Rare as can be, and featuring higher primings off the tobacco plant, as well as a fair deal more age, the 10th Anniversary version of Pepper Cream Soda by Caldwell Cigar Co. is one of those obscure stogies that collectors and boutique blend snobs seek out. 

Since the ingredients are the exact same as the regular version of Pepper Cream Soda, one can expect an oily, Ecuador-born arapiraca wrapper, a piloto binder, and then more of the same piloto strain inside, along with some Cuban-seed Havana Vuelta Abajo (HVA) and a pinch of habano.

Additional exposure to sunlight tends to not only make higher primings off a tobacco plant more intense, but more resinous and oily as well, so those looking for a more aromatic, deeper layered version of the normal blend need look no further.

This is a strong, rich smoke with overtones of coffee, earthiness, and deep spice. Its robust maduro wrapper encases a binder and filler made of tobaccos cultivated on farms in Honduras that are owned and run by the Eiroa family. Both seasoned smokers and newbies wishing to broaden their smoking horizons will find the Aladino Fuma Noche to be a stimulating smoking experience. The ideal time to appreciate this cigar is after a strong meal.

Tasting Notes:

This oily Connecticut Broadleaf maduro mellows out the more complex Nicaraguan Habano binder and all Nicaraguan filler, lending itself to a very enjoyable medium-strength smoke. One could expect to taste notes of toasted oak, loamy earthiness, dried nuts, baking spice, and cedar throughout.

• Liga Undercrown Connecticut Shade - Corona Doble
• My Father Connecticut - Robusto
  
• CAO Flavored Moontrance - Corona
• AVO Classic No.2 - Toro
• 20 Acre Farm - Robusto
  

Awarded #1 as the "Top Boutique Cigar of 2024" over at Enthusiast Report, Tres Compadres is a very special cigar that has been crafted to celebrate the camaraderie found between friends. Sourced from the finest tobaccos in Nicaragua, the top-tier selection of leaf used to create this cigar forms a rich, complex experience accented by notes of sweet cedar, toasted almond, mild baking spice, and a creamy finish. Unlike other Nicaraguan puro cigars that are full and spicy, Tres Compadres is milder in strength and medium-bodied, but still loaded with tons of flavor.

Note: Tres Compadres is a special tribute cigar meant to honor three men. Kristoff Cigars' founder, Glen Case, and two of his best friends, both of whom have passed away in recent years. One of these is Rolando Villamil, a close friend and one of Case's greatest cigar mentors. The other is Chuck Finch, a dear friend Case knew since high school who unexpectedly died just a few months prior to Villamil. Initials of all three men emblazon the upper band of the cigar in gold lettering.

If you dare to take a swing at speaking a little German, try the word Rauchvergnügen on for size. Umlaut and all, this elongated word literally translates to "smoking pleasure," and is synonymous with the joy one takes in the act.

However, since much of the world cannot spell or pronounce this word, GEC has abbreviated this blend to RVGN to make it easy on the rest of us. The blend, relies upon an Ecuadorian-grown hybrid wrapper, which covers a Dominican criollo '98 binder, as well as a combo of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania long-fillers.

The result is a soft little short smoke with cold draws that reveal fresh hay, green fields, and a touch of mint. Once lit, aromas of cedar wood, alpine herbs, more mint, and moist forest reinforced with notes of peat, coffee, ginger, and Szechuan pepper can all be detected.

Artista Series is a novel approach to blending tobaccos, representing years of hard work. It features a supple, top-grade Sumatra wrapper, a flavorful Cameroon binder, and a filler blend that is unlike anything they’ve ever offered.

Tasting notes: honey, baking spices, and dried fruit.

This cigar is a medium-to-full bodied masterpiece with a spicy profile tempered by a tobacco sweetness. It has been constructed with some of the same tobaccos as the renowned Liga Privada. The Undercrown was an invention of the torcedores as the Liga Privada's resources began to run out. This wonderful spin-off was the consequence of their need for anything to resemble smoking while they were at work. It has Nicaraguan binder, Brazilian and Nicaraguan fillers, and a delicious San Andres Maduro wrapper.

Tasting Notes:

A Nicaraguan puro cigar (all the tobacco is grown in Nicaragua), the Padron name needs no introduction. meticulously crafted, this cigar has earned as high as a 93-rating. boasting hints of buttered toast, to espresso, and even a touch of caramel, you're sure to enjoy this stick.

Artista Midnight is the first premium full-bodied cigar of the Artista Series. It features a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a Connecticut shade binder that offers sweetness. The filler tobaccos are from three countries which provides them an incredible flavor profile. 

Tasting notes: earthy notes of coffee, spice, and chest- nut with a citrus finish

Even though Epicure Habano is new to the league, it already shares a shelf with the more seasoned players. With a name like Epicure and a storied family history, you know it can contend. Its medium blend boastfully displays a silky finish and a robust walnut and espresso combination.

The robusto-sized Habano is a seductively modern twist on the classic epicure core. This stick is medium-bodied with espresso, walnut, and chocolate notes.

The construction of this cigar provokes an inevitable exploration of flavors as it ignites the taste buds for the sake of discovery. Robust, medium-bodied, and well-balanced, this cigar offers rich, earthy, spicy, peppery, and cedar scents. An Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, silky and warm brown, envelops a Nicaraguan binder and long-filler leaves.

Steve Saka, the owner of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, is renowned as being one of the most skilled master blenders on the planet. One of Papa Saka's greatest creations is the utterly superb, medium-strength smoke known as the Sin Compromiso Seleccion Intrepido. Handcrafted by Joya de Nicaragua, this blend features a Mexican San Andres Colorado wrapper that is skillfully draped over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, which in turn holds fast to a Nicaraguan filler medley. Together, these tobaccos form the cocoa, espresso, and caramel tones found within the Sin Compromiso Seleccion cigar flavor profile.