Flor De Gonzalez 20th anniversary Robusto

Flor De Gonzalez 20th anniversary Robusto with the Habana rapper,  Initial light of the cigar was fantastic with a beautiful bouquet,  very nice  oily wrapper is going make for an incredible smoke, initially I get a very nice earthy woody flavor with hints of leather there's definite signs of some raisin or possibly even fig.

The cigar burn is beautiful a gorgeous white gray ash with nice soft gray smoke, the construction is fantastic it's box pressed and a 49 to 50 ring built in Nicaragua I'm a huge fan of the Flor De Gonzales line the 1980 series, its one of my favorite weekly smokes, but this is absolutely light years beyond that cigar.  There are some nice subtleties to the cigar the earth the woody flavor is not dominant it's  very smooth and almost understated at times you do get a nice leathery burn and I'm getting hints of pecan and cedar I'm also getting some nice spice with a pepper and a little bit of salt the burn is remaining fantastic this cigar is absolutely fantastic full-bodied a lot of complexity absolutely a score for Flor De Gonzalez.

A nice bourbon would complement the cigar and probably bring out even more of the flavor. The dark earthy tones are just beautiful, The ash remains absolutely white which signifies a strong magnesium content in the ground during growth, the tobacco is burning beautifully there are no cracks in the wrapper at this point is it's just fantastic smoking cigar. Flor De Gonzales has a monster hit on their hands with the cigar.

The cigar his mellowed a little bit from the first initial light but I'm getting beautiful earthy tones some nice cedar, the first the first third cigar has been absolute fantastic, reminds me a lot of the 1926 Padron same flavor complexities, on the exhale there's some nice notes of coffee with still a nice salty pepper combination the cedar. I'm not getting nearly the leather I was getting initially but the cedar and earth the notes remain.

The draw has been consistent all the way through exactly what you would expect from this particular cigar manufacturer they do an excellent job and they don't skimp on the blende or the build definitely, its be a top 20 cigar for this year.

The Nicaraguan tobacco crop the last few years is produced some absolutely amazing cigars this is definitely one of them I'm enjoying it immensely. The Construction is a traditional Nicaraguan I used to punch rather than straight cut, I'll cut the second one to see if it changes the overall flavor signature. About 40 minutes into the cigar, the cigar has opened it is just fantastic it's still medium to full with some great notes I'm still getting a nice coffee espresso taste with just a little bit of cocoa now at this point still that nice earthy leathery complexity, the pepper consistency stayed throughout the entire cigar.

The overall burn on the 20th anniversary for the Gonzales cigar has been phenomenal I would say that it burns better than some of the higher dollar sticks out there right now, I'm a huge fan of the box pressed cigars they give you that nice hour to hour and twenty minute smoke, I think the rich earthy news throughout the cigar is what I'm finding I'm enjoying the most the beautiful gray ash the construction all lead to an absolute fantastic smoking experience.  Now we're always expected when reviewing a cigar to point out negatives at this point I haven't come across any which is a rarity, I think that this cigar in a Toro and in a torpedo size would be huge hits the Flor De Gonzalez rooster.

Construction rating I'm going rate it nine out of 10

Bouquet in aroma is 9 1/2 out of 10 

it's just fantastic, overall smoking enjoyment I'm in a give this a 9 out of 10

The last third of the cigar has been fantastic the ash stayed consistent the construction draw have been beautiful overall it's a very enjoyable cigar that I highly recommend you try when it appears at your local smoke shop. 

Overall final ranking the Florida Gonzales 20th anniversary Robusto in the Habana rapper is a 94. This is a must try cigar!

