5 Vegas Classic is a hidden treasure; a cigar that has received multiple high ratings, including a ‘90’ for the torpedo size, but maintains a low price point making it a perfect premium to enjoy everyday. In fact, 5 Vegas Classic was even rated the highest non-Cuban cigar in a Cigar Aficionado blind taste test!

Originally created in Cuba, 5 Vegas Classic now hails from Nicaragua. The cigar is deliciously creamy, with a robust blend of Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan long leaf tobaccos concealed by an attractive Sumatra wrapper. The combination produces an immediate peppery flavor upon lighting, which is robust at first, but then mellows as the cigar burns. Since 5 Vegas is aged for quite some time after being rolled, the aftertaste is smooth and flavorful, filled with competing nuances of earth, pepper and cedar, which are complimented by a slight touch of coffee. The smoke produced is creamy and thick, allowing for a pleasant aroma reminiscent of cigars rolled in Old Havana, Cuba. With a ‘90’ rating, its amazing that 5 Vegas Classic can be enjoyed at less than $3 a stick.

Q: I found myself with a great cigar but without a cutter. Is it possible to bite the tip off without causing any damage to the cigar?

A: Although biting the tip off of a cigar goes against “proper cigar etiquette,” it is an acceptable practice still implemented. Obviously, the proper method for cutting a cigar is to use either a punch, v-cut, guillotine cutter or cigar scissors. However, sometimes these tools are not readily available and drastic measures must be taken. If you are going to bite the tip off of a cigar, there is a particular method to follow so as to not damage the stick. First, only use your incisors (front teeth) to make the cut. However, instead of biting the head of the cigar where you would normally place your cutter, begin with the very tip of the cigar and try to pinch a small hole in the center using your two front teeth. Spin the cigar a quarter turn and repeat. By doing this, you will slowly increase the hole at the center of the cigar, without damaging the rest of the leaf. This method will also prevent an exorbitant amount of tobacco from entering your palate. If the cigar is moist enough, properly humidified, and/or freshly rolled, the cap should detach quite easily. If your cigar is a figurado (torpedos are most common), simply bite the tip off, and slowly take more and more until you reach the desired cut. Do not bite down on the head of a cigar where you would like the final cut to occur. This will guarantee you will not only smash the head, ripping the cap which will allow the cigar to unravel, but also push pieces of tobacco into your palate for an incredibly unpleasant experience. If you find you need to bite a cigar in order to enjoy it, remember, small incisions to the head of the cigar will prove useful while a massive chomp will only bring frustration.

CAO is one of the most innovative cigar companies in the world. By creating unique blends using exotic tobaccos from around the world, CAO has appealed to every cigar enthusiast from the hobbyist to the seasoned aficionado. CAO’s cigar portfolio is filled with many 90 rated blends and in 2007 they released another: CAO America. One of the hottest new releases at the 2007 RTDA, CAO America is a pinstripe style barber pole cigar that combines two beautiful wrappers: one golden, Connecticut shade-grown leaf slightly hidden under a rich, oily Connecticut Broadleaf maduro. Although the Connecticut shade-grown can only be seen as the pinstripe on this cigar, the entire leaf is used, making CAO America an official ‘dos capas’ cigar. The two wrappers conceal a mixture of Nicaraguan, Italian, Dominican, and American ligero tobacccos, so expect a robust, complex array of earth and spice with most of the strength noticable in the stomach, not the head.

CAO America is medium to full-bodied, but incredibly well-balanced. The complex array of earth, spice, and cocoa overwhelm the palate to create an extremely enjoyable experience. The strength slowly builds from start to finish but never becomes overwhelming, while the flavors change throughout keeping the experience very interesting. Expect quality construction as well, since the pinstripe style can only be applied by the top rollers in the factory. CAO America is a great blend that can be enjoyed by all enthusiasts alike.

Monument (6.2" x 54) Complex with layers of spice and earth masked by an enjoyable underlying sweetness. The draw was a bit tighter than expected but the cigar burned even and true throughout. Strong, robust finish. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Constitution (6" x 50) Burned even, true, and cool throughout. Offered competeing notes of earth and sweetness from start to finish without ever becoming too strong. Great size, perfect after lunch. 88/100 [Buy Now]

Potomac (5" x 56) Smooth, easy draw that produced large amounts of creamy, white smoke. Not as complex as expected, with pepper and cocoa noticeable from start to finish. The ring gauge allows for a cool burn. Enjoyable after a hearty meal. 88/100 [Buy Now]

BottleRocket (7" x 50) This churchill is smooth but does pack a punch. The initial light offers intense flavors of earth and pepper, which mellows after half an inch. The remainder is complex, with hints of chocolate and cedar throughout. Burned slightly hot to the touch, but offered thick clouds of smoke and an incredibly robust finish. 87/100 [Buy Now]

