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 • This turned out to be a fantastic tasting. Thirty-eight cigars—nearly half the 81 we rated—scored 90 points or better. Nicaragua’s reputation for producing top-quality cigars continued, as the Central American country led or tied for the top spot in three of the six size categories, and a former Cigar of the Year returned to our pages in a big way.

Screen Magic

out of the humidor

Cigar Aficionado • vol. 28 no. 1

Dunhill Unique Turbo Lighters

Rye Manhattan

Chapelo Bespoke Hats

Four Seasons Whistler

Porsche Taycan

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Wagner Custom Skis

Luxe Board Games

THE TERMINATOR IS BACK • ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER RETURNS TO HIS MOST FAMOUS ROLE, PLAYING THE RELENTLESS ROBOT THAT MADE HIM A STAR

MOB MOVIE MAGIC • Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino and Pesci turn back the hands of time to create The Irishman

10 New Faces of the PGA Tour • YOU KNOW TIGER, PHIL, RORY AND BROOKS. BUT WHO ARE TOMORROW’S GOLF STARS?

Steakhouses for Cigar Lovers • Nothing pairs with great steak better than fine cigars. We found more than 30 steakhouses where you can break out a robusto after a delicious mea

Other Steakhouse Stops For Your Cigar

Cigar Bars and Steak

The Question of Kobe

The Red Meat Lovers Club

Cognac’s Top Tier • Exploring the exquisite expressions that secure Cognac’s place as the world’s foremost brandy

The Quest for the Best • Tasting Eight of Cognac’s Best Expressions

Glass Warfare

Time Flies • Pilot watches earn their wings through function and a flair for stylistic history

churchills • La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor is an offshoot of the core La Aroma de Cuba line, both of which are made in Nicaragua by My Father Cigars for Ashton Distributors. The Churchill scored 93 points and has almost every quality that a hearty cigar fan is looking for. It’s full of richness and complexity that hits on the earthy, sweet and spicy registers. This comes together thanks to its blend of Mexican wrapper and Nicaraguan tobacco, a combination quite popular in the industry. And at $8.50, it’s an undeniable value, especially for such a large cigar. ▪ Three years ago, brand-owner Erik Espinosa realized he needed a Connecticut-wrapped cigar to round out his company’s portfolio. What he came up with was the Espinosa Crema, a sublime yet fairly mild blend driven by a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. The No. 1 scored 91 points, indicating that this line was more than just an afterthought to fill a category. ▪ Two Churchills scored 90 points: the La Aurora 1985 Maduro Churchill from the Dominican Republic, and the Montecristo Espada Oscuro Quillon, made in Nicaragua by the Plasencias for Altadis U.S.A.

corona gordas • A strong category with many high achievers, most notably two cigars that scored 93 points. The Cuban H. Upmann Magnum 50 started out as an Edición Limitada in 2005. A few years later, Habanos put it into regular production. This tall toro topped the category at 93 points, tying with the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Exclusivo, a Nicaraguan puro of superlative quality. It has all the uncanny notes of coffee and cocoa that make the 1964 Anniversary Series so widely prized. The Southern Draw Kudzu Toro, a newcomer to our pages, was close behind at 92 points. It’s a small brand founded by Robert Holt and made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez. The company is headquartered in Texas.

figurados • More than half the cigars in this category of shapely smokes scored...