Victor Calvo U.S. Shade Reserve

The Victor Calvo cigars presented here lean more towards the milder side. With their US Connecticut wrapper, they not only look very elegant and high-quality, but also deliver a correspondingly mild and creamy taste. You won’t find any bitterness or pepper notes here—“thankfully,” the discerning fan of milder cigars will sigh. The blend features Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler and is finished with a binder from Ecuador. According to the importer, the wrapper is a particularly exclusive and expensive one from O.J. Thrall Farms in Windsor, in the U.S. state of Connecticut, which comes as a very pleasant surprise given the relatively low price of these cigars!

Origin and Development in Estelí

The Victor Calvo brand goes back to the tobacco family of the same name, which was originally based in Costa Rica before relocating its own production to Estelí (Nicaragua) in 2001. Today, the entire production process for Victor Calvo cigars takes place in Estelí, giving the blend a distinctly Nicaraguan character. Since August 2019, the brand has been imported into Germany by our colleague Sebastian Gollas from Berlin.

Formats and Character of the US Shade Reserve Series

The US Shade Reserve cigars are currently available in two vitolas. The Spencer is a slightly longer Robusto at 50×5.5, while the Joseph is a slightly longer Toro, measuring 54×6.5. The names were chosen to highlight the American origin of the wrapper.