Landmark (6" x 60) Very easy draw due to its massive ring gauge, but also incredibly powerful. The initial light offered a burst of pepper that faded into an earthy, peaty flavor. Complex, with many competing nuances of spice but very little sweetness. Expect at least 120 minutes of enjoyment. 86/100 [Buy Now]

7/25/08: Tim and Donny catch up with Ernesto Padilla, who was their very first interview. They discuss what's new for Padilla cigars, including some big changes for one of the industry's most enigmatic brands. (Part 1 of 2) [Listen Now]

Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon - When it comes to blending cigars, Cameroon wrapper is by far one of the hardest to work with, which is why Mike Cusano was immediately up to the challenge. Cusano 59 Rare Cameroon is an excellent choice when searching for a complex, full-bodied cigar that truly captivates the essence of Cameroon leaf.

LXI Habano Sun Grown - LXI Habano Sun Grown is another excellent blend hailing from world-renowned cigar maker Mike Cusano. Known for their mild to medium-bodied cigars, LXI Habano Sun Grown is a welcomed edition to the Cusano line, becoming their first full-bodied powerhouse.

Cuvee 151 - Cuvee 151 is a tasty cigar from the team responsible for producing the enjoyably creamy Cuvee Blanc and equally as enjoyable but more robust Cuvee Rouge.

Gurkha Warlord - Gurkha Warlord is another limited blend from Kaizad Hansotia, featuring a massive frame, 7x55, for a very long, complex and exaggerated experience.

La Herencia Cubana - La Herencia Cubana is a premium, hand-made, boutique blend that captures the essence of true Nicaraguan tobacco.

Man O' War - Manufactured at Tabacalera Fernandez in Nicaragua, Man O’ War is by far one of the best full-bodied cigars currently available. Not only are the tobaccos perfectly blended to create incredible complexity, but also the quality and construction is top-notch.

How do you smoke a cigar? This may seem like a silly question, but you might be surprised to know that the majority of cigar enthusiasts are not smoking their cigars in a fashion that maximizes their flavor and full potential. For an aficionado, tasting a cigar is equally as intricate as a sommelier tasting a wine. Since we have covered the methods of properly lighting a cigar several times in our previous newsletters, lets pick up where we left off and now discuss the proper methods of smoking a cigar. The key component to tasting all of the elements a fine hand-made cigar has to offer is the draw. There must be enough smoke pulled into the palate to detect all of its nuances. To draw a cigar properly, although most aficionados have their own system, the most common practice used is referred to as the “1-2-3 method.” Using this method, each draw is a series of three puffs, the first two being strong and short while the third is one long, solid puff. This technique allows for the oils at the foot of the cigar (the lit end) to heat up quickly before drawing onto the palate. Please note that at no time during this whole process should the smoke be inhaled into your lungs.

The second phase is to use your mouth for the preliminary classification of flavors. In your mouth, the smoke does not have a discernable flavor, but rather stimulates specific areas of the palate to distinguish between the major areas of the tongue. These areas of the tongue pick up bitter (the center rear), acidic (rear sides), salty (front sides) or sweet (tip) flavors. A well-balanced cigar will stimulate each of these regions evenly. To help your palate with this process, puff out your cheeks and allow the smoke to swirl around in your mouth.

Now for the tricky step, utilizing your nose. This step is most often missed by cigar enthusiasts and is crucial to the smoking and tasting experience. While the mouth is important in identifying balance, the nose is where an aficionado will detect specific aromas like wood, leather, peat, spice, etc. After the smoke has swirled in your mouth, draw it to the rear of your throat (sometimes a swallowing action is required) and gently exhale part of the smoke through your nose. This is a very difficult talent to master and takes a lot practice. The key, as you get started, is to only blow 10% of the smoke through your nose and the rest out of your mouth. As you become more comfortable, you can increase this amount until you are ideally utilizing both your mouth and nose equally (50/50) when releasing the smoke. Exhaling through the nose is important because the nose is home to the majority of the flavor and odor receptors in the body. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of a cigar’s taste is actually detected by the nose.

So what now? You may have just read this and realized you have been doing it all wrong. I too had this realization several years ago after meeting Hendrik Kelner of Davidoff, who taught me many things about tasting and balance. After I transitioned to using my nose when enjoying a cigar, everything I tried tasted differently. Some of my favorites were suddenly not as enjoyable as I previously thought, and some other cigars I had some distaste for became my everyday smokes. Practicing proper technique is not something to be afraid of. Whether you are just starting out now or simply transitioning after many years of experience, utilizing some of these proper techniques will only heighten your enjoyment and appreciation for fine cigars.