Cigar Blog

J. Fuego Gran Reserva No.1 Corojo Robusto
Size: 5" x 52
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Honduran Sun Grown Corojo
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, (Costa Rica)
Binder: Costa Rican Corojo

Last night I had a cigar that I haven't smoked in a while. Plus, while doing a little research on it today, I couldn't find one entirely negative review. I'm referring to the J. Fuego Gran Reserva No.1 Corojo Robusto. I've been a big fan of Señor Fuego's work since he was working for Consolidated Cigar, and he's partly responsible for my deep appreciation of Honduran cigars. The Gran Reserva Corojo No.1 edition, which debuted in 2007 (also referred to as the "Gran Reserva"), is also one of his most complex blends, and often compared to his similarly blended Delirium cigars.

The cigar has a three nation longfiller blend consisting of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and - although the J.Fuego website notes the third leaf as "undisclosed" - other sources list it as Costa Rican. The binder is a Costa Rican Corojo and the cigars are rolled in lush, flavorful Honduran Corojo leaves that shimmer with a brick-red patina.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Size/Strength: 5" x 56 / Full
Wrapper: Honduran Habano
Filler: Italian-grown Habano seed, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
Binder: Honduran Habano
Presentation: Box of 20 cigars & 5-Packs

This is one of those cigars that I'm really nutty for. First, I like its 5" x 56 dimensions. I also love its unique blend, which includes Italian-grown Cuban seed longfiller, Nicaraguan, and a spicy Peruvian leaf. The smoke has great balance, lots of caramelized flavors, and one of the most impressive aromas ever to infiltrate your olfactory senses.

The CAO Italia edition has been around since 2004, and what made this cigar unique at the time was the Italian filler leaf. The back-story is, the Cuban seeds from which the filler leaves are grown were brought to Italy about 46-plus years ago. This has given them many generations to perfect. The tobacco is also grown in the southern Benevento region, popular for growing grapes used to make some of Italy's finest wines. Due to its ideal soil and climate, the tobacco lends an earthy sweetness to the smoke and balances well with the heartier Nicaraguan, Peruvian and Honduran leaves.

If a State passes a tobacco tax increase on cigars and no one is there to fight it, does it make a sound? The answer is no. It surreptitiously sneaks through, and the next thing you know, cigar smokers have a lot more room in the their wallets. At least that's how it used to be until Cigar Rights of America came along. Although they often work in partnership with the IPCPR and The Cigar Association of America, CRA, like The Tea Party, is a grass roots organization with a VERY LOUD voice. Although CRA's motto is "Fighting For The Freedom To Enjoy Premium Cigars," they could easily share the Tea Party motto: "Taxed Enough Already!"

Based in Fairfax, Virginia and spearheaded by Executive Director, Glynn J. Loope and Membership Director Brian Berman, the CRA has amassed an extensive nationwide following with a Board of Directors that reads like a Who's Who in the Premium Cigar Industry.

"CRA started in August 2008 as a 5-citiy tour (called the CRA Freedom Tour)," says Berman, "and today CRA has members in all 50 states. CRA has engaged in over 100 cigar-related battles and recently received a European Cigar Journal Trophy for our outstanding efforts."

Size: 6" x 50
Strength: Mild
Wrapper: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican

Since I haven't featured any flavored cigars for this column, I thought I'd go with a good coffee flavored selection this week, the Solo Café Toro. The cigars are made in the Dominican Republic with a mild Dominican longleaf core rolled in sweetened Sumatra wrappers, and offer a mellow mocha java flavor.