If there’s one thing I love, it’s a super dark, super smooth, super oily box-pressed cigar. Among my favorites are the Torano Exodus, Gurkha Regent and Nester Reserve. Slow-burning, densely packed, hefty handmades filled with chocolatey goodness. Victor Sinclair of the Dominican Republic has their own version of dark, box-pressed beauties called the Vintage Select. Truth be told, this is a cigar we stopped carrying a couple of years ago due to slow sales. At the time it was rivaling the success of Bohemian and Serie ‘55’ – a tall task. Regardless, it was sad to see this cigar removed from our shelves, because it really is a quality smoke. But, to my delight, the big guy recently landed a sweet deal allowing us to re-introduce this line at over 50% off our original retails. Sweet, chocolatey goodness!

It’s safe to say the quality and consistency of Victor Sinclair cigars are top-notch, and the Vintage Select is no exception. The other day we received a small shipment of Torpedos, which has already sold out, but I managed to score one of the boxes. (Don’t worry, more are arriving any day now) Anyway, I’ve since smoked close to half the box, and every single cigar was just like the last. Each is beautifully constructed using a silky Brazilian Maduro wrapper and a hefty blend of Cuban-seed Dominican tobaccos, including a generous helping of Dominican Olor. This mixture makes for an extraordinary assortment of flavors. The wrapper has a naturally fermented sweetness that’s subtle but nice, while the fillers offer a robust character that hints at roasted coffee, with an underlying rich creaminess. The aftertaste is long and pleasant, leaving a dark, espresso-like flavor on my palate. Incredibly smooth right up to the nub, it ends with a velvety, full-flavored finish. Tasty. It’s not full-bodied, but boy is it satisfying.

The Vintage Select will please just about anyone. No spice, harshness or dizzy-spells, just a smooth, rich, flavorful cigar that maxes out a medium-bodied. I really hope this cigar does better this time around – it deserves it, easily.