Cigar Aficionado

Cigar Aficionado is a magazine for the man who enjoys life’s great pleasures: fine dining and entertaining, the finest wines and spirits, world travel and the arts. At the heart of every issue is the cigar: what to smoke, where to smoke, and how to enjoy a great smoke.

highlights • Another issue full of scores that exceeded 90 points including two exceptional cigars—a puro from Cuba and a multi-country blend from the Dominican Republic—that topped the tastings with 94 points. The robusto category was particularly strong. More than half of its cigars scored an outstanding 90 points or higher.

Smoking in the Great Indoors

out of the humidor

Cigar Aficionado

Three-Finger Cigar Cases

Roasted Bone Marrow

Fifteen-Year-Old Scotch

Black Is Back

Falconry

Agua Caliente, Rancho Mirage California

The Waxed Jacket

temi—Your Personal Robot

Audi e-tron

The Armor Experience

The jonas Effect • Cigar lover Nick Jonas is in the midst of a very busy year, with several films, a hit album and a long-awaited reunion tour with his brothers

The Crypto King • John Caruso is only 28, but he has made hundreds of millions of dollars trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies

Crypto 101 • Deciphering the world of virtual currency

Mexico’s GOLF MECCA • Surrounded by stunning ocean waters and blessed with near-perfect weather, Los Cabos is the ideal spot for a luxury golf vacation

The Best HOTELS & RESORTS IN LOS CABOS

2019 NFL PREVIEW • Can Tom Brady defy Father Time and lead his Patriots to victory yet again? Will the Browns or Giants turn their boats of misery around? We predict this season’s winners and losers and tell you who will raise the Lombardi Trophy in February

SUPER BOWL LIV PREDICTION • PATRIOTS DEFEAT SAINTS 29-23

churchills • The Dominican Montecristo Platinum Series may not be the newest Montecristo on the market, but it shouldn’t be disregarded. The Churchill scored a very impressive 94 points, showing just how complex tobacco can be when blended in a creative fashion. Fans of the Montecristo Platinum might notice that Altadis U.S.A. has changed the wrapper. It used to be Mexican, but is now Nicaraguan. And it’s been a change for the better—this is the first time any size from the Montecristo Platinum line has ever scored so high. Black Label Trading Co. is owned by a husband-and-wife team who has their cigars made at the Oveja Negra factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Churchill size from the Lawless line scored 93 points and is a perfect example of how small, boutique companies can do great things. When J.C. Newman introduced its Nicaraguan Brick House line 10 years ago, the country was still in the aftermath of the Great Recession. A good premium cigar at a great price was needed. Now that the economy is doing well, Brick House remains a fine value. The Churchill scored 90 points and retails for a little over $7.

corona gordas • If you look at the five cigars that scored 90 points or higher in this category, they all have one thing in common: box pressing. The format has become very popular in the premium segment, and it appears that manufacturers have learned how to box-press properly without over-or under-filling the cigars. The Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 Toro from Nicaragua is a prime example. It scored 93 points and performed superbly with a perfect draw. When you consider the fact that Nat Cicco used to be a budget brand of medium-filler cigars, it makes this high score all the more noteworthy. The brand name is an homage to Nat Cicco’s very modest beginnings in the value smoke category. But this isn’t the first time that a cigar from the Aniversario 1965 Liga No. 4 line has excelled. The Churchill is the No. 18 cigar of 2018 on Cigar afiCionado’s Top 25 list. The...