Cigar Snob Magazine July August 2019

JULY / AUGUST 2019

p. 61

p. 43

54 p. 81

Wagyu Bavette p. 37

Sweep the Leg with

MARTIN KOVE p. 100

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IT’S TIME TO FIRE UP THE GRILL, BREAK OUT THE BREWS AND LIGHT UP A BOLD ONE. IT’S GAME TIME. LET’S DO THIS. JOIN TEAM CAMACHO ON INSTAGRAM FOR BOLD CIGAR EXPERIENCES TO DOMINATE YOUR NEXT ‘GATE. AS A SIGNING BONUS, YOU COULD WIN A TRIP TO THE OFFICIAL BIG GAME TAILGATE AT OUR HOME FIELD, CAMP CAMACHO IN HONDURAS.

#CAMACHOTAILGATEDOMINATION

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editorials JULY / AUGUST 2019

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PERFECT PAIRINGS

MONTECRISTO ESPADA OSCURO / ROGUE ROLLING THUNDER IMPERIAL STOUT When we got these cigars before their official release, we got to work on finding just the right beer to go with it. It’s tough work, but somebody’s got to do it.

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CUT, COOK, EAT

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DESTINATION - WASHINGTON D.C.

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Q&A WITH ED REED

Get into the weeds with Chef Miguel Massens and prepare to bring fine dining technique — and an American Wagyu Bavette steak — to your home kitchen.

There’s no way to see it all in a short trip to D.C., but we did our worst. From world-class cigar bars to sprawling art galleries to the city’s favorite chili, come along on our snobby field trip.

The greatest safety who ever played football wants in on the cigar game — and he’s studying the tape to make sure he does this right.

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FIRST CIGAR WITH MARTIN KOVE

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CRA COLUMN

The sensei you loved to hate in The Karate Kid is back and bringing new depth (along with great cigars) to the character in the YouTube original series Cobra Kai.

Beverly Hills, California is ushering in a new era that threatens the enjoyment of a cigar.

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features JULY / AUGUST 2019

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

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FEEDBACK

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WHAT’S BURNIN’

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BRAND BREAKDOWN

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SMOKING HOT CIGAR SNOB

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RATINGS

AJ FERNANDEZ BELLAS ARTES MADURO

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

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TWITTER SCOREBOARD

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EVENT COVERAGE 107 MOUNTAIN ON FIRE 114 AMPARO EXPERIENCE CIGAR SNOB AFTER PARTY 116 BURN ATLANTA GRAND OPENING 118 GALIANO CIGAR LOUNGE GRAND OPENING 120 SABOR HAVANA DINNER FEATURING ESPINOSA CIGARS 122 C. A. T. S.

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Maduro

Especial

Centered around formidable Nicaraguan Ligeros, which lay beneath a sweet and spicy San Andres wrapper, the Serie V Maduro carries the consistency in quality and flavor all of our cigars are known for. This combination renders layers of richness and complexity, in spite of its power, making it A Must Smoke! www.olivacigar.com

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13 www.olivacigar.com

JULY / AUGUST 2019

VO L . 11 IS SU E 4 www.cigarsnobmag.com PUBLISHER & EDITOR Erik Calviño SENIOR EDITOR Nicolás Antonio Jiménez COPY EDITOR Michael LaRocca SALES & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Oscar M. Calviño PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ivan Ocampo ART DIRECTOR Andy Astencio DIGITAL RETOUCHING SPECIALIST Ramón Santana CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Florin Safner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Glynn Loope CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS David Benoliel Andy Astencio Jim Pollock Natalia Aguilera EVENT PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamilet Calviño Justin Sicard Syndikat Medienpool Lighthouse Productions Cover Photography by David Benoliel www.davidbenolielphotography.com Cover Model - Natalie Golba Cigar Snob is published bi-monthly

by Lockstock Publications, Inc. 1421-1 SW 107th Ave., #253 Miami, FL 33174-2509 Tel: 1 (786) 423-1015 Cigar Snob is a registered trademark of Lockstock Publications, Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction in part or full without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Cigar Snob is printed in the U.S. Contents copyright 2006, Lockstock Publications, Inc. To subscribe, visit www.cigarsnobmag.com

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If I’m being honest, the July/August issue rivals the January/February issue as the most difficult issue for us to publish. You see, we always launch the July/August issue at the cigar industry’s annual convention and trade show. So aside from always wanting to make a splash at the show, which impacts the content that we put in this issue, it ties our production schedule to the show dates. So when this year’s trade show dates were announced, everyone at Cigar Snob HQ circled this issue like a college football team circles a game against a bitter rival. So to stick with that metaphor, we kicked this issue’s butt this year in a close, hard fought game. We were down by at least two touchdowns to start the 4th quarter and Ed Reed blocked a punt, returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown, and for good measure caused a fumble on a strip sack, which he recovered and took to the house for the win.

Not coincidentally, our senior editor Nicolás Antonio Jiménez and our production director Ivan Ocampo sat down with the Ball Hawk, the guy who humbly does not want to be called the GOAT but whom we all feel is the best safety to play the game, for an interview titled Win, Lose, or Draw on p. 61. Aside from his on the field exploits, Ed is humble, thoughtful, and an absolute joy to smoke a cigar with.

Thanks to Casablanca Cigars in Miami Beach for hosting the shoot and to our team for producing a top-notch interview and photo shoot in record time. I also would like to take a moment to congratulate Ed Reed on his upcoming induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Congratulations and see you in Canton my friend.

Allow me to return to the metaphor for a moment. The fashion shoot in this issue features a five-star recruit who had everyone watching the game film over and over and then a little more. For our cover and fashion shoot, we gave the starting nod to dual threat Natalie Golba.

She is a rare find in that besides being unapologetically beautiful, she is also an amazing chef! If you haven’t done so already, head over to p. 70 for the photo shoot titled Forbidden Fruit featuring Herrera Esteli Norteño. Thank me later.

The secret weapon in this issue is one of the most exciting young chefs in America. Miguel Massens cut his teeth under the tutelage of fine dining icons Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller and has brought his talents back to his native Miami, where he will be opening Antilia.

Check out the dish he helped us create in Cut, Cook, Eat on p. 37.

Senior editor Nick and art director Andy Astencio blitzed Washington D.C. for our travel editorial. You may think I’m using the term just to keep the metaphor alive but the truth is that they ran through the city in a couple of days and saw more in that time than most people see in an entire week at our nation’s capital. How Nick managed to drag Andy out of the National Gallery of Art in less than two hours will remain one of life’s great mysteries. Whatever means he used to

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accomplish this probably goes against the NCAA’s concussion protocol.

Thanks for bearing with my metaphor for this long and for being loyal readers of our work. If you’re a subscriber to this publication, you are our MVP! Ha! Had to get one more in there. Enjoy the issue and enjoy your summer. Drop us a line telling us what you think at feedback@cigarsnobmag.com or via Twitter at @cigarsnobmag.

Keep ‘em lit,

Erik Calviño ecalvino@cigarsnobmag.com

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ALWAYS LEARNING Loved all the coffee stuff in your last issue (March/April 2019)! Who knew there was so much to know about coffee? That magazine sent me down an Internet rabbit hole. I’ve been reading up on everything from how it ’s grown to how I should be brewing it differently at home. I especially enjoyed Andy Giambarba’s article on what makes specialty coffee different.

Thanks for the education!

George C. Miami via feedback@cigarsnobmag.com Thanks for that, George! We love to hear that readers take what they learn in the magazine and put it to work in their daily lives. After working on that issue, we’ve had an experience similar to yours, which is to say we’ve become just as snobby about coffee as we are about our cigars.

What makes coffee a little extra fun is that specialty coffee is usually only distributed regionally or locally, so if you’re a traveler, there’s almost always something new to try. In that way, it’s a little more like beer than cigars, which don’t suffer from being shipped long distances and sitting on the shelf for a while as long as they’re stored right.

But we digress! Thanks again for the note. Hope we keep delivering. We’ve been talking about bringing Andy Giambarba onto the podcast to go even deeper into the coffee thing, so make sure you’re subscribed there so you get notified when he drops in on us at the office to record and lead a cupping session ( just a little coffee snob lingo there).

I GOT A FEVER… AND THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION IS MORE PODCAST. I’ve been listening to the Cigar Snob Podcast and have enjoyed it. But I need more! What do we need to do to get you guys to put more episodes out?

Tammy Lansing, Mich. via feedback@cigarsnobmag.com We love doing the podcast, but we have a magazine to run, lady! Seriously, though, it’s great to know people enjoy the podcast and we have fun doing it.

As luck would have it, we’ve also begun to do an AM radio show called The Draw that airs down here in Miami on 1210 AM The Man. We’ve begun to share those broadcasts in our podcast feed as well, so you’ll be able to hear those shows — which sound a lot like our regular podcasts — in the Cigar Snob Podcast feed three days a week (in addition to any other podcast content we put out there).

Maybe that helps you get your fix?

Either way, we do want to ramp up our podcasting. After this July’s IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas, we’re going to be publishing a lot of the interviews we record there, so there’s plenty of new material on its way to you.

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JOYA DE NICARAGUA INTRODUCES ANTAÑO CT

Joya de Nicaragua is expanding its offering of Antaño cigars with the Antaño CT, an Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped extension that the company says will be deceptively full-bodied thanks to its Nicaraguan filler and binder.

“Today, Antaño is not just one cigar blend, it is a family of products that invite smokers to Keep Daring, to try powerful and intense blends with distinctive Nicaraguan character. That is why we invite cigar lovers to dare to try the Antaño interpretation of what a Connecticut wrapped cigar should be,” said Juan Ignacio Martínez, Executive President at Joya de Nicaragua, in a press release.

The Antaño CT will be packaged in 20-count boxes in four vitolas: Belicoso (6 x 54),Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 52) and Corona Gorda (5 1/4 x 46). The cigars range in price from $8.00 to $9.90 and shipments will start making their way to stores in July 2019, immediately after the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas.

lineup. The Balmoral Añejo XO Nicaragua sports a sungrown Nicaraguan Habano wrapper and is made at the Royal Agio factory in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.

“The new Añejo XO Nicaragua is a special blend that has been in development for quite some time because, as usual, we wanted to ensure that we had the perfect combination of unique and exclusive, aged premium tobaccos that would make this Nicaragua blend truly stand out,” said Royal Agio CEO Boris Wintermans in a press release. “Our curious approach to blending has once again led us to an exceptional, one-of-a-kind discovery sure to delight cigar lovers everywhere.”

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“The blend is fantastic” states Terence Reilly, VP of sales and marketing at Aganorsa Leaf. “Equally important, the unique vitolas combine with the dark beauty of the wrapper to create a powerful visual impact and make the Lunatic Loco immediately stand out in the humidor.”

LA AURORA 115TH ANNIVERSARY SHIFTS TO REGULAR PRODUCTION

The Añejo XO Nicaragua serves to further round out the Añejo X stable, which includes the core Añejo XO (Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper), Connecticut and Oscuro (San Andrés wrapper).

Añejo XO Nicaragua will be available in Torpedo Mk52 (6 1/4 x 52), Gran Toro (6 x 52), Rothschild Masivo (5 x 55), Corona (5 7/8 x 42) and Petit Robusto FT (Flagtail) (4 1/4 x 48). They’ll range in price from $8.50 to $11.25 per cigar.

JFR LUNATIC GETS A GIRTHY EXPANSION

La Aurora Cigars released a limited-edition cigar to commemorate its 115th anniversary at the 2019 ProCigar festival in the Dominican Republic in February. This year, they’re unveiling a regular-production blend that will be available on an ongoing basis.

“We created 115th Anniversary to commemorate this very special occasion in the history of our company,” said La Aurora president Guillermo Leon in a press release.

“Throughout our 115 years, we have held to the highest standards in cigar making and this commitment to excellence is at the very core of who we are. La Aurora 115th Anniversary is a standing ovation to the hard work and dedication of each and every member of the La Aurora family.”

ROYAL AGIO RELEASES BALMORAL AÑEJO XO NICARAGUA

Royal Agio announced the release of a new component in the Balmoral Añejo XO

Corojo Maduro — earn their name before you’ve even lit them: Lunatic Loco.

Aganorsa Leaf is expanding the JFR Lunatic brand with a new blend that will be made available in three perfecto formats.

Those formats are entirely in line with the “Lunatic” idea, to be sure. The three vitolas — El Loquito (4¾ x 60), El Loco (4¾ x 70), and El Gran Loco (5½ x 80), all of which are wrapped in Aganorsa’s own

This regular production La Aurora 115th Anniversary blend features an Ecuadorian wrapper, Brazilian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Brazil. It will be available in four formats: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (5 3/4 x 54), Belicoso (6 1/4 x 52), and Gran Toro (6 x 58). Packaged in 20-count boxes, they’re priced from $9.50 to $11 per cigar.

e

BALMORAL’S SECOND SERIE SIGNATURAS RELEASE, CALLED PASO DOBLE, IS A COLLABORATION WITH LITTO GOMEZ OF LA FLOR DOMINICANA

The Paso Doble, featuring an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, will be packaged in 10-count boxes and come in three vitolas: Robusto (5¾ x 50), Gran Toro (6¼ x 54) and Brindis (Figurado) (7 x 55). The cigars are set to ship in August and retail prices are set from $11.25 to $16.50.

CUEVAS REVIVES CUEVAS RESERVA BRAND IT FIRST INTRODUCED IN THE EARLY 2000S

back well over a decade ago,” said Luis Cuevas, Jr., President of Casa Cuevas Cigars, in a press release. “As with all things in life, plans always change. I am proud to have worked closely with my father and my son Alec Cuevas, who is now part of the family business recreating this blend.

I am ecstatic that this brand has come full circle, as we can now present it as a family project to the consumer.”

Both variants of the brand will be available in 20-count boxes of each of three vitolas: Toro (6 x 50), Torpedo (6 1/4 x 52), and Robusto (5 x 52). They ’ll range in price from $9.50 to $10.50.

H. UPMANN HISPANIOLA LAUNCHING AT IPCPR 2019 Last summer, Balmoral introduced its “Serie Signaturas” concept to the market. The idea is simple enough — it’s a line characterized by collaboration between Royal Agio and other cigar makers. The first release, called Dueto, was made in tandem with Ernesto Pérez- Carrillo. The cigar earned a spot on this magazine’s list of the Top 25 Cigars of 2018.

This summer, Balmoral is releasing the second installment in that Serie Signaturas line. Royal Agio joined forces with La Flor Dominicana to create a blend that, according to a press release, “intertwines each cigar makers’ most coveted tobaccos and blending signatures.”

“Last year we partnered with Boris and his team at Agio to distribute our products in Germany and The Netherlands, and we were so impressed with their professionalism and dedication, that when Boris asked me to collaborate on a blend with him, I did not think twice,” said Litto in a press release.

“This is not something we normally do, in fact we never do it, but for Boris I made an exception because we share the same simple philosophy, to be the best and do things the right way. The process behind Paso Doble has been an absolute pleasure, from concept, to design, to blending, Boris and his team have been phenomenal throughout and the result is a very special cigar that smokes just as beautifully as it looks!”

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When Luis Cuevas, Sr. first introduced the Cuevas Reserva brand, he ended up faced with the choice of continuing to put his resources into building it or redirecting his efforts into private labels for the sake of financial stability. He chose the latter, passing (at least for the moment) on the potential for a hit cigar with his own family name on the band.

It wasn’t until 2016 that his son Luis Jr. convinced his father they should launch their own brand — Casa Cuevas. Now at the 2019 IPCPR trade show, the Cuevas family will be reviving that brand that had been put on the back burner all those years ago, Cuevas Reserva.

It ’ll be available in Maduro and Natural variants, with the Maduro featuring a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Dominican Piloto binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The Natural has an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Habano binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and the United States.

“The Cuevas Reserva for my father was supposed to be the Cuevas signature brand

Altadis U.S.A . announced the release of H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez.

Hispaniola is the name of the island that both Haiti and the Dominican Republic call home.

“Jose Mendez & Co. has an amazing library of rare and special Dominican tobacco,” said Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Tabacalera USA, in a press release. “Together with Siegfried Maruschke, grandson of Jose Mendez and President of the company, we have created a cigar which highlights the spirit of Hispaniola and takes us on a journey through the most representative tobacco varieties of the island.”

The H. Upmann Hispaniola features Dominican fillers and binder within an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Andullo tobacco is mixed included in the filler blend.

Hispaniola will be available in 20-count boxes in three different vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 1/8 x 52), and Belicoso (6 x 50). They’ll be priced from $8.50 to $8.95.

