After years of planning the first original style San Cristobal was launched in 2007, crafted by famed Master Blender Jose “Don Pepin” Garcia along with the owners of the Ashton brand. The Elegancia blend is a mild to medium bodied cigar that can be enjoyed any time of the day.
Check out other San Cristobal styles here!
Wrapper: Connecticut seed Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
There’s a few reasons why 90 rated Ashtons have remained in the top ten for decades. They are made by the folks at Arturo Fuente. They are insanely consistent and remain one of the benchmarks for mild to mellow taste. If you’ve smoked them you know. If you haven’t, I envy you!
Don’t let the dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper scare you off! This 92 rated beauty is still true to Ashton’s classic mild taste. This maduro edition yields a more complex flavor that’s uniquely smooth to the finis
Filler – Dominican Binder – Dominican Wrapper -USA/ Connecticut Broadleaf
ACCOLADES
92 Rated – Cigar Aficionado, March 2023
92 Rated – Cigar Aficionado, August 2018
90 Rated – Cigar Aficionado, December 2000
This brand started in Cuba in 1940 and is still being made there. When Cigar Giant Altadis acquired the name for the US, production went from the Dominican Republic to Honduras where it remains. As time passed the brand began to evolve attracting new smokers. This edition was launched in 2017 and is a special one. Those of us that know this brand understand what full bodied smokes are.
The great part of this one is that it is literally packed with tobacco to the point of it feeling hard to the touch. This is one of the slowest burning, best drawing sticks around. The blend yields a very robust tasting mixture of sweetness and spice that increases as you move along.
Origin – Honduras
Filler – Honduran
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf
Romeo y Julieta 1875 Reserve Maduro consists of a four country blend that’s a joy to behold.
It’s hard to believe this great smoke is over two decades old. In fact, way back in 2003 Cigar Aficionado gave it a 90 rating. With attention to detail, this cigar is jam packed with vintage tobacco. Once lit, the wrapper combines with Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian filler to create tasty nut and coffee flavors. While being medium-full bodied in taste, it remains smooth to the finish with very rich flavor. Think coffee beans, dark chocolate and natural tobacco for starters.
With this in mind, don’t be afraid of the dark. Grab some of these outstanding Maduros today!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Nicaraguan-Peruvian
Binder – Dominican
Wrapper – USA Connecticut Broadleaf
See all the Romeo y Julieta cigars available at The Cigar Thief HERE
Don Diego cigars have been around forever. This amazingly consistent cigar often gets lost in a sea of new entries. It is probably one of the mildest , smoothest and mellowist smokes in existence. The prefect Connecticut Shade wrapper is your first sign of how special this cigar is. The bit of Nicaraguan filler combined with selected Dominican leaves from the top of the plant yields a perfectly balanced smoke. Want mild with character…….Don Diego is it!
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Nicaraguan
Binder – Dominican
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Shade
Alec Bradley Black Market Esteli is the second version of this very popular brand.
With attention to detail, the Esteli cigar is a more refined version of the popular Black Marker Cigar line. While the original Black Market is made in Honduras, Estelí is produced at Plasencia Cigars S.A., Nicaragua. For starters, Cigar Aficionado rates this blend an astounding score of 93 naming it in their top 10 cigars of the year. In fact, Esteli beat out many of it’s Cuban made competitors.
Their review describes it best. ” It’s earthy and leathery with sweet, concentrated undertones of raisins and cocoa. The draw is flawless, delivering a weighty, substantial smoke to the palate, which speaks to the cigar’s excellent construction and fine tobacco. ”
Without doubt, this medium to full bodied Esteli blend gives you more of what you love about the Original Black Market. The Torpedo is a top pick.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua | Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A. (Nicaragua)
See all the Alec Bradley cigars available at The Cigar Thief HERE
CAO Limited Edition Arcana Thunder Smoke, experience a rare blend crafted for the adventurous aficionado. This limited edition cigar showcases a rich, complex profile with notes of earth, dark cocoa, and subtle spice, wrapped in a deep, robust leaf that’s aged to perfection. Embrace the intense flavors of this unique release and savor the true artistry of CAO’s Arcana series.
Unleash the Monsters!
Prepare for the ultimate thrill as the Tatuaje Monster Series returns in 2024 with a wicked twist. The highly coveted Monster Smash 14-cigar sampler offers a robusto-sized collection (5 ¼ x 52 box-pressed) of fan-favorite blends from the infamous Monster lineup. This year, alongside iconic blends, the sampler includes a second limited edition release of the popular Tatuaje Creature, making this collection an absolute must-have. As always, stock is extremely limited and won’t last long, so secure yours before these monsters disappear for good!
This 2024 edition includes one cigar each of:
Diesel Fool’s Errand Worthy Fool is the third and final entry of the Fool’s Errand Trilogy line and another collaboration with AJ Fernandez.
This edition possesses a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper encasing vintage grade Nicaraguan habano tobacco for both the binder and filler.
The result is exactly what you’d expect. Each puff is a testament to the skill and passion poured into its creation. From the smooth medium to full body to its bouquet of flavors, Worthy Fool is another masterpiece. Think tones of chocolate, espresso, oak, and spices via a perfect draw for starters.
WRAPPER: DARK ECUADORIAN SUMATRA
BINDER: NICARAGUAN HABANO
FILLER: NICARAGUAN HABANO
See all the Diesel Cigars available on The Cigar Thief HERE
Viaje Limited ROOTS Craft Series is the sixth release in its Craft Series.
ROOTS contains a vintage grade Ecuadorian grown habano wrapper along with a Nicaraguan binder. Inside is where the magic is. The vintage grade fillers hail from Nicaragua, Brazil and the United States. Production of this jewel comes to us Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A. in Estelí, so you know it just has to be better than good. No doubt this medium bodied smooth smoking cigar is worthy of every serious smokers attention. Andre Farkas’ love of Joya cigars is what led him to make this masterpiece and have it made where it is.
Needless to say, if you’re a fan of Viejo, Roots is a must try to say the least.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Brazil, USA
See all the Viaje Cigars available on The Cigar Thief HERE
Elevate your cigar collection with the Rocky Patel Gold Label Robusto, a cigar that epitomizes luxury and craftsmanship. Encased in a stunningly designed box adorned with intricate gold and brown details, this Robusto-sized cigar is a feast for the eyes before it even touches your lips.
