Drew Estate went from a small boutique operation specializing in infused cigars to one of the largest, premium cigar companies in the world.  This is due in large part to the release of their first high-end, premium cigar, the Liga Privada.

The Liga Privada No.9 is one of the most popular and highly rated cigars in the industry today.  It is handcrafted at the Drew Estate factory in Esteli and uses aged Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos and a Brazilian Mata fina binder, but the real prize is the wrapper.

This cigar is cloaked with a dark, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, which offers up tremendous notes of dark chocolate, cream, and coffee.  Some say that the Liga Privada is responsible for the resurgence of the broadleaf wrapper, and I tend to concur.

Southern Draw has risen faster than almost any other cigar brand in the past five years.  This is due to a commitment to quality, flavor and giving the customers what they want.  One of the cigars responsible for their meteoric rise is the strong and intense Southern Draw Jacob’s Ladder line.

The Jacobs Ladder takes its name both from the biblical tale and from founder Robert Holts own son, Jacob.  The cigar is hand-rolled by AJ Fernandez at his legendary factory in Esteli Nicaragua using a variety of aged tobaccos.  It uses Ligero tobaccos from Nicaragua for its filler as well as a rich Ecuadorian Maduro binder for extra strength.

The final touch on this stunning cigar is the dark and oily Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.  Similar to the Connecticut Broadleaf, this Pennsylvanian tobacco is rich and strong with notes of espresso, dried fruit, and some tremendous smoky notes.  For the full-bodied lover, no cigar can compare.

In this industry, no one represents the state of Connecticut more than the great Nick Melillo.  Born and raised in the Constitution State, Nick shows his love for Connecticut in many of his lines, most notably in the Charter Oak line.  The cigar takes its name from the legendary tree in which Patriots had hidden the states official charter to hide it from the British.

The Charter Oak is considered Nicks more budget line, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best mellow offerings available today.  This hand-rolled gem contains aged tobaccos from Nicaragua for its filler as well as a sultry Sumatran binder that adds in some wonderful coffee notes.

Being such a Connecticut themed cigar, it makes sense that the Charter Oak is available in two different Connecticut wrappers.  It has an option for a smooth and creamy Connecticut shade-grown wrapper, as well as a dark and rich Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro.  If you are looking to experience a true Connecticut cigar, you go to Nick Melillo.

My Father Cigars have been creating high end, top-notch premium cigars the better part of a decade.  They have received several best-of awards including two Cigar of the year titles for the Flor de Las Antilles and the My Father Le Bijou.  A few years ago they released a highly unique and I feel underrated addition to their El Centurion line that uses a one of a kind American grown tobacco.

The El Centurion H-2K-CT is hand-rolled at the My Father factory in the center of Estelí, Nicaragua.  Its binder and filler are made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos grown right there on the families vast fields.  The spicy and reddish wrapper, however, is not grown in Nicaragua, but in the Connecticut River Valley.

The tobacco is a special hybrid known as a Habano 2000 Connecticut.  It is reddish-brown in color and offers up tremendous notes of spice, cinnamon, leather, and earth.  While most American wrappers lean towards either smooth and creamy or rich and chocolatey, this Connecticut Habano is a great third option if you are looking for some variety.

You don’t get more American for a cigar then when America is in the name.  This new core line from Camacho was not only a tremendous hit but started them on the path of barrel aging their tobaccos that has since been seen in the Nicaraguan Barrel-Aged, the Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour and the brand new Camacho Distillery Edition.  Each of these lines has seen huge success, all do to this inaugural smoke.

The Camacho American Barrel Aged uses tobacco from the US in all three sections of the cigar.  The filler uses a special unnamed American broadleaf tobacco, along with Pennsylvania broadleaf and Honduran filler tobaccos.  The binder and wrapper are also crafted with the special un-named American Broadleaf tobacco.

The tobaccos are left to sit for a period of 6 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, giving them an undeniable sweet and smooth nature.  Notes of chocolate, sweet fruit, bourbon and wood combine for an incredibly flavorful and deeply American cigar.