J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Dispatches First Batch of 2023 Yagua Release to Premium Cigar Retailers

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J.C. Newman Cigar Co. has begun shipping the first release of its celebrated Yagua cigars for 2023. A total of 1,250 boxes are en route to 396 premium cigar retailers across 46 states. The second and last Yagua dispatch for the year is slated for November.

The unique Yagua cigar has garnered an unexpected, almost cult-like following, much to the surprise of fourth-generation owner, Drew Newman. “The acceptance and demand for Yagua continually amaze me. We didn’t initially create Yagua with the intent to sell. I had my reservations, thinking that cigar connoisseurs might not appreciate it because it deviates so much from the standard norms of cigar-making. Yagua is irregular in shape, it might even be considered unattractive. We use underfermented tobacco in its creation, and no two Yaguas are identical.”

The Yagua is a nostalgic tribute to a type of farm-rolled cigar that Lazaro Lopez, General Manager of the J.C. Newman PENSA cigar factory in Nicaragua, recalls his grandfather crafting on his family’s tobacco farm in Cuba in the 1940s. Over a meal in 2019, Lopez narrated this memory to Newman:

“My grandfather would take fresh tobacco leaves straight from the curing barns and roll cigars without using any molds or presses,” Lopez recounted. “To give his cigars a semblance of traditional shape, he would bundle them together, tying them with fragments of the Cuban royal palm tree, known as the yagua. Upon deciding to enjoy his personal cigars, he would untie the bundle. The result was an array of uniquely shaped cigars, which he relished. I vividly recall the rich aroma and flavor of my grandfather’s cigars.”

Echoing this old-world method, twenty Yagua cigars are tied together while still moist using a Yagua palmiche palm leaf after being rolled. Each Yagua box delivers a bundle of 20 cigars, still swathed in the palm leaf. The Yagua cigars are of 6×54 dimensions.

“Crafting the Yagua presents its unique challenges because we utilize an under fermented Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, blend the filler tobaccos differently, and sidestep traditional cigar factory tools and techniques,” Newman explained. “Since the wrapper is not fully fermented, we let the cigars age for a complete year post-rolling.”

Blind Review: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

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The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is made by Plasencia Cigars at Plasencia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I is an extension to Plasencia’s regular Alma Fuerte line, changing the original’s wrapper to a lighter leaf that has been aged for 10 years.  The toro vitola we are reviewing today is named for Eduardo Plasencia, who was one of the first family members to grow tobacco after leaving the Canary Islands for Cuba in 1865. This new extension blend is also offered in Plasencias’ trademark hexagon vitola as well.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Colorado Claro)
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 6 1/4 x 54

Blind Review Notes: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a triple capped box press toro. The cigar is graced with a light chocolate wrapper that resembles a cracked sidewalk.  The body and foot of the cigar smell of sweet cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is loose with alot of cedar on the breath.

First puff is very light and sweet, with the slightest spice on the backend.  Ideal smoke production! Retrohale is hot and spicy. Flavors progress to leather, sweet cream,  and more spice then at first.  Theres also a flavor that reminds me of NYC tap water with ice. Perfumey retrohale with a salty mouthfeel.  Then a marshmellow retrohale, with fruity notes.  Lots of mini-transitions, as you can see.

By the second third, I realize the cigar reminds me a lot of vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.  So good I have to slow my pace down. The cigar is burning too hot! Billowing smoke production.  Ash build-up looks like a stack of coins. Lots of lingering sweetness and cedar.  Hot leather retro with a continued vanilla nuance.

Last third needs a touch up.  The cigar is burning a little wonky.  What a shame! The cigar needs more then one touch up.  The flavor profile stays sweet with the spice picking back up.  Leather, cedar, vanilla, pepper. Tingling baking spices on the tongue. A sea of nuanced flavors, but I am dissapointed in the construction issues that keep distracting me. The retrohale is toasty hazelnut.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, was a light strenght/medium body cigar with layers of different flavors.  If not for the combustion issues on the last third, this cigar would have easily achieved a 90+ score.  Unlike the maduro version of this cigar, which was released before the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I, it has a lingering sweetness.  I find this same flavor to be present on the Plasencia Alma del Campo cigar.  I still prefer the maduro version of this stick, regardless of the situation. Plasencia in my mind is the undistibuted champ of tobacco farming and his aging and fermentation process take his cigars to the next level, seperating them from the rest of the market place.  All that said, give the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Eduardo I a try, and let us know what you think.

