Saka's Smokable Suggestions

**`PREVIOUS EDITIONS`** **`EDITION.05`**
	I have smoked a tremendous number of different cigars over the years as part of my daily routine. Many are new cigars that others wish for me to sample and assess, and honestly most are ho-hum smokes. Every once in awhile though, I come across a cigar that I find to be real joy to smoke and I add it my rotation along with my old time favorites. Below are three cigars that I consider worthwhile - some are new, while others are time tested veterans. I can not promise you will like them all, but I regard each as fine cigar well worth your sampling. I offer them as smokable suggestions. Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur No. 1 Habana Bolivar Belicosos Fino Padron 2000 Natural

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur No. 1

Consistency is the key word when describing the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur No. 1 Maduro. This beefy Honduran double corona is expertly rolled and always provides a perfect draw and burn. The wrapper is dark to the eye and smooth to the touch. It has an excellent mouth and hand feel that really embellishes the smoking experience. Its blend is medium bodied with a nice earthy edge with notes of coffee and chocolate. A slightly sweet spicy finish treats the smoker all the way down to the nub. The best part about this cigar is that it is always the same - it is consistently very good. An excellent cigar to sample and enjoy.

Habana Bolivar Belicosos Fino

The Habana Bolivar Belicosos Fino is a squat 5 1/2" powerhouse of a torpedo. A 52-ring cigar that comes swaddled in the darkest of Cuba's wrapper leaf, and without a doubt is one the fullest bodied cigars available in the world. It produces a dense thick smoke that is rich and dank like recently fertilized loam. It is heavy in both taste and scent with a finish that is decadently earthy against the palate. The last third of this cigar can be downright dizzying to the smoker and will satisfy even the most demanding Habanophile with its unadulterated rich tobacco. The Belicosos Fino is definitely not a cigar for the timid, however it is heavenly for the hardcore connoisseur.

Padron 2000 Natural

Back before the Contra-Sandinista conflict, Nicaragua was regarded as the land that had the potential to grow tobacco worthy of being compared head to head with Cuban grown tobacco. Sadly the civil war set the progress toward this goal back nearly a generation. However, over the last few years the Nicaraguan vegas have begun to improve greatly, and the Padron 2000 Natural is a prime example. This cigar is a medium bodied gem that is smooth, rich, and exquisite in flavor. Cedar, earth, spice, leather, coffee and numerous other flavors can be found in these well made box pressed robusto. "Boldness" is the only quality lacking from this smoke, however without a doubt, this cigar is one of the closest comparable smokes available in the US market to those being exported from Havana. A must try cigar at only $3.25 each!