Brand evangelist, digital marketer, cigar and spirits expert specializing in consumer tasting and educational events. Matthias made the long trek from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to New York City in 2007, and in nine years has hosted more than 120 events and helped promote and launch dozens of cigar and whiskey brands in the U.S. In 2016, he joined the Cigar Journal Tasting Panel, blind-reviewing pre and new release cigars.
What is Añoranza? The newest cigar from Miami Cigar & Company will have many wondering how to pronounce it (Ahn-yor-ahn-za) and what does it mean? The word which is Spanish, means nostalgia; a sense of yearning. Often when we smoke, we reflect on times gone by and look back to a period of our lives we miss and wish we could go back to. This is Añoranza.
The cigars which are made in Nicaragua feature a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper, with Nicaraguan grown binder and fillers. They will be available in both 10 count and 20 count boxes in the following sizes.
Robusto ($6.50 MSRP)
Toro ($7.50 MSRP)
Belicoso ($7.80 MSRP)
Gran Toro ($8.50 MSRP)
The cigars which come in a soft box pressed format will debut at IPCPR in Orlando in 2012.
This last Wednesday, the FTNYC community came together for another great smoke-session. And what a night it was! We were on the penthouse level of the Ravel Rooftop in Queens. We had live salsa music, some of the guys took a beginner salsa lesson, a cigar roller rolling fresh stogies, bar service, and about 25 BOTL/SOTL there to hang out with.
Thanks to everyone who came out to make the event a success, and for BOTL Kelvin Batista for setting it up. What a great venue!
For many smokers, Arturo Fuente cigars are the first examples of fine tobacco that get them hooked on the art and enjoyment of smoking a cigar. For this review, I chose the Chateau Fuente Sun Grown, which I’ve had occasionally in the past and never really nailed down as far as flavor profile goes. For this stick, I paired a glass of water and some Spanish guitar music by Jesse Cook.
Blend Specifics
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Appearance & Construction
This cigar features the classic Arturo Fuente label, framed in black, with the AF crest in the center. The cigar is packed in a decorative cedar strip, with another decorative band on the foot. Pretty great presentation for such a value priced cigar. In any case, these cigars haven’t tended (in my experience) to have the greatest construction. On this particular stick there are two very large veins, which I imagine will probably throw off the burn. The cigar is triple capped, and off the foot are faint scents of granola and earth.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
It takes a few minutes for me to really get a good grasp on what is happening here as far as flavor goes, but from what I can tell there is an earthy spice, but not one typically associated with maduro cigars – i.e. not a lot of sweetness alongside of it, more of an almost savory taste. The smoke is medium bodied, and also has a very unique sort of bitter taste that could be interpreted as citrus notes.
In the second third, I’m beginning to sense that the aroma of this cigar is going to be more enjoyable then the taste on my tongue, which seems a bit too earthy for my palate. In the final third, not a lot changes, but the spice does drop a bit.
Conclusion
I smoked two of these cigars for this review, and though I love Fuente cigars, I have to say I’m not really impressed with the sungrown. More Fuente reviews to follow.
Michael Herklots from Nat Sherman writes on his blog that Timeless Collection (reviewed by me here) is set to expand!
After the incredibly successful launch of the Nat Sherman Timeless Collection, in February of 2012, the line is expanding. The first Timeless Collection cigars were manufactured in the Dominican Republic by MATASA. Now, a new blend will join the ranks of the Nat Sherman Timeless Collection made in Nicaragua by Plasencia Cigars S.A.. These Nicaraguan puros will be available in three box-pressed formats, 4″ x 52, 5″ x 56 and 6″ x 60. The cigars will be packed in black boxes of 21 cigars adorned with Nat Sherman’s signature in Gold. The new additions will be featured at the 2012 IPCPR convention in Orlando, FL and are scheduled to ship to retailers by September.
Nat Sherman Timeless 452 $140/box of 21 cigars MSRP
Nat Sherman Timeless 556 $160/box of 21 cigars MSRP
Nat Sherman Timeless 660 $180/box of 21 cigars MSRP
In Addition…
We’ve also added two new sizes to the Dominican-made Timeless Collection. These new formats will be offered in the same slide-top 20 count boxes as the rest of the Dominican-made Timeless Collection. The Especiales will be a traditional lancero format at 6″ x 38 with a pigtail cap. The Divinos is a small perfecto measuring 5″ x 32/50/36.
Nat Sherman Timeless Especiales $124/box of 20 cigars MSRP
Nat Sherman Timeless Divinos $160/box of 20 cigars MSRP
We recently posted a story about how China now represents more than one third of the cigar smokers of the world. And it seems like the cigar industry is beginning to react to that news. Focus Taiwan reports that Honduran cigar manufacturers like Rocky Patel and Don Humo Cigar Company are trying to establish ties with importers. They hope to gain access to the large Taiwanese cigar market, but the long-run goal is direct access to the massive Chinese market.
What is Añoranza? The newest cigar from Miami Cigar & Company will have many wondering how to pronounce it (Ahn-yor-ahn-za) and what does it mean? The word which is Spanish, means nostalgia; a sense of yearning. Often when we smoke, we reflect on times gone by and look back to a period of our lives we miss and wish we could go back to. This is Añoranza.
