If you’re a La Gloria Cubana fan and an enthusiast who prefers full-bodied blends, then you need not look any further than Artesanos. Once named one of the Top 25 Cigars of the Year, the blend also earned a 92 rating by Cigar Aficionado. This rare, limited cigar was only completed and approved after 6 years of development under the strict supervision of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo.

Handmade by a team of 10 master rollers in Miami, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos sports a sleek, oily Nicaraguan Habano wrapper concealing a unique mix of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers to create a bold yet creamy character. You’ll experience pepper, spice, leathery notes, earth and some light sweet nuances from start to finish as the blend is complex and full-flavored. Construction is flawless so expect a great burn, an effortless draw, and a delightful feel in the hand. Some easily describe this blend as La Gloria Cubana’s finest creation and few who have tried this amazingly tasty cigar fail to disagree. Unfortunately, production of this cigar almost completely ceased so the blend is only available in limited quantities but comes highly recommended. You won't be disappointed.

Q: I've heard about tubar and accordion bunching. What exactly is the difference?

A: Tubar bunching is the original style used in Cuba to roll cigars. The process involves rolling each leaf “en tubo style,” or in a tube shape similar to a straw. The tobaccos are then combined, creating a cylinder shape consisting of smaller tubes of tobacco on the inside, which are then concealed by a binder and wrapper. Creating cigars using this style allows for a cool, slow and even burn in addition to supremely consistent construction and flavor. On the other hand, accordion bunching is a method practiced outside of Cuba in Central America and around the Caribbean and focuses on bunching the tobacco leaves in a fashion similar to an authentic Japanese hand fan. This method takes less time to roll and can be correctly accomplished by less experienced torcedors, which is why it is utilized more often than the traditional tubar style of bunching. Accordion bunching also allows for the use of a liberman, a tool used to roll up the filler with the binder, which saves a lot of time and usually maintains consistency in draw and construction from stick to stick.

This is not your typical Connecticut wrapped cigar. Oliva Connecticut Reserve is a mild to medium-bodied blend featuring a silky, luscious Connecticut wrapper; the only Connecticut cigar in Oliva’s line up.

Oliva is a smaller, boutique cigar company that takes exceptional pride in the quality of their cigars. In Nicaragua they are one of the largest growers of tobacco and even roll their own crop. They oversee every aspect of production from seed to cigar, which is not a feat many people in the cigar business do successfully. For this reason, we love Oliva products because they are consistent in flavor, construction, strength and body day after day at a reasonable price.

Connecticut Reserve is a well-needed addition to Oliva’s portfolio of brands. As the only Connecticut wrapped beauty in their line up, the blend still maintains a perfect balance of strength and flavor. Although mild to medium-bodied, spicy characteristics are present due to the mix of premium, Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos used as the filler. The smoke creates creamy nuances of earth and cedar with an incredibly light sweet character noticeable on the lips. With a medium finish and enjoyable hints of white pepper on the palate, Oliva Connecticut Reserve is a homerun.

Torpedo (6.5" x 52) Smooth with cedar and earth throughout. Draw was a bit tight at first but drastically opened up within less than half an inch. The aroma is excellent and non-offensive as the strength slowly builds from start to finish but still maintains a smooth, refined flavor. 89/100 [Buy Now]

Lonsdale (6.5" x 44) The skinny ring gauge creates a well-rounded but more robust character allowing this medium Connecticut to feel a bit more full in body. The aftertaste is potent, leaving crisp cedar like flavors on the palate with pronounced notes of pepper. 89/100
[Buy Now]

Robusto (5" x 50) No soft spots were present and the blend burned even and cool. Produced a ton of thick smoke but was far less complex than expected. Consistent flavor from start to finish with little left for the imagination. 87/100 [Buy Now]

Toro (6" x 50) Burned evenly from start to finish and offered a creamy character with some light spice. Unfortunately the flavors are not as pronounced in comparison to the torpedo or lonsdale. 87/100
[Buy Now]

Churchill (7" x 50) Size was not balanced as it burned hot and tickled the back of the throat. The wrapper burned down the right side before attempting to correct itself unsuccessfully. If you’re looking for a Connecticut wrapped stick with some hearty undertones and a robust finish then this is your size. 86/100 [Buy Now]

Nica Libre - A great, everyday value crafted by hand in Nicaragua and comes in a box-pressed format, creating a rich and elegant experience at a pauper's price.

