Cigar Aficionado January/February 2022

94 CUBA TOP MISCELLENEOUS PARTAGÁS SERIE D NO. 5 (TUBO) You all know the Partagás Serie D No. 4, but this slightly shorter version is not to be ignored. 93 NICARAGUA TOP GRANDE ROCKY PATEL SIXTY SIXTY When Rocky Patel was turning 60 he created a cigar line to mark the occasion, and this ultra-fat size from the line delivered an extremely high score. 93 CUBA TOP ROBUSTO: COHIBA ROBUSTO Once described as the ultimate power lunch cigar, the Cohiba Robusto combines star power with star performance, which isn’t always the case in the cigar world. 93 CUBA TOP TORO MONTECRISTO EDMUNDO This fatter Cuban smoke has been in high demand since its market debut in 2004, and its quality level remains high today. 92 NICARAGUA TOP CHURCHILL BRICK HOUSE CHURCHILL This solid performer from J.C. Newman Cigar Co. tied with the famous Cohiba Esplendido for top Churchill. 92 NICARAGUA TOP…

Just when you thought you had heard everything from the anti-smoking zealots, along comes a proposal that takes smoking bans to levels that are unimaginable. If lawmakers in New Zealand have their way, eventually people who live in that country will never be old enough to buy a cigar or cigarette. That’s right—never. In December, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health announced the creation of the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan. The goal is to keep cigarettes and other tobacco products out of the hands of the nation’s “next generation,” people age 14 and under, with a particular emphasis on the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. (Aotearoa is a Maori word that refers to New Zealand.) The goal is to create a “smoke free generation.” We are all for keeping cigars…

Dear Marvin, Brian Cox [“The Succession Plan,” November/December 2021]—Phenomenal actor! Jordan Nettum West Fargo, North Dakota Dear Marvin, I read your October issue and loved your section on rum [“Rum for the Ages”]. Rum doesn’t get enough credit as a spirit, especially among cigar fans. Anyway, I take umbrage with your slander against blue curaçao. There is a lot of fun that can be done with this liquor. Maybe not for cigars, but in general, it can be a unique pleasure. Mencken Graham Boston, Massachusetts Dear Marvin, The event [Big Smoke Las Vegas] was fantastic! The Mirage and Cigar Aficionado staff rocked it. Food and service was fantastic! Bravo! Michael Jensen Palm Springs, California Submitted via Instagram Editors’ Response: Thanks for attending. We’ll be back in Las Vegas November 11. Turn to page 114 for coverage of the Big Smoke Las Vegas, as well…

If you smoke cigars, you need a safe haven in which to store them, a good humidor built to mimic the tropical conditions of the cigarmaking capitals of the world. A perfect choice is one of the items made by Daniel Marshall. He looks too young to have been doing this for so long, but Marshall has been making humidors for 40 years. He sold his first in 1982, and since then he has perfected his craft, turning out humidors built to last for decades. Marshall’s products have been put to the test several times in humidor tests organized by Cigar Aficionado, performing at the very top in each battle. Some of our editors own Daniel Marshall humidors that remain in perfect operational condition after more than 20 years of…

Navigating the Northeast coastline for the first time in the new Mercedes-Benz S 580, plenty of adjectives roll through the mind: Impressive, imposing, roomy, luxurious and solid, to mention just a few. But you can add cutting-edge to the list. There’s no question, the new S-Class is a head-turner, with its coupe-like roofline and a long hood that barely conceals the power lurking beneath. Inside, it’s fitted with all the requisite, traditional luxury cues like open pore wood veneer, real metal accents and sumptuous leather upholstery for the heated, cooled and massaging seats. But, it’s with the vast array of technology onboard that it stands out. Motorists will most directly interact with the sedan’s various digital displays. The instrument cluster uses two cameras in the instrument panel to track where a…

Hublot’s latest collaboration with Arturo Fuente continued with a big bang in November, when Carlos Fuente Jr., president of Arturo Fuente Cigar Co., and Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe unveiled their fifth timepiece partnership in the Dominican Republic. The Big Bang Unico Arturo Fuente Ceramic watch ($28,300), designed with the Fuente family’s designer, Manny Iriarte, pays tribute to Fuente patriarch Carlos A. Fuente Sr. This legendary figure in the cigar world, dubbed Don Carlos, took over the family firm from its founder, his father Arturo Fuente, in 1956. The watch’s design is infused with cherished Fuente motifs, such as the 44-mm black ceramic case engraved with tobacco leaves blowing in the mountain breeze. The dial features Fuente’s signature Roman numerals borrowed from the clock in the family crest, a reference to the family…