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H. UPMANN 175TH ANNIVERSARY

Few names in cigars have histories as long as H. Upmann. Altadis U.S.A. is marking the 175th anniversary of H. Upmann with a limited edition cigar, the H. Upmann 175th Anniversary. Production will be limited to 14,750 boxes of 10 cigars, with 50 specialedition humidors containing 50 cigars each thrown into the mix as well.

The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro manufac-

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tured by A.J. Fernandez.

“One of the things that I love about creating new blends is the constant learning about tobacco. Working with AJ Fernández and the rarest wrapper in the world, Medio Tiempo, has definitely been a unique and rewarding experience. There are great cigars and then there is the H. Upmann 175th Anniversary blend. An unforgettable cigar,” said Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Tabacalera USA. The 175th Anniversary will only be available in a 7 x 50 Churchill format and is priced at $18 per cigar.

ARCHETYPE CHAPTER 3 Ventura Cigar Company announced today the addition of Chapter 3 to its Archetype Cigars lineup.

Chapter 3 comprises two blends, named Sacred Scales and Dawn of Destiny. Both

are made by Ernesto Perez- Carrillo at his Dominican factory, Tabacalera La Alianza.

Ernesto and Ventura Cigar GM Michael Giannini have a long history and this Chapter 3 release is their third cigar collaboration.

Sacred Scales features a San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. It will be available in Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52) and Gordo (6 x 60). Dawn of Destiny has an Ecuadorian wrapper with binder and filler from Nicaragua. It will be available in Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52) and Gordo (6 x 60).

“Ernesto Perez- Carrillo is one-of-a-kind,” said Michael in a press release. “He and I go way back. We are champions of each other’s work in the cigar industry, and creative collaborators at points along the way.

It made sense for us to team up and begin this new chapter of Archetype, forging a new path in its story, and celebrating a new phase in our careers.”

©2019 ALTADIS U.S.A. INC.

@hupmann_usa

Montecristo Espada Oscuro Rogue Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout 2019

Aside from the fact that we have year-round great weather, live minutes away from the Florida Keys, and have access to a nearly limitess supply of Cuban pastries, one of the greatest benefits to being based in Miami is our proximity to so many world-class cigar companies. This means that when new cigars are being blended, tasted and subsequently released, we often have first dibs on them.

So when Eddy Guerra of Altadis U.S.A. called to say he was on his way with goodies in the form of the pre-release Montecristo Espada Oscuro, we dropped everything, lined up a selection of our favorite stouts and porters, and prepared for an epic pairing session. To the untrained ear this may sound like a cheap excuse to drink and smoke during the day but the truth is that we do it all for you.

We wouldn’t want you cluelessly wandering the aisles of your local liquor store only to buy the wrong beer, the one that makes your cigar taste like your smoking your sweaty gym clothes. So next time you have hateful thoughts about us smoking and drinking at the office, try sending us a “thank you” tweet instead.

Eddy arrived like any good Miamian; with a box of cigars under one arm and holding a box of Cuban pastries in the other. We lined our stomachs with pastries, empanadas, and croquetas from Cao Bakery & Café and set about the business of finding the best porter or stout for this new offering produced for Altadis U.S.A. by the Plasencia family. The Montecristo Espada Oscuro is the third iteration of the Espada series; the previous two landed on our Top 25 lists of 2014 & 2015 respectively.

THE PAIRING Light the cigar first and start to get a sense of the flavor profile. You’ll find a combination of milk chocolate, caramel, leather, and nut flavors over a base of soft pepper and earth. The Rogue brings a beautiful boozy mix of malt, bittersweet chocolate, strong espresso, and oak to the party. Combined you will find that the Rogue’s oak and malt replace the cigar’s pepper and earth and create a temporary brand new cigar. And as the beer’s flavors fade from your palate, the original Espada Oscuro returns. This is where I suggest you rinse and repeat and enjoy the pairing!

LOCATION: The Corner (thecornermiami.com)

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TORO

AJ FERNANDEZ BELLAS ARTES MADURO tion. Where do you go from here with that cigar?

COUNTRY WRAPPER

Nicaragua Brazil

BINDER FILLER

Mexico Nicaragua

PRICE

$ 8.80 - $ 11.00

AJ Fernandez Owner

Bellas Artes, which is Spanish for beautiful arts or fine arts, is an interesting name for a cigar brand.

Where did that name come from?

I’ve always admired the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana and it served as the inspiration for the original Bellas Artes, which we released in 2016.

The original Bellas Artes wrapper is in and of itself a work of art. I remember when you first released it and thinking it was the most beautiful wrapper in the market. What makes that wrapper so special?

That wrapper is absolutely special! We call that tobacco rojita because of its distinct reddish color. It’s a hybrid of three seeds, Connecticut 8212, Corojo 99, and Havana 2000.

So at what point did you decide to add a maduro to the Bellas Artes line and how did that come about?

I’m always tinkering. I’m always playing with blends and trying different tobaccos on existing blends that I love, especially when I have a wrapper that I like a lot. So one day I took a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper that was smoking incredibly and applied it to the Bellas Artes blend. It just blew me away. From there we tweaked the blend a little to suit the new wrapper and that’s how the Bellas Artes Maduro was born.

AVAILABLE IN 4 SIZES INCLUDING :

The Bellas Artes Maduro has garnered some high ratings and accolades from multiple publications.

In fact, it landed in the No. 6 spot of our Top 25 Cigars of 2018. That’s high praise from this publica-

First off, thank you for recognizing the Bellas Artes Maduro on your Top 25 list. We’re extremely proud of that accolade. Secondly, I would like to announce that we will be releasing a line extension for it in the form of a lancero 7 x 40. We’ll have only 3,000 10-count boxes that will be released at IPCPR and will likely sell out at IPCPR. 3,000 10-count boxes or 30,000 cigars is not a large production. Is that because lanceros are just not that popular of a size or is it more of a test run?

It’s a bit of both. Historically in our portfolio lanceros don’t sell as much as robustos and toros so we only produced 3,000 boxes but if it takes off and performs better than expected, it will remain as a regular production and we’ll re-assess the production numbers.

For perspective, can you share a comparison of the lancero production numbers versus a more popular size?

Sure, let’s use the toro as an example; we produce 10,000 20-count boxes of the toro annually so that’s 200,000 cigars in comparison to 30,000 for the lancero.

Something else that’s worth noting is that we only have two people rolling the lancero at the factory. As you know the lancero is not an easy size to make; you can’t just take any roller and have him or her make a lancero.

Now that we’re discussing production numbers, your brands and the brands that you make for other companies have been on a steady growth path. How many cigars are you producing annually now and how has this growth impacted your plans for the future?

Between our two cigar factories, Estelí and Ocotal, we are producing 25 million cigars per year. As for our manufacturing capabilities, we are exactly where we want to be. We are in a position with the two factories where we are able to produce 25 million cigars without sacrificing any quality. Our tabaqueros are not rushed, our blends are not compromised, and we’re producing cigars of the highest quality for ourselves and the companies that trust us to make their cigars.

SWEET

Robusto 5 1/2 x 52

Toro 6 x 54

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Short Churchill 6 x 48

CHOCOLATE

NUT

EARTH

CREAM

WOOD

COFFEE

SPICE

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cut/cook/eat

Every home cook wants to bring a fine-dining-caliber meal to their home. If you’re like most, though, you have questions. So we linked up with one of Miami’s most promising young chefs and asked him to help us elevate one of our favorite cuts.

AMERICAN WAGYU BAVETTE $22.50 per pound snakeriverfarms.com For a primer on bavette and some tips on how to prepare it, we went to chef Miguel Massens, whose forthcoming Miami restaurant, Antilia, will be a love letter to Miami and all of its Latin American cuisine.

“Bavette is very popular in French bistros,” Miguel said. “There, it would be pan seared, finished with some butter, thyme, garlic. In Argentina, where it’s called vacío, it’s typically cooked on a grill. Here in the United States, it’s known as flap meat. It’s very close to the flank steak and skirt steak, so it has a bit of that chewiness that meat lovers like.”

Miguel likes to serve vacío, but it’s not something you tend to find on the menus of high-end American chop houses, where more tender cuts dominate.

CHEF | MIGUEL MASSENS

Born in Miami to Cuban parents, Miguel began his career as a restaurant manager for 4-star Marriott and Hilton hotel properties in Florida in 2008 before moving to New York City in 2010. There, he worked up the ranks

in the dining room at Daniel — the flagship of French chef Daniel Boulud — to learn the standards of Michelin 3-star service before transitioning into one of Daniel’s kitchens fulltime. In 2014 he moved to the Napa Valley in California to work in the kitchen at Thomas Keller’s famed The French Laundry.

In 2016 Miguel went to Spain to stage at the Michelin 3-starred restaurants Arzak and Quique Dacosta, and Michelin 1-star restaurant Casa Gerardo. In 2017, he accepted the role as opening Chef de Cuisine for Three, a fine dining restaurant in Miami under the supervision of multiple James Beard Award winner Chef Norman Van Aken. During his time at Three, Miguel was named one of “8 Underthe-Radar Chefs in Miami” by Zagat, and one of 9 Chefs to Watch in Miami by Forbes. After a year, he realized he was ready to execute his vision of Antilia. His most recent travels brought him to Mexico City, where he staged at Quintonil (the San Pellegrino best restaurant in Mexico), in anticipation of connecting to Latin cuisine on a higher level.

“I like to bring attention to ingredients that we use in Latin America, and vacío is perfect for this because it has a ton of flavor. With Wagyu you’re hitting another level. Wagyu refers to a breed of cow known for its marbling. A lot of people are familiar with the word Kobe, which is a city in Japan where the Wagyu cow is bred. You can have a Wagyu cow come from America, from Japan, from Argentina, from anywhere.”

Another thing to note: Wagyu is graded differently depending on where in the world it’s from. Japanese Wagyu, Miguel said, is graded for marbling on a scale from A1 to A12. Outside of Japan, the best Wagyu you’ll find is generally A5. American Wagyu, on the other hand, is generally graded choice or prime.

“A lot of the best beef in the U.S. comes from the Midwest. In Florida, that’s very difficult because it’s hot,” Miguel said. “If it’s hot and the cow is sweating, it’s not keeping fat in its body to keep warm through the winter. The same thing happens with fish. That’s why you see Japanese tuna that looks like a piece of steak. They have all that fat inside because the water is freezing.

“Vacío tastes really good and, especially when you cook it the right way, you get a lot of value for your dollar. Last time I checked, I found Angus vacío for $9.49 a pound, prime vacío for $13.99 a pound, and Wagyu vacío (from Snake River Farms) at about $23.00 a pound.”

YOU MIGHT HAVE A GREAT BUTCHER NEARBY. OTHERWISE, YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON SNAKE RIVER FARMS MEAT PRODUCTS (FEATURED IN THE PHOTO ABOVE) AT SNAKERIVERFARMS.COM. JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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If sous vide looks intimidating, rest assured — this is easy. Relieve your cooking stress and take the precision of the finished product to the next level with a sous vide circulator.

You’ll still need to sear the steak, so why not take your grill game to the next level too?

THE YODER SMOKERS 24”X48” CHARCOAL GRILL $1,999.00 yodersmokers.com We’re recommending you give the sous vide thing a shot. And even if you do, you’ll need to sear your steak, and this bad boy is just the tool you need to manage a coal-fired feast. With 1,152 square inches of cooking surface, you’ll be feeding the whole block in no time. Plus, the charcoal basket height is adjustable, so you can bring the heat right up to the steaks when it’s time for that quick sear and bring them back down for your other ingredients.

“In a French bistro, typically bavette or vacío will just be seared and put in an oven to cook through, and then they’ll baste it with some butter, thyme and garlic and they’ll serve it as a steak frites,” said chef Miguel. “Argentinians will typically put it on a very hot grill to get some char on it and then move it to a cooler section of the grill with less coals to let it cook through, but still the cooking time is at most 15 minutes.”

ANOVA PRECISION COOKER $129.00 anovaculinary.com Anova is one of the trusted names in sous vide for home cooks. This circulator does everything you need it to and then some, even enabling you to control the cooker from a mobile app, so that you can go on about your business without feeling like you can’t still keep an eye on things in the kitchen.

“I use sous vide to break down the fiber a little bit more and bring it up to that level of fine dining. It’s a technique that’s popular in fine dining kitchens and was developed in the ‘70s and ‘80s by the French specifically to cook foie gras. But we’ve been able to adapt it to cook many other things,”

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Miguel said. “For vacío you want to vacuum seal the meat with some aromatics inside the bag — things like garlic, thyme, butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe a slice of lemon — and then put it into a water bath with a circulator. All you have to do is turn the thing on, put it in the water, and then set your target temperature. Vacío eats very well in the medium rare to medium range. Because it’s got that pronounced grain, to me, it’s not pleasant to eat medium well to well done. Whereas something like a filet mignon you can get to medium rare in about an hour, you want to cook the vacío for a couple of hours to break down the fibers.”

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cut/cook/eat

Bring together the techniques of French fine dining and the flavors of Latin American comfort food with this recipe from chef Miguel Massens for a sous vide elevation of one of Argentina’s favorite steaks.

MODERN SOUS-VIDE BAVETTE INGREDIENTS 1 each

Bavette (also known as Flap Meat or Vacío)

½ bunch

Fresh thyme sprigs

2 ounces

Butter, unsalted

8 TBSP

Olive oil

4 cloves

Garlic, smashed

2

Lemons, cut in half

To taste

Kosher salt

To taste

Maldon “fleur de sel” sea salt or grey salt “sel gris”

EQUIPMENT • • • • • • • •

Grill Sous-Vide Circulator Vacuum Sealer with bags Tank or Pot filled with water Cutting Board Tray Tongs Knife

METHOD

and any remaining pan juices from the resting tray. The beef can stay in this bag for several days before moving on to the next step.**

1. Trim any fat or gristle off the cut of meat. Ask your butcher to do so if desired.

8. 2.5 hours before you plan to serve the beef, place the vacuum sealed beef in the water bath and set a 2-hour timer.

2. Pre-heat grill to highest setting (500° + Fahrenheit).

9. After the 2 hours, remove from the water bath.

3. Pre-heat a water bath with a circulator to your desired temperature (see Notes).

10. Ensure your grill is pre-heated to the highest setting.

4. Season the meat with 4 tbsp of the olive oil, kosher salt, and the juice of 1 of the lemons.

11. Carefully open the bag and remove the beef onto a tray.***

5. Place the meat on the grill and sear the first side for approximately 60 seconds, then flip and repeat on the second side.*

12. Return to the grill and re-sear the meat on the hottest setting on both sides for less than a minute per side.

6. Remove from the grill, place on a tray, and immediately place in the refrigerator to chill the beef.

13. Rest for at least 5 minutes to allow the meat’s juices to redistribute.

7. Once chilled, vacuum seal the beef with the butter, remaining olive oil, thyme sprigs, garlic,

14. Squeeze the juice of the other lemon on top as well as the remaining 4 tbsp of olive oil.

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15. Slice against the grain and sprinkle with the finishing salt of your choice (Maldon or grey salt).

16. Enjoy with chimichurri sauce.

NOTES *The pre-searing step must be very quick. It creates flavor that the beef will absorb while cooking in the bag for the duration of time that it is sealed. However, this step can be skipped, as long as you complete the final searing step. **If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, place the steak and other ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer safe ziplock bag and “seal” the bag using the water displacement method. ***The juices in the bag after cooking can be strained into a pot and reduced with red wine to create a sauce and finished with butter. ***The steak can also be pan seared in a cast iron pan instead of on the grill.

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A SMOKY FIELD TRIP TO OUR NATION’S CAPITAL

BY NICOLÁS ANTONIO JIMÉNEZ / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY ASTENCIO

o matter where you stand on the things that go on there, it’s hard not to feel just a little awestruck by Washington, D.C.; from the Washington Monument to the executive office buildings, the place feels like it’s built to beat a single idea into your head: “This is America and we kick ass.” I hadn’t been to our nation’s capital in at least a decade and it was Andy the art director’s first time there, so the whole thing was good and fresh for both of us. It’s just not possible to feel like you got a full D.C. experience in just three days, but we had a lot of friends in town, which we knew would help. Plus, despite D.C.’s being home to the FDA — the federal agency that has become a cigar industry bogeyman — this place is actually a hell of a cigar town, so at least some of the trip plan made itself.

We landed on a Thursday morning and, as usual, we arrived hungry. We’d been told by a number of friends in town about Old Ebbitt Grill. Some recommended it highly as one of those must-visit institutions in the city. Others seemed to think it was too cliché a place to recommend. Though it’s historic as an institution (the Ebbitt is supposed to have been the city’s first known saloon), the business has been sold and moved numerous times since 1856. Still, the Ebbitt name has been with

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the city for more than a century and a half, and its clients really do read like an all-star roster of D.C. history. It figures that it would, as even today, Old Ebbitt Grill sits on 15th Street, right across from the Treasury Department and just steps away from the White House lawn. It’s been in this location since 1983.

