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Spanish for “Free Cuba,” the Cuba Libre brand signifies Nestor Plasencia’s hope of one day returning to a homeland that embraces liberty. Like so many of today’s best cigar makers, he fled Cuba after the Castro regime took over his family’s thriving tobacco operation and confiscated their factories and fields.
With five generations of Cuban tobacco cultivation as a compass, Nestor reestablished the family business in Nicaragua to make use of the fertile Eselí and Jalapa Valley regions. Today his successful factories turn out many Rocky Patel blends, some Gurkha lines, and the Alec Bradley Maxx.
Cuba Libre, Nestor’s take on a value brand, is appropriately made from 100 percent Cuban-seed tobacco. The filler and Nicaraguan binder are covered by a smooth yet veiny wrapper with a reddish hue and a wrinkled complexion.
This cigar is by no means unattractive—the sharp box-press adds character and the red, gold, and blue band is appealing—but something about the appearance compels me to mentally liken it to a typical house brand. Maybe it’s the haphazardly applied cap. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of soft spots from head to foot.
Notwithstanding the Unico’s torpedo-like frame, and despite the fact that I only clipped a bit of tobacco off the top, the pre- and post-light draw is easy. Too easy, if you ask me. The flavors from this six and ¼ inch by 54 ring gauge cigar seemed to be watered down by each airy puff.
When I could sort through the taste in the voluminous tufts of smoke, I found mild- to medium-bodied flavors of earth, leather, and traces of pepper. Some acidic or sweet notes would have helped balance out the predominantly dry profile.
Aside from the hollowed-out draw, the physical properties were excellent—especially considering the price range. Boxes of 20 Unicos go for $75-90, and you can find singles for less than $3 apiece in various online samplers.
That’s ultimately why this cigar makes a decent golf course or barbeque companion: It offers good construction and consistent flavors for little cost. It just doesn’t have enough complexity or personality to be the main event.
Cuba Libre has a compelling story but, in the end, I am neither disappointed nor impressed with the Unico.
source: stogieboys.com
Dubbed 5 Vegas’ “most elusive” creation, the Miami line is handmade by Don Pepin Garcia’s El Rey de los Habanos company. Five of the sizes, including this Torpedo, are made in Pepin’s Tabacalera Cubana S.A. factory in Estelí, while the sixth shape—a thick Toro with a shaggy foot—is made at the company’s factory in Little Miami. But like my colleague pointed out in his review of the Churchill vitola, 5 Vegas oddly makes no mention of Pepin on their website.
This is curious, obviously, because you’d think 5 Vegas would want to highlight any connection to Pepin given the famed cigar maker’s superstar status in the industry. As it turns out, the Garcia most involved with the production of the Miami is actually Don Pepin’s daughter, Janny.
At any rate, the Miami blend’s six vitolas feature Cuban-seed fillers, Nicaraguan binders, and Nicaraguan corojo wrappers. The flavor is touted as “Cuban-esque” in various marketing materials.
With the arrival of prelight hints of dark chocolate and earth out of the cellophane, the Torpedo (6.1 x 52) has the look, smell, and feel of a real winner. The toothy wrapper’s scant veins and virtually invisible seams showcase craftsmanship and care.
In what has almost become cliché to write, read, and smoke, the taste begins with Pepin’s trademark burst of black pepper spice. Not much nuance; just heavy-handed, simple, and predictable.
The flavor undergoes a welcome transition into notes of coffee, onion, and leather after the first inch. While more balanced and less aggressive than the beginning, this new combination isn’t exactly complex or unique. It is, however, significantly more agreeable than the overly bitter taste that dominates the final third of this $6-8 cigar.
Construction across the two Torpedos I smoked for this review wasn’t a problem. The draw is easy, the cut clean, and the burn never requires any touch-ups. I just wish the ash were a little less flakey.
With or without Pepin’s name, this 90-minute smoke is decent but not memorable.
attribution: stogieboys.com
News from Malawi: Police Arrest Tobacco Farmers
Malawi police have arrested 170 tobacco farmers from Mchinji District for allegedly attempting to smuggle tobacco to neighbouring Zambia. Mchinji Police Station Officer in Charge Assistant Commissioner James Munthali confirmed the arrest saying the farmers wanted to smuggle the country’s green gold using unchartered routes.
“These tobacco growers were arrested at Kapiri Trading Center and right now they are in custody at Mchinji Police waiting to appear before the court on Thursday,” said Munthali.
The police boss said the 170 tobacco growers attempted to illegally cross the boarder with 424 bales of tobacco on Wednesday morning.
According to Assistant Commissioner Munthali, the law enforcers have also seized the 14 tracks which were transporting the bales to Lundazi.
Meanwhile, Munthali said police have intensified patrols in the district in order to stop farmers from illegally taking their tobacco to Zambia.
Most farmers have requested government to open the boarders so that they sell their tobacco in neighbouring countries where prices are reportedly far much higher than the local ones.
A month has now passed since the tobacco markets opened in Lilongwe, Chinkhoma (Kasungu) and Limbe but there is still no hope in sight for improved prices for the country’s major forex earner. There has also been high rejection rate of bales.
Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has described the season as the worst in recent years.
According to some farmers interviewed by Nyasa Times, in Mozambique buyers are offering a minimum of 2dollars (K300) per kg while at the local auction floors the leaf fetches as low as 53 cents (K76) per kg.
The development comes barely a week after tobacco growers in Malawi asked President Bingu wa Mutharika to open the borders for them so that they can explore better tobacco markets in Mozambique and Zambia.
Many tobacco farmers in Malawi’s boarder districts such as Mchinji, Kasungu and Mzimba usually sell their tobacco illegally in Zambia where the leaf fetches almost double the local prices.
Since the 2011 tobacco market opened some four weeks ago, growers have been increasing complaining about the low prices buyers are offering. On the other hand, buyers say they are offering low prices because the quality of tobacco is very low.
This year’s minimum prices were set at USD2.83 (K430.16) per kg for flue cured while burley was put at $1.80 (K237.60) per kg, which are relatively lower than those set during the last growing season.
Through tobacco exports, Malawi gets about 60 percent of its annual foreign exchange. Malawi is one of the world’s major tobacco growing countries and is the highest grower of burley tobacco.
source: tobaccoreviews.net
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Robusto Natural Churchill Natural Torpedo Natural Churchill Maduro Torpedo Maduro | Bundle of 30 Cigars Bundle of 30 Cigars Bundle of 30Cigars Bundle of 30 Cigars Bundle of 30 Cigars | 6 7.5 6.5 7.5 6.5 | 50 52 53 52 53 | ||||
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Cognac Infused, Connecticut Shade Wrapper, Dominican Binder, Dominican Filler. |