New from Flor De Gonzalez

Crown Heads releases statement over Beetles

Cigar News: Cubanacan Addresses Robaina Move, HR Line, and Factory Questions

Last Friday, news broke that Hirochi Robaina told Cigar Aficionado that he was leaving Cubanacan Cigars.  Robaina . This was followed up by a report that La Corona factory in Esteli had broken ties with Cubanacan.  Today Cubanacan commented on Robaina’s decision, stated that the HR brand is remains a part of Cubanacan, and confirmed they have not lost, nor ever have lost its factory operation.
This response follows announcements earlier this morning of Cubanacan’s plans for the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show.  These plans include a full launch of its Mederos brand of cigars as well adding a toro line extension across its the three blends in the Cubanacan brand.
The following is a copy of the response we received from Cubanacan Cigars:

We at Cubanacan Cigars were surprised to find out from Greg Mottola of Cigar Aficionado that Friday afternoon, a week before our annual IPCPR tradeshow, that Hirochi Robaina and associates have new plans. We are very grateful to have had Hirochi Robaina grace us with his visits to the U.S and see firsthand the growth of an amazing project that our team has worked so hard to develop and honor his family legacy by presenting to U.S. cigar aficionado the opportunity to appreciate and fall in love with the HR brand.
Though we are all still in shock about Mr. Robaina’s decision, we are not surprised. Patience is a virtue and not simply the ability to wait, it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. Do not mistake our initial silence for acquiescence. We are deeply saddened that we even have to respond to actions that speak louder than words in the court of public opinion, and these actions do seem to be well planned and executed, having caused irreparable damage to our company.
While relations with the USA and Cuba have improved, let us not forget that an embargo is in place not just in goods and services but also for a US entity to employ or have any shared ownership with a Cuban national. We remained firm on this issue to never bend to any unreasonable demands. We have a substantial invested interest in the HR brand, a brand that we’ve manufactured and distributed to retailers across the nation and will continue to do so.
We are a small family run business with a great core group in sales and management who are enduring countless inquiries from all over. They are our rocks that maintain open dialogue with the hundreds of accounts they serve.
In the last day we have read statements given by the Gonzalez Aleman group about how they claim we have no factory and they have always made our cigars. Contrary to initial reports, history bears witness and no one will re-write our history as a company. We have been in factory operations since 2009, a full five years in operation before the Gonzalez Aléman family arrived and to insist that a new factory La Corona which was born not as such but as a expansion project we began in hopes to obtain a free zone status in late 2014. This project was based on the projections of company growth, and all of the paperwork for the process in Nicaragua was ENTRUSTED under the Gonzalez Aleman name to facilitate the process and later consolidate the raw material tobacco and relocate Cubanacan Cigars Factory S.A under one roof.
This process was completed in March 2015, and soon after some production of the Cubanacan brands, Soneros and HR was moved over while Cubanacan Cigars Factory S.A remained intact manufacturing the Mederos brand and some of the Cubanacan Lines along with the rest of our secondary production business. In April 2015 some of our production that was moved over to the new location, we discovered, was being held hostage in an attempt to leverage the success of HR, thus explaining the difficulty we encountered maintaining domestic inventory for retailers. This was also done to make unbelievable demands of ownership over both our businesses in the U.S and Nicaragua.
Trusting in a family that we believed had similar goals in a long term relationship was our flaw in this matter. Our kindness was taken for weakness. Our processes and production have stood firm and constant since we first opened our doors in 2009. In mid 2013, we welcomed and opened our doors to Omar Gonzalez Aléman to supervise our production and to utilize his expertise. In this arrangement we agreed to distribute his brand Soneros.
We hold dear the freedom of speech this nation grants us to have a voice, but along with it there are also consequences and we feel in this case these actions will have to be resolved not on the grounds of perception, confusion and internet fiction but on the grounds of facts presented through due process in a court of law. On behalf of the Mederos Family and Cubanacan Cigars we thank you all for the support received these past couple of days and look forward to seeing you soon at the IPCPR New Orleans

Sorry I have been away!

Cigaraholics, sorry I'm not neglecting you, just a lot going on, how has the summer been treating you? and What new cigars have you been smoking?

What's Happening Cigaraholics?

What's going on? with the release of the Las Calaveras, everybody is buzzing, I'm waiting to see how they are.. Looking to get an order in this week yet, have you had one? let me know what you think...

