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Cigar Review: Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844

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Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844
The Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844

Hispaniola Cigars are a hot commodity in New York City. They are carried at nearly every cigar shop, and sold at some other more exotic locations like Merchants on the UES. In any case, I dropped by Nat Sherman a few days back to give the Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844 a review, and lo and behold – Nat Sherman was out of stock for the entire line of Hispaniola Cigars. So, the next day I dropped by the Barclay Rex next door and picked up the beauty you see above and below. As for the significance of “1844” – the El Trabuco 1844 is named to commemorate the war of 1844, which led to the Dominican Republic’s independence. And now for the review…

Blend Specifics

Size: Belicoso (5.5 x 55)

Wrapper: Havano Rosado Vuelta Arriba

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Appearance & Construction

The El Trabuco 1844 is constructed flawlessly. The rich, dark brown Rosado wrapper is contrasted perfectly with the gold, white, and pumpkin-orange band. Overall, very rustic design. Very few visible veins, an oily wrapper, and slightly springy to the touch. The pre-light draw reveals spice and cedar. The draw is comfortable. The scent off the foot brings granola, cedar, sweet earth.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The first third of the Trabuco kicks off with lush, medium bodied smoke. Notes include coffee, earth, sweet cedar, and some savory notes. The draw remains good and produces plumes of thick, white smoke. About a quarter inch in, the spice and earth diminish  leaving the texture soft and creamy and bringing the wood to the forefront. The retro hale brings a satisfying blast of spice and cedar.

At two thirds, the wood transitions into a strong, savory meaty ness complimented by sweet cream. Unique and enjoyable, though at times the flavors are a little out of balance to my palate. Construction remains flawless. In the final third, the balance of the flavors change intermittently, and a subtle coffee and toasted nut flavor edges in. In the final few minutes of this smoke, the cedar and spice returns, and I enjoy a few more great retrohales before putting this cigar down.

Conclusion

In a cigar world dominated by the ‘spicy Nicaraguan’, the Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844 demonstrates what Dominican tobacco is capable of in terms of flavor and strength. This cigar is to be sipped, not devoured greedily. Smoke it too fast and you will risk missing some of the flavors, or killing your palate. I absolutely recommend buying this cigar.

Final Grade: A-

Follow Hispaniola Cigars on Twitter.

The Hispaniola Cigars website.

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Emilio Cigar to Distribute Nomad Cigars

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January 4, 2012 – Fred Rewey, owner of Nomad Cigar Company, makers of Nomad cigars manufactured in Dominican Republic, and Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, announced today that they have entered into a distribution agreement.

Under this arrangement, Emilio Cigars sales staff will bring the Nomad Cigar line to market while Fred Rewey will continue to focus on product development, brand expansion, and manufacturing.

Nomad Cigar Company was started by Rewey in 2012 and quickly leveraged Rewey’s experience with social media and online promotion. The result was Nomad hitting the spotlight early in production.

“The Nomad brand fits well with what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Griffith “and I believe will become an important addition to the portfolio.”

Rewey added: “I am truly honored to have Gary and the entire Emilio team distribute Nomad cigars. In addition to being able to partner with such a well-run infrastructure, it continues to give both Nomad and boutique cigars in general a more significant presence in a growing marketplace. The interest in Nomad since launch has been a bit overwhelming – this new relationship will enable Nomad to continue to grow in 2013 and beyond.”

The cigars will be warehoused and shipped from the Emilio Cigars facility in Vineland, NJ and should beginning shipping later in the month.

Contact Information:

Emilio Cigars
Gary Griffith
Twitter: @EmilioCigar

Nomad Cigar Company
Fred Rewey
Twitter: @Godfadr
Godfadr@NomadCigarCompany.com

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CIGAR AFICIONADO HONORS THE NAT SHERMAN TIMELESS COLLECTION NO. 2 AS ONE 2012’S ‘25 BEST CIGARS’

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Nat Sherman, defining tobacco connoisseurship through a family tradition of innovation and expertly-curated tobacco products and accessories, is pleased to announce that Cigar Aficionado has selected the Nat Sherman Timeless Collection No. 2 as one of the 25 Best Cigars of the Year. Cigar Aficionado has proclaimed the cigar as “the best Nat Sherman cigar ever tasted,” ranking the cigar as No. 10 in its coveted annual list.

 

 

 

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 Nat Sherman Timeless No. 2 Timeless Collection

The Nat Sherman Timeless Collection (Dominican Republic – Matasa) is a full-bodied, medium-strength blend of tobaccos from three countries.  The Dominican and Nicaraguan Fillers offer rich notes of espresso and roasted nuts, while the Hondurian wrapper is characterized by an earthiness that is rounded by subtle sweet notes on the finish.

Cigar Aficionado’s rigorous decision-making process begins by looking at more than 700 cigars tested throughout the year in both Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider. The top-scoring smokes go through a further blind-tasting where Cigar Aficionado’s tasting coordinator purchases cigars from known retailers, removes the bands and orchestrates an entirely new tasting. After multiple rounds, the publication arrives at its coveted list of 25. Per Cigar Aficionado, “deciding which cigar is the definitive best of the year isn’t always an easy task, especially in lieu of all the great cigars in the market.” Nat Sherman is thrilled to be ranked within the top ten cigars honorees for 2012.

