The Humidor D E C E M B E R
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Cigar Almanac of 2016
P.4 A Conversation with Abe Flores P.6
3 00 Hun dred Hands
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Now Tren ding
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Asylum 13 O gre
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The Humidor is a publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Copyright 2015 ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Reprinted reviews remain the copyright of the original publisher.
Allie Smallwood
Editor
Meghan Guarino
Contributing Editor
abcfws.com
Cigar Almanac of 2O16 Makenzie Ladd, Certified Retail Tobacconist @abcbeermakenzie Accented by sprinklings of cool nights and the occasional tropical storm, the residents of Florida like to joke that the year is divided up into only two seasons: the excruciatingly hot season and the mildly not-so-hot season. The monotony of a year with two similar seasons seems banal, but Floridians have found ways to differentiate the months with wild emphasis on celebrations, holidays and life experiences. Hurricanes are preceded by hurricane parties, botanical gardens are strung with Christmas lights for snowless tours, and every holiday is celebrated with themed drinks and costumes and is saturated with the dedication of making memories. While shopping for scrumptious pumpkin beer for the Thanksgiving table, liquor-fi lled chocolates for Christmas stockings and later, drink umbrellas for the Fourth of July pool party, don’t forget about the cigars! If you’d like to pair your tobacco with the seasonal party so that smokers attending your beat-the-heat gala have an unforgettable time, here are a few ideas. The year starts with the budget-conscious
between your fingers while you ponder what
The lightest of these delicacies is the Nub
month of January. Even with nature’s air
kinds of tobacco are in this super-secret blend.
Cappuccino, whose light wrapper makes this
conditioning flowing through the open windows and saving you dollars on your electric bill, Christmas has just plundered your pockets and you are in need of affordable cigar options that still give you the feeling (just the feeling!) of winter delight. Foundry’s Chillin Moose line of cigars is a welcome answer to your empty wallet problems. Ringing up at around four dollars for the easysmoking Gigante size, the Chillin Moose is all about relaxation. The cartoon moose evokes the idea of sitting in a cabin with a warm cigar
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cigar sweet and creamy. When your other half When February rolls around, Oliva’s Nub Café series is the quintessential box of chocolates for your sweet-toothed, cigar-smoking honey. These stout cigars are no joke; their little chocolate-like bodies are coffee-infused and pack a punch of deliciousness. The Macchiato Nub smells just like milk chocolate candy and has a touch of spicy espresso filling. If your sweetheart prefers
wants something really special, Oliva’s Serie V Melanio Figurado was named #1 Cigar of 2014 by Cigar Aficionado. The Melanio’s every chiseled curve is an architectural design, and its velvety wrapper gleams with a glowy suppleness. This masterpiece will have your cigar lover opening their shining box with the hope that you went to... ABC’s humidor.
a stronger espresso flavor, the Espresso Nub is a rich, flavorful cigar whose dark roasted notes
If you’re seeking some peace of mind during this
still allow a touch of sweetness to shine through.
year’s March Madness and need a cigar to
last through the gang’s highly-anticipated sports
Following April showers, May flowers decorate
Fritas is a short, dark spice-stick that will enhance
party, puffing on an Asylum 13 cigar will bring
the peninsula’s landscape with a lush, tropical
flavorful food, while the Flying Pig is a hearty,
you hours of enjoyment. New to our humidors,
synergy that draws residents of all ages to Florida
earthy smoke that goes great with grilled meat. If
this cigar line boasts giant confections that will
preserves, white-sand beaches and amusement
today is a backyard social at the neighbor’s, don’t
keep you occupied even through overtime. Of
parks. Don’t forget to take some time to relax with
forget that the Kentucky Fire Cured cigar is a BBQ
the four styles you’ll find in your ABC humidor,
a cigar. Camacho’s rebranded cigar line offers
staple, as important as the burgers or coleslaw.
the biggest of Asylum 13’s cigars is the 80x6,
tubes in as many brilliant colors as the vegetation
Made with tobacco that is fire-cured by burning
a monster that will require an extra-large cutter
you’ll pass by on your way to the local waterpark.
hickory, oak and maple wood in a special curing
and some time and patience to finish. The other
The Corojo Robusto, a bold cigar that leans
barn, smoking this cigar is like biting into a
sizes are a little less intimidating: the 70x7, 60x6
towards being full-bodied, is rightfully encased
piece of bacon or char-grilled steak.
