Cigar Aficionado July/August 2021

High-quality tobacco and blending creativity come together brilliantly throughout this tasting, which teems with cigars that scored 90 points or higher. Padrón shows its polished side with the 1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo. At 94 points, it was the highest score of an issue that included many great performances. TOP FIGURADO PADRÓN 1964 ANNIVERSARY SERIES TORPEDO Cocoa, hazelnut and pepper are woven together into a complex flavor tapestry in this celebratory Padrón, which earned the highest score in this entire blind taste test. NICARAGUA 94 TOP PETIT CORONA H. UPMANN REGALIAS Packaged in a fancy tin that looks like a flask, the Cuban H. Upmann Regalias is more than just a cigar in a pretty package. It’s a smoke of substance and character, tying with the Nicaraguan Illusione Ultra mk for top petit corona. CUBA 93 TOP ROBUSTO CASA CUBA DOBLE CINCO This Dominican…

The past year and a half has been hard on just about everyone. Some have paid the ultimate price, others have lost loved ones, and even the luckiest among us have suffered. The pandemic put normal life on hold, but as we write these words in mid-June the outlook is one of hope. The masks are coming off. People are emerging from their homes. It’s time to take a deep breath and prepare to once again live our lives the way we remember. With so many negatives since March of 2020, it’s pleasantly surprising to hear some good news—the cigar industry is booming. Imports of premium, handmade cigars were up in 2020—despite a start of the year that shut down cigar stores and cigar factories—and the first quarter of 2021 has…

Dear Marvin, As a proud subscription owner for the last 10 years of this distinguished magazine I have thoroughly enjoyed the publication. The recent inclusion of the new feature of “My Favorite Cigar” has added significantly to my enjoyment. As a cigar enthusiast for the last 25 years and a selfprofessed modern man, I have also noticed and welcomed the increasing numbers of the fairer sex who also enjoy the pleasures of the leaf. I believe the new feature would be enhanced with the inclusion of women and their favorite cigars and serve to highlight the inclusiveness of this passionate pursuit. At the same time, while we enjoy learning of the cigar experiences of well-known people, may I also humbly submit for your consideration as part of this feature, the inclusion of the…

The ceremony of cutting a cigar with scissors makes a bold statement. But with that declaration usually comes a compromise. Most scissors are table models, scaled for smoking lounges or patios. But on your person they feel like you’re lugging around pruning shears. Before you trade off sophistication for portabilty just because you’re stepping out, consider these travel-sized versions that put panache in your pocket. Davidoff’s Scissors Pocket Cutter (at top, $285) puts all the stately elegance of the company’s full-sized scissors in a diminutive package (under 4 ¼ inches long, weighing 1.5 ounces). Yet it still cuts cigars up to 48 ring gauge. Made in France of polished stainless steel with half-moon finger holes, the cutter has a leather case, which protects it from clashes with other accessories in your…

With cobblestone streets, silver-cedar storybook cottages flying Old Glory and unspoiled beaches tucked away on a boomerang-shaped island 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket is the quintessential American summer destination. And the getaway from the getaway is The Wauwinet. Sandwiched between the bay and the ocean on the island’s remote east end, the inn boasts two beaches, acres of chaise-filled lawns and outdoor pursuits, all in a laid-back lap of luxury. Dating from 1875, but renovated and redesigned in 2019, The Wauwinet is a best-of-both-era’s romantic retreat with its adultsonly ambience and gourmet food and wine program. The fine dining venue Topper’s delivers beautiful bay views and the largest wine list on the island with some 2,500 bottles. The restaurant’s focus on fresh-caught seafood takes the “locally sourced” ethic…

Ford first set out to design an all-electric SUV simply to comply with California’s increasingly strict emissions laws. But, along the way, Ford’s new “Team Edison” laid out a much more aggressive target: an all-electric car for the masses. And the Mustang Mach-E hit the showroom for the 2021 campaign with an eye-catching design and a range that far outstripped Ford’s earlier Focus EV. With its “pony car” performance it is ready to challenge fast-growing rival Tesla’s Model Y—especially with the GT version that is just rolling into showrooms. The decision to forgo the classic Mustang’s coupe body is controversial, yet offers higher seating, room for four and plenty of cargo space. A setback roof makes it appear more steeply raked and aggressive. The minimalist cabin adds a reconfigurable instrument cluster…