J U N E 2 0 1 6

P.2 4 Steps to a New Humidor

P.3 Father’s Day

P.4 Women in Cigars

P.6 Drew Estate Cigar Safar i

P.7 Connect icut , USA

P.8 Brand Breakdown

The Humidor

The Humidor is a publication of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

Copyright 2016 ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Reprinted reviews

remain the copyright of the original publisher.

Allie Smallwood Editor

Meghan Guarino Contributing Editor

4 Steps to a New Humidor

abcfws.com

Allie Smallwood

Page 2

DAY

Seasoning is something you do to a new

humidor. Re-seasoning is something you do

to your great uncle Gary’s humidor after

you’ve “borrowed” it from his estate sale.

New or old, seasoning and re-seasoning follow

(sort of) the same path.

The path always forks though, doesn’t it? Many

cigar aficionados swear by the sponge wipe

method, while other cigar experts swear by

NOT wiping.

It’s your choice, but you’ll definitely need some

distilled water (tap water can lead to unwanted

bacteria growth!) and a brand new sponge.

Repeat, a new sponge. If you want to turn

your humidor into a petri dish, have at it!

1. REMOVE EVERYTHING

FROM YOUR HUMIDOR

Trays, dividers, humidifier, hygrometer…

all of it!

2. APPLY MOISTURE

Choose your method:

WIPE: With an unscented, clean, distiled

water-saturated sponge wipe down any visible

wood (trays, dividers and interior lid count

too). After wiping, you’ll want to rehydrate

the sponge with more distilled water and set

in a bowl or on parchment paper inside

the humidor.

NO WIPE: Put an unscented, clean, distilled

water-saturated sponge in a glass bowl (one

that fits in your humidor), so that it doesn’t

touch any wood. Leave for 24 hours.

Do not oversaturate. There should never

be puddles or excess water!

3. REPLACE EVERYTHING YOU TOOK OUT

Close the lid and let it humidify for 24

more hours.

4. MONITOR YOUR HYGROMETER

A turn-key humidor will be at a comfortable

65-75% humidity.

One thing is sure, and that’s that the wood

inside of the humidor must absorb some

humidity before it can properly host your sticks.

Since we live in an already humid climate,

it’s ok to make sure it’s closer to 65%.

HUMIDOR MAINTENANCE

• Rotate cigars at least once a month

• Place humidor in a dark, temperate area

(70 degrees is perfect)

• Try not to open the humidor frequently

to keep humidity levels stabilized

• Cigars with the cellophane wrapper age

better and stay fresher longer s

Page 3

Steve Mungeer Certified Retail Tobacconist, @abccigarmungo

DAYFATHER’S

With Father’s Day right around the corner,

what better way is there to celebrate Dad

than to surprise him with a gift of his favorite

smokes? With so many choices and options

available, you can make Dad feel special

whether he is a long-time cigar smoker or

a brand new and inexperienced adventurer

into the world of fine tobacco.

If Dad is a cigar smoker of many years, most

likely he has a favorite cigar. Find a discarded

cigar band or look for an empty box and you

might just find out what that favorite smoke

is. Consider gifting him another full box of

that favorite cigar he’s smoked for years! But

maybe you found out that his favorite cigar is

a $12 stick and you weren’t expecting to pay

$300 for a box of cigars—no worries! Buy a gift

bag, stuff it with some tissue paper and grab

4-5 of his favorite smokes! A small gift box

measuring 6x8x2 from your favorite card shop

or party store also makes a great presentation.

But if you’re not sure what Dad smokes or

you’re looking for something a little different for

him, here are a few options. Try gifting Dad a

sampling of cigars from—wait for it—yes, My

Father Cigars! A very highly recognized and

highly regarded producer of cigars from Estelí,

Nicaragua, Tabacalera My Father is a perfect

choice to commemorate Father’s Day! With

the Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of the Year

for 2012, Flor de las Antillas Toro and the

#1 Cigar of the Year for 2015, Le Bijou 1922

Torpedo, this is a winning combination! Cigar

Snob’s #1 Cigar of the Year for 2015 was also

from My Father, El Centurion H2K! I would

recommend another of their cigars for this

outstanding package, Jaime Garcia Super

Gordo. This combination of cigars is a gift fit

for a lover of outstanding smokes.

For the father who loves that medium to full-

bodied smoke, check out Liga Privada #9

Corona Doble, Arturo Fuente Hemingway

Classic, Rocky Patel Royale Toro or EPC

La Historia E III. These four smokes are

highly rated and pack a bit more power but

are extremely smooth.

