Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2023 i Cigar Aficionado

I have a dream candidate to be the next president of the United States—Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s the man we need right now in the White House. What makes him so right? His central thesis is that Democrats and Republicans must work together and put our country ahead of each political party. Joining together as a team can make America stronger. The current state of division between Americans is destroying the fabric of our society. Current law bars Schwarzenegger from running (he was born in Austria, rather than the United States), but a constitutional amendment would allow him to toss his hat in the ring. And boy, is he perfect for the job. Forget where he was born—there’s nobody more American than Arnold Schwarzenegger! I spent a day with Arnold in…

Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, gets more snow than any ski destination in the world. Fittingly, it played host to the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympic Games. It is also one of the hotbeds of Japan’s gourmet scene, famous for its seafood, Wagyu beef, dairy products and is home to multiple whisky, beer, sake and craft gin producers. Fortunately, skiing and all of these local specialties—as well as first-rate golf in the summertime—pair perfectly with cigars. Japan is at the top of bucket list destinations for avid skiers and snowboarders. Niseko is the nation’s most popular resort. But in an area full of great restaurants, shopping and lodging, only the new ski-in/ski-out Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono has a cigar lounge. The Bar & Cigar Lounge, with its living-room feel in the middle…

It’s ranching’s secret season. Travelers fill the boutique guest ranches of the Rocky Mountains in the high season—spring, fall and especially summer, when they can live out their “Yellow stone”-inspired fantasies in high style on horseback. But at the finest of dude resorts, winter is the sleeper period, when you can enjoy their allinclusive packages, myriad activities and even a full-blown ski vacation, while having the cigar-friendly places nearly to yourself. Occupancy may be off, but not activities. These resorts offer a staggering array of things to do in winter, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, fat tire biking, dog sledding, ice fishing, sporting clays, spa, yoga, skating, winter horseback riding and, in many cases, downhill skiing. With its own distillery, brewery and goat cheese creamery, Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch is…

Cigar lovers are well aware of the time and patience necessary for a handmade smoke to be enjoyed. Between growing, curing and aging, it may take years before the leaves are ready to be set aflame. Well, Scotch whisky makers may indeed think, “What’s the hurry?” The process that gives their spirit its tell-tale smoky notes began more than a millennium ago. The smoldering flavors in Scotch whiskies come from peat, partially decayed vegetable matter born in a bog, a type of wetland created by poor drainage. After thousands of years of decomposing, drying out and compacting, peat can be dug up and burned. Blessed with more than four million acres of peatlands, canny Scots have long used it for fuel, particularly in the barley-drying process required for making Scotch.…

Dear Marvin, Wow! What a very straight and honest interview from Mr. Wahlberg [“Mark Wahlberg, The Interview,” Sept./Oct. 2023.] I enjoyed it very much. I’ve read it four times and it gets better and better. He seems to be a very humble guy who works incredibly hard and who has a great talent. Thank you for a great magazine. Julian Dicks Essex, England, United Kingdom Dear Marvin, Once again Cigar Aficionado has come through for the cigar industry. I just finished reading the article “Victory Against Regulation” [Sept./Oct. 2023]. My gratitude to your magazine for giving us the opportunity to show our appreciation to the Cigar Association of America, which sacrificed its time and money to fight the fight and win the long battle against regulation from the Food and…

What’s a true Cuban sandwich? Depends where you are—and it’s likely not in Cuba. In Miami, the sandwich maker at a Cuban restaurant piles a filling of garlic-citrus marinated roast pork, sweet, smoky ham, nutty Swiss cheese, long, thin pickles and yellow mustard between Cuban bread, a lighter version of a baguette. He brushes softened butter on the bread and places the creation on the bottom metal plate of a large sandwich press. The cheese melts, the bread is crispy and the sandwich is warm. That’s it. Imposters may offer strange additions, but that’s the authentic Cuban sandwich—according to Miami fanatics. Order a Cuban sandwich in Tampa, however, and you’ll get what local devotees claim is the “real,” “original,” “authentic” Cuban sandwich—this one amended with the addition of Italian salami.…