We strolled in just in time to place a breakfast order before the kitchen switched into lunch mode.

Although the dining room is new, it evoked an oldworld saloon feeling that served to put us in what felt like a D.C. state of mind. Lots of rich screwyou-I’m-in-the-Cabinet wood, old looking art and American flags. It felt just the right amount of ostentatious for me to feel like I was eating a power broker’s huevos rancheros. The huevos rancheros was very good, by the way.

Cliché or not, Old Ebbitt Grill is a great place for a first breakfast in town because it’s just south of the area’s premier tobacconist, W. Curtis Draper (two locations, one in D.C. and another in Bethesda, Maryland). This is yet another of the city’s oldest businesses, having been founded back in 1887.

Their new location on 15th Street has an excellent selection of not only cigars, but also cigar accessories, pipes and pipe tobaccos. You’ll find the usual diversity in cigar lounge characters enjoying their stogies here, although there’s almost bound to be

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: First Infantry Division Monument with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the background, The White House; the dining room at Old Ebbitt Grill; a Manhattan at Charlie Palmer Steak D.C.

a higher percentage of federal government employees.

Being one of the oldest, most respected names in cigar retail, W. Curtis Draper has had generations to nail down its selection, making it an excellent place to stop and stock up for a long sightseeing stroll. Always on the hunt for cigars we wouldn’t encounter at shops back home, Andy and I each picked up one of the Cabaiguán petite coronas.

It’s a Connecticut wrapper around Nicaraguan filler and binder that works exceptionally well on the street while you’re getting the lay of the land. It started as a commemorative blend for the store’s 120th anniversary and eventually became a regular-production cigar available exclusively at W. Curtis Draper.

Cigars lit, we started a walk along Pennsylvania Avenue, which separates the White House lawn from Lafayette Square, a historic park. Once you’re directly in front of the White House, it seems like there’s always something to see. Tourists from all over the world take selfies with the White House as a backdrop, some with excitement, some giving

away a bit about their political leanings by gesturing with a little less reverence. Also, as you might imagine, this is prime real estate for protesters, as there’s often a news camera on the sidewalk here.

In fact, the one thing you’re sure to see is the White House Peace Vigil, a protest that has been going on continually, virtually uninterrupted since 1981. A small tent is set up on the sidewalk and volunteers take shifts holding the fort, so to speak, so it doesn’t get dismantled by authorities. The protest began as a statement against nuclear weapons, but these days it’s a more broad anti-war thing.

The vigil doesn’t look like much, but its continued presence on Pennsylvania is the result of a whole lot of persistence and dedication from a range of activists, including homeless volunteers and NGOs that chip in giving their time to ensuring that there’s always someone at the tent (a condition of the permit that was grandfathered in for the vigil).

Again, whatever you might think of the anti-war (and, these days, anti-Trump) messages adorning the dinky tent on the sidewalk … Is there anything more American than a decades-long showdown

between the home of the leader of the free world and a loose team of protesters in a tent that just won’t go away?

As you continue the walk, you’ll run into the Blair House, a series of conjoined buildings that have served as the presidential guest house. (Strictly speaking, Blair House is one of those conjoined buildings that together make up the whole presidential guest house.) The Department of the Interior made this the country’s first federal landmark in 1939 for all of the historical significance it’s had had since Andrew Jackson’s presidency.

The U.S. government bought the primary building in 1943 and today it serves as a residence for visiting dignitaries.

We swung around the south side of the White House and ended up almost exactly where we’d started, a block or so east of Old Ebbitt Grill at Shelly’s Back Room, where we met with Cigar Rights of America’s executive director Glynn Loope and communications director Cody Carden.

“Nothing personifies how good the cigar scene is in Washington like this place, Shelly’s Back Room, and another place you’ll visit later, which is Civil Cigar Lounge. These are two places in the city where you can eat, drink and smoke, which is truly unique. Not many towns where you can have food where you’re enjoying a cigar,” said Glynn.

“Having some truly worldclass cigar shops helps create a vibrancy for people who enjoy great cigars here,” he continued.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Shelly’s Back Room; The General Rochambeau Statue at Lafayette Square; a portion of the retail and lounge area at W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist’s D.C. location

“And there’s not a night of the week that you can’t come to either of those places and see who you want to see, see every table taken, see every chair taken. And there are a couple of other places that really prove how Washington D.C. and cigars go together, like the Morton’s veranda, where on any given night, if you want to see people from the United States Senate or the House of Representatives who you know enjoy cigars, go there and you will find them. It really shows how, if other steakhouses had the ability to have patios like Morton’s does, there would be even more opportunities and we would see even more cigar enjoyment within the city.”

Shelly’s Back Room is part cigar lounge, part barand-grill restaurant. All of their menus — food, drink and cigars — are extensive. In fact, the cigar menu is not only long (there were roughly 125 cigars on the list), but priced reasonably for a full-service cigar bar in the heart of a city. Even early on a weekday afternoon, Shelly’s had a good crowd going. Not far enough removed from our breakfast to have worked up an appetite, we kept it to Scotch and stogies with Glynn and Cody. At some point, though, they realized they had more serious jobs than ours and could only justify so much on-theclock whisky. We said our goodbyes and made our way to the first of the trip’s major monuments, the Lincoln Memorial.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; Colada Shop; a portion of the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall; Abe Lincoln hanging out in a chair

From inside a structure designed in the style of an ancient Greek temple, a giant Abraham Lincoln stares out through the columns, eyeing the Washington Monument and, beyond that, the White House. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in 1922, and since then it has been mor than an iconic structure for everyone from shutter-happy tourists the world over to pilgrims looking to stand where so many protagonists of the last century of history have stood. On the interior walls, the full text of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and second inaugural address are inscribed.

Thanks to some heavy rain, we were up close and personal with the throngs of people who had made their way to the memorial that afternoon. It’s a long walk from giant Lincoln’s place to the next roof that would keep you dry. Nobody seemed all that upset about it, though. There’s a palpable energy that

know this is a ritual for us. We land in a new city, excited by the possibilities and the exploration. And then, within a matter of hours, it hits us: we are too far removed from our last cup of Cuban coffee, and if we don’t at least find some espresso soon, this whole project is bound to go up in flames.

So when we heard there was a place around the corner from our hotel near Logan Circle, just north of downtown, that was serving Cuban coffee, we were all over it. It’s called Colada Shop, and it’s a two-story Latin fusion coffee shop that’s part Cuban café, part open-air cocktail bar. comes from this memorial — perhaps because it’s been so much more than that.

The plan had been to walk from one end of the National Mall to the other, but after a while, we broke down and bought some parkas from the National Park Service so we could get to a decent Uber pickup spot without soaking our camera gear. We rode to Charlie Palmer Steak, which is at the ground floor of an office building just north of the U.S. Capitol. We’d come for drinks with my friend Keith, who works in the offices above Charlie Palmer and is a happy hour regular at the bar there. After taking us up to the office building’s rooftop so we could get some photos of the Capitol across the street, he led us back down to Charlie Palmer for drinks. It’s the sort of place you might not think to go while on vacation here, but one of the unique things about D.C. is the constant reminders of just how different the city’s relationship to government is from yours. It’s kind of fun to be a fly on the wall as you hang out among locals who dress, walk and talk like they do in D.C.; the Charlie Palmer bar, right after business hours, is one place where you’ll feel like you crashed the district’s daily party. The cocktail menu is as unadventurous as it is well-executed.

We had a couple of rounds of Manhattans before it was time for us to get our first Cuban coffee fix (or at least attempt to) of the trip.

Regular readers of our magazine’s travel stories

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We’re Cuban purists when it comes to coffee, so when a place bills itself as explicitly Cuban, we’re as excited as we are skeptical. Usually, we figure we should lower our expectations — not on quality, but on fidelity to Cuban style. But Colada Shop uses phrases like “This is how Cuba does coffee” in its marketing.

On fidelity to Cubanness, Colada Shop fell short of the bar it sets for itself. The coffee, the empanadas, the croquetas — they all felt like loose approximations of the way Cuba and Cubans do those things. But their being approximations doesn’t mean they were bad. The coffee was good, just not quite Cuban style. And the empanadas were made with a dough that didn’t feel Cuban, but that I actually liked better. It was flaky, delicate, and yet still rich.

“We proudly identify as a Cuban social outpost. You can come in, have your cortadito and empanada, stick around for meetings over lunch, and then transition into cocktails,” said co-owner Daniella Senior. “We have that Latin hospitality that’s not as common here in the DMV area, so what I always get is that we feel like a vacation to a lot of people. The moment they step in here and listen to the music and see the vibrant colors, they get transported.”

That vacation element is absolutely the best thing about Colada Shop. D.C. is an interesting town, but

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based stew dishes that are among my favorites in the Cuban cuisine that I did get at home as a kid. All of which is to say that I relish Indian food like I grew up with it, and Rasika delivered on its promise of an elegant take on the rich, gut-filling Indian staples we had. Service was excellent, and the prices — especially considering all the fanfare that surrounds this restaurant — were eminently reasonable.

it’s a dull town too. There’s a milquetoast decorum that people maintain on the street, and walking into Colada Shop (especially walking up to its rooftop patio) feels like stepping out of that world, even if only for a moment. That the Cuban cafecito isn’t quite what we’re used to in Cuban Miami is more than made up for by the fun atmosphere that undeniably serves as a vacation in strait-laced D.C. Besides, you can always get a cortadito (cut your espresso with evaporated milk), which is done very well and helps you forget that you’re not in Little Havana.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: At the intersection of 15th St. and New York Ave.; the U.S. Treasury Department; Halibut Goan Curry at Rasika; the dining room at Rasika; (below) Denson Liquor Bar on 6th St.

us for dinner. It took a little prodding, but she acquiesced on the condition that we make a pit stop to feed her dog, a tiny Belgian Something Or Other who looks more like an understudy from the Star Wars cantina scene than a dog.

The idea had been to get some coffee in us before dropping some things off at our hotel room and changing our clothes for dinner with an old friend named Laura, a longtime DMV resident. We hadn’t seen each other in about 10 years, but when I took to social media asking friends for recommendations, she helped out and Andy and I made plans to have dinner with her. Who says Twitter and Facebook can’t help connections in meatspace?

Once Biggie (that’s the furry alien’s name) had done his business, we were off to Rasika, an Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter (there’s also a West End location). Executive chef Vikram Sunderam won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2014 for his work at Rasika, making this far and away the most highly-decorated Indian restaurant Andy or I had ever visited. The four of us shared naan, Halibut Goan Curry (coconut, Kashmiri chili, tamarind), Chicken Tikka Masala, and Railway Lamb Curry (onion, tomato, potato).

Anyway, it turned out Laura was at Colada Shop with her friend Erin. After running into them there, we stuck around longer than expected, opted to skip the wardrobe change and invited Erin to join

It might seem strange, but despite the fact that I had limited exposure to Indian cuisine when I was growing up, I think of it as comfort food. It’s rich, heavy, and similar in many ways to the tomato-

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Entirely uninterested in ending the night there and then Laura, Erin, Andy and I walked over to Denson Liquor Bar. A couple of blocks north of the restaurant, just south of the Capital One Arena (home of Wizards basketball and Capitals hockey), Denson is a basement-level cocktail bar with an excellent selection of spirits. The dimly lit bar is designed in an industrial art-deco style that feels a bit like D.C. and Miami Beach had a baby.

The bar was quiet, as it was late on a Thursday night and the district, as it turns out, actually waits for the weekend to party like it’s a weekend. But that only meant we had the place — and the bartender — to ourselves. I went in on Laphroaig and a few other Scotches, but the menu of signature cocktails includes drinks made with a variety of spirits.

Denson doesn’t discriminate, so the selection of

showcase of the federal-style architecture that was predominant from about 1785 to 1815.

Just as we approached the end of our smokes, we came upon Martin’s Tavern, a Georgetown institution that opened on the day Prohibition ended and has served every president since Truman (though not always while they were in office), with two exceptions: Obama and Trump. It’s a casual neighborhood place with a good bar, solid comfort food (potato skins, crab cakes, Reubens, Monte Cristos) and history in every corner. We had lunch plans, so we just ordered a couple of drinks to be able to say we’d been customers.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown; Georgetown Tobacco; the upstairs dining room at PAUL in Georgetown; The Cuban Corner’s over-the-top dining room in Rockville, Maryland

gins is as good as the selection of Scotches or Bourbons or mezcals.

We ended the night on the far opposite end of the arena at Clyde’s (the Gallery place location; there are eight total), a sprawling pub in the corner of the Gallery Place mall. Clyde’s being open until 3 a.m., it seemed like night owls from all over were capping things off with us there. We had a couple of drinks and saw our friends into their Ubers. While we waited for our own, I met Tenika, a college student and hair stylist who had things to say about my chest hair. We had a conversation that was as weird as you would imagine it was until I found myself in a car with Andy on our way back to our hotel.

COVERING GROUND As it turns out, a foundation of curry and rice can only go so far in helping you make it through several hours of drinking without regretting it the next day.

Our first morning waking up in D.C. was a bit rough and we needed breakfast to make us right before our morning in the historic Georgetown neighborhood west of downtown D.C. We got our medicine at a Paul Bakery (it’s a French chain; imagine Panera aiming its nose a little higher), where we took our time with the coffee, omelettes and pastries. The Georgetown location’s upstairs dining room is sur-

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prisingly good looking for a chain bakery. Lots of exposed brick, vaulted ceiling and natural light. It feels like you’re in a whole other kind of restaurant.

Feeling like a million bucks after our French omelettes, Andy and I went around the corner to Georgetown Tobacco, a nostalgic tobacconist that’s been operating in Georgetown since owner David Berkebile set up shop here in 1964. There’s a great selection of pipes, cigar accessories, and cigars, including the Caucus house blend. The people here are welcoming as they are in any shop, but there’s not much of a lounge area and the weather was tailor made for walking and smoking, so we lit a couple of those Caucus cigars and started a long smoking stroll south on Wisconsin Avenue into Georgetown Waterfront Park on the Potomac, west to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and then north again into the residential area that’s a veritable

Our never-ending quest for good Cuban coffee outside of Miami took us on a very long detour to see another friend of mine, Dave Sandoval. Dave and I have known each other for about 15 years — since back when we were both much more active in Cuba-related activism things. When he heard I was looking for Cuban coffee in the D.C. area, he insisted we go half an hour north of Georgetown to Rockville Maryland to have lunch with him at The Cuban Corner. And holy crap, is that corner Cuban.

The minute we walked through the door, we thought we’d stepped through a portal into Little Havana. It wasn’t just the music and the smells, but the wall decorations. So much stuff on the walls! And it’s all charmingly cheesy Cuban nostalgia, photos of famous Cuban Americans, anti-Castro anything, or — and this is what they have the most — plastic plaques bearing the names of Cubans and Cuban Americans the restaurant’s owner, Joaquín Cabrejas, has decided to honor on the wall. It’s everyone from Celia Cruz to Jeff Bezos to my friend.

“This is like a shrine to historical Cuban exiles and the Cuban American generation. I have my name on the wall,” Dave said. We went to check it out and took a picture posing next to his plastic tile. “In

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown; inside the U.S. Capitol’s rotunda; sculptures, painting and reliefs cover the Capitol; The Old Supreme Court Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol.

D.C., there are a lot of places that are claiming to be Cuban that are not. I think it just sells better to call yourself Cuban. But this place has real Cuban food and you get large portions for not much money. And because this place is such a shrine, I really feel it’s a place where you can get a dose of vox clamantis in deserto.” A voice crying out in the desert.

That might sound dramatic, but I know what it is to live in a Cuban food desert, wanting to cry out for a cafecito. And while the Cuban coffee was no better here than at Colada Shop, just about everything else was spot on. In fact, I’d say that The Cuban Corner in Rockville Maryland might have better vaca frita (a traditional dish of shredded beef fried with primarily garlic, and onions) than any Cuban restaurant in Miami.

As Dave noted, with the exception of Ethiopians, there aren’t many ethnic enclaves in D.C. proper — at least none that have put down roots deep enough to have developed their own distinct restaurant scene. The best ethnic food, he said, is in suburbs like Rockville. In a broader sense, though, the D.C. food scene is coming into its own.

“It’s really developed over the last 10 years, but

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more in high-end dining. Michelin started coming here, so now there are 2- and 1-star restaurants.

I think because New York is so expensive, this is another frontier,” said Dave, who moved to the D.C. area from New York about a decade ago.

After our second Cuban coffees (I said it wasn’t great, but not that we weren’t going to drink a ton of it), we hopped into an Uber and made our way back downtown to the U.S. Capitol Building.