Las Calaveras 2015 by Crowned Heads

Las Calaveras, or “The Skull”, is a special, limited release from Crowned Heads that gathers inspiration from the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). As with many Crowned Heads releases, there is much meaning and substance behind the cigar, from its design, and even the way the cigars are packaged!
Las Calaveras – Edición Limitada 2015 is the successor to the ever-popular 2014 release, sporting a new Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper for 2015. The cigars are intended to be an annual release, with a new or tweaked blend for each year. As last year’s blend, the 1st in this audacious series, became one of the most sought-after cigars in 2014, this year’s edition is sure to follow a similar pattern. Cigars have sold to retailers in record time for Crowned Heads, and if history is any indicator, the cigars will not last long on store shelves.
This special cigar, blended at the famous My Father Cigars factory, will most certainly be one of the most-celebrated releases for 2015 - be sure to secure your order before they’re gone for another year!

Two Former Drew Estate Tobacco Gurus Ready for New Phase

Two Former Drew Estate Tobacco Gurus Ready for New Phase

4 Jun 2015

Despite the fact the FDA could rule before the end of the year that cigars introduced now cannot be sold or marketed without the FDA’s approval, cigar companies continue to churn out new cigars.

And with the annual IPCPR Trade Show less than two months out, more and more new cigars are being announced. (As we have seven out of the past eight years, StogieGuys.com will be covering the IPCPR from the show floor, which this year is in humid New Orleans in late July.)

Melillo Announces Foundation Cigar Co.

In addition to the many new cigars, two former key figures at Drew Estate are expected to announce their next phase in the cigar industry. Nicholas Melillo, who left Drew Estate roughly 13 months ago, was the first to announce his future plans.

On Tuesday Melillo, who had been executive vice president of international operations at Drew Estate before his departure, announced the formation of Foundation Cigar Company. The company, which will be headquartered in Connecticut, is preparing to introduce its first blend at the IPCPR Trade Show.

While exact details of the blend are not yet known, in a press release Melillo, who goes by “Nick R. Agua” online, said he will be making his first cigar at the TABSA (Tobaccos Valle de Jalapa) factory in Nicaragua, using Aganorsa tobacco, which is also extensively used in Drew Estate blends. The first cigars are scheduled to arrive in cigar shops in September, and reportedly will retail for around $10.

Melillo described his new partnership in a distributed statement: “I have known and been purchasing tobacco from Eduardo Fernandez and his team since 2003. It’s great to work with guys who really know their tobacco. They have welcomed me in with open arms and have given me access to their special cuartos anejamiento, or ‘aging rooms.’ I have personally selected some very special vintage tobaccos which possess some amazing flavors and complex characteristics. The variety of Nicaraguan tobaccos they have in the warehouse is incredible and some of the blends I have worked up are, well, let’s just say we are all very excited about them. The tough part in working up a few nice blends is deciding which cigar you like the best.”

Steve Saka Non-Compete Ending Soon; Announcement to Follow?

Melillo’s new cigar is certainly highly anticipated, but maybe not as much as an expected announcement from former Drew Estate president and CEO Steve Saka. During the time when Saka and Melillo were at Drew Estate, the two played a critical role in growing the company from an operation known mostly for its unorthodox infused cigars to a Nicaraguan juggernaut that made some of the most sought-after non-infused cigars, including Liga Privada.

Saka left Drew Estate in July 2013 and reportedly has a two-year non-compete agreement that will expire only a week prior to the IPCPR Trade Show. In a series of recent Facebook posts, Saka has been sharing photos from Nicaragua where he has been spending time sampling tobacco in Nicaragua, which many have interpreted as preparation for his next cigar venture.

If, as many expect, an announcement about his future plans in the cigar industry comes soon, Saka would be one of many who has “retired” from one company only to reemerge in the industry after a contractually obligated hiatus. The cycle of cigar makers gaining expertise, experience, and capital at one company only to strike out on their own later is one of the aspects of the industry that drives innovation and competition to the great benefit of consumers.