Cigar Aficionado January/February 2023

A mix of the new and the old took the highest scores in this issue, with top performances from classic brands and new releases alike. We awarded scores of 94 points to such venerable names as Arturo Fuente, Montecristo, Padrón and Partagás (three in our figurado category) and a new brand called Olmec shined with a 93-point score. TOP FIGURADO ARTURO FUENTE DON CARLOS NO. 2 This impeccable Fuente torpedo tied with the iconic Montecristo No. 2 and consistently superb Padrón Serie 1926 No. 2 for top score in the issue and this category. $14.20 DOM. REP. 94 TOP ROBUSTO PARTAGÁS SERIE D NO. 4 There is a reason that this stately smoke with its distinctive red-and-gold look has been a mainstay of Cuban cigar smokers for decades: it’s consistently good. £28.30 CUBA 94 TOP TORO OLMEC CLARO CORONA GORDA Foundation…

It has become a tradition at Cigar Aficionado magazine to start our year with a celebration of excellence, our annual ranking of the Top 25 cigars of the year. It’s a project that has become especially popular with our readers. Our editorial team analyzes a year’s worth of cigar reviews and has a blind tasting of the top-rated cigars to see which ones rise above all others. At the end, we select the 25 best, and one cigar is given the lofty title of Cigar of the Year. This year, the winner is the H. Upmann No. 2, a beautiful cigar rolled in Cuba. It’s a well-crafted smoke, balanced, elegant, not too strong and not too mild. It delivered again and again, and we scored it 98 points, tying it for…

Dear Marvin, Sir, thank you. Your untold story article [“The Magazine That Almost Didn’t Happen,” Nov./Dec. 2022] is fascinating. Please consider writing your autobiography as only you can define it. Your portrait by Rick Wenner reflects a strikingly familiar image of another Sir—Sir Winston! Mike Moore Goldsboro, North Carolina Dear Marvin, Congratulations on the 30th anniversary of CIGAR AFICIONADO. I found it interesting that on the cover of covers, you had Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet on one of your earliest covers, and their daughter Paulina with her husband Dustin Johnson more recently. Truly, enjoying a cigar is a family affair. Joe Schilp Piscataway, New Jersey Dear Marvin, Congratulations on 30 years of Cigar Aficionado. It is my go-to source of cigar news and cigar ratings. I am grateful that it is a printed copy instead of online-only magazines,…

Las Vegas packs a lot of personality into a city in the middle of the desert. It’s synonymous with bright lights, grandeur, revelry, around-the-clock energy and a pleasing glitz that draws both high-rollers and penny-ante players. Now, for its 150th anniversary, luxury cigar accessories designer S.T. Dupont has further compacted Sin City’s essence into the palm of your hand with the Casino Pocket Complication Lighter. Looking more like a luxury timepiece than a lighter, it has a built-in roulette wheel set into one side, displaying all its various gears, screws and other inner workings. Set the wheel spinning via a built-in pushbutton on one side and see where it lands. On the opposite face of the lighter is an engraving of a roulette board, and the rest of the lighter features…

In the beginning, there was Genesis. The midsize Hyundai Genesis sedan, that is. The four-door debuted in 2007 as the Korean carmaker’s first entry into the luxury market. By 2017, the nameplate morphed into a stand-alone brand marque and has been rolling out compelling new highline models ever since. Among the newest and most notable is the GV60, an all-electric SUV that should get those intent on buying an EV thinking twice about a Tesla. It offers good performance, ride and handling, a distinctive exterior design and a truly luxurious and high-touch interior. High-tech introductions include a smart app and facial- and fingerprint-recognition systems that let you drive without a key. The Advance model, with 314 hp and all-wheel drive, is the entry level (starting at $60,385). But the SUV’s real contender…

The arrival of winter can mean resetting the thermostat on your imbibing by making heated cocktails that beat the cold. These are three of the classics. HOT TODDY Born humbly in eighteenth-century Britain as a simple mix of whisky, sweetener and hot water, the updated Hot Toddy has added a raft of choices. Today, they’re made with spirits from Scotch to Irish, Bourbon, rum and brandy and can come zesty with spices, lemon juice and even tea. 2 oz. Scotch whisky (or other aged spirit)1 Tbsp. honey1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice1 pinch cinnamon1 pinch nutmegHot water (or tea)Lemon wedge studded with cloves Combine the spirit, honey, lemon juice and spices in a warmed coffee glass. Fill with hot water. Garnish with lemon wedge. Use a warm spoon to handle the honey. HOT BUTTERED RUM It may…