Reviews by Joe

Cigar brands come and go. 

Whether it’s due to a lack of quality tobaccos, changes in production requirements, a necessary re-branding, or a blend just being underappreciated, there’s an ebb and flow to the availability of many premium cigars. 

And typically in this tale as old as time, you’ll hear the same marketing refrain – new look, same blend! Or: “the classic you love with a new, contemporary band.” “A phoenix risen from the ashes”, “the prodigal son returns”, etc. Inevitably those cigars will return to the same level of sales they had before, and the “New Coke” vs. “Coca-Cola Classic” cycle will spin on. 

Today, we’ve got something a little different for you. The keen-eyed out there might recognize the Latitude Zero name as one that’s been around these parts before. However, this ain’t no “same blend, new look” story. 

Latitude Zero is all new. New look, new blend, new everything. And it’s good. Scratch that — it’s damn good. 

So what’s the deal? I’m glad you asked. 

Latitude Zero is rolled at NACSA, a little-known factory in Esteli, Nicaragua that has been secretly behind the scenes of some of your favorite cigars for decades. Seriously. You see, NACSA is the manufacturing arm of the Oliva Tobacco Family (not to be confused with Oliva Cigars, a different company that makes the ‘Oliva’ branded items like Serie V or Melanio). And the Oliva Tobacco Family is arguably the most prestigious and important grower of tobacco in the cigar industry today. If you’ve ever had a cigar with Ecuadorian leaf, chances are they grew it. In fact, Oliva Tobacco sells to Drew Estate, Arturo Fuente, Rocky Patel, Nick Perdomo, Don Pepin Garcia, and many more. Long and short: if you’ve tried more than a couple cigars in your day, chances are you’ve enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

Anyway, back to NACSA. Short for “Nicaraguan American Cigars, S.A”, this factory has access to all the premium leaves that Oliva Tobacco grows, and produces cigars for some truly prestigious clientele. Perhaps most famously, they make many of Steve Saka & Dunbarton’s current products, like Mi Querida and the Muestra de Saka Unstolen Valor. In fact, one rumor goes that NACSA was the factory that first figured out the fermentation technique used on Drew Estate’s Liga Privada No. 9 — but that’s neither here nor there. 

Besides the tobacco, NACSA has another secret weapon at their disposal. Raul Disla. Raul is the Production Manager at NACSA, and oversees all 65,000 cigars they roll per day. In addition to his attention to detail and strict quality control, Raul is a master blender in his own right, helping cigar makers who use NACSA pick the perfect tobacco for their products. Keep that name in the back of your head — I guarantee you’re going to hear it more and more in the next few years.

So that’s the pedigree with Latitude Zero. Blended by Raul Disla, at the industry’s best-kept-secret cigar factory, with tobaccos from the most renowned growers in the world. Interested? 

You should be, because this baby delivers in every way imaginable. Before you even get into the cigars themselves, just look at the gorgeous presentation on this brand. Open the simple, yet elegant, box and a detailed, hand drawn world map with beautifully embellished compasses and flourishes greets you. The small touches here are top-notch: the compass on the band is made up of tobacco leaves, and the cloth foot ribbon brings a level of polish to the whole affair. It’s a real looker.

On paper, this blend is not unique. But don’t let that fool you. An Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf sits atop Nicaraguan binder and long-filler. What is special about this one though is the quality and hue of that wrapper. I mean, just look at it! Dark, oily, and rich – in a blind test, I’d peg this as Broadleaf before I’d say Habano. That just shows you how masterful NACSA’s fermentation technique is. A lesser factory would never be able to get this color and performance out of their materials.

But now, the piece de resistance – the flavor. Lighting up Latitude Zero, I was instantly reminded of old school Liga Privada. Truly, this blend is reminiscent of the types of cigars that got me into this industry in the first place. It’s full-bodied but the flavor is shockingly smooth. For how dark the wrapper on this cigar is, you barely get any spice. Instead, sweet caramel leads the charge, with rich, dark chocolate joining shortly after. The cigar remains enjoyable to the end, with roasted nuts and a bit of dry cocoa flitting in and out throughout the back half. 

And the price. Come on! I kid you not, this cigar is worth easily double, maybe even triple the price. 