and 50x5, are also made with Nicaraguan filler,
by the aggressively bright, cherry red tube for
and like their big brother, encased in a lovely,
on-the-go carrying convenience. For something a
dark Nicaraguan Habano wrapper that is sure
little less bold, look for the Connecticut Robusto’s
to impress your buddies. Keep your eyes peeled
cheerful yellow tube or the orange-tubed Criollo
around December when Asylum’s Ogre will hit the
Robusto, which is medium-bodied and just
humidor shelves in 60, 70 and 80.
as exciting.
The soaring summertime temperatures in Florida turn some residents into cave-dwelling isolationists huddled behind drawn curtains and worshipping the almighty air conditioner. From the mildly not-so-hot month of January to the excruciatingly hot days of June, our Cigar
The celebrations in April revolve around spring,
Residents willing to brave the sweltering humidity
Almanac is a mere guide to your shopping
earth and rebirth. Whether you’re celebrating
and rising temperatures of June entertain
experience—don’t be afraid to play around
Easter Sunday or Earth Day by lighting up a
themselves with days at the beach, BBQs, ice-
with different seasonal themes for your holiday
piece of artwork made from the very soil you
cold beers with the neighbors, and traveling the
celebrations. All cigars can be your favorite cigar
celebrate, a cigar line to look for is My Father. Flor
open road on the back of a purring motorcycle.
if you find the perfect one to match the moment.
de Las Antillas, meaning “Flower of the Antilles,”
Drew Estate, a cigar company that has come to
symbolically represents the biggest island in the
symbolize innovation and independence, has
Antilles, Cuba, and birthplace of cigar maker Jose
both the cigars and the attitude to traipse along
“Pepin” Garcia. The Toro in this line took the #1
with you on your summer adventure. Whether
Cigar of the Year from Cigar Aficionado in 2012,
you decide to paddle board, swim or disc-golf
and rightfully so: This lovely box-pressed cigar is
the day away, stopping for a quick bite at the
the representation of man crafting nature into a
local lunch hotspot is a good time to relax with
cigar that features notes of pepper, earthiness
a cigar. Anyone up for a pulled pork sandwich
and wood. The cigar band art and red ribbon at
and some fries? If trying to get that beach body
the foot of the cigar provide a presentation of
doesn’t allow you such greasy pleasures, the Liga
sheer elegance and cultural pride.
Undercrown Flying Pig and Unico Papas Fritas can be substitutes for carb-rich fast food. Papas
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A Conversation with
Abe Flores Chris Gwaltney, Certified Retail Tobacconist @abccigarchris
Way back in June when we met with cigar
interesting, you have one of the best factories
maker Abe Flores concerning his PDR cigar
in the Dominican Republic, you are an up-and-
line and which of his cigars we would bring into
comer, and you make great cigars. We want
our portfolio, we had just released our summer
to feature you and make sure the whole world
edition of The Humidor. Since that meeting Abe
knows who you are.”
had the opportunity for another interview with a much larger publication, Cigar Aficionado,
CG: So you grew up working on a tobacco
which turned into a major feature about Abe
farm, got away from it for other pursuits, and
and his PDR cigars. Abe was kind enough to
now you are back. Is this a case of one’s past
sit down with me recently and share his
catching up to them in a positive way?
thoughts about his past, his company and his amazing cigars.
AF: I came from farming. We weren’t producers. We didn’t make the end product, we were
Chris Gwaltney: People in the industry have
growers. I came from a 100% farming mentality.
long known about you because of the many
I learned how to ferment and process tobacco
cigars you have made for other companies.
from other manufacturers.