Carlos Torano Dominico - A quality bundled cigar produced by the world-renowned Torano Family, so expect the same in quality and consistency as you would with any other Torano cigar, but at half the price!

Bucanero Red - A Nicaraguan handmade featuring a light spicy flavor, Bucanero Red is a great choice for the price, as it is well-constructed and non-offensive.

5 Vegas Limitada 2009 - Limitada 2009 is easily the strongest Limitada blend ever created, sporting a Dominican Corojo wrapper with hearty Dominican fillers for a palate tantalizing experience.

07/15/2009: Tim begins the show by making up some ridiculous and tired excuses for there not having been a new show released in quite some time. Then, Kim and him (Tim) review the brand new 5 Vegas Limitada ’09 by Manuel Quesada. Kim says it's her favorite Limitada thus far and at the end Tim let’s you in on a very special deal! It's a win - win! [Listen Now]

Cigar.com (CC): What is your relationship to Rocky Patel?

Nimesh Desai (ND): We are first cousins. But understand we’ve grown up living next door to one another since I was nine so I consider Rocky my brother.

CC: When did you start working for Rocky?

ND: Preemptively I took a vacation in the later portion of 1998. While on vacation I stopped in to see Rocky’s operation in Los Angeles. When I arrived, Rocky was not present so I called him. He told me to go downstairs and said he would be meeting up with me in a few minutes. I headed downstairs and to my surprise his basement was the operation! My first official day as a Rocky Patel employee was January 2, 1999. I remember settling my things and thinking “What the hell did I just get myself into." It all worked out for the best.

CC: What role do you play in the family business?

ND: My official title is Vice President of Operations. So, basically I oversee all of the production & quality control throughout our factories in Honduras and Nicaragua. Secondly, I help maintain our national accounts. Developing new relationships and maintaining friendships with industry representatives and other enthusiasts is my passion.

CC: What is your everyday cigar?

ND: Decade! It's rich and complex with a hint of spice.

CC: We heard from Rocky but what is it, in your opinion, that makes Rocky Patel cigars better than your competition?

ND: Our strict attention to quality, our willingness to work harder than all of our competition and our passion for this business is what separates us from all other companies. If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. We love what we do and we do it well.

CC: What do you guys plan on releasing at the IPCPR show this year? Anything you can share with our readers?

ND: Yes, we're releasing two new products. The first is a blend Rocky’s brother Nish helped create. He worked along side Rocky to blend this new stick and let me tell you, it's awesome! The second blend we created to commemorate the year Rocky was born. This cigar was produced at Rocky’s new factory in Nicaragua. Of course we all love it!

CC: How is your role working for Rocky Patel going to change in the coming years?

ND: I'll spend more time on the road visiting retailers and meeting end consumers to figure out ways to improve our relationships and our business models. I'll also be spending more time at the factories to ensure every cigar we create is perfect. With the struggling economy we have to work even harder but we'll surpass expectations as usual.

CC: What is it like working with family? I assume it has its difficulties.

ND: It's difficult to say the least! I'm just kidding. It has its positives as well as its negatives. We fight like brothers and I probably throw my two cents in more than I should. However, at the end of the day we can have a great cigar with some scotch and sit back, reflect and laugh it off. It reminds me of the show Boston Legal except not as dramatic.

CC: What is your favorite part about working in the cigar industry?

ND: The relationships! Many of my customers have become some of my closest friends. I also love seeing a customer light up one of our cigars, take a puff and then smile from ear to ear. It's a great feeling.

CC: Do you have anything you would like to add before we wrap up?

ND: I'd like all of your Cigar.com customers to know we will never stop working to create the best possible products we can! Be prepared too, since Rocky is working on a line of life style products that will truly go hand in hand with the good life of enjoying cigars that we all love. I promise you’ll all be blown away!