The recommendation here is easy folks — get yourself a box of Latitude Zero, use the money you save to grab a nice bottle of bourbon and a thick steak, and clear your weekend plans. You’re not going to want to leave the house as long as you have a couple of these around to enjoy. 

Ladies and gentlemen, AJ’s done it again.

Today, I’m going to be diving into the Man O’ War Valkyrie. This cigar from AJ Fernandez has been one at the top of my mind lately, and I want to explain to each of you just why that is. Get your credit cards at the ready, though, folks – without spoiling the punchline, this one’s a huge BUY from me. 

There’s a lot to talk about here, but I want to mention very quickly up top the Desflorado wrapper that AJ utilizes on this cigar. It’s very rare, and you typically only see it on uber-high end (and expensive) sticks like Davidoff or Padron Damaso. Peep our write up above this review real quick for a little more info on the process to make this leaf.

Back? Good. Let’s toast this sucker up and get started.

The flavor on Man O’ War Valkyrie is brilliant from the beginning, as each draw delivers a smooth mixture of cream, cedar, and very slight hits of pepper. That combination of words together is nothing new. Hell, check out almost any review of a Connecticut wrapped stick on this site, and you will easily find the same phrase. However, the way Valkyrie delivers this to you is truly unique. Each note melds together in one, as Valkyrie delivers a flavor unlike anything I’ve had before. Familiar, but exotic – simple, but elegant. 

Truly, cigars like this remind me over and over that we are witnessing a generational talent, a true master of his craft, in AJ Fernandez.

As the Churchill I’ve chosen to light up continues to burn, let’s talk about the other Connecticut line in the Man O’ War arsenal – Virtue. There’s one question I feel I have to address: is one better than the other? If you’ve always smoked Virtue, should you switch to Valkyrie? 

For me, there’s space in the humidor for both. 

Virtue was AJ’s first exploration with the “new wave” Connecticut trend that has dominated the market over the last decade. For those unfamiliar, these blends define themselves by packing a lot more flavor and traditionally, a lot more spice, into a Connecticut than one might expect from something like a Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real or a Macanudo Café. 

And Virtue absolutely fits that bill. While the body of the cigar is mellow enough that you can light it up first thing in the morning, the flavor is just as full as a traditional Man O’ War or Ruination. There’s a lot of toastiness. Warm, spicy notes dominate the game, and the cigar is a perfect companion to a sweet, creamy drink like a cappuccino to help balance out the sharper notes of the blend.

Valkyrie is a different animal. While there is some spice, it’s rather light, and the finish is clean and short. No lingering flavor on the palate. What that means is that this is a cigar, in my mind, best enjoyed without an accompanying beverage. Adding a cup of coffee to the samples I enjoyed actually dampened the experience – there’s a lot of subtlety and balance to Valkyrie, and it tends to be a “blink and you might miss it” experience. In short, Valkyrie is a cigar best enjoyed by giving yourself over to it. 

For my money, that makes Valkyrie slightly better than Virtue if I had to choose between the two. I’m sure the times we’re living in contribute to this. When I’m looking to enjoy a cigar nowadays, it’s to take a break from the non-stop cycle of crazy news and hectic emails. I want something that will slow me down, that provides an experience in itself, as opposed to my normal routine of smoking cigars as a background to clearing out my inbox, grilling, or hanging out with friends. 

Coming back to the cigar, Valkyrie finishes much as it began. Bready notes enter the mix, with some of the creaminess petering out, and the cigar edging a tad closer to medium-body, though still staying just slightly shy of the mark. 

I’m adding Valkyrie to my regular purchase list for a few reasons. As a fan of AJ’s work, trying a blend where he utilizes a wrapper out of his normal rotation is already an awesome experience. As a lover of Connecticuts, it’s great to find a cigar that provides so much richness without strength. And as a guy who’s lucky enough to get to burn cigars for a living, it’s very refreshing to have one that truly knocks my socks off. 

Long story short, this is an easy recommendation for me. The Churchill rules the roost as my favorite size, though I’ve enjoyed the Robustos I sampled immensely as well. Whatever size you go with, I guarantee you’re going to love it.