Many of these contract cigars have received a lot of accolades and high ratings. Is it nice that PDR is finally getting some recognition for its achievements? Abe Flores: Yes. Obviously for many years a lot of cigars I made got top 25 ratings, accolades and hype—cigars like the Gurkha Ghost and the 125th—and now that I see my own getting those ratings and respect, it makes me a lot happier. It makes me happy that people see that I am not just a contract brand cigar maker. CG: So you had to be pleased with the Cigar Aficionado feature. AF: For them to do that I was very surprised. I thought that it would just be a Q and A for the “Insider” but they sent down a photographer. I was like, wow, for me? Are you guys sure about this? They said, “Yeah, we think you are
CG: The farming aspect did have to help you though, just knowing how good tobacco is grown and how to pick out the good stuff.
point of QA. The second point of QA is the rolling supervisors. They only supervise four tables. They make sure the blends are being
AF: Yes, it gives me the know-how in terms
done correctly and the rolling is being done to
of what to buy. I don’t farm (now), I contract
my standards. That supervisor inspects every
farmers to grow for me and I trust them. I visit
cigar then takes it to the third (QA) point, the
at the beginning of the harvest, midway of
QA supervisor. They re-inspect everything the
the harvest and at the end. I am able to catch
rolling supervisor approved. Then after that
things. I am smart enough to know if it isn’t
it’s off to the humidor supervisor who starts
the right seed or something isn’t right. I also
the inspection process all over again. The
ferment and process my own tobacco so I have
possibility of a cigar not drawing correctly,
better control over my blends and consistency.
being under-filled or not blended correctly is very low. I have a much higher standard
CG: When someone walks into a humidor and
compared to other factories.
sees a PDR cigar what should they expect? What makes it stand out from the many others?
So there you have it folks. You now know why ABC sells PDR cigars. In a world where quality
AF: Everyone has their own technique, their
is often sacrificed for quantity, this is not the
own style and profile. What I try to do is
case for Abe Flores and the workers at
implement procedures and standards that a lot
his factory.
of other factories don’t. I have four QA (quality assurance) points in my factory that a lot of others don’t.
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We draw test 100% of our cigars—that is one
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3OO HANDS Oscar Vazquez, Certified Retail Tobacconist
I have always appreciated a good cigar, but my
Those at work in the casa de tabaco eagerly
tobacco residue: The treated leaves are then placed
passion started when I learned this fascinating
welcome the fresh tobacco leaves from the field.
into the time-worn hands of the torcedores,
fact: Before a cigar reaches a store and makes its
The casa de tabaco is a large barn where the
professional cigar rollers. These torcedores,
way into our hands, it goes through a process that
leaves are cured through a process where they
depending on the shape and size of a cigar, will
takes approximately 300 hands to create the final
strap or sew the leaves onto flat wooden paddles
roll up to 150 cigars a day, and it takes many
product. It’s a process that has seen little change
called cujes. They are then hung in the barn for
years to become a skilled roller.
for hundreds of years.
the curing process. These hands patiently wait
Surrounded by rolling green hills where the tobacco fields are located, these hands are hard at work. Acres of fields in the Dominican Republic,
until the leaves have lost 80 percent of their water, gaining a beautiful golden brown color in the process.
The expert hands of the torcedores carefully bunch the filler leaves and bind them together with a leaf with less imperfections known as the binder leaf. The wrapped bundle is placed into a mold
Nicaragua, Honduras and other countries are
A new set of hands take over at this point, those
and pressed to receive its cylindrical shape. It is
planted with sprouts that were first cared for by
that work at the factories sorting and separating
then wrapped with the finest, most perfect leaf,
hand from seedling to sapling in the green houses.
the leaves into piles for wrappers, binders and
known as the wrapper.
Farmed by attentive growers, the tobacco plants
fillers according to the quality and texture of the
are closely monitored daily; these growers look for
leaf. Hands now bundle small bunches of these
smaller and underdeveloped leaves to prune. They
leaves to organize for the fermentation process.
also remove the flower buds and use the seeds for
These bundles are called gavillas.
future plants. This helps the leaves absorb all the nutrients until finally maturing into beautiful, green leaves that are harvested by hands with care and tradition.
But before they are sent to the stores, humidors and lounges, these cigars are thoroughly inspected and put in an aging room, also known as a marrying room, for another six months. The
These hands add moisture and place them into
final set of hands bands and wraps each cigar
piles, waiting patiently for six months to a year.
in cellophane.
During this time, the tobacco releases ammonia and impurities gaining strength and flavor in
Finally, 300 hands later, we have a cigar.
the process. These piles, or pilones as they are
After being bundled or set in a box and sent to
known, are closely monitored by expert eyes until
stores, these cigars reach our grateful hands:
they are ready to be stripped from their stems
numbers 301 and 302.
and treated with a mojo consisting of water and
Brothers and sisters of the leaf, the next time you light up your favorite cigar and enjoy it with a fine Scotch or perhaps your favorite wine, let us remember to raise our glasses for a toast—a toast to those hands and the masterpieces they create.
