Don Conti Hand Made Cigars

Tastes and smells, sights and sounds… they all shout of autumn and become the focus of cigar mixtures being designed to recreate the essence of autumn. Does the cigar manufacturing industry in general consider seasonal products this seriously in designing, manufacturing and marketing the best autumn cigars? Do smokers respond to the marketing as they seek to choose the best autumn cigars?

The sale of rum seems to increase in late summer and autumn, and since cigars are products of the same region that produces rum, would one assume there is a natural connection there? With the right marketing, it might be equally natural to promote a robust smoke with some reference to its natural partner, rum. The next time you choose the best autumn cigars, will you, as a cigar smoker, consider combining your favorite rum-based beverage with a cigar choice that would compliment those flavors?

When selecting the best autumn cigars, you may run into a conflict between choosing what is seasonally popular and available and being loyal to a certain brand. Some cigar smokers will drive miles out of their way to maintain that brand loyalty, but what might happen when, in the face of extreme marketing, they are offered the opportunity to choose the best autumn cigars, perhaps something new - promising a totally different experience on a cool, adventurous autumn night? What about you?

We know from the Bible, in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that to everything there is a season… is that true in selecting the best autumn cigars? If so, how do manufacturers and marketers address the seasonal needs of smokers? Does a cigar lover gauge a cigar by their immediate attraction through that first taste or smell, or perhaps the appeal of the packaging?

The whole idea of knowing how to choose the best autumn cigars makes one ponder what thoughts go into marketing cigars to sell in the autumn. Does the marketing message have to appeal to a larger demographic because of the season, or to a smaller one based on shapes, size, and flavor, or a loyal younger, hip group of cigar smokers?

Is a smoker, wanting to choose the best autumn cigars going to be looking for a specific fall-induced flavor? Autumn conjures up thoughts of licorice, and leather and spice, perhaps driving buyers to select the best autumn cigars that match those thoughts. The best autumn cigars may come at a price point that serves a limited market, and changing flavors may not appeal to diverse tastes. Sweetness, balanced strength, Cuban brands or Dominican blends… what considerations go into making the best autumn cigars? Do the best autumn cigars draw out fans of woody, musky bold flavors?

It is easy to think of apples and cinnamon flavors that instill memories of fall… the warm autumn sun falls upon the face looking to vibrant crimson and amber hues, as leaves trickle to the ground, and the sound of laughter break the silence, as children play hide and seek in the trees.

The double Claro is the lightest colored cigar. This cigar is also slightly green due to the retained chlorophyll in the tobacco. This cigar is however almost flavorless and significantly dry. Next in line is the Claro–a tad bit darker with a slight yellowish tan. This is because the tobacco used in this cigar was grown in the shade and the cigar is very light, smooth and delicate. The Colorado Claro is clearly brown; not too brown but a very noticeable and clearly distinctive brown nonetheless. Then comes the Colorado which is a darker shade of brown but with a noticeable touch of red to it, although this red may be absent in some cigars. The Colorado is quite aromatic and spicy, with a slight nutty flavor infused into it, and more often than not, is medium bodied.
Next are the really darker ones. Comparing the following three with the first three would show you just how much of a color difference there is. The Colorado Maduro is a darker shade of virgin brown–no red or green in it–just brown. The Maduro is black or a very dark brown and the Oscuro is very, very black; sometimes known as the double Maduro. Both the Maduro and the Oscuro are full-bodied and rich.
The lighter the wrapper, the drier and lighter it would be with the darker ones more full-bodied and sweeter.

Cigar–the epitome of a nice, relaxing smoke after a victory. Red Auerbach, the legendary Celtic head coach who embodied the victory cigar is the perfect example of what a cigar means to people nowadays. The most famous and most popular cigars nowadays are the Cuban cigars–very prolific in movies of past and present. The cigars were originally South American, although it was Christopher Columbus who was the first to bring tobacco to Europe. And where did Columbus and his band of merry men first encounter this divine phenomenon? None other than Cuba!

Cigars come in different colors. This is mainly due to the different wrappers there are. These wrappers are the ones that give a cigar its unique color and thus it’s unique taste. The wrapper decides both aspects and thus we have come to associate different colored cigars with different tastes. Although there might be a real blend of flavors within the cigar, it is the wrapper that gives it its prominent flavor; about 40% of the primary flavor comes from the wrapper and the rest from the binder or the filter. It is the widest part of a plant from which the wrapper is made and thus the cigar as a whole can be characterized by its wrapper. There are estimated to be over 100 different wrapper types identified by several cigar manufacturers worldwide. The wrapper colors range from light to dark, with the lighter ones usually dryer and the darker ones usually sweeter. What follows is a brief description of the 7 most popular cigar wrappers and its respective color range.

