Saturday, July 24 2010
By Gary Korb
It seems that about this time every year I get a lot of requests from readers who are new to smoking premium cigars and looking for some good suggestions. It's one of the things I enjoy doing most, because there's no greater reward than helping turn someone on to a good cigar, especially if they like it enough to stick with it.
But recommendations aren't always for beginners. There are plenty of experienced cigar smokers who continue to seek out new cigars, whether they be new releases or cigars that have been around a while which, for some reason, they may have missed or overlooked.
For this article, I've compiled a list of "start here," or "try this one first" cigars. In any event, if you've ever been curious about the following brands, you may want to start with these (listed alphabetically).
601 (Blue) Maduro Toro - The "Blue" line is the most "user friendly" of this all full-bodied brand, and one of dozens of cigars on the market blended by Don Jose Pepin Garcia. The Toro offers gobs of complex flavor, nice length, a wide, 54 gauge ring, and not as heady as the 601 Red or Green. The
box press shape also gives it an appealing, candy bar-like chewiness.
ACID Blondie - Far from your average primo, but so many cigar smokers are curious about this unparalleled brand, I had to include it. Blondie is a 4" x 38 Petite Corona with a lush Connecticut wrap
per. It starts out very sweet and blooms into a full-flavored smoke laced with creamy-honey flavors and a piquant, herbal-botanical aroma. One thing about ACID cigars, you'll either love 'em or hate 'em, but those who love 'em are extremely loyal to the brand.
Maxx Traditional by Alec Bradley Corona - During the past three years Alec Bradley has released mostly full-bodied cigars. But for the cigar smoker who wants to "get into" this brand, the Maxx Traditional Corona is the perfect start here cigar for it's shape, smoothness, complexity, high quality and reasonable price.
Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Flor Fina Maduro - Most new cigar smokers learn about Arturo Fuente cigars pretty quickly since their reputation precedes them and they're fairly priced. At 6" x 47, the 8-5
-8- Flor Fina offers excellent proportions. The smoke is nutty, creamy, relatively mild, and the Maduro wrappers are sweet as sugar. Often hard to find in-stock, too. Try one and you'll know why.
CAO Italia Largo - I chose this cigar because it's medium-bodied, and a great example of the kind of complex, full-flavored tobacco blending that CAO does best. The smoke is thick, creamy and loaded with earthy, woody and sweet spice elements. Plus the balance is perfectly aligned and the 6½" x 50 Toro shape allows for a long, enjoyable experience.
Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Torpedo - This is The Toraño Family's flagship line, and for good reason. The 1959 series offers a 5-nation blend that's ultra-creamy, chewy and brimming with nutme
g, coffee and cocoa bean essences. Plus the box-pressed figurado shape keeps the cigar well packed for a flawless burn and firm ash.
David
off Gran Cru No.2 - Some cigar smokers tend to flinch at Davidoff prices, but they tend to pay for themselves in pleasure. At 5 5/8" x 43, the Gran Cru No.2 is a gorgeous-looking Corona and a fine example of what to expect in a Davidoff blend. The smoke is medium bodied offering a rich cedar wood bouquet, plenty of depth, and an eloquent aroma.
Gran Habano No.1 Connecticut Gran Robusto - I tend to recommend this cigar often for new smokers who are still into milder fare, but want more flavor. The 6" x 54 Gran Robusto has a Nicar
aguan core which gives it a lot of depth, while Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers give it a mild, creamy edge with a toasty, nutty and caramel toffee-like finish. Just one caveat: the wrappers are extremely delicate.
I hope you get to try some of these cigars, and in a couple of weeks I'll present Part 2 covering eight more cigars from K to R.
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