Innholdsfortegnelse for Sepetember/October 2025 i Cigar Aficionado

How do you celebrate the 100th anniversary of a sea change in technology? If you’re the German camera maker Leica, you conduct a world tour issuing limitedrelease city editions at each of six global hot spots. The Leica I debuted at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair as the first compact series-produced, 35-mm camera and would set the standard for quality modern cameras. No longer anchored by bulky equipment, photographers were free to roam. With exceptional lenses, crisp action and function-focused Bauhaus design, the German brand attracted a cult following, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt and Annie Leibovitz. The series of celebratory events culminated in June at the Leica’s HQ campus in Wetzlar, Germany, attended by photographers Joel Meyerowitz and Steve McCurry. Leica I’s forefather, the 0-Series prototype, sold at auction…

In 2005, Hublot presented the brawny Big Bang, hoping for a juggernaut that could turn around lackluster sales in a bigger-is-better watch era. Measuring 44 millimeters, the original chronograph was distinguished by its distinctive layered case construction with pinched lugs and a knurled bezel edge, plus six H-motif screws on the smooth porthole bezel. The designs combined steel or gold with fiberglass, rubber and ceramic with a techy carbon-fiber-patterned dial. A star was born! Big Bang soon became the brand’s flagship model, now accounting for an estimated 40 percent of sales. This year, Hublot is throwing a banger of a birthday party with a collection of five limited editions, combining emblematic details from the first Big Bang models and the later Big Bang Unico. All five feature a redesigned 43-mm…

Nearly 65 million people a year visit New York City, a bustling metropolis that goes by many nicknames. Whether you call it The Big Apple or The City That Never Sleeps it’s essential to have local wisdom when it comes to lighting up a fine cigar. Cigar Aficionado has been headquartered in this city for the entire 33-year history of the magazine. The editors work here and know the territory. Now, we invite you into our home to talk about the myriad cigar angles to this amazing, complicated town. We’ll point you to our favorite cigar bars in Manhattan, and the finest shops (complete with lounges). We’ll introduce you to the rooftop escapes where you can puff among the skyscrapers. The city even has places where they still roll cigars.…

Everybody’s version of New York eventually vanishes, no matter what era you lived in. That’s the sad, beautiful truth of a city that’s always reinventing itself. Sometimes, we search for remnants of the New York we once knew. This is especially true for cigar smokers, and Club Macanudo may be just the type of time porthole we’re all looking to pass through. Opened by General Cigar Co. in 1996, Club Macanudo is a remnant of the cigar boom of the ’90s and has changed very little since. The mural in the back showing history’s most prolific cigar luminaries is still on display. The horseshoe bar still cradles three glowing tiers of top-shelf spirits. You can still order an entire meal and smoke cigars before, during and after it’s served. And…

The measure of a good cigar bar is that magical combination of space and service. We want luxurious accommodations, but nothing so fussy that you worry about accidentally dropping your ash. The staff should be welcoming, accommodating and knowledgeable, and the cocktail and spirits game needs to be on point to pair with what you’re going to smoke. The Carnegie Club ticks all of these boxes and more. Don’t let the word “club” in the name scare you. Carnegie is open to all, no membership required. However, when you reach its location on Manhattan’s west side, a few steps from Carnegie Hall, you will have to yank open the door. No, really pull on the damn thing, as the powerful ventilation system inside will fight you. You’ll be greeted by…

There’s an orange neon sign that reads “handmade cigars” on a shadowy stretch of West 29th Street in Manhattan. It’s been burning like the lit end of a robusto since 1974 when the neighborhood was still industrial and the city was in serious economic turmoil. Behind the sign in the window is Jesús Martínez. And he rarely takes a day off. “Everything we do here has a New York theme,” says the lean 48-year-old, who stops at the gym for a workout every morning before opening his doors. Latin music plays on the speakers while two pairs of rollers work in cramped quarters making cigars with names like Flatiron (after the building only a few blocks away), Riki Taki (a popular bodega sandwich) and, of course, the New York City…

I was sitting in a restaurant in New York, and the meal was nearly over. A waiter poured a bit more wine into my glass, and my host looked at me in a nonchalant way. “Do you have those cigars?” he asked. I pulled a box of Cubans from my satchel, bringing them up to the table where he could see them. “We can smoke them now.” I looked around the room, which wasn’t as full as when we entered but still had plenty of people dining. “Now?” I asked. “Sure,” he said. I passed the box around, everyone at the table took one, and soon we were puffing away happily and quite illegally, enjoying cigars at the conclusion of a wonderful meal. A waiter quickly came up to the…