For those looking for the same qualities but who prefer a smaller cigar, the Cusano C-10 Crown Corona is there for a pick up. Another limited edition is proudly brought to you by the Cusano Cigar Company, which set this off in celebration of 10 successful and wonderful years in the cigar industry. This elegant work of art includes tobaccos from 5 different countries and has leaves that are wrapper-quality to give a more rounded out blend.
These are not the only ones you should try out. Other really good summer cigar favorites include the following. For those martini or tequila lovers, the Nicaraguan JUAN LOPEZ Titanias has a full body texture and would be very tasty after a full blast meal. One of the best aspects of this cigar is the steadiness of the flavor from beginning to end–draw and burn always consistent. For those that like a bit of spicy food, the BAHIA MADURO Vintage 1994 Pancho would do the trick. Another all rounder Nicaraguan, this one leaves a real nice buzz and is best with Kahlua or an evening coffee and a heavy one inch porterhouse. The last featured would be the MACANUDO GOLD LABEL Tudor. This is one of the best, if not the best cigars to offer a new smoker. Very mellow and versatile, both the new and the old will appreciate this alone or with a glass of red wine.
So, summer smokes, here we come!

Summer in the Middle East is nothing to look forward to. Unbelievable heat, sweat everywhere and possible nosebleeds; not the best of experiences. For everyone else elsewhere, summer is the blessing of the sun–no more death freeze winters, no more shoveling out snow and you can actually see your spit reach the ground before the air freezes it out; such a buzz kill. So, for most people, summer would be the best time to bring out the grill, go for a swim and last but not least, bring out cigars. There can be no other possible time of year to enjoy the best cigars that fit the season.
These are some of the cigars that a lot of people think are best to smoke during summer. One of the most popular favorites, if not the most popular is the Honduran Rocky Patel SunGrown Toro. This cigar would take you to paradise. Full-bodied and simply perfection, this is one cigar that would make summer incomplete if not smoked. A very close second would be the widely acclaimed Habano–the Hoyo de Monterrey Edicion Limitada 2004. This maduro-wrapped masterpiece comes from the very exquisite line of Cuban Edicion Limitada. For the third place, many folks could not choose between the following. The Alo LE 05 from Davidoff of Geneva is a limited edition cigar brining a very nice spicy blend that adds to the richness of the cigar. This Dominican made cigar is composed of criollo tobacco and a Cuban seed in the filler blend.

Less than 100 boxes of these fine “His Majesty’s Reserve” cigars are produced each year, and it’s the President of Gurkha’s that actually looks after the allocation to the retailers. At 30,000 dollars per box, that’s 750 dollars a smoke, these cigars really do exude wealth, and for those that can afford them, they prove to be something they just cannot do without.

Here are a few more that hit the top ten list:

· Partagas Serie D No,4 : Origin, Cuba. Manufactured, Hand Made, Gauge, Thick. Length, 124. Format, Robusto. Ring, 50. Weight, 11,66 gr. Score, 9.3. Tobacco aged for 3 years and from the 2000 harvest.

· Cohiba Piramides Millenium: Origin, Cuba. Manufactured, Hand Made. Gauge, Thick. Length, 156. Format, Piramide. Ring, 52. Weight, 14.26 gr. Score 9.3.

· Review: Long awaited addition to the Cohiba range. A splendid cigar, great aroma and taste.

· H. Upmann Magnum 50 LE 2005: Origin, Cuba. Manufactured, Hand Made. Gauge, Thick. Length, 160. Format, Double Robusto. Ring, 50. Weight, 15 gr. Score 9.2.

Review: A light to medium flavored smoke, noted for its com

Tobacco’s used for cigar making is mostly grown throughout the Caribbean and the Americas but the cigars regarded to be the best and most expensive in the world are produced in Cuba. Expensive cigars have always been associated wealth and success.
Cigars are produced from tobacco leaves that have been harvested and aged using a technique of heat and shade which reduces the amount of sugar and water. They are then fermented in conditions that allow the leaves to die slowly. When they are properly aged they are then sorted to be either used as filling or as the wrapper: that is dependent on the appearance and quality. Once matured to the manufacturers stipulations they will be used to produce the finished cigar.
Cigars can be purchased either as singles, or by the box (humidor) which is designed to allow an air flow that is controlled over the cigars and maintain an internal humidity in the region of 70 to 75 percent.
“Behike” manufactured by Altadis of Spain were considered to be the most expensive in the world; they were supposedly named after either the sorcerer or tribal chief of a Cuban/pre Colombian tribe called the Taino.
Cohiba limited edition of which only four thousand have been released, and contain forty cigars per box will sell at around 18,846 dollars a box. Now that’s an expensive smoke running out at 420 dollars a go, no wonder it’s only for the wealthy.
That figure however has since paled into insignificance with the release of “Gurkha’s premier cigar. They are now considered to be the number one when it comes to price, what makes them so expensive is they are infused with a very large helping of Louis X111 Cognac yet still retain the flavor of the tobacco. For those that don’t know Louis X111 Cognac is one of the best cognacs around today.