Smokeasy's top 4 memorable smokes for the month of March
Pictured clockwise: Sanctum (Alec Bradley Cigars), The Tabernacle (Foundation Cigar Co.), My Father La Opulencia (My Father Cigars), and New World Puro Especial (AJ Fernandez Cigars). All images are courtesy of the respective cigar manufacturers.
Alec Bradley Sanctum (Alec Bradley Cigars)
Believe it or not, Alec Bradley released this blend in 2015, and I've just gotten the opportunity to smoke this...3 years later - good things come to those who wait! Alec Bradley's executive vice president Ralph Montero created and oversaw this particular project, and named the blend Sanctum as a tribute to the personal time devoted to the enjoyment of a cigar. This blend contains tobacco from 4 different countries, which sets the stage for very nice complexity in flavor. The cigar produces a very flaky ash and will make a mess, but it's very well constructed and burns slowly and evenly. Alec Bradley has yet to disappoint me...
Country of origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Columbia; Nicaragua; Honduras
Vitolas (4): Robusto (5" x 52); Toro (6" x 52); Gordo (6" x 60); Double Gordo (8½" x 60)
Medium-full bodied | Medium strength
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The Tabernacle (Foundation Cigar Company) Foundation Cigar Company's founder and master blender Nick Melillo aka "Nick R Agua" found huge success with El Güegüense, his inaugural blend released in 2015. At the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers in 2016, he followed up with 3 new releases: The Upsetters, Charter Oak, and The Tabernacle. The self-proclaimed "Chief of the Broadleaf" has roots in New Haven, CT and has worked with Connecticut River valley tobacco farmers for years (especially in his Drew Estate days). With The Tabernacle, Nick used the Connecticut broadleaf wrapper to create this blend at AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. El Güegüense had been one of my "go-to" cigars since its release, but The Tabernacle has completely won me over. And like El Güegüense, it ain't for lightweights!
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Valley); Nicaragua (Esteli and Jalapa Valley)
Vitolas (6): Torpedo (4½" x 52); Corona (5¼" x 46); Robusto (5" x 50); Toro (6" x 52) Doble Corona (7" x 54); Lancero (7" x 40)
Full bodied | Medium-full strength
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My Father La Opulencia (My Father Cigars)
It's a My Father cigar, nuff said...
OK fine, if that's not enough info, this blend contains 2 Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo binders and Corojo, Criollo and Habano filler tobacco from selected farms all owned by the Garcia family. The blend was released in September 2017 and boasts a dark Mexican wrapper that differs from any other used in any of the cigars in the My Father portfolio. Again, it's a My Father, so...
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexico Rosado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Vitolas (6): Petite (4½" x 48); Corona (5" x 46); Robusto (5¼" x 52); Toro (6" x 54); Super Toro (6" x 60); Toro Gordo (7" x 56) - all box-pressed
Medium-full bodied | Medium strength
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New World Puro Especial (AJ Fernandez Cigars)
Using the finest tobaccos from his various plantations, AJ Fernandez worked for a number of years creating this particular blend with his father in efforts to redefine the Nicaraguan puro. Puro Especial was released at the 2017 IPCPR trade show as an extension of the New World line behind New World and New World Connecticut - and there is no question that this is most definitely the best of the line. All of the tobaccos used for this blend have been aged 3 to 5 years. I'm a huge AJ Fernadez fan and enjoy the entire portfolio, but I must say this Puro Especial is my absolute favorite.
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
Binder: Nicaragua (Habano)
Filler: Nicaragua
Vitolas (4): Short Churchill (6" x 48); Robusto (5½" x 52); Toro (6½" x 52); Gordo (6" x 58)
Medium-full bodied | Medium-Full strength
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