On December 2012 we received the first shipment of the “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” Celebration Cigar. A cigar line expected to be entirely released during this year. The first edition (500 boxes of 10 cigars) came in an elegant Torpedo Box Press 7 x 54 and so far, there a lot of great saying about the cigar. Keep in mind that we are having a party to celebrate this coming February 23, 2013 and you are invited. In the event, you live far away, make sure you find a Cuenca 5 Anniversary Cigar, smoke it and fill out the Survey. At the event night we are choosing 5 winners every half hour, which makes 50 Winners that night, and regardless of distance you can be one.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the people on the Cigar World that took the time and give us the opportunity to review our cigar in their blogs. Big, huge and warm thanks from the Cuenca Family. Our success would not be possible without you. THANKS! As you can see, I took the liberty to quote part of the reviews that not just talk about the cigar itself, but the concept behind the release, and all of them made me very proud. AJ Fernandez, is probably the youngest cigar manufacturer, blender and tobacco wrapper curator, and he made a great, sensational blend for us. This is not the first collaboration between Cuenca and AJ Fernandez (back in 2006 we released Cuenca Cigars first blend) but it’s probably the one that came at the right time, maturity wise. AJ Fernandez have now the experience of a 1+ cigar manufacturer and Cuenca have come a long way smoking and studying different blends and getting to know the world of cigar smokers to choose a winner blend.

Following is the list of reviews in order of appearance. I collected them all and will love to hear what you have to say. I will keep an eye on any future review and promises to share them all. Cuenca 5 Anniversary is a Celebration cigar at a price point of $8.50. Fill free to read all the reviews, to share them with your friends and please, your comments are always very well appreciated.

Kip Fisher, The Cigarmy. January 14, 2013. The Cigarmy Full Review (…) As has been the case throughout both the cigars I’ve smoked for this review, I’m really – REALLY – impressed. Oftentimes, a cigar shop that wants to release a house brand or line of cigars with their name on it will make the mistake of simply finding a manufacturer with an availability of inexpensive tobacco, throw together a decent (at best) blend, and go with it. Clearly, this isn’t the case for this cigar. The tobacco is obviously of good quality, the blending is well thought-out, and the construction is impeccable. For my tastes, the 5 Anniversary is an absolute winner, and falls dead-center into my wheelhouse of preferred flavor (…)

The Katman, Katmancroos, January 28, 2013, Katman Full Review (…)Construction is gorgeous. I wish my anatomy parts looked this good. A milk chocolate brown, near vein free body….a very smooth to the touch feel with a bit of toothiness. Very tight seams. A perfect torpedo cap. It is so perfect; I cannot tell how many caps are on it. And the band is a piece of artwork. (…) The cigar goes out this way and I have a new favorite in the house. I bow my heads to the good folks at Cuenca. If CA doesn’t put this cigar in its Top 25 then shame on them and I won’t believe another word they write.(…)

Cigar-Croop, January 31, 2013. Cigar Coop Full Review (...) I consider the Cuenca 5 Anniversary to be one of the revelations for 2013 in terms of new cigars. I'm very pleased that Cuenca Cigars is making this blend available to multiple retailers. This cigar has great flavor, great construction, and great complexity. If you like a bold, yet not overpowering Nicaraguan wrapped cigar, this is a cigar worth checking out. A.J. Fernandez cigar fans will also not be disappointed. Not only would I recommend this cigar to the experienced cigar enthusiast, but I found this to be a great cigar for a novice who wants something bolder. As for myself, this is a box worthy cigar and one that I will smoke again.(…)

Tom Uffer, Examiner.com, February 1, 2013. Examiner.com Full Review (...) The Cuenca 5 Anniversary was one of the more enjoyable smokes I have had in awhile. The great flavors, excellent construction and extraordinary feel all combine to make this a cigar that I can fully recommend for you to try. I would definitely pick this cigar up again and smoke with pleasure.(…)

Seth Geise, Seth Humidor, February 4, 2013. Seth Humidor Full Review (...)This cigar blew me away. I did not go into the cigar thinking it would be poor, but I am going to be honest in saying that I did not think it would be this great. It had an amazing complexity level, and the flavors were so enjoyable. Construction was top notch from beginning to end, and it produced a beautiful light gray ash that held on to the cigar wonderfully. There was a nice amount of smoke produced with each draw, and it was a cool smoke from the beginning to end. This was a massive torpedo, and while it was not my preferred size, I do love that it was offered in a box pressed format. This was simply a terrific blend, and a blend that many will enjoy. I give this smoke a solid 92.(…)

Casa Fumando, February 6, 2013. Casa Fumando Full Review (...)The Cuenca 5 Anniversary is a solid smoke. It is rare to come across a cigar that A.J. Fernandez has his hand in and not enjoy it. This cigar is no exception. The jumping back and forth of flavors kept me engaged the entire 2 hours and 10 minutes. It is difficult for me to find time to enjoy such a larger stick but this would be a wonderful cigar to have on hand when time permits. The format and packaging of this stick screams “celebratory cigar”, but, with a price of $8.50, the Cuenca 5 Anniversary could be enjoyed anytime. (…)

Gary Malensky, About.com. About.com Full Review (...)The best feature about this cigar was its excellent construction. The cigar was very well made and had a great draw, great feel, and great look. The cigar held a long ash and burned evenly. No relights nor touch-ups were needed, and the cigar lasted for an hour and 15 minutes down to two inches remaining. This is not a cigar for beginners nor most occasional cigar smokers, but it might appeal more to a niche market of serious cigar smokers who prefer its particular flavor characteristics. My overall rating is three stars. A very well-made boutique cigar.(…)

