Cigar Aficionado May/June 2022

93 HONDURAS TOP CHURCHILL ALEC BRADLEY BLACK MARKET CHURCHILL It’s a multi-country blend of tobacco from Nicaragua, Honduras and Ecuador, but the X-factor that made it the highest score of the Churchills might be the unusual leaf of Panamanian tobacco in the filler. 93 CUBA TOP FIGURADO ROMEO Y JULIETA LÍNEA DE ORO NOBLES Habanos S.A. has created a super-premium version of the vaunted Romeo line, and the belicoso-sized Nobles lives up to the lofty expectations. It tied with a Cuaba Distinguidos, also from Cuba, for top figurado. 93 CUBA TOP TORO PARTAGÁS SERIE E NO. 2 Think of everything you find in a Partagás Serie D No. 4, only longer and thicker. That’s the Serie E No. 2, a beefed-up version of the popular D4, offering a tremendous smoking experience when you have more time on your hands. 92 CUBA TOP DOUBLE CORONA HOYO DE MONTERREY DOUBLE…

Does your heart pump a little faster when you hear the melodic song of slot machines, or the snap of a card as it’s dealt from a dealer’s shoe? Then get ready to enjoy this issue of CIGAR AFICIONADO. Gambling is part of this magazine’s DNA, something we’ve covered from our very first issue. Most of our magazines have a story about betting in one form or another, but for the first time in our nearly 30-year history we’ve put together a comprehensive cover package that will arm you with everything you need to know about gambling. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever presented to you before. Gambling is red-hot and Americans just can’t get enough of it, whether it’s using a phone to place a bet on the game or going to…

Dear Marvin, I’ve been a member of this great magazine since 1992. I look forward to receiving my issue in the mail every time they arrive like a little kid waiting to open a new gift for the first time. I have every issue in my collection except for maybe two or three that I could back-order but I want to find them in my own little treasure hunt. I’ve read them many times over and I take pride and great pleasure reading while I smoke my favorite stick. I just received [the copy about] the 50th anniversary of the greatest film ever made, and it took my breath away. [“The Godfather At 50,” March/April 2022.] You have put some of the greatest individuals that smoke cigars on the cover. In my…

If the pandemic had its silver linings they came when hoteliers used the lull to pursue large-scale redevelopment and golf enjoyed one of its biggest annual participation booms in history. These two trends have come together at Dundonald Links, the first new links golf resort to open in Scotland in years. But the course is not new, which is a big part of the appeal. The original Dundonald Links was built in 1911 by Open Champion Willie Fernie, but was taken over by the military in World War II and was unused for decades. In 2003, it was reborn as Southern Gailes, a second course for Loch Lomond, a private club. The new design by Kyle Phillips, of Kingsbarns fame, garnered rave reviews and hosted several Scottish Opens. It became Dundonald again…

Summer means warmer temperatures that invite enjoying your cigars outdoors. But other elements of alfresco smoking will wreak havoc on your delicate indoor smoking gear: the wind, the rain and the lummox who kicks over a flimsy end table. On patio, porch or at poolside, you need outdoor ashtrays. Good outdoor ashtrays are made of hardy materials that won’t shatter or break. The Boca Grande ashtrays (bottom) from Craftsman’s Bench are durable, yet stylish with a tobacco-leaf design made out of strong polyresin. They come in three color options: Natural, Maduro (pictured here) and Sungrown. Both the Natural and Maduro versions feature two cigar holders and share the same measurements: 11⅝ inches long by 6⅜ inches wide by 2½ inches tall. The Sungrown variety is larger (11½ inches long by 12¼…

When Audemars Piguet introduced its Royal Oak in 1972, few could have ever predicted that the revolutionary stainless-steel sport watch with high-end finishing and a price tag to match would become one of the most coveted and hardest-to-get watch models 50 years later. Gérald Genta’s visionary design—with its octagonal bezel accented by eight visible screws, grid-patterned “Tapisserie” dial and integrated steel bracelet—raised more than a few eyebrows before winning an enthusiastic fan base. Today, luxury stainless-steel sport watches appear in brand after brand. But Royal Oak is the grandaddy of them all—now, more timelessly classic than iconoclastic. The first batch of anniversary launches included a next-gen of the one that started it all, but with a long-awaited updated movement. The Ref. 16202 39mm “Jumbo” Extra-Thin in stainless steel, platinum, pink and yellow…