the caliber of Gurkha handmade cigars. Considered to be some of the world's finest and most prestigious super-premiums, the Gurkha brand represents a small-batch selection of ultra-elusive cigars that routinely receive top ratings in addition to 'Best of the Best' honors from the Robb Report.

Always pushing the envelope with exotic, high-end blends, Gurkha got another trick up its mighty sleeve, and it's called the Black Dragon.

Dressed in a dark and toothy, 5-year old Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, the Black Dragon hails from Honduras and combines a vintage mixture of Dominican long-leaf tobaccos secured within a Cameroon binder. The smoke is thick and chewy, with a rich, leathery core and elegant hints of earth, complemented by an assortment of sweet spices on the finish. Medium in body and complex, yet buttery smooth, the Black Dragon is unlike any Gurkha you've tried before.

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A classic rendition of Montecristo.

To create the Montecristo Classic cigar, only the finest Connecticut shade wrappers were hand-selected to conceal a superior mixture of top-notch Dominican long-fillers. As expected, quality is on point with each cigar, producing a dependable cigar that’s mellow, smooth, and well-balanced. Notes of wood and earth are present just before a crisp, somewhat spicy finish completes each puff.​

Good news, Montecristo Classic has received a well-deserved 91-rating, noting, "A golden-brown lonsdale with an earthy, woody smoke underscored by notes of coffee and caramel. Richer than it looks."

One of CAO’s First and Finest 90-Rated Cigars

Check out CAO Gold, one of the cigars that put CAO on the map. Blended with handpicked, aged long leaves, Gold reliably delivers a classic cigar experience, and comes handsomely packaged in great looking cedar chests.

Don’t be fooled by the pristine Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper on CAO Gold, this cigar is not mellow. Weighing in at more of a medium-body, Gold’s exquisite wrapper is expertly applied atop of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan filler and binder. Overall, we’re looking at a silky cigar that’s deep and complex. If you’re hankering for a real morsel, you’ve come to the right place. 

The CAO Gold received a 91-rating, noting: ”...delivers a woody smoke that bursts with lively notes of orange peel, almond and raisins, all of which converge on the finish.”

  The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is truly a horse of a different color. Elegantly blended using 15-year old Dominican long fillers and hugged by an oily and stunning 15-year old Criollo 98’ wrapper, the Cellar Reseve epitomizes vintage tobacco blending. Never rushing the hands of time, Gurkha's master blenders spent countless hours creating and perfecting this elusive and satisfying blend, and it shows. Upon lighting, the Cellar Reserve immediately asserts a rich and smooth bouquet beautifully displaying the tobaccos at hand. Pay close attention, as this treat subtlety delivers uber-complex flavors behind a slow and methodical burn. Puff after puff reveals unbelievably smooth flavors of oak, earth, and leather backed by a medium to full body. The experience is a nothing short of epic as each draw keeps you in suspense of what’s ahead. Packaged in attractive wine-style crates, the Cellar Reserve looks the part of a finely aged spirits, and rightfully so.

 Montecristo and Plasencia, a match made in heaven.

The story of Montecristo Espada is seriously interesting. Not long ago, Montecristo and famed tobacco grower and cigar maker Nestor Plasencia struck a deal. This deal would gave Montecristo’s blending team, known as the ‘Grupo de Maestros,’ unrestricted access to Plasencia’s world-renowned library of tobaccos and state of the art factory. There, the Grupo de Maestro’s went to work, spending months creating the perfect blend. A blend that’s unlike any other Montecristo ever before. A Nicaraguan puro that’s overflowing with flavor. A cigar that’s as near perfect as they come. A cigar that’s easily fitting of the Montecristo name, but with a level of flavor that’s surprising and welcomed. In short, Montecristo Espada is exceptional.

Meaning ‘sword,’ Espada makes full use of Plasencia’s unique tobacco archive and employs a gorgeous Habano wrapper from 2010 grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua. Underneath, an all-Nicaraguan blend of bold, well-aged long-fillers from Jalapa, Ometepe, and Condega were each specifically selected for their strength, flavor, or body. The result is an extremely well-balanced, layered with rich, hearty notes of wood, pepper, coffee, cream, nuts, and sweetness. Elegant, refined, and loaded with complexity, Montecristo Espada is truly a world-class cigar.

Montecristo Espada received Top 25 honors for 2015 (#20 overall) and a well-deserved 92-rating noting: " offering the spice of a gingersnap with touches of cinnamon that build to a sweet, spicy finish." 

   A novel concept in handmade cigars from Oliva....a substantive blend that will make you rethink the cigar experience.

Nub cigars started as a theory. Born in the Oliva factory, a cigar maker was hell-bent on proving he could capture the essence - the core - of a cigar's flavor immediately upon lighting and throughout the duration of the blend. Well, they nailed it.

Rather than wait for a cigar to develop and evolve, which typically occurs an inch to two inches in, the idea behind Oliva's Nub was to specifically blend it to hit its sweet spot right off the bat and remain at its peak right through to the end. Each size is short and stout in stature. That's by design - not for novelty - as blends and sizes were worked and re-worked a thousand ways from Sunday in order for Nub creator Sam Leccia and the Oliva family to capture the essence of each Nub cigar blend. Anyone can create unusual shapes, each of the Nub blends and accompanying shapes was instead created to summon and deliver the blend's sweet spot. Sample one today.

Habano - glossy, milk chocolate-brown wrapper. Rich tobacco core with a smoky aftertaste. Hints of peanuts are supported by a baked bread component. Spice through the nose. Medium to full-bodied with a rich, creamy character throughout.
 

Witness Ave Maria’s dark side.

The newest line from the best-selling Ave Maria, Argentum, is out to slay inferior cigars. Since Ave Maria first came on the scene praise has been universal, and we’ve had to put in overtime to make sure this delectable blend remained in stock. Brace yourself for Ave Maria Argentum, which puts the brand’s dark side front and center.

Coming in a black, high gloss, handmade wooden box and arriving in the desired Morning Star vitola, Ave Maria Argentum makes its presence known from the start. Medium to full-bodied, this decadent beast comes dressed for battle in a dark and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. A peek under the armor reveals a luscious and hearty blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers setting the table for a flavorful feast at the round table. Flavors abound, including hearty and pleasing notes of dark chocolate, coffee, leather, cedar, with light spice playing in the background for the duration. Pick up the Ave Maria Argentum and join the fight against lesser blends. 

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