Final Score: 86

Blind Review: Camacho Factory Unleashed 3

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Camacho Cigars was founded in 1962 by Simon Camacho. In 1995 it was aquired by the Eiroa family. In 2008, Camacho and its Rancho Jamastran factory in Danlí, Honduras were sold to the Oettinger Davidoff Group, and that is how we arrive today at the present manufacturers of this Camacho Factory Unleashed 3. The Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 is once-a-year release and the third of its kind, hence, the number “3” on the band. They are annually released in one size format only and of course in a limited quantity.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Camacho Factory Unleashed 3
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
  • Binder: Honduras
  • Filler: Dominican/Honduran
  • Size: 6×50

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a double capped toro with a rustic-toothy wrapper and a light weight feel. The cigar has a shaggy foot and is packed on the looser side. The body smells of hay and incnece. The foot smells of chocolate and cedar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cold draw is snug with leather, spice, and salt on the breath. First puff is popcorn, salt, and leather. The retrohale is the same just toasty and spicy. The cigar progresses to a chocolate spice cake, however, the snug draw calls for a double puff on every draw. Smoking on a soppy humid day also doesnt help the experience.

Second third is more of a camp fire/ mesquite profile but still very spicy and sweet. The retrohale is hot. The draw is still struggling. Humidity is killing me.

Last third is coffee taken light with one sugar. Retrohale is a spicy campfire profile. There is also a distinct Nilla Wafer nuance throughout the whole experience. The finish is bitter-sweet. Damp atmosphere did this smoke no help.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 is just as good a last years release. Its also probably my favorite cigar of theirs to-date. However, I would just recommend you smoke the Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 on a drier day. Before this blind review I had smoked a lot of Camacho Factory Unleashed 3’s. Its a great cigar for the price and complexity it delivers. I haven’t had any construction issues with it until now. Im going to simply blame the heat wave for the lower score.

Final Score: 86

Benromach Unveils Contrasts Air and Kiln Dried Oak Whiskies in Limited-Edition Release

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Expanding upon their creative Contrasts range, Benromach Distillery from Speyside has unveiled two novel, limited-edition whiskies, both meticulously matured using innovative drying methods for the cask’s wooden staves.

The new additions, Contrasts Air Dried Oak and Contrasts Kiln Dried Oak, distilled in 2012 and bottled this year, are manifestations of Benromach’s exploration of the subtle variations in whisky flavor profiles through varying stave drying techniques.

Sporting an ABV of 46%, both whiskies continue the smoky signature style of Benromach, while each offers a unique twist. The Contrasts Air Dried Oak matures in oak air-dried for three years pre-toasting, imparting the whisky with luscious vanilla fudge notes accompanied by fresh peppermint and oak. Meanwhile, the Kiln Dried Oak variant offers a twist – after two years of air drying, the oak is placed in a kiln to expedite drying, enhancing the spirit-wood interaction. This results in a whisky with a sweeter, more malted biscuit nose, mixed tropical fruit flavors, and notes of lemon barley sugar.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, expressed, “Our Contrasts range is our playground to experiment and discover new flavors. The release of these two new whiskies is a result of a deliberate experiment to explore the flavor impact of different wood drying methods. It’s fascinating to witness how small modifications can significantly influence taste – that’s the captivating essence of the air- and kiln-dried variants.”

While Benromach typically employs virgin oak casks for their Contrasts Organic whisky, this experimentation provided an exciting opportunity to observe how their traditional lightly peated spirit interacts with this cask type and varying stave preparation methods.

Cruickshank adds, “We’re eager to see how whisky aficionados interpret the unique character of each dram, their preferences, and their reasons why.”

Blending Mashbill Magic: Lux Row Distillers Debuts Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon

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In an effort to appease lovers of both ryed and wheated bourbon, Lux Row Distillers, based in Bardstown, Kentucky, has unveiled a unique mash-up: the Lux Row Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon. This fascinating new addition will be available in limited quantities starting August 2023, with each 750 ml bottle retailing for a suggested price of $79.99.

The new offering, presented at 115 proof, pairs a single barrel of 4-year-old wheated bourbon with a single barrel of 4-year-old ryed bourbon. The wheated bourbon brings forward a smooth profile characterized by notes of caramel, citrus, and a velvety oak finish. In contrast, the ryed bourbon offers a spicier edge, with subtle caramel and vanilla nuances and a gentle finish. The marriage of these two single barrels culminates in a distinctive four-grain bourbon (corn, wheat, rye, and malted barley) that features a flavorful balance of both mashbills.

Eric Winter, Luxco’s whiskey brand manager, explains that the Lux Row 12 Year Bourbon’s immense success despite its limited availability in Kentucky was a catalyst for creating a bourbon for all markets. The ‘double single barrel mashbill’ of Lux Row Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon, he adds, is a natural evolution from the double barrel mashbill of Lux Row 12 Year. This innovative combination of the distillery’s two mashbills delivers a four-grain bourbon that is certain to satisfy both ryed and wheated bourbon aficionados.

The Lux Row Four Grain Double Single Barrel follows the luxurious packaging tradition of Lux Row 12 Year, featuring a front metal-plate Lux Row logo and a custom metal-plate collar. Each bottle’s customized bottom label lists the barrel number and fill date of the two single barrels employed in crafting the bourbon. The side and neck labels highlight the four-grain characteristic of the bourbon’s mashbill.

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