This year the only *new* line Steve Saka was showing off was the Todos Las Dias.
“Todos Las Dias is my personal Spanglish translation meaning “All the Days.” The workers at Joya de Nicaraguan often cringe at my casual butchering of their mother tongue, but in my opinion cigars are far more than a grammar lesson to abide, they are the physical manifestation of a feeling and of an experience. TLD embodies the classic bold flavors that represent the heart of their soil’s peppery tobaccos and the labor of their always working hands. For me, this spicy Nicaraguan puro reflects no pretentious airs or any of that “notes of pencil lead with a hint of fennel” nonsense. It is an honest, hardworking cigar intended to be smoked by men who know what it means to be a cigar smoker and never give a damn about what others think,” states the creator, Steve Saka.
"This cigar was great in my opinion. A well-built cigar that was very easy to work with. Simple cut, light, and smoke made this cigar very nice. The flavor profile was delicious. There was not a lot of complexity, but the overall smoke and aroma was absolutely pleasant. If I could make one suggestion, I would say to pre-cut the cigar and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow an ample amount of rest time and will get the remainder of the harshness out of it, so that it will burn and taste great all the way through. Enjoy these, they are worth the buy." -Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Unicorns do exist. Steve Saka should know. He created the Unicorn. The Muestra de Saka Unicorn, to be exact. Saka first mentioned the unique and ultra-limited cigar on a social media platform back in mid-December, 2017.
Imagine a car enthusiast having an opportunity to tour the Ferrari factory in Maranello, or someone who is a collector of fine watches going to visit Patek Philippe in Geneva. The chance to actually see your favorite products being constructed by hand can be a real treat for the senses, and it can also give a heightened respect for the work that goes into creating these items that we love so much. For premium cigar lovers the products that we consume are some of the most artfully and painstakingly crafted products in the world. Still, so many cigar lovers still don't have the first-hand experience of seeing what goes into growing fine tobacco and crafting great cigars. During Puro Sabor 2018 I was able to visit a number of cigar factories, large and small. In this second article of the series about the festival I will take you through these factories in the same order that I visited them.
"The cigar started out great with notes of wood and nuts. There was a overlying sweetness to the whole cigar that kept it all as one but had nice transitions throughout. The cigar kept me interested and waiting to see what the next third would be like. The draw was a little loose but I was getting an adbundance of smoke that was neither airy or light. " -Matt (Mattehh)
AllAshley C.Blind Cigar ReviewsConnecticut BroadleafDunbarton Tobacco & TrustFeaturedIPCPRJason H.John I.MaduroMatthew T.NicaraguaRobustoSteve Saka
·"This was a cigar that fired on all cylinders for me. Once I paired it with a very rich stout, it really came into its own and was a superb cap to my evening. I have absolutely nothing to criticize with this sample. It would be my honor to personally thank the blender and roller of this super premium cigar. This will find a home in my rotation if I can find more!" -Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
AJ FernandezAllAVOCaldwellCamachoCarson SerinoClaudio SgroiCornelius & AnthonyCrowned HeadsDavidoffDominican RepublicDon Pepin GarciaDrew EstateDunbarton Tobacco & TrustErik EspinosaFeaturedFred ReweyH. UpmannHector Alfonso Sr.Hendrik KelnerHondurasIPCPRJaime GarciaJon HuberJonathan DrewMy FatherNicaraguaNicholas MelilloNomadPete JohnsonRobert CaldwellRobert HoltRoMa CraftSerinoSkip MartinSouthern DrawSteve SakaTatuajeTop 25Willy Herrera
·Each of our panelists were given 10 votes to towards our top 25. Order mattered on their votes as their #1 vote is worth twice as much as their #10. Our list is made up of cigars that had a wide release this year. The cigars that are eligible do not have to have been reviewed on Blind Man's Puff, but the reviewer must have smoke it at some point to vote for it.
AlanAllBlind Cigar ReviewsDaveDunbarton Tobacco & TrustFeaturedHabanoJohn I.Matthew T.NaturalNicaraguaSteve SakaToro
·"Overall a very pleasant stick. Once it started mellowing out a little bit the cigar became a very nice smoke. This is one I'll be looking at more closely after the reveal, and would consider a box purchase on if the price is right. " -Dave W. (mdwest)
AllConnecticut BroadleafDunbarton Tobacco & TrustEmmettFeaturedFiguradoNicaraguaQuick Cigar ReviewsSteve SakaZane G.
·While the Diademas size was amazing I always find them a struggle with construction, burn, etc. This cigar from a construction point of view was on point. The burn was great, and the cigar smoked perfectly. Would I spend $100 on this cigar if it was regular production? Of course not. Definitely a treat to smoke and I was happy to get the chance. I give this a score of 93.
It has been known for a while that Steve Saka would be bringing his latest “Sin Compromiso" line to this year's IPCPR convention, but today we got the official announcement with more details. "Sin Compromiso" translates to "Without Compromise." Steve Saka has said publicly that this is the best cigar he has ever blended.