Description
Short Time Selection – for when time is limited R740.00
That Robusto or Corona may look inviting but if you only have 20/30 minutes available, you will have to rush and abuse all the nuances of these wonderful cigars. They will smoke bitter, harsh and hot if smoked too fast. For such a short time a smaller cigar may be a better choice.
Here are three different formats of “smaller” cigars, each with its own character. Did the blender in each case create a cigar to develop its full flavour over the shorter length?
Gillian Wesley
Vegueros Mananitas – 100mm x Ring 46, Pyramid (Cuban)
Vegueros is a “post revolution” brand, founded in 1997, produced in the province of Pinar del Rio, the home of the famous Vuelta Abajo valley. The name Vegueros translates into the word “farmer” and is a tribute to the generations of farmers who have cultivated tobacco in the province. The brand was transformed in 2012 with thicker, shorter vitolas. The names of each of the new vitolas are part of the Cuban farmers’ vocabulary. The cigars are “Totalmente a Mano con Tripa Larga” totally handmade with long filler, by Cuban expert cigar rollers. Vegueros Mananitas is a great medium to full-bodied smoke for short breaks or “when time is of the essence!” Clip enough off the tapered head to give a comfortable draw for you, but don’t cut beyond the cap line.
Quorum Short Robusto – 89mm x Ring 50 (Nicaraguan).
From J.C.Newman Cigar Co. (makers of Cuesta Ray and other quality cigars), Quorum is an excellent cigar sold in bundles at a more affordable price. Manufactured in Nicaragua, the filler is a blend of quality Nicaraguan cigar leaves, packed “Cuban Sandwich” style, that is, short leaves (not chopped) between long filler leaves, with a long filler binder and a wrapper from Ecuador, giving a smooth, medium-bodied cigar.
This short robusto gives you the opportunity to try the popular robusto ringsize in a much shorter smoke – almost a “nub”. A perfect “short smoke”.
Montosa Maduro Short Robusto 99mm x Ring 54 (Dominican)
The Montosa Maduro range is hand rolled in the Dominican Republic, but it is anything but gentle Dominican. The filler is a blend of Nicaraguan Condega, Nicaraguan Esteli, and Brazilian Cubra tobaccos, bunched in a Mexican San Andres binder with an oily Mexican Sumatra wrapper. The wider ringsize can provide plenty of smoke. The result is a medium strength cigar with intense flavour, that can be enjoyed when time is short.
It is highly rated by The Cigar Authority who have a well-followed podcast at noon on Saturdays on Facebook or YouTube. They choose a single “Cigar of the Year” with “availability, consistency, quality and of course flavor and value being just some of the criteria that separate a good cigar from a great one.” December 2022 was the 30th award – Montosa Maduro Toro, only the 12th Dominican cigar to receive the award.
This is the quality you can expect from the Montosa Maduro Short Robusto – and at a price less than you would expect.
A Note on Smoking Cigars
For all cigar smoking the rule is: sip the cigar, like a wine-tasting, roll the smoke around in your mouth to savour the flavour, then gently let it out. If you draw too fast the smoke becomes hot and bitter. A cigar that has gone out can simply be re-lit. Cigars do not contain additives to keep them burning so if/when your cigar goes out, gently tap off the loose ash, blow through to expel stale smoke, re-light and continue to enjoy it.
A cigar can be “doggy-bagged”. Allow it to go out, then cut off the ash end, about 1cm, (for cleanliness) and store in a glass tube until you are ready for it. Blow through before re-lighting to expel stale smoke.