The Primeros line is a groundbreaking concept in the cigar industry, captivating cigar lovers in search of a premium cigar that fits nicely into their budget for an everyday indulgence. By finding excess inventories of premium tobacco throughout the world and partnering with some of the best factories to fill production, this incredible value brand is entirely hand-rolled. Primeros, which translates to “firsts” in Spanish, is named such because each cigar is the quality of a first but sells for the price of a second.

Honduran Primeros are a unique Honduran cigar with a Habano wrapper, giving this knockout cigar a unique mouth-watering flavor and aroma. Honduran tobacco is some of the most sought after tobacco in the world, add a Habano wrapper and it makes for a unique, flavorful stick at an affordable price.

Dominican Primeros marks the second release of the famed Primeros line, following the unprecedented success of the Honduran Primeros brand. The Dominican Republic has long been known for its fine tobacco and mild blends. The torcedors (cigar rollers) working in this island nation are considered the top cigar craftsmen in the world, stemming from the most elite training programs. Typically, cigars from the Dominican Republic carrya hefty price tag because of the cost of materials and labor which is why the Dominican Primeros line is a breakthrough for Dominican cigars. This cigar is an excellent economical alternative to such famous Dominican brands as Montecristo and Macanudo.

The third addition to the Primeros line, Nicaragaun Primeros, are a full-bodied blend of Nicaraguan ligero in one economically priced, premium cigar. Blended with ligero filler and an Ecuadorian wrapper in one of Nicaragua’s most respected factories, Nicaraguan Primeros captures the earthy and spicy robust flavors for which Nicaraguan cigars are known.

Costa Rican Primeros are the fourth installment of the Primeros portfolio. Rolled with a dark and beautiful Costa Rican maduro wrapper, these cigars are the only maduros in the Primeros line, rounding out this exciting brand. The rich full flavor of this cigar is balanced nicely with a smooth and well-rounded medium body that brings notes of peat, spices and hints of honey to the palate with a moderate finish. If you love maduro cigars and have been in search of a blend that will suit your tastes and budget, look no further.

Cuban Primeros was the fifth and final installment in the Primeros Regionals line. Since Cuban cigars are illegal, these oily beauties are made in Nicaragua, but when you taste them you’ll swear they are 100% Habano. In fact, all of the tobaccos in the blend are grown from Cuban-seed tobaccos including its lush Corojo wrapper. If you like your cigars strong with a long finish, Cuban Primeros will be a new everyday favorite.

Q: What is "stalk cut tobacco?"

A: Normally, field workers caring for tobacco plants will cut the leaves off in "primings" beginning at the bottom of the plant. About every two weeks another priming will be cut until all of the leaves are removed. This method allows the nutrients of the plant to travel up the stalk into the leaves, creating different levels of strength and flavor that become stronger as you move to the higher primings (top set of leaves). These leaves are then cured in barns and are detached from the plant. Stalk cutting, however, involves chopping down the entire plant by making one diagonal cut at the bottom of the stalk. The leaves are not removed. The entire plant is then flipped upside down and the leaves cure while still attached to the plant. In doing so, the stalk continues to feed the leaves nutrients throughout the entire curing process until the stalk is completely stripped of its minerals and flavor characteristics. This process of curing takes a lot longer than traditional methods, but creates a more potent and robust leaf. Therefore, a lower priming stalk cut leaf such as volado will be stronger and more flavorful than a volado leaf taken from a non-stalk cut plant. Currently, this method is only practiced in parts of Brazil and Connecticut, USA.

One of A.J. Fernandez’s most recent gems, Diesel exudes a ton of full-flavors in a medium to full-bodied format allowing for a stout, complex experience with perfect balance.

Abdel "AJ" Fernandez is the protégé of Don Alejandro Robaina, the man who is considered to be the “Godfather” of tobacco. After spending most of his life studying in Cuba under Don Alejandro, Abdel Fernandez moved to Nicaragua to begin producing his own cigars. After only 6 years, Abdel currently produces Rocky Patel’s Fusion, Indian Tabac 10th Anniversary, Padilla Habano, Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet, Man O’ War and Man O’ War Ruination, all of which received rave reviews.

Only available in a stout 5"x56 belicoso, Diesel releases a unique leathery and spicy flavor with a toasty core of espresso beans. The package has a classic, rustic look while the blend is perfectly balanced and will appeal to any aficionado who appreciates premium tobacco. Boasting fillers from Nicaragua’s Jalapa, Condega and Esteli regions, each and every leaf is aged for three years, then concealed with a dark and oily Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. This is one unique cigar you’re sure to love.