Ardbeg Corryvreckan 114.2 proof, $125 Ardbeg may be among the farthest south of the Islay distilleries, but its Corryvreckan (corry-VREK-an) expression is named for a giant whirlpool located to the north of Jura, the next island up from Islay. You’ll get the point when you taste this maelstrom of a malt that pulls in the influences of heavy peat, massive proof and French and American oak. With the smoke comes meat and licorice on the nose. On the palate, it is raisiny with anise, citrus and dark chocolate, ending with a salty finish reminiscent of the ocean. Bowmore 15 86 proof, $100 Bowmore was an early Islay adapter of the finishing technique (extra maturation in different types of casks), and its sea-lashed distillery is the oldest now active in Scotland.…

TOP SCORES 94 Ashton Cabinet Selection No. 8 Dominican Republic • $14.45 • Churchill • Mild-Medium 94 Romeo y Julieta Línea de Oro Hidalgos Cuba • £57.70 • Robusto • Medium 93 Arturo Fuente Hemingway Untold Story Dominican Republic • $16.50 • Figurado • Medium 93 Cohiba Lancero Cuba • £80.30 • Panetela • Medium-Full 93 Cuaba Salomon Cuba • £56.60 • Figurado • Medium 93 E.P. Carrillo La Historia Doña Elena Dominican Republic • $13.15 • Toro • Medium-Full 93 H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Whale Dominican Republic • $14.19 • Grande • Medium 93 La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Lancero Dominican Republic • $12.70 • Panetela • Medium-Full 93 Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante Grande Nicaragua • $25.16 • Grande • Medium-Full 93 Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro No. 4 Nicaragua • $10.11 • Robusto • Medium-Full TOP…

A mateur mixologists will argue forever about how to perfect a Martini—and it usually has something to do with using as little vermouth as possible. But with the drink called a Perfect Manhattan there is no such dispute. A Manhattan becomes flawless when it finds the perfect sugar balance: that is, equal parts sweet vermouth and dry vermouth. That’s not to say that the standard Manhattan (two parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, dash of Angostura bitters) is Imperfect. Think of it as the Pluperfect, or Past Perfect, Manhattan, the template for all aromatized cocktails since the 1870s. Rat Pack-era drinkers sought a dryer version of the drink. But unlike a dry Martini, which is made with less vermouth and more gin, Manhattan lovers still wanted their full dose of…

While military personnel are no longer issued wrist watches as essential gear, a number of brands continue to celebrate their historic legacies in supplying armed forces with high-precision timekeepers. Panerai’s esteemed military history includes the robust, luminous dive watches it supplied for the Italian Royal Navy in 1935 for a secret program of underwater assault vehicles. Last year, the brand partnered with the U.S. Navy SEALs in a set of five watches that bear the elite unit’s label. In military green, the Submersible Chrono Navy SEALs Experience Edition–PAM1402 ($61,700, limited to 50 pieces, center) is a 47-mm flyback chronograph in the brand’s brushed Brunito Steel with a ceramic anticlockwise rotating bezel and water resistance down to 30 bar (about 300 meters). The “Experience” in the name references a grueling Special…

Gambling opportunities in New York City have never been sparse. In 1928, mega-player Arnold Rothstein found a three-day poker game that put him $325,000 in debt and got him shot for his troubles. In the 1930s, Damon Runyon, the scribe of the city’s seamy side, glorified a fixture called the floating crap game. It would inspire the musical Guys and Dolls. During the ’60s, you’d have been hard pressed to find a Bronx candy store that didn’t take sports action between peddling candy cigarettes and Topps baseball cards. A decade later, Stu Ungar roared through what he described as New York’s “goulash joints” and cleaned up at gin and poker before blowing it all with the bookies who forever loomed within easy reach. At the turn of the 21st century,…

I magine the unsurpassed pressure: competing in your first big game at the very highest level. The stress of a sports debut has unnerved many, including some of the greatest athletes that ever drew breath. Despite collecting more than 7,200 hits between them in their storied careers, baseball greats Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter each went 0-5 in their first games in Major League Baseball, while legendary swinger Willie Mays managed only one hit in his first seven games. Bill Russell scored a mere six points in his NBA debut, missing eight of 11 shots and all four of his free throws, nothing that would suggest a career that would lead to 11 championship titles in 13 years. A young Troy Aikman didn’t look like the quarterback who would be…