Michael Platt

Isla del Sol cigars: The best of both worlds. Yet another gem from Drew Estate's creative genius, Isla del Sol combines a deliciously infused Nicaraguan premium with an everyday price that can't be beat. Each cigar comes loaded with a rich blend of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos inside a beautiful, chocolate-brown, 'Sun-Blessed' Sumatra wrapper. Each of the filler leaves has been carefully infused with the enticing nuances of premium, Sumatran Mandheling Bean Coffee, while the wrapper is finished with a delightfully sweetened cap. Expect a rich, creamy core with ample notes of mocha and coffee, complemented by a luxurious aroma. Best of all, at this price, it'll be easy to enjoy the scrumptious flavors of Isla del Sol cigars on a daily basis.

The Perdomo Lot 23 cigar brand ref​ers to a field of special tobaccos cultivated in the year 2000. That was when Nick Perdomo planted an experimental crop on a virgin field which he called Lot 23. This field produced a very small crop of tobaccos, and these tobaccos, 6 years later, were carefully blended together to create a unique Nicaraguan handmade. So there you have it. Lot 23 cigars are filled and bound solely by tobaccos grown on one, small field. The wrapper is a caramel-brown Connecticut-seed leaf from the 5th and 6th priming that serves up ample creaminess. The fillers, a rich blend of dark Nicaraguan tobaccos bound by a robust Nicaraguan binder. The result: a super-smooth, medium-bodied cigar with enjoyable hints of espresso and nuts. Perdomo Lot 23 recently received a 90-point rating, which commented: "An oily robusto with a great draw. It has a very leathery core complemented by cedar, coffee, and orange peel notes. Rich and tasty."

Java cigars are a combined effort from two leaders in the industry. Introduced in 2004, and released in the 1st quarter of 2005, Java cigars are an exceptionally unique handmade from two of today's hardest working cigar makers: Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate and Rocky Patel. Quite a one-two combo, to say the least, and boy does this cigar pack a punch, not in strength, but in flavor. Java is a subtly sweet Nicaraguan that features a dark, oily maduro wrapper stretched across an aged blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers. While aging, these cigars have been slowly infused with the delicious flavor of gourmet mocha, morphing a traditional Nicaraguan cigar into a incredibly rich cigar filled with hints of mocha that burns smooth from start to finish, leaving an extremely pleasant aroma in its wake. What's this 'Latte' all about, you ask? The Java Latte employs a silky-smooth Connecticut Ecuador wrapper rather than the standard Connecticut Broadleaf. The result is a mellow and creamy sensation with all that Java awesomeness you've come to love.

Very tasteful and mild yet sweet.

Most cigar start to burn strong at the end. Not this one

Very mild, a little creamy. Wrapper was cracking a little. Not bad for the price. Faster burn time

Gispert cigars - say what? You don't have to spend your whole inheritance to enjoy a simultaneously mild and full-flavored cigar. Need proof? Look no further than Gispert cigars. The peculiar, French-inspired name is hard to say, but enjoying one is easy peasy lemon squeezy. Gispert hails from Honduras and features a creamy, mild sweetness with hints of cedar throughout. The mellow blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers wrapped in a golden Connecticut-seed wrapper will please your palate from start to finish. For the price, you simply can't go wrong....unless you’re horrible at pronouncing it. Gispert received a well-deserved 90-rating noting: "A blonde cigar with a very nice burn and a lush, full draw. It has light cream and dry wood notes, with a toasty, bready quality and a hint of white chocolate."

A trifecta of awesomeness from DE Sweet Jane? I’m not sure if we’re talking about an awesome Saturday night, or the newest releases from Drew Estate, but either way, I’m in! Drew Estate has been at the top of the cigar game for years now, and with their newest line of cigars the success continues. Originally dubbed the Three Yummy Bitches, this series of cigars has recently been released to the masses and we couldn't be happier.  The names are crazy, the packaging is bizarre, the sizes are … well, less-than-traditional, but if you know Drew Estate you’re already well aware that these are on the must-try list. With a maduro wrapper that’s exotic and aromatic, these cigars deliver wave after wave of delicious Drew Estate flavor. After the success of Liga Privada, Undercrown, ACID, Natural, and many more cigars, would you really doubt that these sticks are anything less than stellar? 

Yet another gem from Rocky Patel, Royale is a beautiful super-premium addition to an already stellar brand. This box-pressed handmade utilizes an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and a hearty blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers. The flavors are gloriously complex, with notes of almond, spice, espresso and leather situated around a rich and earthy core. When you just feel like indulging in a medium to full-bodied cigar that won’t let you down, Rocky Patel Royale has just what you need. Great news! Rocky Patel Royale recently was bestowed the honors of #5 cigar of the year for 2014 and earned a 94-rating, noting: "The Royale is a rich, spicy smoke, with pleasant hints of chocolate. It's a delicious cigar, giving Patel his best-ever showing in a Cigar Aficionado Top 25 test."