It’s not always the well-known, big Cuban brands that take the top scores. Or the most expensive. Sancho Panza is one of the smaller, lesser-known lines from Cuba, but the Belicoso scored an astounding 95 points, making it the highest-scoring cigar of the issue and a Classic on our 100-point scale. The Belicoso is also the only size in regular production. Though not quite a classic, the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concerto Impromptu scored an impressive 94 points. Concerto is the newest line in the series and is made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua for Rafael Nodal, who owns the brand, though it’s distributed by Altadis U.S.A. Two cigars scored 92 points: Fuente’s Chateau Fuente Cuban Belicoso in a sun-grown, Ecuadoran wrapper and Oliva’s Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado.…

Two cigars rose to the top of the robusto category with scores of 93 points, and while both are elegant and complex, their origins are quite different. Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars launched the Gellis Family Cigars subsidiary in 2024 and Saunter was one of the first cigars to be released under the new umbrella. It’s made at Tabacalera La Isla in the Dominican Republic. Cuba’s Por Larrañaga Picadores No. 1 is a curious case. When it was released 10 years ago, it was marketed as an exclusive for the La Casa del Habano franchise, yet it never had any of the bands or labels indicating it as such (and still doesn’t). The name has also changed. Before 2023, the cigar was simply known as Picadores. Arturo Fuente’s Don Carlos…

95 H. UPMANN CORONAS MAJOR TUBO (CIRCA 1958) Imagine going to one of the fanciest stores in New York City and not only finding cigars for sale, but cigars with the name of the establishment on the band. This pre-Castro H. Upmann comes from the long-gone humidor of Saks Fifth Avenue. It’s small, a little more than five inches long, with a 42 ring gauge, and the draw is effortless. The flavor is quite dusty at first, and it takes inches to get going. About halfway in it gets stronger, revealing wood and buttercream notes, some pencil lead and slate and a light earthy quality. Far from its peak, but a reminder of a lost day and age. —David Savona 97 HOYO DE MONTERREY DOUBLE CORONA GRAN RESERVA (2013) This…

2 oz. Scotch whisky¾ oz. orange juice½ oz. sweet vermouth½ oz. Cherry Heering Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass Registering astonishment that such a clamorous choir of ingredients as Scotch, Cherry Heering, red vermouth and orange juice create such harmony as the Blood and Sand has become almost a cocktail cliché. And, like many clichés, it got that way by being disarmingly true. But the real surprise should be that it took so long to catch on. That may be because it was a Prohibition anachronism. The periods known for blending spirit riots came before, with the 19th century golden age, and after, with the Tiki bar sensation. Nailing the Blood and Sand’s exact nativity is difficult because of lack of records. A wide window exists…

Fall is an exceptional time to play golf. The blazing heat of summer has succumbed to the cooler days of autumn. However, there will be times when it’s just a little too cold for your short-sleeved golf shirt. That’s when the quarter zip comes in quite handy. As the name suggests, it’s a pullover with a truncated zipper that runs a quarter of the way down the chest from the neck. The finest ones are extremely lightweight for an easy swing, but have a surprising effect against the chill. You adjust the zipper to the temperature. On really cold days, just throw a vest over the quarter zip as modern fabrics are thin enough to layer without bulk. Johnnie-O’s Sully (shown left and center) is its best-selling quarter zip, a…

If you’re searching for places to smoke outside in New York City, try looking up. Smoking restrictions have left city sidewalks and rooftop bars as virtually the only places to enjoy a cigar in the great outdoors of this concrete jungle. The bustling, chaotic sidewalks offer little peace or solitude, and while New York City has no shortage of rooftop bars, few are smoker-friendly. The majority of these sky-high drinking holes have become hotspots for city visitors and Instagram photoshoots. But for the determined aficionados out there, a handful of upscale, cigar-friendly rooftop sanctuaries remain. You may have to endure trade-offs, like extra-pricey cocktails or the incessant drum of tourism, but on a beautiful day, a couple of concessions are a fair price to pay for the ability to enjoy…

With a décor that could coexist in a 1930s movie, Soho Cigar Bar is the sort of space that makes you want to put down your Tommy gun and do the jitterbug—or, better yet, light a cigar. And it’s no coincidence. Owner Lee Ringelheim drew inspiration from the famed Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center for Soho’s art deco elements. Located in a trendy area replete with art galleries, late-night hotspots and fashionable boutiques, the patronage at Soho is a bit more varied than one would expect at a cigar bar. “We have a little bit of a younger vibe, more chill,” says Ringelheim. “Thirty percent of our clientele are women.” The atmosphere is warm and inviting. Soho’s large windows allow in plenty of natural light during the day and small…