We also have the bold, full-bodied smokers

covered! Pick up an assortment of smokes that

includes, but is not limited to: Ashton VSG

Sorcerer, La Gloria Serie R #6 Maduro, Oliva

Serie V Torpedo and Joya De Nicaragua

Antano Gran Consul. Those exhibit lots of

peppery spice, bold flavors, complexity and

a big, bold kick. This assortment is for the

experienced dad!

If Dad is just venturing out, start him off with

a great lineup of mild to medium cigars that

will not overwhelm his palate. An outstanding

group of Connecticut wrapper smokes is my

choice for the beginning smoker. Set Dad up

with a Rocky Patel 1999 Vintage Toro, an

Oliva Connecticut Series Double Toro, an

Arturo Fuentes Double Chateau Natural

and an Ashton Classic Churchill. These are

outstanding mild, yet flavorful, cigars that are

very smooth and have a nice cool draw. If Dad

is a beginner you will need to pick up a basic

guillotine cutter and a simple butane lighter

as well.

There are so many options for the cigar lover

on Father’s Day. We have full boxes and

creative samplings of outstanding smokes.

Maybe Dad has plenty of cigars and would

appreciate a good cutter or a good lighter

instead—your ABC store has a selection of

Xikar and Lotus lighters and cutters to fit all

budgets. Torch lighters, soft flame lighters,

V-cutters, cigar punches and guillotine cutters

make great gifts and quality accessories make

the cutting and lighting of his favorite smoke

so much easier. These suggestions will be

sure to please any dad just looking to relax!

Wishing a Happy Father’s Day to all and

stay smokey! s

Women in Cigars

Page 4

This has been the year of the woman. In

beer, in technology and in politics, the female

leader is being recognized in fields where she

once was perceived as just a fly on the wall in

the background of a crowded room. Recently,

the industry that is experiencing a surprising

influx of women contributors is the cigar

world—the increased percentage of women

smoking, blending and directing things behind

the scenes has created a new niche for their

gender in an area predominately known for its

male contributors. Whether their interest begins

with ties to family or knowledge acquired

through their job, recently emerging female

figures who have taken on the cigar industry

are beginning to have an impact on the public’s

perception of their gender’s involvement in

the business.

In a recent video interview with Cigar

Aficionado, Christina Suarez opens up about

what it was like to grow up as part of a royal

cigar lineage. The daughter of Cynthia Fuente-

Suarez and Wayne Suarez, Christina is the

niece of Carlos Fuente Jr. and granddaughter

of Carlos Fuente Sr. of the Arturo Fuente cigar

brand. After she graduated college, she worked

for the Fuente family’s public relations team

and helped her mother arrange cigar events.

She quotes her grandfather as being part of

the inspiration behind her love of cigars—

Carlos Fuente Sr. began a tradition that when

the family gathered to smoke cigars, he would

talk in-depth about each cigar being smoked,

explaining the origin of its name, what kinds

of tobacco leaves were used to make it, and

why that cigar was made the way that it was.

These memories, along with spending time

walking the tobacco fields as a child with her

grandfather, helped strengthen Christina’s

interest in cigars and give her background

she needed to succeed.

When the interviewer inquires how people who

are not familiar with the cigar world react to

seeing a woman smoke a cigar, Suarez admits

that she is greeted with surprise by onlookers.

She goes on to say that women should be

proud to smoke cigars because the creation

and enjoyment of a cigar is an art. She is proud

of the fact that her family created such an art,

and people should enjoy art.

In 2015, Emma Viktorsson embarked on

a journey to create her own such an art.

Viktorsson’s involvement in the cigar industry

is extraordinary. For five years she worked for

Swedish Match’s Premium Cigar Group where

she became a Marketing Area Manager whose

work area included 10 countries in Eastern

Europe. During this time she met and married

Jose Blanco, a prominent figure in the cigar

industry who is known for being a master

blender. After leaving Swedish Match, she

followed her husband to Joya de Nicaragua

where she continued to expand her knowledge

of cigar construction and blending. After their

departure from the company, she went on to

help her husband create the cigar company

Las Cumbres Tabaco in the Dominican

Republic where she helped to design the

company’s first cigar line.

Then the blending bug finally bit—Viktorsson

decided to try her hand at the intricate art of

cigar blending. Her Freyja line is named after

the Norse Viking goddess and on the personal

side, serves as a symbolic representation of

the connection between her Swedish ancestry

and the cigar-making of present day. This

artistic endeavor was guided by her palate only

– a palate refined by years in the business and

a passion for cigars.