My friend Keith, from the previous day, had gotten in touch with a friend of his in Congresswoman Donna Shalala’s office to arrange for a couple of interns to give us a tour.

Arranging these tours is actually pretty simple. If you visit your congressperson’s official website, you should be able to fill out a form there requesting a tour from someone on their staff.

In our case, we were shown around the Capitol Building by a couple of interns — one a med student and the other an undergraduate student. The tours take you primarily through the less functional, more historical parts of the Capitol. For instance, there’s the old Supreme Court chamber, Statuary Hall, and the Old Senate Chamber (which housed the Senate from 1819 to 1859. Cigar smokers like

you will probably be more interested than most in seeing the small metal buckets that sat on the ground at the end of each row of desks. All that ash had to go somewhere.

There’s a lot about the building that feels like it’s designed to impress upon anybody walking through that America is special, America is unique, and that America does what the hell America wants. Some of my favorite manifestations of that must have had dignitaries from older, more traditional European nations thinking, “Come on, guys. Act like you’ve been here before.” For instance, the Corinthian columns that swap out that classic acanthus leaf embellishment at the top for more American stuff like corn and tobacco. “We get it!” the French must have said. “You’re proud of your crops. Relax.”

After our tour, we took another stroll around the National Mall (rain had cut our first one short) to see the Korean War Memorial and the World War II Memorial before making our way back to the Colada Shop for a coffee and then back to our hotel for a shower. Lugging all our gear around really gets the prelight aroma going, after all.

Our second cigar stop of the day was Civil Cigar Lounge. When there’s a place in town

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that’ll allow patrons to eat, smoke and drink under one roof, not stopping by feels like a pretty egregious omission for a cigar magazine. Shelly’s is one such place in town; Civil is the other. The lounge is in Chevy Chase Pavilion, a shopping mall in D.C.’s Friendship Heights neighborhood about 20 minutes north of DuPont Circle. Civil is a sleek bar with a short food menu that includes a burger, quesadillas, and other items like pretzels, charcuterie boards and smoked nuts. This isn’t a full-on restaurant the way Shelly’s is, but it’s great to have the option to eat at a cigar bar, especially if you’re around long enough to light up a second time. The cigar list at Civil includes a selection of Fuente, Avo, Davidoff, Illusione, Fratello, La Flor Dominicana, Oliva, Padrón and others. Andy and I ordered wings and quesadillas before moving on to cigars and cocktails while we watched NBA playoff basketball.

After finishing our cigars, we headed south again to the Hay-Adams Hotel, where there’s an underground bar called Off the Record. It’s been called one of the world’s best hotel bars by Forbes.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Casa de Montecristo’s main retail and bar area; Off the Record, an irreverent meeting place that’s been called one of the country’s best hotel bars; Civil Cigar Lounge, one of two places in D.C. proper where you can be served cigars, alcohol and food

That’s the kind of accolade that’s easy to brush off these days — what with all the travel listicles that are flying around on the Internet — but we do a lot of hotel bars for Cigar Snob and I can say without reservation that this is right up there with the best of them (assuming, of course, that we’re not accounting for whether smoking is allowed).

Simultaneously swanky and irreverent, Off the Record is where D.C. comes to hide out with its drinks and make fun of itself. The coasters, the artwork and even the drinks are taken as opportunities to have fun at the expense of the political elite — who also drink here themselves.

The place is dripping with pretense, and yet the people there were laid back, having a great time. Andy and I arrived just in time for last call and couldn’t resist ordering a couple of Trumpy Sours. That’s Filibuster Boondoggler whiskey, lemon juice, thyme and honey. It was a perfectly executed drink in a perfectly executed bar.

Other drinks on the menu: “Slip of the Tongue,” Mueller’s Trump Card, and the Sweet Melania.

Our night ended with my friend Laura all over again, who met us at The Passenger, a divey bar that’s really only aesthetically divey. Though it caters to young hipsters who you wouldn’t assume appreciate this sort of thing, the bar is well appointed. You’ll find a wide selection of craft spirits and bartenders who know what the hell they’re doing making cocktails.

Note: Directly above The Passenger is another bar

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called Hex, which has a goth or witch or vampire theme or something. Not my thing, but maybe you’re into that.

Laura was a great guide and did what she could to keep the tour going late, but the next couple of places we ventured to were either closed or impossible to get into very late. And, frankly, that was probably for the best. Maybe Andy and I are getting too old for this, but we were beat and looking forward to looking at art like civilized people the next day.

THE MORE YOU EAT, THE MORE YOU ART With a flight to catch in the afternoon, Andy and I figured we would spend the rest of our time in D.C. seeing some of the culture we hadn’t quite made time for to this point. That started at Kramerbooks, an independent bookstore on Dupont Circle where Erin (from a couple of nights before, with the pet extraterrestrial) recommended we have breakfast at the bookstore’s Afterwords café.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords has been around since 1976 (the bicentennial year) and puts on hundreds of book-related events a year, but the breakfast is solid every morning.

After a crab cake benedict and coffee, Andy and I walked 10 minutes south to Casa de Montecristo, one of the city’s newer, more modern tobacconists. They have a great lounge that juts out toward the street and has large sliding doors on three sides, so that (weather permitting)

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a 6.1-acre sculpture garden. With a permanent collection that includes works spanning from the Middle Ages to the present, it wouldn’t even make sense for me to begin laying out some of the highlights. Besides, what Andy and I managed to take in before we had to keep moving was a sliver of what the National Gallery has to offer. Set aside several hours for this place if you’re even remotely interested in art.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The National Gallery of Art; Ben’s Chili Bowl, a D.C. institution and a dangerous chain to visit before a flight; the bar at TG Cigar; the World War II Memorial on the National Mall it becomes an outdoor cigar lounge. There’s also a bar inside, and loads of cigar inventory, including a lot of products that are exclusive to Casa de Montecristo lounges. We picked up a couple of Herrera Estelí Cuadrado cigars, which is a vitola Drew Estate makes exclusively for these stores.

After lighting up, we walked to another cigar lounge (this is research!) about 25 minutes east.

TG Cigars is a great neighborhood cigar shop with a totally different, warmer feel to it than Casa de Montecristo. The selection is smaller, but wellcurated, and the bar has a no-nonsense espresso machine that makes TG a great place to come early in the morning as well as later on in the day for the full bar.

Now two cigars in it was time to scratch Andy the art director’s art itch. So we visited two very different galleries. First, The Phillips Collection, where a permanent collection of nearly 3,000 works of art is displayed in an unusually intimate

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setting — founder Duncan Phillips’ 1897 Gregorian Revival home. There’s something about encountering world class art in a place that feels like you could be in a person’s living space that adds to the experience.

Second, we visited the National Gallery of Art, which is open to the public free of charge. It was established in 1937 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress with a large portion of the construction funding and the art collection coming from Andrew W. Mellon (of the famous and wealthy Mellon family from Pittsburgh). Aside from being a businessman, art collector and philanthropist, Mellon had stints as Treasury secretary and ambassador to the United Kingdom.

But I digress! The National Gallery is one of the largest museums in North America and, aside from the expansive indoor gallery space, includes

By the time we were done with all the art, it was about 3 p.m. and we had a flight to catch at 5:30.

I like to play it safe, so we went the fast food route and got lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl, the D.C. chain of chili (and chili dog and chili burger) joints that anybody who’s anybody needs to visit when they’re in town.

Ben and Virginia Ali founded Ben’s Chili Bowl in 1958 in the “Black Broadway” area of Washington D.C. at its original location on U Street. Since then, Ben’s has been not only a landmark, but the casual meal of choice for locals, tourists, and the throngs of activists who were traveling through the city for things like the 1963 March on Washington. In 2004, Ben’s won the Gallo of Sonoma “American Classics” Award from the James Beard Foundation.

That’s a lot of history. A lot of prestige. A lot of honor for a restaurant chain. None of that changes the fact that, for all that Ben’s has done for this town, I did my fellow passengers no favors eating chili three ways just before a flight. Andy and I split a bowl of chili, a double cheeseburger with some chili on it, and chili fries.

I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize, in writing, publicly, to my fellow passengers.

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BALMORALCIGARS.COM JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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3301 M St. NW georgetowncupcake.com

15. Founding Farmers DC 1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

tgcigar.com

1539 7th St. NW passengerdc.com

19. Martin’s Tavern 1264 Wisconsin Ave. NW

675 15th St. NW ebbitt.com

20. Vietnam Veterans Memorial

900 Ohio Dr. SW

1405 T St. NW

nps.gov

22. World War II Memorial

9. Rasika

1750 Independence Ave. SW

633 D St. NW

nps.gov

Constitution Ave. NW

707 7th St. NW

nga.gov

24. Ulysses S. Grant

25. National Portrait Gallery

1078 Wisconsin Ave. NW

8th St. NW & F St. NW

paul-usa.com

npg.si.edu

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19Th St NW

1118 9th St. NW

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800 16th St. NW

NE

casademontecristo.com

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P St NW

W C PKWY N

22Nd ST NW

1132 19th St. NW

P St NW

23Rd ST NW

4. Casa de Montecristo

densondc.com

23Rd ST NW

gttobacco.com

11

600 F St. NW

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3144 M St. NW

16. Denson Liquor Bar

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wcurtisdraper.com

1331 F St. NW

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699 15th St. NW

2. Shelly’s Back Room

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1063 Wisconsin Ave. NW

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WASHINGTON D.C.

13. Georgetown Cupcake

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D St NW

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L St NW

23 SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

CONSTITUTION AVE NW

UNITED STATES CAPITOL

395 24

INDEPENDENCE AVE SW

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2Nd St NE

16

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NORTH CAPITOL ST NW

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BY NICOLÁS ANTONIO JIMÉNEZ PHOTOS BY NATALIA AGUILERA LOCATION: CASABLANCA CIGAR LOUNGE

Win Lose or Draw

ED REED SPENT HIS COLLEGE AND NFL CAREERS BUILDING A STRONG CASE THAT HE’S THE BEST SAFETY WHO EVER PLAYED FOOTBALL. THROUGH ALL THE UPS AND DOWNS ALONG THE WAY, ED HAS MAINTAINED ONE CRITICAL RITUAL: CIGARS.

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ootball being a team sport with such distinct responsibilities tied to each position, Ed Reed doesn’t like to be called a GOAT. But he likes Ball Hawk just fine.

And his peers and fans all agree that his résumé makes a strong case for him as the best safety in the history of football.

One of the keys to Ed’s success — from his standout high school career to his championship runs in college and the pros and all the records and highlights he racked up along the way — is his free, fun-loving approach to the game.

He calls himself a “park baby” because it was in neighborhood parks that he developed the tone of his game. It’s free-flowing, fun-loving, and imposing all at the same time. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who frequently had to plan for facing Ed, has called him the best free safety he’s ever seen.

That style makes perfect sense for a guy from New Orleans, and there could have been no better adoptive home for Ed’s college years than Miami, where style can be at least as important as getting results. Ed took his time at The U before embarking on and eventually fulfilling a long quest for a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens, where he and fellow Cane Ray Lewis were the core of a downright scary defense.

Over the course of his career, Ed also played in nine Pro Bowls, was named All-Pro First Team five times, earned Defensive Player of the Year Honors, led the NFL in interceptions in three seasons, and set an NFL record for career interception return yards (1,590) as well as the record for longest interception return (107 yards).

Since his college days, Ed’s been a cigar guy, lighting up to unwind on Coral Gables golf courses, to celebrate wins (as well as losses and draws) or to smoke while studying game film. And now he’s looking to bring all the style, passion and dedication that brought him success on the football field to the cigar world.

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Our night of cigars, spirits and stories with Ed started with our photo shoot. After loads of poses, wardrobe adjustments and cigar touch-ups, each of us finally got to kick back, microphones in one hand, cigar in the other. Except it turns out that to Ed, a native New Orleanian, microphones are for singing first, talking second.

So as I settled into my chair, I heard the Ball Hawk’s voice coming through my headphones.

But he wasn’t recalling a pick six. He was singing some Teddy Pendergrass.

Lookin' back over my years I guessed, I've shed some tears Told myself time and time again This time I'm gonna win But another fight, things ain't right I'm losin' again Takes a fool to lose twice And start all over again Think I'd better let it go Looks like another love T.K.O. - Teddy Pendergrass.

And as if the whole thing had been rehearsed, Ed segues seamlessly, with Pendergrass-level smoothness, from Teddy’s Love TKO to the one he himself felt after the 2011 AFC Championship Game.

Ed Re e d : I got a great story about that. So we're playing in the AFC Championship Game.

Fourth one in a row. We're in New England. We lose the game. This is 2012, the year before we won the Super Bowl.

I'm in the locker room after the game and I'm like, "This is ridiculous. It's my tenth year in the league. It's hard to get to the Super Bowl. New England is like the greatest ever. Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and those guys are hard to beat." I get in the locker room and everybody wants to talk to you. How are you feeling? Can I get an interview?

And I'm getting dressed the whole time, just putting on my clothes, singing Teddy Pendergrass like, "I think I better let it go. It looks like another love T.K.O." Which it was. While I'm singing that song, I was believing it and thinking, "You know what? It's just football." And then it clicked: the Super Bowl was in New Orleans the next year. In my backyard. “We're going to win it."

So I walk out of the locker room talking on the phone to my financial adviser, Brad Schwartz.

I'm like, "What's up bro?" He's pissed. "Man, we just lost the game. This guy did this, that guy did that." I'm like, "Whoa. Are you on the bus with me or not? We're going to New Orleans. Gonna win the Super Bowl next year.” At that point, I’m sitting on the bus, waiting for the team to come before I calmed down and got off to smoke a cigar.

That's what I used to do after the games with a couple of my coaches; we used to smoke cigars.

Win, lose or draw, have a stick. It's just a game.

And sure enough we won [in New Orleans the next year].

Ni c o l á s J i mé n e z : So the Super Bowl is obviously one of the highest highs in anyone’s career. Let’s go to your start, though. Tell me about growing up in New Orleans.

ER : Man, it was rough. I grew up in a small town on the west side of New Orleans called Metairie, Shrewsbury, Louisiana. My mom and my dad lived in a one-bedroom apartment raising four and later five baby boys. I'm number two, like Austin Powers. The determined one as some people may say. I had a great older brother who taught me how to play football at a young age. He was a super athlete – got it from my dad.

We moved to another, bigger one-bedroom apartment, but the neighborhood was limited in what you could do around there. My baby brother was

born, which made five of us. That's when we got a two-bedroom apartment. At this time, I'm like 12, 13 years old. And my dad and my mom chose to move back to the old neighborhood where my dad grew up. It was a place called Saint Rose where he went to the same high school I went to, but he left that high school because of some racial stuff going on. I saw my dad moving and getting us to a four-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood where my dad grew up. He had left the high school, went to Shrewsbury. That's where he met my mother. You know, I didn't want to leave that neighborhood, man. I was crying when we left. I was trying to go to high school there and thank God I didn't. I probably wouldn't be sitting here in front of you now. I'm from a small place where sports is needed as an outlet for kids to get that energy out.

“Michael Jordan was like my guy. I watched a lot of sports, but Michael Jordan was my guy. He had a suit on.

He's smoking a cigar.

He was winning championships and he was making plays at crucial moments.”

I was at the park all the time. I always say I'm a park baby. Michael Jordan was like my guy. I watched a lot of sports, but Michael Jordan was my guy. He had a suit on. He's smoking a cigar.

He was winning championships and he was making plays at crucial moments. Growing up a young black kid, I wasn't living at a time when you had the Martins and the Malcolms, you know? Kids tend to gravitate to winners and Michael was my guy. I wanted to be like him in every way. Of course I wanted to be like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Ronnie Lott. But basketball is where I got my defense from. Basketball is where you get Ed Reed the playmaker.

N J : What drew you to the University of Miami?

E R : I was a fan of FSU growing up. I was a huge Charlie Ward fan, Peter Boulware, Todd Rebol, Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn and those guys.

But the first college game I saw was Alabama versus Miami in the Sugar Bowl and Miami cut up. What drew me to Miami even more when I got here is the tradition that I knew the university had. I was always around the university because I was engulfed in orange and green. And even

more than that, what I loved about being at the University of Miami, even more so is that all of us were about making each other better.

I was born to be a Cane. When I got here, it was home. Miami’s my second home, Baltimore’s my third, and Atlanta, where I live, is my fourth.

N J : What would you say is the most New Orleans thing about you? When do you feel the New Orleans really coming out?

E R : That's funny, man. Probably when I'm in the cigar lounge, because we're so hospitable in New Orleans. You can come from any walk of life and find conversation with somebody in Louisiana and the same thing goes for a cigar lounge.

A cigar can bring a billionaire and a janitor to the same level. That's New Orleans.

N J : New Orleans is a cigar town, but you got into cigars while you were at UM, right?