Steven Maglio takes a sip of Johnnie Walker Red and water, then stands up from his corner seat at the bar at the Carnegie Club. It’s a little past 8 p.m. and he turns to look at himself in the mirror as he puts on his black bowtie, the final piece of his tuxedo. The 11-piece orchestra has already started playing, and the room is filled with people, some of them standing. “Oh, they’re hot tonight,” he says, his voice like a bass drum, resonant and melodic. He moves a bit closer to the band, and starts swaying with the music. This is his crowd, his show, his time to shine. When he takes the stage he launches into a set of Frank Sinatra songs: “Luck Be a Lady,” “Summer…

In 2017, Long Island cigar retailer Boris Grossman had a brilliant idea: open one of the most recognizable tobacconists next to one of the most famous steakhouses. In 2018, he made it happen. Grossman partnered with Davidoff of Geneva and set up a cigar shop and lounge in Brooklyn just a few doors down from the original Peter Luger, perhaps the most iconic steakhouse in the country. The idea is simple: have a pre-dinner cigar in Davidoff’s sleek lounge, walk a few steps over to Peter Luger when you’re done (“Luger’s,” as the locals call it) and then walk back over after dinner for some post-porterhouse puffing. Even if you’re in Manhattan for just one night, the experience is well worth the detour to Brooklyn—it’s just over the Williamsburg Bridge,…

AFC EAST DIVISION WINNER Buffalo Bills MVP Josh Allen lost to perennial nemesis Patrick Mahomes for the fourth time in five years and didn’t get to hoist Buffalo’s first Lombardi Trophy. James Cook took a giant step forward at running back with more than 1,200 yards and 18 touchdowns. The defense added injury-plagued veteran defensive end Joey Bosa and first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Too bad Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is retired! Will Allen ever slay the Kansas City dragon? 2 New England Patriots After last year’s 4-13 disaster, the Pats fired Jerod Mayo and hired Mike Vrabel, the best coach on the market, to try to instill discipline and toughness. Quarterback Drake Maye threw his first 10 touchdowns to 10 different receivers as a rookie, and now has a…

Maduros dominated this tasting of thick cigars, but none as convincingly as the Olmec Maduro Grande, which topped the category at 94 points. If the word Olmec is unfamiliar, it refers to Mexico’s first major civilization. The name is also a nod to the cigar’s Mexican wrapper, a dark leaf of San Andrés tobacco that ties together the bold Nicaraguan blend. It’s made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez for Foundation Cigar Co. Also wrapped in a Mexican cover leaf is the C.L.E. Maduro 60x6 from Honduras. Brand owner Christian Eiroa put the wrapper around an all-Honduran blend for a 92-point performance. Padrón brought its acclaimed 1964 Anniversary Series into fat territory when it launched the No. 4 in 2012. The hefty Nicaraguan in a maduro wrapper also scored 92 points.…

The Intemperance EC XVIII brand from Roma Craft Tobac is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek response to the Prohibition-era Temperance Movement of the early 20th century. The Fidelity size was the highest-scoring toro of the issue at 92 points and is made at the Nica Sueño factory in Nicaragua. Close by in Estelí is Perdomo’s factory, which produces the 91-point Legacy Nicaraguan Shade Grown Epicure. Perdomo says the wrapper is a hybrid cross of Cameroon and Cuban-seed tobacco that was grown under shade. The leaf is then aged for a decade before spending 10 months in a Bourbon barrel. While General Cigar’s Punch Diablo Scamp may not be as complicated, it scored 91 points as well and is made under contract in Nicaragua using an assortment of powerful of tobaccos.…

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You can feel it in the air. The first chill of autumn means the World Series is almost here. Soon, cigar-smoking baseball fans will be lighting up to celebrate playoff victories or puffing to ease the sting of defeat. Either way, you can enjoy the Series with the Home Run Collection from cigar accessories maker Brizard & Co. Company founder Cyril Brizard says the set celebrates the ties between cigars and baseball: “In Cuba, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, the No. 1 sport is baseball. The Home Run Collection was made to honor the favorite sport of the top cigar-making countries.” Clad in brown leather, the accessories are meant to evoke the look and the feel of a baseball glove. The set includes a torch lighter, a three-finger cigar holder,…

Before snow arrives on the slopes near Spruce Peak resort, the Smugglers’ Notch area is visually afire with foliage in blazing scarlet, gold and orange. It’s the height of leafpeeping season from late September to mid-October. In the early 1800s, the Notch became a secret smuggling route thanks to its dense forest and abundant hidden caves. Today, the whiskey flows freely at Spruce Peak’s WhistlePig Pavilion, named for Vermont’s lauded distillery. In autumn, the popular après ski spot becomes an excellent vantage for sipping and enjoying the colors and the warmth of a two-story stone fireplace. The sprawling Spruce Peak property at the base of Mount Mansfield offers a variety of accommodations from traditional hotel rooms to private residences, including two-level, four-bedroom penthouses at the top of the Lodge at…