Just when the industry is wondering, “What’s

next? What’s new?” the entrance of a fresh,

feminine perspective might just be what the

cigar lover ordered. As women who love

cigars with a smoldering passion are added

to the ranks of the Tobacconist University’s

Certified Retail Tobacconist accreditation,

cigar consumers will have the opportunity

to share in stories like Christina Suarez and

Emma Viktorsson’s. Innovation and progress

can be exponentially increased by forming a

community of men and women with an appetite

for “cigar art.” Art, after all, is something that

transcends language, gender and race and

can enjoyed by everyone. s

Page 4

Makenzie Ladd Certified Retail Tobacconist, @abcbeermakenzie

Page 5

Drew Estate Cigar SafariLiz Holland Certified Retail Tobacconist

Page 6

It takes 300 sets of hands to make one single

cigar. It is easy to smoke a finished product in an

hour and wonder, “Why does this stick of dried,

aged and rolled leaves cost as much as it does?”

When you have the pleasure of attending a Drew

Estate Cigar Safari in Estelí, Nicaragua, you

can’t help but wonder why they aren’t

more expensive.

The rich soil from this mountain town creates an

excellent palate for the tobacco seeds to flourish.

The tobacco from Estelí is slightly sweet, earthy

and spicy, which is a perfect mix for some of

the premium cigars that are produced by

Drew Estate.

Next, our safari visited the Oliva family farms,

not to be confused with the Oliva Cigar Co.

(same name, different group). We were able to

look at the seeds and see the whole process

from seedling to full grown plant. The part of the

plantation we visited housed shade-grown plants

that had gone through the first stage of priming,

with the Seco leaves removed and hanging in the

curing barn. In about 15 days, the Viso leaves will

be removed and another 15 days the top layer

of the nutrient-filled Ligero leaves will also be

removed. The shade-grown plants are unique in

that they are allowed to flower. The flowers pull

nutrients from the leaves leaving a softer, milder

leaf that complements the Connecticut wrapper

quite nicely. After we finished in the fields we

went to one of the curing barns. Four rows from

around six feet off the ground to the roof of the

barn all filled with bunches of tobacco leaves all

hung to cure and remove color.

Later that day we were invited to tour the factory

of Joya de Nicaragua (“Jewel of Nicaragua”).

Joya was the first premium cigar factory in

Nicaragua, established in 1968. We selected our

own blend of leaves using what we learned in the

fields about strength and combustibility; I look

forward to trying one of my blends when they

are no longer moist from the rolling process.

Our last full day in Nicaragua was dedicated to

production at the Drew Estate facility; it is the

largest Cigar factory in Nicaragua. We started our

morning in the fermenting rooms. The pilones,

or “piles,” of fermenting tobacco stood around

three feet tall, and were placed all through the

room. When the temperature reaches around 95

to 100 degrees, the piles are deconstructed and

reconstructed so that the ammonia is “cooked”

out of the tobacco evenly. After around 30 days

the fermented tobacco is bailed and aged for

about two years.

The next phase is the one that carries all of the

romance of cigar production. The buncheros have

no idea which cigar they are rolling, they simply

follow the recipe. The buncheros have piles

of leaves spread out before them, they select

the leaves and have a process of tearing and

bunching the leaves to make the correct blend

that is consistent for every stick they produce.

They then take those leaves and wrap them in

the binder and place in the press for several

hours. The rollero takes the pressed cigars and

applies the Ligero as a wrapper. It’s so quick

that each rollero makes around 200 sticks per

day. These sticks are inspected on the factory

floor, then moved to another room and inspected

again to make sure the cigar was not rolled too

loosely or tightly. Then the cigar is inspected one

more time and separated by color. They are then

bunched and placed in a climate-controlled room

to dry before packaging.

Drew Estate employs Subculture Studios to

create all of the artwork that you see in their

packaging and marketing. They design and

make all of their cigar boxes and have painted

murals all over the factory. They also create all

of the “swag,” like hats, ashtrays, wall art… really

anything you can think of! The packaging is the

last part of the production phase, a great deal of

time and attention to detail goes into every box.

The pride in their craftsmanship and the genuine

friendliness of the Nicaraguan people makes

them a great host for this company, and it is no

wonder they are so successful. They employ

happy people that work hard because they are

valued and they know it. I am so honored that I

was chosen to tour their facility and experience

some of the hospitality that they and the country

of Nicaragua have to offer. s

It is hard to argue against the fact that we

live in a “golden age” of cigars—these are

the greatest days to be a cigar lover. Some will

point to the good ole days when Cubans were

able to be had at the corner drug store, but

their arguments are short-sided and overlook

two key facts: Habanas aren’t what they used

to be and there is better tobacco being grown

in many different places.

Now the purpose of this story isn’t to disparage

Cuban cigars for there are still many of fine

quality. The Robaino family in Vuelta Abajo

still grow great tobacco, but sadly they have

become the exception to the rule. I want to

highlight the greatness of Connecticut tobacco

which often gets overlooked in today’s

cigar world.