E R : Yeah. My first cigar came because of our tight end Bubba Franks. Me and Bubba used to go play golf all the time. We used to go to Granada, which is a nine-hole course. We’re hacking at the ball and Bubba hands me a Montecristo. This is when I really started to enjoy cigars. Bubba was a little older and a little bit more mature when it came to cigars and stuff like that. He handed me that cigar and that was it. From there, I went to the Arturo Fuente and that became my golf stick.

And going to Granada was the wind down from everything we did in football. In stressful times, we’d get to Granada, start smoking cigars and hitting the ball. Nothing else mattered. Sometimes we’d shoot 54 on that nine-hole course.

Who does that? I’ve still got balls in the trees at Granada.

N J : What was it like for you to not only be a great player, but to be part of such a storied program?

E R : I came from Destrehan High School, where my first year we went to the championship game and then the sophomore and junior year were terrible, though we built it back and won the district title my senior year. Then I come to Miami and I know what Miami stands for. Championships are here. Coach [Butch] Davis came to my house and my mom woke me up like yelling at me yelling my name. "Ed! I know you're not back there sleeping. That man is here. You knew he was coming!" I go in there and coach Davis crosses his legs and puts that championship ring across. I'm like, "Oh he knows what he's doing.”

I was already like, "Okay, this is where I want to go.” Because I already knew like I was going to be around the best. We ain't talking games; we’re talking practice. When I visited Miami, I knew this was the place for me when I got to the football

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offices, they got all the plaques on the walls.

NJ : The team got so much better in the second half of your college career. Talk about the progression from your first year, when you went 9-3, to your last in 2001, when you went undefeated and won a national championship.

ER : We were as close to the old school way as possible, you know? While at the same time being smart about what we did because you couldn't replicate what previous Canes guys did. But we wanted to bring that back to the university. We wanted to bring it back to the city.

Especially the guys who came in with me in '97 — Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Delvin Brown, Daryl Jones. These guys all bought into the idea that working together, winning together, all of us would be successful. That was the difference, I think, between those first years and those latter years that I had there. [At the end], we had a team versus individuals trying to leave and go to the league and get paid, you know?

Our production director, Ivan Ocampo, was hanging out with us for this interview. Unable to contain himself around a legend like Ed, he chimed in with some (welcome) questions from a die-hard UM homer’s perspective. We had to cut most of it out, but you can hear more of Ivan’s questions for Ed — along with the uncut version of this interview — on the Cigar Snob Podcast.

I va n O c a mp o : Was the first time where you really felt that shift the last game of the season in 1998 against UCLA? You caused a pivotal fumble at the end of that game.

ER : Yeah, that was it. That was the moment when we knew. No doubt about it. [When I was a redshirt freshman in 1997], you couldn’t tell that team we weren’t winning a national championship. We went 5-6, but we still had a championship mentality, you know? The next year we got a little better. We just had to get the camaraderie back between the players.

NJ : How do you see the stigma that’s sometimes still attached to Hurricanes football?

ER : Being at the University of Miami, from when you first get there, you understand that nobody likes you. I think it's because you have more black athletes there. You know, I think it's still because Miami used to always have more Miami guys than any other place.

I don’t think society likes that, you know what I mean? Convicts versus Catholics and stuff like that. You know, it's funny how that came up a

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year ago with the Notre Dame game. I'm like, “You don't even know these kids. These are not the same kids.”

So I knew people didn't like the University of Miami, man, ‘cause we were good. And the swag was like out the roof in the '80s. Guys were loud, but guys were not that loud. They had the 30 for 30 and all that stuff, but that's everywhere. I know the stories, I know the players, you know?

Stuff you wouldn't even hear about.

I’ve always said that the University of Miami is to college football what Tiger Woods is to golf.

When Tiger Woods is at his best, golf is at its best. When Miami Hurricanes football is good, college football is really good.

N J : From a fan’s perspective, it doesn’t look like it. But did you ever have a humbling moment during your transition to the NFL when you realized you were entering another level of competition?

E R : Yes and no. When I was getting recruited to come to the University of Miami, it was a business decision for me, knowing that my foot was in the door to the NFL. I was already being prepared for it. There were agents around, financial advisers around, our pro day had a lot of coaches there, so you knew. I stayed for five years and I had one class my fifth year. I had already graduated in the spring of 2001. I had one class to write a paper for and I was good. So my life was football. From 7:30 in the morning to 5:30 in the evening, I was at the facility. When I leave the facility, I go home and I'm still at work for the most part because it's fresh on my mind.

So what I used to do is grab a glass, fill it up to the brim, no ice, with a brown beverage. Then I’d grab a cigar and I started watching tape. So the transition for me was a lot easier.

When I got to Baltimore, man, I don't really think I had that moment because I also had so many professionals around me, Peter Boulware, Ray Lewis, Trevor Price, Derek Mason, Adalius Thomas. My coaches were Dennis Thurman, Donnie Henderson, Bennie Thompson. Coach Billick had won the Super Bowl. I had so many people around me.

My first-year wake-up call, honestly, was going from Miami and having a Cadillac CTS in Baltimore when it snowed. I can’t get my car up the hills to get to work. So I turned around and went back home. I called and they were like, "Where you at?" I'm like, "I'm at home. I can't drive to work." They said, "Okay sit tight."

N J : I lived in Missouri and Wisconsin and had the same thing happen. There's half of the country that doesn't realize the terror of being from the southern half and driving

in snow for the first time.

E R : Yeah. They just don't know. So I got a truck after that week and I never missed another day.

Honestly, the combine was another wake-up moment before I even got to the league. I knew things were about to be different. My great grandparents worked in the fields. My grandmother, my dad's mom, tended to a white family's home when I was growing up. She didn’t just tend to that family's home; she was part of their family, you know? So fast forward to the combine and it's like a meat factory. All of us being paraded around, you got six or seven doctors over you and they’re pulling you from right to left.

You know, it was a different experience for me, you know, how they treat the players and what they do for the players and how much the players do for the league. Even now. It was an interesting process that I didn't really take too well.

“I’ve always said that the University of Miami is to college football what Tiger Woods is to golf. When Tiger Woods is at his best, golf is at its best. When Miami Hurricanes football is good, college football is really good.”

That's probably why I probably fell low in the draft. I didn't take the Wonderlic test and I know they know I didn't take it. I didn't take it seriously at all because, you know, you're asking me personal stuff that has nothing to do with football.

And I get that you want to question the person, you want to get to know him. But a lot of stuff that Houston, to be exact, was asking me at the time … and I remember who the guy was. He's an analyst now. I know he don't know nothing because he didn't draft me. He drafted David Carr.

Nothing against David Carr, but you know, he was dead wrong. ‘Cause I remember the interview and it was the worst interview I had. I knew the guy didn't know anything about football and now he's an analyst on ESPN. I O : Casserly.

E R : That’s him. It's Charley Casserly. I didn't want to say his name, but yeah. Charley, you were wrong. He was asking me stuff about family

and I'm like, “Look, family's family. You're going to take care of family regardless. You don't get to choose your family when you're born, you know?

But you can distance family when things are not right; I have to manage my family, because if I don't manage my family, I'll be broke.” That’s just the God’s honest truth. Not everybody where I'm from has financial literacy. I was just one of those people fortunate enough to be good with numbers.

NJ: Going pro obviously means a lot of money. What was that part of the transition like for you?

ER : For me, that transition was to have a plan.

How are you going to survive off this first check?

How are you going to survive off this first contract? You know, and then make a plan. God willing, I get to a second contract, you know? But you’ve got to play now like you're not getting that. I was all right with it because I had already graduated. I already had my degree. And I know right now I can go coach better than a lot of these coaches in the league.

NJ: Is that something you want to do?

ER : Yeah, I want to do it. You know, they just make it so tough. It's almost run like the country, man. You take care of your own. Just because somebody is in coaching don't make them a good coach. I've been around bad coaching. I've watched bad coaches get head coaching jobs.

So I want to do it and I think they should be leaning toward players coaching. But they push us out, man. They make it really tough for players to get back in and coach.

NJ: I know you didn’t wait too long between cigars, but are there moments or relationships in your career that you felt were enhanced by cigars?

ER : After almost every game, we had a cigar. It was me and a couple of coaches, maybe a few players. And, win, lose or draw, I’d invite the DBs over to get dinner at Ruth’s Chris, then we’d go to the Havana Club [the cigar lounge in the now closed Ruth’s Chris]. We'd be up there smoking cigars and shooting pool with the Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti. Steve might be giving you some business tips, which helped me to grow as a man, save my money and do the right things with it. Steve was one of those owners who would come and speak to the team. He was with us in the lounge shooting pool with our family.

Me and Reggie Wayne were way tight before that, but I know cigars brought us closer because we smoked a lot of cigars in college. Reggie and I used to drive home from Miami to Louisiana and we'd have cigars in the car. That was a 13-hour ride. He and I definitely got closer over a cigar

and some beer.

And, again, Steve Bisciotti. I’ve got so much respect for Steve and of course the Modell family that owned the team before him. And one of my two current financial advisors. My previous advisor was from Miami. His name is Jeff Rubin. I know he's still walking around, which is crazy, because he stole a lot of money from guys.

“After almost every game, we had a cigar. It was me and a couple of coaches, maybe a few players. And, win, lose or draw, I’d invite the DBs over to get dinner at Ruth’s Chris, then we’d go to the Havana Club. We'd be up there smoking cigars and shooting pool with the Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti.”

I met these two guys randomly after a Pittsburgh game we lost when I went over to have a beer with them ‘cause they invited me over and they lived directly across from me. Three days later I find out that they’re financial advisers. I have them look at my finances and they immediately said, “Something ain't right.” I was like, “What y'all got going on for the weekend? Let's go down to Miami.” I sat there and mediated between them and Jeff and I fired Jeff on the spot. Then I told my teammates, “Y'all need to check over your stuff.” Nobody really listened. Some people lost millions.

You live and you learn. About 15 years later, I'm with the same guys. One of them, Brad Davis, used to smoke cigarettes and I helped him get off that. He started dipping and he slowed down on the dipping and then I took him to the Dominican Republic and that was like the rebirth of him with cigars. That's his thing now. Now he's like always calling me about cigars on auction websites.

N J : So there was a moment on the sideline when Terrell Suggs shakes your hand and says, “You’re the greatest safety ever.

It’s a pleasure to play beside you.” At what point in your career or in your life does it sink in that you’re not just a pro, you’re not

just a champion … but that when you’re done with your career, people are going to look at you that way? When do you realize, “Oh... this is where I am in the football culture?" And what is the weight of that?

There's a responsibility there, right?

E R : No doubt. No doubt. “To whom much is given, much is required” is the scripture. When did that hit me? To be honest with you, it hits home when I get it from the older players.

N J : Right. It’s like you're part of a club now.

E R : Yeah. When I'm getting it from cats like Ron Woodson and Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders. I had the honor of playing with somebody I grew up wanting to be like, doing things that he'd done and now he's in Baltimore. Prime came to Baltimore! I'm playing with Deion Sanders and he chased me down the field after a hundred-yard interception return that got called back against the Jets — and he's like, “You the man. You the dog.” Nothing more. Deion said it! Ronnie Lott said it to me. I was like, “Nah, I'm not taking it from him.”

N J : But I bet you turned around and told everybody you could, "You know what Ronnie Lott said?"

E R : Yeah I did! You know, ‘cause there's some questions out here… Who's the guy? I don't claim to be the guy, but to get it from those older guys, that's when it really starts to sink in.

N J : So speaking of validation, talk about the Pro Football Hall of Fame and what it means to be on your way there.

E R : Man, I'm still blown away at the College Football Hall of Fame because it just happened.

That was not on my radar at all. You know, even the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame wasn't on my radar. Every athlete in the NFL goes through college. Not every athlete in college goes to the NFL. So that number is crazy. 5.2 million play college football; not even a thousand players are in the College Football Hall of Fame. You know, so that was like mind blowing to me. There are guys sitting up there with yellow jackets who aren’t in the College Football Hall of Fame.

I have so much respect for pavers. You know, like my parents, my elders, I have so much respect for elders, man. What they had to go through, what the football players before me endured and not making the same money — not even close — to be a paver, man. I'm walking in doing the interview and Jim Brown is walking out... like... I'm about to walk in that same room Jim Brown was in? Barry Sanders was in that room? I wore 20 because of Barry. That was my guy. You know

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what I'm saying? I'm a representation of them, so that made me live a certain way.

grownups when it comes to what we can do.

N J : All right, let’s get back into cigars — but this time, I want to talk about the fact that it looks to anyone who follows you online like you have plans to get deeper into it than just smoking. So for a while now, you’ve been toying with the idea of creating a cigar brand. When did you start to think you might want to be more than just a smoker?

NJ : The Ed Reed Foundation — among many other things — is building a park in your old neighborhood in Louisiana. Tell me about how the foundation was born.

ER : Through the foundation, we work with underprivileged kids. Me and my advisor Brad started the foundation in Baltimore. At first, we were going to the grocery store filling up baskets for Thanksgiving and bringing it over to Booker T. Washington, which is a real hard school in Baltimore. I was just trying to show people someone cares and trying to motivate them. I'm from New Orleans and New Orleans to me seemed like they have the same things going on. And in Miami, in the inner cities, the same stuff.

E R : After football, really. Cigars were big when I started. As I got older in the league, no doubt about it. And I knew I'd be smoking cigars after I was done playing. I was sitting at my house in Atlanta in the backyard and just looking at the trees, man. I'm back there smoking cigars thinking, “You’ve been doing this for a minute and you have a bunch of athletes and entertainers that you've seen put out cigars.” It hit me, too, though, that, “I know you're not gonna do it like a sports guy or an entertainer because I'm not into cigars like that.”

NJ : Where did you develop that desire to give back?

ER : I'm from those environments, so it’s easy for me to do. I also worked with kids as a counselor when I was 16 at the community center in my neighborhood. My mentor is a man named Ben Parquet. Now he's 80 years old, but when I was visiting home from the University of Miami, he would come get me and we’d take rides to junior high schools, talk to kids who were great athletes but getting bad grades. They were on that path that I used to be on, but with his mentorship and without me even knowing it, I just became him to some degree. Half of him, a piece of him. A piece of Ben Parquet is a lot because that man is an extraordinary person.

He's still a mentor. I had people like that in my life. And when I was at the University of Miami, we had stuff we had to do in the community. I used to go over to the elderly home and just sit with them by myself, you know. I'm the only kid in there and they haven't seen their kids or anybody in years. And I'm in there just having conversations with old people. So I was just being groomed for it by so many people.

NJ : I understand you have some serious golf aspirations.

ER : My dream, my ambition is to play on the senior tour at 45 or 50. I'm 40 now.

I O: You gotta give me strokes. I’m older than you.

ER : Man. Nobody gets strokes with me. We’re just going to play golf. If we're not betting, you don't get strokes.

I O: What do you usually play for?

ER : I don't play for anything really. Unless I'm with people who bet ...

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This piece by Louisiana artist Terrance Osborne depicts Ed Reed against a backdrop that includes a tobacco field and homes typical of New Orleans, Miami and Baltimore.

I O : I know Michael Jordan bets.

E R : That's crazy, right? So I met Michael Jordan at a golf course here in Florida and I'm walking up and he's on the cart coming towards me and he's like, “What's up young fella?” I'm like, “What's up, Mike?” He asks me my handicap. It was high, like 15. He was like, “You can play behind us.” I was like, say no more. ‘Cause they were bettin'.

N J : You have a stake in a pretty cool new concept that’s coming to Maryland and involves cigars, right?

E R : So we’re calling the place Guntry Club. It’s a high-tech gun range with a cigar lounge where my partners gave me a lot of leeway to do what I want to do as far as the cigars in there. That part is still coming together. We're building the place out and hopefully it'll be done by the fall.

It’s in Orange Mills in Baltimore. We’ll also have a simulator that will enable us to prepare police for active shooters. We’ll be able to come in, create a model of your space and show you how to handle that scenario.

N J : Wow, so this is serious stuff. Sounds really cool.

E R : It's serious stuff, man. Plus we’ve got a hundred-yard ranges for rifle shooters. All of this at the Guntry Club. Plus cigars, a lounge, food.

We’re looking to advance it to a full restaurant, but it’s finger food for now. We can also do different things where you can have parties, shoot zombies. It'll be almost like a gaming center for

N J : How do you mean?

E R : I don't want you to see me and be like, “The cigar industry is different than football.” And I don't want you to see football. I felt like anything I'd done on the football field or anything I was going to do after football would come because of who I was from the football field. And that's why the portrait Terrance Osborne did of me [which will likely be used in future branding] is the way it is.

You know, I was just really intrigued by how much happens before you get a cigar. The details that go into it. You know, it started to remind me of football, of studying. It started to remind me of the training and of the love, the passion that goes into what you do.

