The Astral line was introduced in 1995 and took more than 3 yrs of planning to produce. It's rolled with a blend of Cuban seed long- leaf Nicaraguan and Dominican long-filler tobaccos and Honduran binder. The Connecticut seed wrapper leaves are grown in the Honduras' famed Jamastran valley.

Panel Review: Each cigar reviewed proved to offer consistently superb construction as well as a medium to full bodied flavor. We found it to be one of the best Honduran cigars produced today. Note a very appealing wrapper, oily, smooth and with few veins Look for a pleasant woody character in the finish and consider pairing it with the port of your choice.

The Don Diego line has been around for nearly one hundred years and is one of the best-selling brands produced by Altadis, one of the world's largest premium cigar makers. Often referred to as the "King of Mild," Don Diego has upheld a strict standard of quality over the years. We found each sample rated to be very well constructed. Hand made in La Romana, Dominican Republic, the line is rolled with dark and juicy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper tobaccos, a Dominican binder, and a select blend of Dominican-grown long fillers.

Panel Review: Look for expert construction; an even burn, easy draw and ample smoke volume. We found the dark Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper to add a slightly spicy character and loads of full flavor. Note a creamy texture to this nicely balanced cigar. You might consider smoking it with an Oban Scotch or your favorite brandy.

The Flor de Carbonell line is a limited edition vintage offshoot of Carbonell standard line. Hand rolled in the Dominican Republic, this beauty has been aged for over 5 years. A vintage Dominican puro, made from tobacco all originating from the same farm, the Carbonell 1909 sports a Dominican wrapper and properly aged all Dominican blend as well. If you enjoy a mild smoke with a hint of natural sweetness, you're gonna love this one!

Panel Review: To put it bluntly, we loved the taste of this cigar. It has a real natural sweetness that we all found appealing. Look for a mild, smooth smoke with a rich and pleasant aroma. Pair it with a dry, hoppy India pale ale.

The Pleiades brand is Dominican made and exquisitely presented. The line is also produced by Altadis, but you'll find that it's nothing like the Don Diego also featured this month. The line is rolled with a select blend of all Dominican long leaf filler and binder tobaccos and wrapped in a pristine Connecticut Shade wrapper.

Panel Review: Our panel sampled several of the 11 available shapes in this line and found that the richness, taste and aroma did vary quite a bit from mild and light to a bold, full-bodied flavor. We found the corona featured this month to be more on the mild side, offering a clean Dominican tobacco taste and a hind of spiciness. Look for plenty of smoke volume and a pleasing aroma.

We love this line so much that although we featured it's churchill several month's back, when we had an opportunity to pick up a limited run on their Torbusto, we jumped all over it. The brand generally offers a mild-tasting smooth blend. Don't confuse the H-2000 with the Connecticut shade Santa Damiana or Cabinet Selection. This line is rolled with Nicaraguan binder tobaccos and a complex long leaf blend of Brazilian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan fillers. Santa Damiana seals the deal with a coveted Habana 2000 wrapper.

Panel Review: Immediately note a smooth, reddish-brown wrapper. Note the unusual shape that bursts out towards the center of the cigar, offering a clean and cool smoke throughout. Look for ample smoke volume, an effortless draw and consistently even burn in this well constructed cigar. We found S.D.'s torbusto to be full-bodied, yet a very smooth smoking cigar.