With such great leaf coming from Nicaragua,

Honduras, Ecuador, Indonesia, Brazil, Dominican

Republic and Mexico, just to name a few,

the United States often gets left out of the

conversation. Sadly, in all of my cigar travels

I am embarrassed to say that until this year

I had yet to visit the Connecticut River Valley.

Sure, I know about how great and expensive

Connecticut Shade tobacco is and I love the

wonderful, rich and dark flavors of Connecticut

Broadleaf, but I never bothered to go see it

up close.

Steve Mungeer and I were invited to visit

several farms owned and operated by Altadis

USA. They are the makers of such iconic

brands as Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta and H.

Upmann, among others. We started our visit

at Gershel Farm. It was here where we got to

look at the machine that places the microscopic

seeds into trays and inspect all of the tractors

and heavy equipment used to plant, fertilize

and aid in the harvesting of the leaves. The first

difference that one notices here in Connecticut

is the smaller number of workers as opposed

to those working in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The higher cost of labor has definitely forced

the growers here to be more efficient and

to use more machines than their Third

World counterparts.

We left the Gershel Farm and headed down the

road where they were “topping” some broadleaf.

Broadleaf, unlike its canopy-protected cousin

Connecticut Shade, is a thick and hearty leaf

that grows in the sun. To encourage the

growth of even larger and thicker leaves, the

tops of the plants are chopped off. Instead

of having this done by hordes of machete-

wielding workers, the job is completed by just

one tractor and two men following behind.

The tractor has a special mower attachment

that evenly cuts the tobacco while one man

trails making sure the machine is functioning

correctly and a second hacks anything left

standing. This operation is a perfect example

of allowing a piece of equipment take the place

of many workers.

Our next stop was another field that had been

“topped” the week before. The difference in the

size of the leaves in just that short of a time

frame was remarkable. It’s hard to describe the

size of the leaves, pictures certainly don’t do

them justice.

After watching some tobacco being harvested

we went to the final step of the process and

checked in on a few curing barns. They had

just been fired that morning and the humidity

inside was already much higher than the cool

Connecticut outside the barns. As we stepped

inside the barn it was if we were stepping

outside our homes back in Florida, it was warm

and wet. The smell of that fresh cut tobacco did

make me forget about the fire coming off the

propane heaters if only for a moment.

We ended our trip back at Gershel Farm,

having lunch and few cigars before our

afternoon flights back to Florida. There were

several things I took away from the visit. How

much more carefully they have to manage

their work crews and also being on the lookout

for new technologies that can ease the labor

costs are never-ending tasks. But above all

these business management practices, it really

comes down to tobacco and these folks are

great tobacco people. The amount of effort and

detail they put into making sure that only the

best tobacco is grown and cured is second to

no one, anywhere. I am certainly glad I made

the journey and still don’t know why it took

me so long. s

Page 7

Chris Gwaltney Certified Retail Tobacconist, @abccigarchris

U S AConnecticut

8989 South Orange Ave.

Orlando, Florida 32824

The

Hum

idor

Brand Breakdown

Page 8

The Camacho Connecticut is the top-selling line

of cigars produced by Camacho. They have quickly

become one of the most popular sticks in our

humidors. Here are just a few reasons why:

LOOK: The cigar is gorgeous with its Ecuadorian

Connecticut wrapper and bright yellow cigar band.

The look of the stick boils down to quality.

PALATE: The cigar is a mild to medium smoke, closer

to the middle portion of what Camacho refers to as

their “intensity” scale. Those who enjoy this cigar will

most notably enjoy its rich creamy flavors that coat

the palate and blend with the subtle kick of the Corojo

binder, without making it too strong. Creating a mild

cigar with a little bite isn’t any easy task but Camacho

has accomplished that mission nicely here. There is

also a sweet nuttiness that comes through as well and

this can be attributed to the Ecuadorian Connecticut

wrapper, quite the departure from the grassy, earthy

qualities of Connecticut, USA. It isn’t to say that one

wrapper leaf is better than the other, but Ecuadorian

fits the bill in this blend.

WRAPPER LEAF: Ecuadorian Connecticut

BINDER: Original Corojo (Honduras)

FILLER: Dominican Republic and Honduras

SIZE: At ABC we offer this cigar in five vitolas (sizes):

Gordo (6x60), Churchill (7X48), Figurado (6.1X54),

Toro (6X50) and Robusto Tubo (5X50). s

PRODUCED IN HONDURAS

FIGURADO

ROBUSTOTUBO

TOROGORDO

CHURCHILL