It truly is a great time to be a cigar smoker. So many manufacturers are bringing so many new brands to market, experimenting with new tobaccos and new blends, and we all benefit from this energy & innovation. An interesting side effect from all these new cigars being produced is that cigar makers seem to be running out of unique names for their products. Numerous new cigars have had to change their names shortly after introduction in order to avoid potential trademark issues or other possible confusion with existing brand names. Included among these is Los Regalos Quetzal, one of the latest releases from Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars. Although the new name has not yet been publicly announced, it is expected to change after the first production run.

With that out of the way, let’s focus on the most important thing: the cigar itself. Gary’s empire continues to expand with an entirely new series called Los Regalos, the product of a new partnership with an undisclosed factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. As Gary explained in his blog, there will eventually be four blends in the Los Regalos series, plus a limited edition release featuring vintage 2006 tobaccos. Quetzal is the first of the series to be released, and I recently had the opportunity to smoke a couple of samples for a review. After waiting far too long for the weather to improve and the pace at work to slow down (ha!), I headed outdoors to one of my favorite smoking spots to light up and roll film.

Los Regalos Quetzal by the numbers:
Size: 6.5×52
Vitola: torpedo
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Habano
Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican
Manufacturer: undisclosed factory in Esteli, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
No. smoked for review: 2
Duration: 90 minutes
Source: review samples
MSRP: $8-$10?
Website: www.emiliocigars.com
Twitter: @EmilioCigar
Facebook: Emilio Cigars

Join me as I emerge from my winter hibernation and trek outdoors with a long-awaited cigar in hand…

(Video length: 13:33)

Soundtrack: “The Game Has Changed (cdk RumbleStep Mix)” by cdk
http://ccmixter.org/files/cdk/41830
is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

If you’ve been following my reviews, it should come as no surprise that I think Gary Griffith has one of the hottest hands in the industry right now. It seems everything he touches is a knockout, and the streak continues with Los Regalos Quetzal. Big flavors, great construction, and just an all-around satisfying smoke. Don’t take my word for it; our very own Ben Lee called it “totally box worthy.” I’m inclined to agree.