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Now Trending Steve Mungeer, Certified Retail Tobacconist @abccigarmungo
This year’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers show in New Orleans is now history,
scenario. Altadis USA is the major player in this right
but don’t worry: This is not a rehash of all the new
with the Plasencia family. Romeo by Romeo y
products we picked up and reviews on these great
Julieta Aging Room Small Batch did a collaboration
new selections. Instead, let’s look back at what was
with Rafael Nodal, and Henry Clay Tattoo with Pete
new and what has changed in the world of cigars.
Johnson of Tatuaje. Having smoked all of these
In Twitter lingo, let’s check out what is #trending.
I must say I was highly impressed and hope to
For the sake of simplicity I will not look at Cuban
see more of these joint efforts in the future.
cigars in our near future since I still see a long road
The revitalization of older labels was also noted
ahead before we see them on sale in American
this year. General Cigar and their Foundry division
cigar shops. Let’s focus on what we can
brought back two classic blends in a retooled,
readily purchase.
reblended and totally reworked package. Bolivar
Large format cigars (6x60 and larger) started
and Ramon Allones are their first two ventures into
gaining in popularity the past few years and show
“cigars reimagined” and much like the Henry Clay
no indication of slowing down. We now see 7x70s,
version mentioned above, this will be an interesting
6x80s and 7x62s from a multitude of companies.
new trend.
Look for some Rocky Patel offerings in our stores in
Last but not least in our #trending journey is what
the 6x60 size and even the 7x62 size. Asylum 13,
I see as perhaps the most exciting venture yet by
which was wildly popular in our stores last year, will
several manufacturers: bourbon barrel aged cigars.
now have their Ogre Barber Pole join them. Large
For these sticks, tobacco leaves are packed into
format cigars are here to stay and the variety keeps
an aged bourbon barrel for a period of time and
growing and the quality keeps improving!
constantly removed and relayered to pick up all the
This year also brought about the resurgence of
nuances of a charred oak barrel that previously
the Connecticut Shade wrapper. Many companies
held bourbon. Pappy Van Winkle Cigars and the
introduced a variety of offerings with either
Camacho American Barrel Aged are two great
true Connecticut Shade or Ecuadorian grown
examples of this exciting new style. Having smoked
Connecticut. Padron shook up the cigar world by
and enjoyed the charred oak, caramel, vanilla and
breaking away from its longtime traditions and
bourbon flavors in both, I am looking forward to
introducing Padron Damaso which features a
the future of this new style.
Connecticut wrapper on a first-ever rounded cigar!
Look out for more large format smokes, more
Drew Estate launched the Undercrown Shade,
Connecticut wrappers, more collaborations and
Montecristo launched the White Vintage series
revitalizations, and more barrel aged cigars over the
with a true Connecticut Shade wrapper vintage
next few years. The cigar world is an exciting place
2008, and AJ Fernandez introduced the New World
to be right now as new generations of smokers
Connecticut after the great reviews the
come on board with new and changing palates.
now with their Montecristo Espada in collaboration
New World received this past year. There was also a great deal of collaboration this past year in cigars, a trend I expect to continue. In many cases this is a best-of-both-worlds Page 7
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The Humidor
Orlando, Florida 32824
Buy six or more sticks at regular price and save 10%!
Asylum 13 Ogre With a name like Asylum you know that this cigar has
pole wrapped cigar that includes a gorgeous green
to be crazy good, right? When I hear the word Asylum,
wrapper to go along with the Nicaraguan Habano.
my first thoughts aren’t that of a place of peaceful
There just aren’t a lot of Candela cigars available these
tranquility, but rather a chaotic scene from a horror
days so this is a great one to pick up if you’ve never
movie where the inmates run the place. To add an extra
experienced it. The Candela actually lends a bit of
degree of weirdness to this label our friends at CLE
sweetness to the palate but make no mistakes about it,
also offer this cigar in an Ogre version.
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this cigar is full-bodied. There are many complex
The appearance of the Ogre will tell you right away how
flavors in the Ogre and each size offers a little
they came up with the name. It is a beautiful barber
different variation.