Please read the entire review here.

Nat Sherman Timeless
Nat Sherman Timeless, reviewed by FineTobaccoNYC – read our review

The Nat Sherman Timeless Collection (Dominican Republic – Matasa) is a full-bodied, medium-strength blend of tobaccos from three countries. The Dominican and Nicaraguan Fillers offer rich notes of espresso and roasted nuts, while the Hondurian wrapper is characterized by an earthiness that is rounded by subtle sweet notes on the finish.

The product above is available for purchase on the Nat Sherman website. For any additional information or high-resolution images please free to contact me directly at 212-377-3592 or email me at Suzanne.defosset@evins.com.

About Nat Sherman:

Nat Sherman defines tobacco connoisseurship through a family tradition of innovation and expertly-curated products. Since 1930, Nat Sherman’s timeless appeal, while quintessentially New York, is embraced and enjoyed worldwide www.natsherman.com.

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GlenDronach releases 7th batch of single cask bottlings

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Glendronach Single Cask 1972

“FAULTLESS”, “brilliant” and “complete” are just three of the adjectives Jim Murray has used in his new 2013 Whisky Bible to describe the five expressions that comprise GlenDronach’s latest batch of single cask bottlings.

It’s the seventh batch to be released by the award-winning Aberdeenshire distillery.

The five, ranging from 18 to 40 yo, are now available in the UK and will be released in export markets from January 2013. Two have been matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons and three in Oloroso sherry butts.

All five have been specially hand-selected by The BenRiach Distillery Company’s Managing Director Billy Walker whose tasting notes speak lovingly of “an orchestra in full flow”, “an effusion of honeycomb” and even “teasing notes of toffee apples”.

The cask details are as follows:

1972 cask # 710 / 40 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 49.0% vol. / 356 bottles 

1989 cask # 5475 / 22 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 51.6% vol. / 600 bottles 

1991 cask # 3183 / 20 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 51.3% vol. / 600 bottles 

1992 cask # 1123 / 19 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 57.8% vol. / 524 bottles 

1994 cask # 98 / 18 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 58.2% vol. / 628 bottles

In his 2013 Whisky Bible, Jim Murray was very complimentary about all five, but reserved special praise for the ’72, ’91 and ’94 vintages:

Of the 1972 cask # 710, he said: “The richness of the sherry is almost the stuff of make-believe…the delivery is of oak crashing in a forest – mighty and all-consuming…wow, this is like a big succulent bourbon matured in a top-class sherry butt. This is a malt which if you should ever chance upon, you give the guy your coat if you have not money enough; even your undergarments if it does the trick! For this is a whisky so complex, so complete, it is almost exhausting.” He gave it 96.

He commented re the 1991 cask # 3183: “Almost a coffee cake and Swiss roll marriage with grape jam for filling…mocha-flavoured Lubec marzipan notes sidle in delightfully…the light spices pulse. Tries to be syrupy and overbearing but fails miserably. Has to settle for being brilliant.” He gave it 95.

And summing up the 1994 cask # 98, he said: “Absolutely huge grape: a real Dundee cake dripping with Oloroso and Demerara…a faultless sherry butt. I had this sample in my hand as the Queen gave her address to round off her 60th anniversary celebrations: I could hardly have had a more fitting dram with which to toast her.” It also achieved a 96.

Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page over the coming weeks for more information on these new releases, tasting notes and exclusive product photography.

If you would like to receive more information regarding the Batch 7 releases, please contact us oninfo@glendronachdistillery.co.uk

A picture of the 1972 40 yo is above.

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Cigar Review: Emilio AF Suave

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Emilio AF Suave

Just after Christmas, a fresh snow fell on NJ and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset with the Emilio AF Suave. I’ve been a big fan of Emilio ever since smoking the AF1 and AF2 earlier this year, so needless to say I was excited to taste the Suave.

Blend Specifics

Size: Robusto (5 x 50)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Unknown mix (Nicaraguan/Honduran)

Filler: Unknown mix (Nicaraguan/Honduran)

Appearance & Construction

The Emilio AF Suave has minimal veins, a light, silky wrapper, and beautiful branding.. The black, white, and silver band adds a simplicity and elegance to this cigar that is very pleasing. The cigar is slightly oily, with a bit of springiness. The draw is good.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Emilio AF Suave opens up creamy and sweet, with chocolate and coffee notes not unlike the AF1, but with less prominence. There is also a bit of spice on the tongue, with the cream more on the nose: an enjoyable and unique combination. In the first third, the burn is off at times, but doesn’t detract much from the experience.

This stick seems to be a solid medium. In the second third, black pepper and vanilla notes emerge, with an amazing strength of flavor for a Connecticut shade.

Halfway through, the body picks up along with black pepper on retro hale, while the vanilla and cream back down a bit.  The final third expands on this black pepper, with nothing wanted as far as strength goes. A very, very enjoyable smoke, full of complexity.

Conclusion

The Emilio AF Suave is about as far from a typical Connecticut as one could get. The strength is huge and the complexity is there all the way through.  A winner and well worth a five pack.

Final Grade: A

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