N J : I’m using a cheesy metaphor, but everybody sees that pick six and enjoys it.

And then there's all this stuff behind the scenes that nobody sees that built up to that one moment. It has some things in common with the fact that people enjoy cigars and sometimes don’t realize just how much goes into creating that one- or two-hour smoking experience.

E R : They don't see the work, man. They don't see the true work that goes into it. And also just knowing the history of it — how cigars came to the world.

I wanted to do something different when I got into the cigar industry. I wanted people to know me. I want you to know me outside of football.

And I didn't want my cigar to say “football.” I didn't want to just get with a company and not be

got to know the cigar making process up close?

E R : I went to the Dominican Republic to visit La Aurora and Guillermo Leon, who is like an uncle to me, and the family over there are great people. The way they run things is awesome. That was the first factory I visited. I was blown away.

Yeah, I mean I was totally blown away on the operations. I got the tour and they told me so much about the process and the right way to enjoy the cigars.

We put together a blend while I was there. It’s a blend I put together with a lot of guidance from their master blender, Manuel Inoa. You know, asking him what he thinks the wrappers should be and stuff like that. He might tell me, “You got a lot of viso, you have a lot of seco,” he's telling me stuff like that, you know, so I'm just like, I'm going off smell, so whatever it is, just blend it and let me know when it comes to.

N J : So is there going to be an Ed Reed cigar? What is the situation there?

E R : Like everything in the tobacco industry, it takes time, I think, to put out a great product.

It took time for me to get to the Super Bowl.

You know, it's not an overnight process to even smoke a cigar. You gotta just spend some time with it when you first get it, you know? A little cigar foreplay.

N J : This interview just got super sexy.

E R : But that's the truth. You know, there's gotta be some foreplay before you really, you know, um, do things right. I know I sound like Barry White right now. But, really, man, it's taking time.

You know, I was in conversation with Guillermo and all of them and I had the blend that I wanted, but because of FDA stuff, you know, relationships that they already had, they already had a vision. So I'm just looking for the right partner.

the person who researched it, who, who knew how to give you some etiquette about what I was doing. Because there's etiquette to everything.

There's etiquette to football. So I want you to know me outside of football and I want you to know football, but I want you to know the story of how I got here. That maturation took me from Louisiana to Miami to Baltimore — becoming the person that I am.

But I knew whatever I was going to do after football was going to come from football. So it's hard not to put it in there, but once you start the research, the history of cigars and you start to see

these old painting-looking labels … that brought me to this artwork, which I got from a picture they sent me from Plasencia.

So there’s a hawk in there since people call me the Ball Hawk. I don't even go for “GOAT.” Don't call me the GOAT because there's no GOAT in football. Football's the ultimate team sport. It can't be one guy. That’s also why you can't see my face in the picture. And then you see the homes, these homes right here are from Louisiana, Baltimore and Miami.

N J : So what did it look like when you first

I want smokers to know that I'm not just an athlete doing the cigar, putting my name on something that somebody blended for me. I want them to know that I have respect for what cigar makers do.

You know, I'm a people person. I love being around people. I like just going to cigar bars. Even if I never made a cigar from this day forward. And I said it before, you're still gonna see me in the cigar lounge having conversation. You'll still catch me, you know, talking to guys like yourself or on the golf course with Erik Calviño, just smoking cigars and enjoying each other. Man. And that's what cigars allow you to do. You know, really sit back and enjoy yourself because you don't really want to be on the move smoking a cigar. You want to sit down and enjoy it.

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Forbidden

FRUIT featuring

HERRERA ESTELI NORTEÑO

LINGERIE SET LOUNGERIE

willy herrera drew estate master blender

As Master Blender of Drew Estate, this selection of cigars reflect on the personal journey I’ve embarked on to craft blends to satisfy my tastes, my curiosities, and above all else – my creative passion for blending cigars that I’m humbled to share with you. Follow me on Instagram @herreraesteli and learn more about the journey we share together. ~ HABANO BR A ZILIAN MADURO MIAMI NOR TENO

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T HE REBIR T H OF CIGARS L A GR AN FABRICA DREW ESTATE ESTELI, NICAR AGUA

WWW.DRE WE S TATE.COM

LINGERIE SET LA PERLA

JUMPSUIT VICTORIA’S SECRET

LINGERIE VICTORIA’S SECRET

BRA AND SHORTS VICTORIA’S SECRET

APRON CRATE AND BARREL

SHIRT RAG AND BONE HOTPANTS TRIYA

TOP AND SKIRT ZARA

BIKINI TRIYA

MODEL NATALIE GOLBA PHOTOGRAPHY LIMITED EDITION www.limitededitionmanagement.com PRODUCTION IVAN OCAMPO iocampo@cigarsnobmag.com PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JAMILET CALVIÑO jcalvino@cigarsnobmag.com WARDROBE STYLIST BARBARA BIANCHINI www.limitededitionmanagement.com HAIR AND MAKE-UP ARTIST LUCIA ABUIN www.limitededitionmanagement.com

CIGAR HERRERA ESTELI NORTEÑO www.drewestate.com

80 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

54 cigars KNIFE: Shun Premier 8-In. Chef’s Knife (shun.kaiusaltd.com) LIGHTER: Le Grand S.T. Dupont (st-dupont.com) JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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CHURCHILL Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut

92

$ 8.25 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Churchill 7 48 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua

Indian Motorcycle

A beautifully constructed, soft-pressed cigar covered with a golden colored wrapper with excellent sheen. Produces an abundant smoke output delivering flavors of nuts, American coffee, and a creamy texture complemented by an aroma of leather and cedar.

$ 8.70

91

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Churchill 7 1/2 50 Ecuador Dominican Republic Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Timeless Panamericana

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A flavorful churchill covered with a reddish, light brown wrapper with good oils. Delivers a medium bodied profile of cedar, cream, red pepper, and baker’s spice complemented by a hint of milk chocolate and earth on the finish.

$ 13.45

90

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Julieta 7 48 Ecuador Nicaragua Costa Rica & Nicaragua

Kristoff Cameroon

N I CA R AG UA Delivers a balanced flavor profile of coffee, cocoa, earth, and nuts with a unique fruity sweetness on the finish. Cloaked in a supple, evenly colored wrapper with only minimal veins, this mild to medium bodied churchill draws well and provides an even burn.

$ 10.09

90

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Churchill 7 50 Cameroon Dominican Republic Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Villiger Flor de Ynclan

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A mild to medium bodied blend covered with a light to medium brown wrapper with a covered foot and topped with a pigtail. Produces an excellent output of thick, heavy smoke with notes of cocoa, wood, and baker’s spice.

$ 12.00

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Churchill 7 48 Ecuador Indonesia Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Macanudo Inspirado Orange

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N I CA R AG UA

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Opens with an abundance of wood and soft spice flavors that settle to incorporate notes of leather, cream, and a hint of nuttiness. This medium strength blend is covered with a light brown, somewhat bumpy wrapper.

$ 7.49 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Churchill 7 50 Honduras Honduras Honduras, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

H O N D UR AS Covered with a somewhat splotchy, milk chocolate colored wrapper with slight veins. This medium strength blend produces a profile of roasted nut, brown sugar, and toast accompanied by a charred wood and leather aroma.

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GRAN TORO Undercrown Shade

$ 11.13

91

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Gordito 6 60 Ecuador Indonesia Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Camacho Connecticut

A smooth and aromatic blend finished with a clean, supple wrapper with minimal veins. Flavors of mild coffee, wood, and cream are balanced by a subtle, earthy backbone. Features superb construction producing an excellent draw leaving behind a compact ash.

$ 9.50

91

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60 6 60 Ecuador Honduras Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Reserva

91

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Inmensos 6 60 Ecuador USA/Connecticut Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Casa Cuevas Connecticut

90

H O N D UR AS Impeccably constructed and covered with a neatly applied, golden colored wrapper. Produces an abundant smoke output along a perfect draw while delivering a mild to medium bodied core of vanilla cream, wood, nuts, coffee, and a touch of spice.

$ 9.55

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A well-balanced blend with flavors of light coffee, cream, wood, and roasted nuts. This mild to medium strength gran toro has a firm draw and leaves behind a solid, compact ash. Finished with a light brown wrapper with a velvet feel.

$ 8.10 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Gordo 6 60 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

La Aurora Connecticut

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Covered with an impeccable, golden colored wrapper with excellent sheen. Mild and consistently well balanced with a core of cedar, American coffee, nuts, light spice, and a creamy texture. Produces a good smoke output and leaves behind a tight, compact ash.

$ 6.25

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Gran Toro 6 58 USA/Connecticut Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

Kristoff Connecticut

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Features a profile highlighted by notes of cedar, baker’s spice, and leather complemented by a subtle caramel sweetness. This mild to medium bodied blend is covered with a thin, light brown wrapper with minimal veins.

$ 9.50

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N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

660 6 60 Ecuador Nicaragua Dominican Republic

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C A flavorful gran toro covered with a light brown wrapper and finished with a pigtail and a covered foot. Flavors of nut, cream, pepper, and light coffee accompanied by an aroma of leather and wood. Mild to medium bodied.

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GRAN TORO Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 San Andreas

$ 12.05

N I CA R AGUA Flavorful and consistently well-made, this medium bodied gran toro is cloaked in a dark brown wrapper with a supple feel. Provides a superb draw and burn while producing an excellent smoke output with flavors of espresso, earth, soft pepper, and sweet black tobacco.

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Sixty 6 60 Mexico USA/Connecticut Nicaragua

La Aroma de Cuba – Mi Amor

$ 8.75

N I CA R AGUA Opens with a profile of earth and chocolate later joined by notes of pepper and roasted nuts finished with a creamy texture. This medium-plus strength blend is covered with a dark brown wrapper with a somewhat coarse texture.

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Valentino 6 60 Mexico Nicaragua Nicaragua

91 San Lotano Dominicano

$ 10.00

D OM I NI CAN REPUBLIC Covered with a thick, dark brown wrapper with a reddish hue and excellent oils. Delivers a medium-plus strength, earthy core with flavors of smooth pepper, molasses, oak, and a touch of cream on the finish.

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Gordos 6 1/4 60 Brazil Dominican Republic Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

91 Viva La Vida

$ 12.50

N I CA R AGUA A good-looking gran toro covered with a nearly flawless, dark, reddish brown wrapper. Opens with a blast of sharp pepper and wood accompanied by notes of earth, roasted almond, and mocha cream.

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Gordo 6 60 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

90 La Sirena

$ 11.00

N I CA R AGUA A flavorful, thick cigar covered with a dark, toothy wrapper with sheen. Delivers a mediumplus strength profile of earth, dark chocolate, and sweet pepper accompanied by a rich leather aroma. Consistently well-constructed.

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King Poseidon 6 60 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

90 MUWAT

$ 8.60

N I CA R AGUA Delivers a flavorful profile of pepper and earth balanced by cream, nuts, and cedar. This medium bodied blend produces tons of cool smoke with a rich leather and allspice aroma along an easy draw and even burn.

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Gordo 6 60 Mexico Ecuador Brazil & Nicaragua

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TORO Padrรณn 1964 Anniversary Maduro

92

$ 12.30 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Exclusivo 5 1/2 50 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

Flor de las Antillas Maduro

91

Consistently flavorful and well-balanced with a profile of dark chocolate, earth, coffee, and soft pepper accompanied by a rich aroma of toast and leather. This well-constructed, boxpressed blend is finished with a neatly applied, dark brown, toothy wrapper.

$ 8.30 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Toro 6 52 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua

Villiger La Vencedora

N I CA R AG UA Beautifully box-pressed and covered with a dark, even-colored wrapper with a reddish hue. The blend is balanced and flavorful with notes of oak, sweet pepper, and dark chocolate complemented by a touch of espresso.

$ 9.50

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Toro 6 50 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

Perdomo Habano Maduro

90 89

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Epicure 6 54 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

Smooth and balanced with a core of soft pepper, earth, and dark chocolate complemented by a rich aroma of leather, spice, and American coffee. Consistently well-constructed providing an excellent draw and good smoke output.

Medium to full strength.

N I CA R AG UA An earthy blend complemented by hints of roasted nuts, sweet spice, cedar, and a bit of cream. This ultra-consistent and well-constructed blend provides an excellent draw and burn while producing an abundant smoke output. Medium to full strength.

$ 10.95 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

LE 2018 6 52 USA/Connecticut Nicaragua Nicaragua

K by Karen Berger Maduro

89

N I CA R AG UA

$ 8.50

Headley Grange Black Lab

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N I CA R AG UA

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Opens with intense flavors of bitter coffee, charred oak, and spice, which settles to incorporate notes of earth and over ripened fruit.

This pressed medium bodied toro is covered with a thick and chewy, dark brown wrapper.

$ 10.00 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Toro 6 52 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA A square-pressed toro covered with a clean, milk chocolate brown colored wrapper with a somewhat coarse feel. Provides an easy draw while producing a good smoke output with flavors of nuts, earth, and spice complemented by a sweet creaminess on the finish.

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ROBUSTO Herrera Esteli Miami

$ 10.99

92

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto Extra 5 50 Ecuador Ecuador Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Plasencia Cosecha 146

Beautifully balanced and ultra-flavorful. This medium-plus strength robusto has a core of cocoa, black American coffee, roasted almond, and pepper accompanied by a note of charred barrel on the finish.

$ 12.00

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

La Vega 5 1/4 52 Honduras Nicaragua Honduras & Nicaragua

Nestor Miranda Special Selection

91 90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Toro 5 1/2 54 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 4 3/4 52 Ecuador Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

N I CA R AG UA Covered with an impeccable, reddish brown wrapper with sheen, this medium strength blend is consistently well made providing an excellent draw and burn. Delivers flavors of chocolate, cedar, almond, and cream joined by a soft pepper in the background.

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Consistently well constructed and cloaked in a good-looking, milk chocolate colored wrapper with thin veins. Mild to medium strength with a profile of sweet cedar, leather, and hazelnut complemented by soft pepper notes on the finish.

$ 5.50 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 5 1/8 52 Ecuador Dominican Republic Brazil, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Asylum 13 Medulla Oblongata

88

A supple, light brown wrapper covers this ultra-flavorful blend with a profile of nut, cedar, and soft pepper complemented by leather, cinnamon, and a touch of cream on the finish. This medium bodied robusto produces an excellent output of highly aromatic smoke.

$ 12.00

San Pedro de Macoris – Sun Grown

89

N I CA R AG UA

$ 7.50

Diamond Crown Julius Caeser

90 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

N I CA R AG UA

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Delivers a profile of cedar, minerality, and red pepper balanced by a rich butter cream sweetness on the finish. This consistent, mild to medium strength blend is covered with a reddish brown wrapper with sheen.

$ 7.30 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

50x5 5 50 Honduras Honduras Honduras

H O N D UR AS Produces an abundant smoke output along a perfect draw and burn. This medium strength blend is covered with a clean, light brown wrapper and has a core of earth, sharp pepper, and wood complemented by a touch of sweetness on the finish.

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

91

ROBUSTO Arturo Fuente Añejo Reserva

92

$ 10.80 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

No. 50 5 1/4 50 USA/Connecticut Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask

91

Exceptionally balanced and complex with layered flavors of cedar, cinnamon, currant, and almond complemented by a touch of spiced rum. This smooth, full bodied blend produces an abundant smoke output and leaves behind a solid, compact ash.

$ 8.49 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 5 52 USA/Connecticut Brazil Nicaragua

The Tabernacle

N I CA R AG UA A smooth, complex blend with flavors of oak, sweet earth, dark chocolate, and cream accompanied by a subtle background pepper note. This medium-plus strength blend features superb construction and provides a perfect draw and burn.

$ 10.50

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 5 50 USA/Connecticut Mexico Honduras & Nicaragua

La Galera Maduro

N I CA R AG UA Well-balanced and flavorful, this medium bodied robusto has a core of earth, espresso, wood, and molasses accompanied by soft notes of baker’s spice and roasted almond. Well-made and covered with a dark, toothy wrapper with a coarse feel.

$ 6.25

90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Chaveta 5 50 Mexico Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

E.P. Carrillo Dusk

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Delivers an intense core of bittersweet cocoa, espresso, and oak accompanied by softer notes of ripe fruit and cedar. This medium strength blend draws and burns exceptionally while producing a tight, compact ash.

$ 7.15

90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 5 50 USA/Connecticut Ecuador Nicaragua

Blanco Nine

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Covered with an exceedingly dark, oily wrapper, this medium strength offering produces a good smoke output with notes of earth, sweet spice, and molasses joined by a bit of roasted almond on the finish.