Cigar Craig, Cigar Craig Full Note (…)This was a very enjoyable smoke, I smoked it to a finger burning/freezing nub. Well balanced, nice little spice in the flavor and perfectly built. This is a nice cigar, and I really look forward to smoking another one when it’s warmer and I can really relax and enjoy it.(…)

At first everyone was impressed with the cigar appearance, then the construction and by the end everyone loved this new blend. “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” has come to stay and it will be fully released by the end of 2013 with at least 5 different “vitolas” using the same blend and it will be available worldwide. Today, the “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” is available in 6 cigars stores in Florida. Make sure to mention the cigar to your local B&M and have them call us. At this time you can find "Cuenca 5 Anniversary" as follow:

Charmead Leaf

Puros Cigars

Absolute Cigars

Sabor Havana Doral

Havana Humidor of Bird Road

Habana Cuba Cigar Lounge

I also want to share with you some of the reviews from our customers:

I love the Cuenca 5 Anniversary cigar

Posted by John Gillan on 12th Feb 2013 I thought that you would like to know, When out on a shoot i brought two cigars with me ... a God of Fire double corona and a Cuenca 5 anniversary. Let me start with the wind was so strong, 20 to 30 miles per hour on the 18th floor that i choose the Cuenca to smoke because of the boxed pressed construction !!! I must say that i thought that the wind would have ruined the enjoyment of my smoke.... not to mention the cigar its self.... but to my surprise the Cuenca cigar smoked perfectly!!! From the moment that i light the cigar thru out the whole 2 hours that I smoked it.... it never burned uneven and never dropped the ash... After i had finished the shoot i had about a half an hour left on the cigar.... so I took it with me and we went down to the beach and the Elbo Room and that is where i sat and finished the rest of it !!!!! I love the Cuenca 5 Anniversary cigar !! (C) 2013 John Gillan (…)

this a must do cigar and i will always want to have a few on hand!

Posted by John Gillan on 10th Feb 2013 This stout box press gem is a complex cigar with hints of coffee and spice with a background of cedar which makes it great with coffee in the morning or after a large steak dinner with a glass of port !! My pallet was watering as soon as i put my mouth on this one..... The Habano wrapper perfectly complements the fantastic blend inside which creates an amazingly smooth and flavorful experience .... The impressive size and construction makes this a must do cigar and i will always want to have a few on hand !!!

The Master aims true...

Posted by The Katman on 5th Feb 2013 I can, without hesitation, tell that this is an A.J. Fernandez blend. Very expansive. Well balanced. BIG! Attacking your senses like a Bradley tank. It’s a powerful cigar in all ways it can be powerful. I get a big wallop of creaminess. A dump truck full of earthiness. A nice nun’s ruler to the palate from red pepper. A sweet tobacco component. And the cocoa leading the charge. The sweetness (a nutty dried fig flavor), the creaminess and cocoa turn this into a chocolate fig milk shake. The actual sensation of “sweet” leads the charge at the halfway point; making the other flavors subservient. During the last couple of inches, power hits the tilt button and the cigar takes off. The spice I missed earlier, shows up in waves. Creaminess had become a way of expressing itself and completely gotten in a foot race with the red pepper. The cocoa only slightly trailed behind with the dried fruit sweetness a huge part of its profile. The cigar goes out this way and I have a new favorite in the house.

One of the best cigars I have smoked in years...

Posted by Salo on 4th Feb 2013 Superb smoke. Amazing. Packed with flavor since the first puff, it screams AJ Fernandez. I could even say, better than San Lotano Oval, one of my favorites. Hints of caramel, and mellow red fruits. Burned incredibly, and the draw was perfect. I just can say only one bad thing about it... it didnt last forever :)

WOW

Posted by Ryan on 4th Feb 2013 Had this cigar last night and I was completely blown away. I am a big San Lotano Maduro fan and this stick reminded me a lot of that except it had a very unique flavor to it and was much stronger. I will definitely be ordering more of these!

perfect smoke

Posted by Levi on 15th Jan 2013 It is a perfect smoke, with a glass of Port and beautiful women. I wait for many more.

Congrats on a true Masterpiece

Posted by Rod Haber on 14th Jan 2013 What a tremendous smoke, comes on spicy turns smooth as silk till 3" are left then it builds slowly but surely into beautiful aromas of flavorful currents, spice, leather and cedar a smoky bliss....mmmm a joy to smoke... Congrats on a true Masterpiece. Thank you Ana y Miguel

Great smoke

Posted by Raymond, Gatlingberg TN on 14th Jan 2013 I just had one of the best cigar I ever had & I had cigars all over the world here At cuenca cigars.

great smoke

Posted by blacksnake on 14th Jan 2013 A perfect smoke. With a glass of port and a beautiful woman,you can't go wrong congratulations

Really good smoke

Posted by AJ on 14th Jan 2013 Cuenca 5th Anniversary cigar is fresh and a medium body with a very pleasing full flavor. It has an excellent draw, burns evenly & not too fast. I recommend this cigar highly. Price is also great!

Start smooth, flavor Kicks in....

Posted by Gary on 13th Jan 2013 Hey Miguel. We met last week. Just want to let you know I love, no, "LOVE" your cigar. My dad loves it, and so does my brother. Starts smooth, flavor kicks in, and a strong finish. Burns great. Thanks for the samples, and letting us sell the sticks. PLEASE keep up the great work. I hope to get down to your shop soon.

A serious smoke full of flavor.

Posted by Gary the Cigar guy on 13th Jan 2013 A definite winner and well priced as well. Hard to find a Torpedo Box pressed, 7 x 54 at $8.50? No, you don't find that these days.