Shipments increase by 50 percent to start 2021, continuing growth from late 2020 Share Share
The handmade, premium cigar market is booming, and cigar shipments continued their robust pace in the first month of 2021, continuing on the growth seen in late 2020. In January, the Cigar Association of America reported nearly 21 million handmade, premium cigars were shipped to the United States, a 55 percent increase over January 2020.
Shipments were up for all three major cigar-producing countries, but the growth was largest in the Dominican Republic. January’s Dominican cigar exports to the U.S. more than doubled over the same month in 2020, soaring from 2.4 million premium cigars to 5.9 million.
98 Cohiba Behike BHK 52 (2010)
A decade ago, when Cuba’s BHK 52 first came out and was named Cigar of the Year, we predicted that it would improve with age. We were correct. While first puffs linger in the medium-bodied realm of cedar, herbs and wheat, the cigar shifts to a surprisingly powerful core of hazelnut and walnut liqueurs, marzipan and dark, earthy espresso bean. A big brown sugar note seems to caramelize on the palate for a complex finish of crème brûlée. The powerful flavors are no doubt fueled by the medio tiempo, a full-bodied tobacco that’s retained its strength over 10 years but enhances the cigar’s complexity. Can’t wait to try it again in 2030.
Share Photos/Altadis U.S.A.
Following the release of the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary, Altadis U.S.A. continues to focus on its most iconic premium brand with the upcoming Montecristo Epic Vintage 12, a cigar that the company says contains tobacco from a 2012 harvest. It’s the newest addition to the vintage-specific Montecristo Epic series, which began nine years ago and has seen little expansion since.
Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Altadis’ parent company Tabacalera USA, tells
Cigar Aficionado that the Epic Vintage 12 consists of an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan leaf as well as some Dominican tobacco grown in 2012 the cigar’s defining element.
Share Photo/My Father Cigars
The Fonseca by My Father Cosaco, which is one of the smallest sizes in the line, will soon be available in a handy, five-count tin. The tins have a suggested retail price of $39 each and are scheduled to ship next week on March 25.
The corona-sized Cosaco measures 5 3/8 inches by 42 ring gauge and was released with the rest of the line in late August, however it was only offered in 20-count boxes at the time. It’s the only size that comes in a tin and also the only cigar in the six-size line that’s wrapped in tissue paper a nod to the presentation of the original Cuban brand.
Share Photo/iStock
Once the first choice of whiskey connoisseurs, Irish pot still whiskey has taken a back seat for years due to revolutions, wars and famine. However, the nation’s number one spirit is undergoing its own revolution with many companies new and old bringing delicious copper pot stills and single malts back from the dead.
If your experience with Irish whiskey has been limited to the blended variety, this collection is an alternative take on the category featuring purely pot-still types and magnificent malts, all coming from from the Emerald Isle. For the full story on the “Pot Luck of the Irish,” see our latest March/April issue of Cigar Aficionado on newsstands March 23.