For some, the name Mazda brings to mind a little roadster or, if you’re old enough, a quirky Wankel rotary engine. The Wankel is gone, though the Miata is still around. But these days, Mazda is a very different brand, largely defined by two of its newest and most lavishly outfitted products, the two-row CX-70 and three-row CX-90. The CX-70 is a plug-in hybrid package that manages to do the seemingly impossible: deliver significantly better fuel economy and improved performance compared with the base gas engine. CX-70 PHEV also musters up to 30 miles of range in all-electric mode, thanks to a 17.8 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. The CX-90 (pictured) is the solid choice for those with large families or who plan to travel with friends. The CX-70, with a roomy…

The City That Never Sleeps also never stops evolving, often mercilessly making way for new generations. Cigar bars in New York City, especially in this restrictive climate, have not been spared from the unrelenting momentum of change. But there is one spot, located near the Meatpacking District in New York’s famed West Village, that has resolutely remained Old New York. Hudson Bar & Books, established in 1991, is the city’s oldest cigar bar and its most tenacious protector of cigar culture. There once were two more Bar & Books in New York City, but only Hudson, the first location, has survived here. The owner, Raju S. Mirchandani, also has active Bar & Books locations overseas in Prague and Warsaw. The original cracked, mosaic floors are no more, but little else…

Between such legendary chichi department stores as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue and flagships of major brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Tiffany, New York has a reputation as a shopper’s mecca. It’s a place you go to find the goods you might never see anywhere else in the country. That extends to the city’s cigar stores, which maintain expertly curated selections that outstrip many of the shops you’re likely to find in smaller towns. While antismoking legislation and the rise of vape shops and cannabis dispensaries have taken a toll on emporiums dedicated to fine tobacco, at its core the Big Apple maintains its cache. This is where you’re likely to locate the utmost cigars in a brand’s line as well as the special releases not available…

A hungry traveler walks down Arthur Avenue, tempted by the sights. Pastry shops and pork stores, delis and restaurants beckon from every direction on the most famous road in the Belmont section of the Bronx. Many refer to it as New York’s genuine Little Italy. He picks up a savory loaf of olive bread from 100-year-old Madonia Bakery, samples a plate of cherrystones shucked streetside at Cosenza’s and ogles (but isn’t brave enough to buy) the capuzzelle—lamb heads—staring from the window at Biancardi’s Meat Market. But this shopper is here for more than Italian delicacies—he came to Arthur Avenue for the cigar factory. La Casa Grande Cigars, located inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, is probably the only cigar factory in the world within steps of fresh fruit and vegetable…

Let the record show, forever and ever, that the two best scores at the 2024 Tour Championship were turned in by Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala. Morikawa finished at 262, 22 shots under par, playing at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in his quest to win the most valuable trophy in golf, the FedEx Cup, worth a cool $25 million. Theegala was only one shot back at 263, or 21 under after 72 holes. That said, neither man raised the trophy, and despite their unparalleled scores, neither one walked away with $25 million. They both got walloped by Scottie Scheffler. Officially, Morikawa lost by four shots, and Theegala lost by six. Never mind that they both finished 72 holes in fewer shots. It was Scheffler—whose winning score was 30…

With Fuente’s super-premium brands such as the OpusX usually taking top billing, it’s refreshing to see a cigar from the company’s core line do so well. The Arturo Fuente Churchill Maduro scored 93 points and is made at the Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. factory in the Dominican Republic. It’s not only far more available than Fuente’s top-tier products, but also far less expensive. The Ashton Symmetry Prestige, rolled at the same facility, scored 93 points as well. When it debuted in 2014, it was the first brand with the Ashton name to be made with Nicaraguan tobacco. Speaking of firsts, the Macanudo Emissary France has some French tobacco in its blend. That’s certainly a first for the Macanudo brand, if not the modern-day cigar industry. The Churchill scored 93…

It looks like a Churchill. And it’s called a Churchill. But the Padrón Churchill isn’t quite thick enough to qualify as an official Churchill (and it’s too thick to be a lonsdale), so it ended up here in our miscellaneous section. Whatever you call it, the cigar is fantastic, with a score of 93 points in our blind tastings and a price point of less than $10. The Don Lino Africa Kudu, which is an even more stunning value at $5.99, scored 92 points. It’s made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez for Miami Cigar & Co., and has a considerable amount of character for such a small format, as does Cuba’s Partagás Serie D No. 5, which scored 91 points. This cigar is a shorter version of the famous Serie…