Unholy Cocktail (5"x56) The first puff overwhelms the palate with rich smoke as earth and sweet cocoa intermingle for a great flavor. The cigar becomes robust as it flawlessly burns from inch to inch but still maintains a perfect balance with underlying hints of black pepper. The finish is relatively long but enjoyable as espresso lingers on the palate. Excellent. 91/100 [Buy Now]

John Bull - A cigar for the enthusiast following a tight budget, John Bull contains all of the same qualities as any other premium cigar: great balance, perfect construction, and a beautiful appearance, but without a hefty price tag.

Cain by Oliva - Considered one of the best new releases in 2009, Cain provides ample flavor and body as it contains 100% Nicaraguan ligero long leaves from Condega, Jalapa and Esteli while maintaining a smooth character due to its triple-fermented tobacco.

Diesel - One of A.J. Fernandez's most recent gems, Diesel exudes a ton of full-flavors in a medium to full-bodied format allowing for a stout, complex experience with perfect balance.

Perdomo Reserve Ltd. Oscuro - Cultivated in Esteli, Nicaragua, Perdomo Reserve Ltd. Oscuro features a beautiful, oily and super rich wrapper providing deep, bold layers of flavor in a medium-bodied format.

11/03/2009: Join Alex 'El Grande' Svenson and Tim 'El Meno Mas' Blythe as they partake in another round of blind tasting! See if Alex can guess what cigar he is offered. Heck, see if he can even make sure to get the unlit end in his mouth...(Part 2 of 2) [Listen Now]

When you think about cigars and premium long filler tobacco, the United States is not necessarily the first place that comes to mind, but the U.S. has had a long romance with tobacco dating back to the New World and beyond. In fact, tobacco grown in the North Eastern United States was one of the most valuable cash crops exported to Europe in the 1700s and ultimately was used to finance the Revolutionary War, which won our independence. It's ironic looking back since a leading factor in the war was taxation and today tobacco is victimized by heavy taxes.

Premium U.S. long leaf as it relates to cigars is primarily grown in Connecticut where the lush soils sprout large broadleaf plants under the shade of cheesecloths. However, our focus in this article will take our readers to a part of U.S. tobacco country that until recently was rarely talked about in terms of growing tobacco for cigars, Lancaster County Pennsylvania. With a population of a half million, Lancaster County has both a large Amish and non-Amish population who count on tobacco as its chief cash crop, fueling much of the local economy. In fact, over 15 million pounds of tobacco are harvested in Lancaster every year, the bulk of which is used for cigarettes and chew but a small portion is sold to the cigar trade and is referred to as Pennsylvania Broadleaf.

Lancaster was an ideal choice for early settlers in the 1700s due to its favorable climate and fertile soil, making it ideal for farming and agriculture. It was not until one hundred years later that the Amish and English farmers started growing tobacco, realizing that the humidity in the region was ideal for farming tobacco.

Until the 1980s, much of the Pennsylvania Broadleaf grown for cigars was used in the filler of many of the most popular brands before falling out of favor for almost a decade. During the cigar boom of the 1990s, its popularity saw resurgence as many blenders began buying the leaf once again for use as binder. The soil in Lancaster County is very rich in nitrogen, potassium and calcium, making the tobacco thick and tough but also very combustible, all qualities cigar makers look for when selecting a binder. During this period in cigar history, many cigar makers did not consider Pennsylvania Broadleaf tobacco for wrapper on their blends because of its naturally rough and crude look that gave the exterior a dark marble color that was very unattractive to the eye. In order to ferment the tobacco to a point where the color evens out, it takes years of painstaking work which is often very costly. However, over the past 12 months there has been a major interest in Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper as one blender in particular, AJ Fernandez, has taken his first bales from a multi-year fermented P.A. Broadleaf and the results have been met with rave reviews.

Since the advent of the Rocky Patel Winter Collection '08, brands such as Diesel, La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte and 5 Vegas Triple-A have started hitting the market and aficionados and enthusiasts alike can’t seem to peel themselves away from this majestic leaf. In fact, the recent attention this wrapper received has led many other cigar makers to start sourcing and fermenting it in the hopes of replicating the recent success AJ Fernandez has found with the wrapper.

So what exactly does this wrapper add to a cigar? Aside from the aforementioned qualities of durability and combustion which are major advantages to the construction and overall quality of a cigar, the flavor of Pennsylvania Broadleaf is unmistakable. While the leaf has a similar sweetness often associated with its sister leaf grown in Connecticut, the thick, nutrient rich soil in Lancaster imparts a unique spicy and leathery core that is often also described as having subtle espresso notes. While often times, specialty tobaccos are difficult to blend because of their unique flavors, Pennsylvania Broadleaf is surprisingly easy to work with when blending as its rich and complex core compliment a multitude of tobaccos from all over the world. Because we like to keep our customers on the cutting edge of trends in the cigar industry, we have devoted a great deal of space in our humidor to accommodate new blends utilizing Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper and are excited about introducing you to a type of cigar that you will no doubt be seeing a great deal more of in the months and years to come.