$ 7.80

88 92 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 5 52 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA A medium to full bodied robusto with a smoky and earthy core complemented by notes of oak, pepper, and leather. This dark cigar provides a good draw and a somewhat wavy burn while leaving behind a tight, gray ash.

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

93

PETIT ROBUSTO Charter Oak Maduro

$ 5.00

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Rothschild 4 1/2 50 USA/Connecticut Indonesia Nicaragua

Oliva Serie G Maduro

Covered with a clean, dark brown wrapper with only slight veins. This medium strength blend delivers a smooth profile with flavors of earth, espresso, charred wood, and a hint of raspberry on the finish. Consistently draws and burns perfectly.

$ 6.10

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 4 1/2 50 USA/Connecticut Nicaragua Nicaragua

Punch Rare Corojo

N I CA R AG UA An impeccably constructed, square-pressed short robusto covered with an even-colored, dark brown wrapper. Medium bodied with a balanced profile of roasted almond, earth, cedar, and creamy milk chocolate complemented by a rich, tanned leather aroma.

$ 5.99

90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Rothschild 4 1/2 50 Ecuador USA/Connecticut Honduras, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Last Call Maduro

H O N D UR AS A beautifully box-pressed short robusto covered with a neatly applied, even-colored wrapper. Well balanced with flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, and earth complemented by subtle notes of red pepper and cream.

$ 5.90

89

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Geniales 4 1/2 48 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

CAO Flathead 450

N I CA R AG UA A dark cigar with a somewhat rustic appearance. This medium strength blend consistently draws and burns perfectly while leaving behind a solid, compact ash. Produces a cool smoke with notes of dark roast coffee, wood, and pepper joined by a touch of cream.

$ 7.80

89

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 4 1/2 50 USA/Connecticut USA/Connecticut Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

The Bouncer

N I CA R AG UA Cloaked in a dark, oily wrapper and finished with an extreme, flat head and a covered foot, this medium strength but flavor-packed blend has a core of sweet earth, soft pepper, and oak complemented by a touch of raspberry on the finish.

$ 6.99

88 94 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Robusto 4 1/2 52 Mexico Indonesia Nicaragua

N I CA R AG UA Delivers tons of medium bodied smoke with notes of earth, oak, and a touch of soft spice.

This well-constructed cigar is box-pressed and finished with a dark, oily wrapper with a toothy texture.

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

95

CORONA Crowned Heads Las Mareas

93

$ 9.60 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Olas 6 1/8 46 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

Casa Cuba

An impeccably balanced and complex delivery of rich cedar, cocoa, and caramel flavors complemented by a nutty, citrus spice component.

This consistently well-made corona produces a compact ash that comes off in solid chunks.

$ 9.10

92

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Doble Tres 5 1/2 44 Ecuador Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

Sindicato

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Produces a complex core of sweet cedar, cinnamon spice, roasted almond, and a touch of rich cream along a flawless draw and burn.

This medium strength blend is ultra-consistent and finished with a clean, light brown wrapper with only minimal veins.

$ 11.00

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Corona Gorda 5 1/2 48 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua

Brick House

N I CA R AG UA A beautifully constructed, box-pressed corona finished with a light, reddish brown wrapper and topped with a neat pigtail. Delivers flavors of sweet cedar, cocoa, cinnamon, and mild coffee accompanied by a touch of caramel and soft pepper.

$ 6.20

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Corona Larga 6 1/4 46 Ecuador Nicaragua Nicaragua

La Galera Habano

N I CA R AG UA Delivers a balanced combination of nuts, hazelnut, wood, and spice accompanied by a rich, creamy texture. This medium strength blend is well-constructed and covered with a clean, light brown wrapper with sheen. Leaves behind a compact, gray ash.

$ 5.10

90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Bonchero No. 4 5 1/2 42 Ecuador Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

Gurkha Chateau De Prive

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C An ultra-flavorful corona covered with a clean, supple wrapper showing minimal veins. Delivers a woody and sweet profile of cedar, red pepper, and maple syrup along an excellent draw. Produces an abundant output of medium bodied smoke.

$ 10.00

90 96 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Rook 6 46 Ecuador Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Covered with a light brown, velvet smooth wrapper topped with a neat pigtail, this mild to medium bodied blend has a core of wood and soft pepper accompanied by subtle notes of vanilla and coffee. Draws perfectly and leaves behind a solid, compact ash.

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

97

CORONA RoMa Craft CroMagnon

$ 8.95

92

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Anthropology 5 3/4 46 USA/Connecticut Cameroon Nicaragua

Espinosa Laranja Escuro

Delivers a balanced and intense core of earth, pepper, and oak complemented by rich, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. This medium to full strength corona is covered with a dark, toothy wrapper and produces an excellent smoke output.

$ 10.00

91

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Corona Gorda 6 46 Brazil Nicaragua Nicaragua

Fable Fourth Prime

N I CA R AG UA Ultra-flavorful and balanced with a profile of dark chocolate, earth, wood, and soft pepper accompanied by a subtle, sweet cream. This medium-plus strength corona produces an excellent smoke output and leaves behind a solid, compact ash.

$ 8.10

90

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Mi 5 3/4 46 USA/Pennsylvania Ecuador Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Umbagog

N I CA R AG UA Neatly box-pressed and covered with a dark, toothy wrapper with minimal veins. This medium to full strength blend delivers a profile of heavy earth and pepper complemented by subtle notes of dark chocolate and coffee.

$ 7.75

89

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Corona Gorda 6 48 USA/Connecticut Nicaragua Nicaragua

Balmoral Añejo XO Oscuro

89 88

N I CA R AG UA Covered with a thick, oily wrapper with a coarse texture, this medium to full strength blend provides a firm draw and leaves behind a solid, compact ash. Delivers notes of strong pepper, earth, and espresso joined by a touch of dark cherry sweetness.

$ 9.21 VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

Corona 5 7/8 42 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Brazil, Nicaragua & Dominican Republic

Gran Habano Gran Reserva No. 5 2012

98 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

N I CA R AG UA

VITOLA: LENGTH: RING: WRAPPER: BINDER: FILLER:

D O M I N I CA N R E P UBLI C Opens with a combination of wood, pepper, and bitter coffee, which settles to incorporate hints of cocoa and dried fruit. This dark, somewhat rustic-looking corona provides a perfect draw and produces an output of thick, aromatic smoke.

$ 8.10 Corona Gorda 5 5/8 46 Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua & Costa Rica

N I CA R AG UA Covered with a dark brown wrapper with a velvet smooth feel and an oily sheen. Delivers a medium strength core of earth and red pepper accompanied by notes of roasted chestnuts and wood. Draws well and leaves behind a dark gray ash.

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

99

MARTIN KOVE MARTIN KOVE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE AS JOHN KREESE, THE COLD-BLOODED SENSEI BEHIND THE COBRA KAI DOJO IN THE KARATE KID MOVIES. HE’S BACK IN THAT ROLE AGAIN IN THE YOUTUBE ORIGINAL SERIES COBRA KAI, WHICH BRINGS US BACK IN TOUCH WITH ALL THOSE OLD CHARACTERS (AND THEIR ONGOING RIVALRY) IN THE PRESENT DAY. MARTIN BRINGS NOT ONLY NEW DEPTH, BUT ALSO HIS LOVE OF CIGARS, TO THE ROLE.

Can you remember the first cigar you ever had?

Of course. I tried my first cigar when I arrived in L.A.; it was a Royal Jamaican. But my cigar history really began years later when I was doing a movie in Canada and experienced Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey cigars. The prop guy would literally give me the Cubans and cut them in thirds for continuity, you know? You’ve got to match the size every take. Well, it was such a crime to cut up these cigars. And so I went and I got a box of cheap Dominican cigars and I traded the prop guy. That was my first experience having my own box of cigars. They were the greatest cigars. Just sensational. I smoke mostly Cuban cigars now.

Do you have any go-to non-Cuban brands?

I smoke Arturo Fuente Short Stories. I also smoke Camachos. And when I’m on the set of Cobra Kai, they buy me La Gloria Cubana. That’s what I smoke.

Have you had relationships or connections on set made deeper by cigars?

John Milius (screenwriter, director and producer known for films like Dirty Harry, Apocalypse Now, The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian, among others) is a friend; I got married to the soundtrack of The Wind and the Lion. We used to go trap shooting. With John, it’s all about pizza, art, music, movies and cigars.

When I first started working with him, we were doing The Twilight Zone. John wrote and directed a Twilight Zone story. While they were setting the camera up for a different angle, we would stroll around with our cigars. You need 20 minutes or half an hour to set up, but we’d end up taking an hour and a half as we smoked. They had to have a production assistant watch us with a walkie talkie. “They’re turning down on street P. Now they’re turning down on street C. I’ve got them. Don’t worry about it. I got John and Marty.”

All this government crackdown on cigars and there you were creating a new job just by smoking! How important is it to have cigars you enjoy on set when they’re props?

Nothing’s worse than smoking a cheap cigar on a movie set that they just buy because they don’t know shit. If they buy a bad cigar, all of a sudden you’re dizzy and get a headache. So it just has to be a quality cigar.

Let’s talk Cobra Kai. What’s your experience been like reviving characters on YouTube who so many people first met in the ‘80s in movie theaters?

The writers didn’t treat this as a sequel. What they’re doing is picking up our characters 35 later. In my character’s case, John Kreese hasn’t changed; they don’t know where he’s been for 30 years. They don’t tell you where he’s been. He makes up stories and he’s not told the truth about where he’s been except a little bit to Johnny Lawrence. So they treat my character as still the villain.

The public treats us the same, you know? But the fact that they’re able to put us in your living room and not just on the big screen, it puts us in their living room as their pals on a web series. It’s really interesting, especially since the show includes teenagers now. Everybody loves it.

Aside from all the characters from the original movie, there are also new high school aged characters. What’s it like picking up these classic characters’

PHOTO BY: Jim Pollock

stories and involving kids who might not have grown up on these movies and experienced that phenomenon for themselves?

I was with my cousin and her 10-year-old girl watching a YouTube press event two of these kids on the cast were doing — Peyton List and Jacob Bertrand. They were previously Disney kids. It was interesting because there wasn’t a lot of depth in regard to the, the source material of what they’re participating in. They’re good.

They just get up and do it. But do they spend time in the histrionics of it? I mean, Karate Kid is a religious experience. It’s sacred to a lot of people. And these kids don’t have a sense of the religion that (Cobra Kai) came from.

It’s not negative, though. They’re really good actors. Mary Mouser is terrific as Daniel’s daughter Samantha. She’s great and you know, Peyton and Jacob are great. Xolo Maridueña is great.

I just wonder if kids today will remember the great moments of yesteryear in the cinema, you know?

Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi, died in 2005. But Mr. Miyagi still plays a role here in a way. I think it’s something that’s pulled off really nicely on the show.

The heritage there never leaves. He’s a mentor even though he’s not alive anymore because they make reference to his picture on the wall at various times and Ralph makes reference to Miyagi quite frequently. They went into what they call the salt mines, where they went and got uptakes — basically scenes that were in the movie but cuts that weren’t used. They were takes that the public didn’t see in the movies, and now they’re used to bring back Mr. Miyagi in different moments. They’ll do that maybe once every other episode. So his memory is always brought in from the three movies.

In Cobra Kai, we see sides of your character that didn’t really show much in the Karate Kid movies. Talk about what it was like for you all these years later to have an opportunity to bring all of this depth to John Kreese.

I asked for that straight up. I said, “I really don’t want to play a stoic bad guy. I just don’t want to play a one-dimensional bad guy and I would like you guys to write vulnerability and versatility.” They promised they would and they did. You know, he had that first episode where he brings back the trophy and then the fourth where Johnny follows him to a homeless shelter.

I like to be very emotional as an actor. I’m coming out with this movie called VFW. It’s basically The Expendables in a bar. The camaraderie is so rich and at the end there’s a great deal of courage and vulnerability there and I liked playing that. That sort of role is a lot more fun than just playing a tough ass.

So I know you like for your characters to smoke on camera. But what role does smoking cigars play in your process for developing the characters and preparing for roles?

There’s a whole heritage about cigars. There’s an elegance and a nobility to smoking a cigar that does not exist with a cigarette, does not exist with a pipe. A good cigar is heaven. I think that’s the bottom line. The pages of a book or a script read much richer when I’ve got a cigar in my fingertips.

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The cigar world is on Twitter and we aim to keep track of who’s leading who. The following is a scoreboard of the cigar world’s most relevant Tweeples. The list is sorted by number of followers and broken into groups: Top 20 Twitter Cigar Companies & Reps, Top 10 Twitter Retailers, Top 10 Online Cigar Tweeps, Top 3 Twitter Cigar Organizations, and Top 3 Cigar Radio Twitter accounts. If you have the numbers and belong in one of these groups, stand up and be counted! Set us straight via Twitter @cigarsnobmag.

TOP CIGAR COMPANIES (sorted by Twitter followers) Rocky Patel @RockyPatelCigar.........................................

Drew Estate Cigars @DrewEstateCigar.............................

Padron Cigar @PadronCigars............................................

CAO International @CAOCigars.........................................

Alec Bradley Cigars @AlecBradley....................................

La Flor Dominicana @LFDCigars.......................................

Jonathan Drew @JonathanDrewArt..................................

Camacho Cigars @camachocigars....................................

Ashton Cigars @ashtoncigar.............................................

Pete Johnson @TatuajeCigars...........................................

Xikar Inc @XIKARinc.........................................................

La Gloria Cubana @lagloriacubana....................................

Punch Cigars @punchcigars.............................................

Miami Cigar Co @miamicigar.............................................

Nick Perdomo @PerdomoCigars.......................................

Ernesto Padilla @PadillaCigars.........................................

La Palina Cigars @La PalinaCigars....................................

Avo Cigars @AvoCigars.....................................................

Nat Sherman Intl. @Nat42nd.............................................

AJ Fernandez @ajfcigars..................................................

32998 31459 27204 25199 21125 19730 19189 18980 17516 16714 14784 14491 12963 12886 12867 12283 11705 11685 11628 11605

TOP CIGAR ORGANIZATIONS CRA @cigarrights............................................................. 14625 IPCPR Staff @theIPCPR.................................................. 8010 Tobacconist University @tobacconistU............................. 4612

TOP CIGAR RADIO Cigar Dave Show @CigarDaveShow................................. 11573 Smooth Draws @SmoothDraws....................................... 4382 KMA Talk Radio @KMATalkRadio...................................... 2323

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE TWEETS, MENTIONS, AND RANDOM SOCIAL MEDIA GOODNESS.

TOP CIGAR RETAILERS & REPS Famous Smoke Shop @FamousSmokeShop......................

Mulberry St. Cigars @MulberryStCigar.............................

Cigar Hustler @cigarhustler..............................................

Cigar Row @CigarRow.....................................................

Jeff Borysiewicz – Corona Cigar Co @CoronaCigarCo.......

Michael Herklots–Nat Sherman @MichaelHerklots............

Barry – Two Guys Smoke Shop @Barry2Guys...................

Cheap Humidors @cheaphumidors...................................

Lindsay Siddiqi @TheCigarChick.......................................

Palm Desert Tobacco @palmdsrttobacco.........................

13889 13629 11576 8265 7413 6633 6314 5469 5290 5132

@cigarcavesd via Instagram Cigar Cave If your wife doesn’t like the aroma of your cigar, change your wife. #cigarsmokers #cigarphotography #cigaroftheday #cigarnation #cigarsociety #cigarbossdiva #cigarporn

TOP ONLINE CIGAR TWEEPLES David Voth–Sex, Cigars, & Booze @SexCigarsBooze.........

Cigar News @CigaRSS ....................................................

Cigar Events @CigarEvents...............................................

Cigar Federation @CigarFederation..................................

Robusto Cigar Babe @RobustoBabe.................................

Stogie Boys @StogieBoys ...............................................

Cigar Evaluations @CigarEvaluation.................................

Cigar Inspector @CigarInspector .....................................

The Stogie Guys @stogieguys...........................................

Tom Ufer @cigarsmonkingman..........................................

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149281 15458 14617 12390 10217 8849 8785 8411 8082 6568

@cigarcoder via Instagram Ligero Tobacco House San Isidro by @hvccigars #hvccigars #barrelburners #burnersmafia #barrelburnersup #barrelburnersfamily #cigarsofinstagram #cafebustelo#colibri #cigarsnobmag #webdeveloper

HANDMADE IN ESTELI, NICARAGUA W W W. D R E W E S TAT E . C O M JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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message as a form letter for such battles confronted by every cigar shop across the nation, because our prediction is that Beverly Hills just set a horrible national precedent for local governments across the nation to entertain similar ordinances.

And it has begun.

On a 4-1 vote within a week of, and based upon the action in Beverly Hills, the City Council of Manhattan Beach, California started the process of drafting their own tobacco sales ban. Councilman Steve Napolitano called it “a logical next step,” following banning smoking in all public places. Of course, governments have a creative way of defining “public place,” you know, to mean a private place of business.

Beverly Hills, California

Ushering in a New Era that Threatens the Enjoyment of a Cigar

By J. Glynn Loope, Executive Director Cigar Rights of America etween 1920 and 1933, America experienced the notorious period of Prohibition. With the grassroots movement against alcohol led by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League, the United States government enacted its sweeping ban. Even though the federal government did not prohibit private ownership and consumption, some local and state governments went as far as banning actual possession.

Fast forward to June 22, 2009. The President of the United States signs the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, giving the U.S. Food & Drug Administration sweeping regulatory powers over all things tobacco. Although they are prohibited from any outright ban on a product, they can create barriers that make the introduction of new products virtually impossible. However, there is a little known codicil in the act that allows local and state governments the authority to implement more stringent ordinances and legislation on tobacco, especially in the arena of sales and distribution restrictions.

Like the January 16, 1919 ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, or the June 22, 2009 signing of the Tobacco Control Act, perhaps June 4, 2019 should also be enshrined in the annals of nanny state history. It was on that evening that the City Council of Beverly Hills, California became the first jurisdiction in America to ban the sale of tobacco within its community.

Twenty-eight local businesses that sell perfectly legal tobacco products will be prohibited from do-

104 | CIGAR SNOB | JULY / AUG 2019

ing so. Now at least in many cigar circles, most know that the City Council heard the plea to exempt two premium cigar shops and a private cigar club. For that, we are grateful – concerned about the attack on free markets, private property rights, and personal choice, but grateful. Cigar Rights of America endorsed the request for those exemptions, and released a petition to the City Council making that request as well.

The most renowned plea for exemption came from former California Governor and cigar enthusiast Arnold Schwarzenegger. Writing for the Grand Havana Room cigar club, the Governor stated that the club “provides a treasured home away from home where community members, businessmen and business women, artists, authors, educators, film makers, priests, pastors, rabbis, doctors, lawyers, and political leaders all gather, and where they can share the company of one another over the enjoyment of a fine cigar.”

The Governor also noted that the club was “an altogether rare venue…where the sharing of a meal, drink, and premium cigar promotes camaraderie, relaxation, and the healthy exchange of ideas and experiences.”

To me, I guess that makes virtually every cigar shop and lounge in the nation a “rare venue” – 327 million people in America, maybe 3 million occasional cigar consumers, 2,000 premium cigar shops, and fewer than that with a lounge or cigar bar – I would say they are each rare, unique, and should be recognized as nothing less than a sanctuary for those among us who wish to gather for such moments as the Governor described.

We would like to use Governor Schwarzenegger’s

Bad ideas have a way of spreading fast in the arena of tobacco politics. Especially at this juncture, with the legislative plate being full for the industry with state and national issues, the last thing America’s cigar shops (and consumers) need is a city hall to city hall slate of proposals and ordinances, where free enterprise has to be defended, proverbial exemptions have to be justified, choices limited, entrepreneurship stifled, and a new era of prohibition launched.

CRA is currently working with a coalition of cigar shops in the St. Louis, Missouri region in an effort to prevent a smoking ban, due to the consistent threat of a public referendum. We call it “Operation Sanctuary,” because America’s cigar shops are truly becoming the last refuge from the agenda of the nanny state.

For them, the cigar shops and lounges of America, these “rare venues” for camaraderie, conversation and relaxation, need to be defended in a manner that makes them non-negotiable in such battles – so that local and state governments will not ban the enjoyment of premium cigars in such defined places of business, nor threaten the sale of great premium handmade cigars. All it takes is one Michael Bloomberg to enable “The Beverly Hills Model” to be bankrolled and spread across the nation, and the next wave of battles truly begins.

Perhaps it’s time to use some language of the Constitution for our side, for a change – Congress shall make no law respecting or prohibiting the right of the people peaceably to assemble. The Freedom of Assembly seems central to the passion for cigars.

GLYNN LOOPE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CIGAR RIGHTS OF AMERICA (CRA), WHICH IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF THE GROWERS, MANUFACTURERS, RETAILERS, AND CONSUMERS OF PREMIUM CIGARS.

Alejandro MartĂ­nez Cuenca Joya De Nicaragua

Dion Giolito Illusione Cigars

Carlos "Carlito" Fuente, Jr. Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.

Erik Espinosa Espinosa Cigars

Karl Malone Barrel-Aged by Karl Malone

cigarsnobmag.com/podcast

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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BY ERIK CALVIÑO

exit room 212 at 9 AM on day 1 to make my way down for breakfast. I close the door and turn in the direction of the stairs when the aroma of premium cigar smoke jars me and makes me pause the way you do when you feel as if something is off but you can’t put your finger on it. Just then a gentleman casually turns a corner and comes into view leaving a trail of cigar smoke in his wake. “Guten morgen!” he says as he walks by. I manage to stammer out a “good morning” in return.

The previous evening’s pre-event kickoff party had us smoking carefree at the dinner table in Panorama, the hotel’s main restaurant. We followed dinner with an epic, once in a lifetime wine flight accompanied with cigars well into the night at the hotel’s enclosed rooftop, Skybar. But too much wine, not enough sleep, and an acute lack of morning coffee apparently reset my conditioned response to indoor smoking. I glanced back at the gentleman once more, probably to make sure one last time that he was really smoking in the hotel’s hallway. Finally I shook off the cobwebs, pulled a Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon from my jacket pocket, and embarked on the life-changing experience that was Mountain on Fire 2019.

The event, which is built around 3 days of world-class gastronomy, wine, spirits, and Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, is essentially a takeover of the family-run, fourstar Superior Hotel Schöne Aussicht (schoeneaussicht. at) set in the breathtakingly beautiful Öetztal Alps of Western Austria. For the duration of the event, the hotel is closed to the general public; the only guests are those taking part in Mountain on Fire (mountainonfire. com). So with the exception of your guestroom and the wine cellar, all areas of the hotel are cigar friendly.

In addition to the food, drink, and cigars, guests have the opportunity to test drive the latest Mercedes-Benz AMG models up and down the exhilarating, mountainous roads. I never found myself without a glass of wine or champagne long enough to drive but I won’t make that mistake next time.

Winemaker Albert Gesellmann with his 6 liter Mathusalem bottle of “G”

Thomas Korb and hotel owner Erwin Fender-Haselberger

The event’s itinerary builds up to a fireworks display on day 3 where they quite literally set the mountain on fire with the event’s logo. The fireworks and synchronized flamethrowers dance and explode to the music while you stand in awe of the spectacle before you. And for the last hurrah, the party shifts to the pool and spa area where we ended the night in the heated infinity pool with snow coming down from above, a glass of Möet champagne in one hand, a Rocky Patel Decade in the other, and a DJ’s music being accompanied by the sweet sounds of Beatrix Löw-Beer’s violin. It was a surreal and fitting conclusion to an incredible three days at Mountain on Fire 2019.

Rocky Patel, Rich Castiano, Erik Calviño, and Albert Gesellmann

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PHOTO CREDIT: Syndikat Medienpool and Lighthouse Productions

Marcus Weibull, Martin Brix Nelson, Marie-Louise Nelson, Mats Andersson, Alexander Nettleingham, Patrick Ahlin Isolde Hilpert-Hoffmann, Jörg Schöbel, Beatrix Schöbel, Rocky Patel, Helmut Hoffmann

DAY 1

Whisky specialist Andreas Trattner

After breakfast, the day started with a “meet & smoke” with the help of Gosset champagne and Rocky Patel cigars. We entered the day as mostly strangers but after multiple meals together, the Gosset champagne, a wine tasting in the hotel’s beautiful cellar, and a singlemalt Scotch tour de force by whisky expert Andy Trattner we ended the day as life-long friends. The men who organize Mountain on Fire — Erwin Fender, Kolja Kukuk, and Jörn Brattke — did an amazing job of ensuring that there is flexibility, variety, and a high level of excellence in all of the activities they’d planned. But without a staff to ensure that every detail of the experience was executed to perfection, it would mean nothing. The staff’s mentality was precise but laid back: “If you want to attend the wine tasting that is starting now, go downstairs to the wine cellar, but if you want to skip it and relax, don’t sweat it.”

Harald Braunstein of Weingut Erich Scheiblhofer

Rainer & Angela Büchsenstein

Thomas & Bettina Egger

Prof. Mag. Dr. Dr. h. c. Günther Bonn & Gökhan Senli, Philipp Kugler

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DAY 2 After an espresso to get the engines revving, we took a quick shuttle up to Gampe Thaya (gampethaya.riml.com) for a cozy Alpine breakfast. The food was an example of a well-executed, Alpine breakfast using all-natural products grown on the family’s farm. It was the kind of food I could have every day of my life with no complaints.

Soon after breakfast, Rocky got the party started with a seemingly endless supply of The Patriot wine from Tesch Winery. Dinner was no less outrageous as it was kicked off with the opening of a Nebuchadnezzar (15-liter bottle) of Taittinger champagne.

Nakamura Nobuhiro

Christopher Thornhill and Peter Weinhofer of Weingut Esterhazy

Vlasta and Fabio Canonica

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Rocky Patel and Dino Canonica

Klaus Fetzner, Marita DĂźrringer of Weingut Capannelle

Kolja Kukuk Managing Director Europe Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Filip Markowski, Todor Markowski

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Mountain on Fire organizers Kolja Kukuk, Jörn Brattke & Erwin Fender-Haselberger

DAY 3

Beatrix Löw-Beer

Gerhard Kracher, owner of Weingut Kracher

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Day 3: Nothing could have prepared me for day 3. As we made our way up the mountain via gondola to ice Q, the famed restaurant at 10,000 feet above sea level, it was difficult not to have a little extra pep. We had just been handed a glass of champagne for the ride up to the spot where they filmed the pivotal and most iconic snow scenes in 007 Spectre. In fact, they have built a 007 museum next to ice Q, which was one of the Mountain on Fire activities that I passed on, and will most certainly not miss next time. The view from the rooftop terrace at ice Q was unlike any I’ve ever seen. At 10,000 feet or just above 3,000 meters, the valley before you is known as the “valley of the threethousands” because you are surrounded by 250 peaks above 3,000 meters. It was mesmerizing; I simply could not turn away from it. Then came the food, the wine, and the release of a European exclusive Rocky Patel.

The meal was capped by a presentation from sweet wine rock star Gerhard Kracher. The procession of impossibly rare and outrageous dessert wines from Kracher have taken up permanent residence in my dreams.

Eva Graf, The Honorable Arthur Seudieu, Wolfgang Graf

Alexander Nettleingham, Niels Mache, Patrick Ahlin, Marcel Ellinghaus

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EVENTS AMPARO EXPERIENCE AFTER-PARTY PRESENTED BY CIGAR SNOB MAGAZINE Downtown Miami

Guests attending The Amparo Experience, Havana Club’s immersive and impactful theatrical production on the evening of May 11th, were treated to a cigar themed after-party.

Each guest received complimentary cigars from Montecristo, Arturo Fuente, and Oliva Cigars while DJ Carluba kept the party going.

There was also food from the FINKA food truck and complimentary cocktails featuring Havana Club Rum.

Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez

Alan Goldfarb, Manny and Macarena Iriarte, and Elysse Goldfarb

Luly B. Carreras and Marcos Neukirchner

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The Amparo Experience Cast with Speaker of the Florida House José Oliva

Nick Nanavichit and Eddy Guerra

Obel and Betty Cruz

Nicolás A. Jiménez, Becky Christ, Cassie and Huston Lorenzo

Pilar Arango, Héctor Medina and George Cabrera

Grant Souviron and Barbara Moraes

Edna and J.P. Clavel and Ive Ocampo

Erik Calviño, Albert Sosa and Bernie Rodríguez

Martin Plasencia and Zai Rodríguez

René Granado, Bertha Leal, Robert Ramos

Liz and Charlie López

José Oliva, Marcela Paguaga and Jeanne Oliva

Willy and Paulina Huerta

Robert Fortich and José Jiménez

Ely and Gus Rodríguez

Nick Nanavichit, Gardner Blandon and Lisette Nanavichit

Mario González, Erik Lara, Julio García and Sabrina Llera

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EVENTS BURN BY ROCKY PATEL GRAND OPENING Atlanta

BURN by Rocky Patel in Atlanta, the company’s 4th such club, held their grand opening celebration on May 10th. The posh 5,000 square foot lounge is located in The Battery Atlanta, the city’s hottest shopping and entertainment district. The full-service cigar bar features spirits, beer and wine, elevated bar food, and a broad selection of premium cigars, both Rocky Patel brands as well as others.

Max Bichler, Rocky and Nish Patel

Shawn Dirksen and LouAnn Steffens

Alden Weiler and Matt Zarin

Kevin Bowles and Emily Mendyha

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Richie Castiano, Nish Patel and Shorty

Sahar and Ashley Tolisano

Monet Hall and Theanthony Curry

Angela Everett and Michelle Wright

Stephen, Max Bichler, Rick Baumgartner and Mike Hicks

Tracy Cole and Binyam Belay

It’s party time!!!

Dave Bullock, Shorty and Brett Harrington

Tanya and Thaddeus Hobson

Angeline Lewis and Ithaca Butts

McKenzi Alford and Nish Patel

Angela Everett and Michelle Wright

G.C. Wine and Carey Grainger

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EVENTS GALIANO CIGAR ROOM GRAND OPENING Coral Gables, Fla.

The city of Coral Gables, founded in 1925, is one of the Miami area’s most affluent cities and is a hub for shopping, dining, and business. One thing the city had never had was a cigar lounge with a full bar, until now.

Galiano Cigar Room celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony to the delight of scores of Gables cigar lovers. As the city’s first and only cigar lounge, partners Ozzie Gomez and Ciro Rodriguez were also presented with a proclamation by Coral Gables City Commissioner Jorge L. Fors Jr.

Jill and Peter Rubenstein

Mike Denys, Adis Rodríguez and Raul Flores

Barbie and Ozzie Gómez, Ciro and Maggie Rodríguez

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Daniel Fors, Kristina Gomez, Coral Gables Commissioner Jorge L. Fors, Jr., Daniel De La O and Jolie Mestre

Manny Niebla and Tony Calatayud

Joyce and Albert Lara

Christian and Ana Marmanillo and Danny Jiménez

Mario and Carmen Jardon, Ashley Borrero and Paul Jardon

TUNE INTO

THE DRAW

THE WORLD’S BEST — AND MAYBE ONLY — DRIVE-TIME CIGAR TALK RADIO SHOW ON 1210 AM THE MAN IN SOUTH FLORIDA MONDAYS, TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS FROM

6 TO 7 P.M. Join Cigar Snob’s Erik Calviño and Nick Jiménez (plus Carlos “Carluba” Rodríguez on Tuesdays) for informed conversation on cigars paired with completely unqualified jibber jabber about sports, politics, chicken wings and whatever else we need to touch on to fill 60 minutes of airtime!

We’re broadcasting LIVE from Cigar Cellar of Miami (1557 Sunset Drive, Miami)

You can also listen to a live stream on 1210theman.com or subscribe to the Cigar Snob Podcast where we share every installment of The Draw

JULY / AUG 2019 | CIGAR SNOB |

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EVENTS SABOR HAVANA RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK DINNER FEATURING ESPINOSA CIGARS Doral, Fla.

The Espinosa Cigars crew was out in full force for what has quickly become one of South Florida’s best recurring steak and cigar dinner series, the Sabor Havana Ruth’s Chris Steak Dinner. Proprietors Jorge Valdes and Aquiles Legra welcomed a packed house for this limited capacity event. Aside from the legendary steak, guests received a gift pack of Espinosa Cigars plus liquor tastings from Monkey Shoulder and Glenfiddich Scotch.

Jorge Valdés, Erik and Erik, Jr. Espinosa, Jack Toraño, Héctor Alfonso, Aquiles Legra, and Alfredo Cruz

Ahmed Leyva and Jorge Valdés

Jason Haynie and Anthony Martínez

Wilson Medina, Yasser PIchardo and José Barrera

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Ruth's Chris chef and his team

Raúl Estrada and Raul Pestonit

Rosy Sosa

Shanell Fernández and Michael Peyrefitte

Raúl Pestonit and Ernie Paredes

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EVENTS C.A.T.S. FEST 6 Granbury, Tex.

Now in its 6th installment, C.A.T.S. Fest is a craft beer and cigar festival that raises funds for the Cigars for Warriors charity, which supports deployed men and women of the US Armed Services. Among the numerous activities and events taking place during the four-day festival were a mixology competition, golf tournament, chili championship, exclusive denim and lace dinner, craft beer competition, and even a scavenger crawl through Granbury, all while enjoying premium cigars and supporting the troops.

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