#MakeNovaBig: Who is Nova?

If you are a regular cigar smoker, you have probably noticed Nova Cigars before- or at least seen them around the web. But WHO exactly are they? Nova is a newer cigar company that has been steadily gaining popularity over the last year, and their cigars are quite delightful and enjoyable for a variety of palates.

Nova Cigars made their debut at IPCPR last year in Las Vegas which was HUGELY successful for them. They are easily recognizable from their bright, eye catching turquoise/”Tiffany Blue” band with silver trim and black detail.

The Nova website gives a brief description of their history, stating that the company was started to honor their grandfather. He himself had learned and possessed a wealth of knowledge about tobacco farming, cigar rolling, and making the best ultra-premium cigars. Here lies yet another cigar company with great family tradition and rich history.

Nova prefers to keep facts to a minimum, and lets their rich and flavorful cigars do the talking.

Some of you might have seen the brand’s CEO, Leonor Abzaradel, on social media under the username “CigarBlondie’, or even via their trendy hashtag, #MakeNovaBig. Leonor, along with the Nova Brand President, Aurelio Riego, double as the brand ambassadors and have done a fabulous job getting the Nova name out into the world and attention towards the brand.

Leonor and Aurelio first met when they both worked at the Nat Sherman Townhouse in New York. She had known the family behind Nova since her days working for Club Macanudo. Leonor introduced Aurelio to the Nova group, and they soon found themselves working together spreading the joy of Platinum Nova Cigars. These two work tirelessly to promote the brand as well as run its day-to-day operations.

Honestly, it was Leo’s Instagram page that first brought my attention to Nova Cigars. I began to follow the brand and became instantly intrigued- they seem to run themselves differently than other cigar brands I am versed with. After pining for a Nova cigar for a long time, I received my first sampler. I was so eager to light one up, that when the delivery came I opened and smoked one of, if not my favorite Nova cigar, the Platinum Batch Robusto (more on that later).

Since beginning my Nova discovery, I have smoked just about all of them. My first was the Platinum Batch Robusto, which was excellent. It has a size of 6 x 54, and features a Connecticut wrapper, Dominican filler and Criollo binder. It is a mild cigar with a sweet sugar tip. These do not have an intense flavor- they are smooth and perfect for a morning cigar to have with your coffee.

I was blown away when I smoked
it! While delicious, it was smooth, the sweet tip enjoyable, and the draw was perfect. The burn line was solid, even, and thin. The wrapper held up well and seems to be a particularly good quality. The Platinum Batch Robusto retails for $8.00. Overall, I would give this cigar a 92 rating.

Next, I lit up the Nova Club Edition Exclusive Toro. This traditional 6 x 50 Toro features an Ecuador 2000 Oscuro Wrapper, Dominican filler and Piloto Cubano binder. This was different from the Platinum Robusto; it does not have a sugar tip and is much more bold with flavor. Absolutely more of a medium bodied cigar.

I can see myself enjoying the Club Edition more often than the Platinum Robusto, as I prefer a more medium bodied cigar, although both are excellent. The cigar also stayed consistent throughout consumption, and there were not many flavor changes, although it did ramp up significantly as I got closer to the band. The notes I picked up were nuts, leather and cinnamon.

I would rate this a 90 overall. The Nova Club Edition Exclusive retails for $18.00

Another one of my favorite Nova Cigars is the Mirage. This is 6 x 60 Sumatra wrapped cigar, and was bold right out of the gate. It is a medium-full cigar and also has Dominican fillers and a Piloto binder. I found this cigar VERY impressive. I don’t normally smoke 60+ ring gauge cigars, but I would smoke these regularly if given the opportunity. I imagine sitting in a Las Vegas casino with a stiff drink, smoking this cigar and playing my favorite card games. Yet again, the draw was excellent and anybody who knows me knows I am very particular when it comes to draw.

While the Nova Mirage is a bold and complex smoke, it has the same quality draw, construction, burn and flavor transitions as the others. I rate this cigar a 92, and it retails for $18.00.

As wonderful as the Nova line up is, I am condensing the reviews in this article, and the last one that I will mention here is perhaps one of the most popular Nova cigars, the Leo X. This cigar is 5 ¾ x 50 with a Habano 2000 wrapper with Dominican filler and a Dominican HVA wrapper. It retails for $21.70 on the Nova website and in my opinion was flawless. Bold, rich and smooth flavors that packed a punch of spice and wood, with hints of leather. This cigar is right in my wheelhouse, it has everything that I would want in a cigar. In an effort to not sound redundant I will end it there. I did not want to write deep reviews, just hit the points. I would rate this cigar a 93.

Another interesting cigar which I admit I have not smoked yet is the Nova Champion Football Cigar. They are 70 x 5 and come in boxes of 11 for $269.94. They feature a Habano 2000 wrapper, with Dominican b
inder and fillers. These are next on my list of cigars to try from Nova. Nova even has their own grid style ash tray available. This beautiful accessory can be found on the Nova website for $199.00.

In addition, they also have a plethora of Limited-Edition cigars. The collection includes cigars such as the Corona, Legacy, Park Avenue, Perfecto, Toro and Torpedo. They even have a sampler box available if you want to try each of them for $169 on their website.

Lastly, to round out their collection, they have the Platinum Nova Congress, which is the longest cigar they make at 7 x 43 and available in boxes of 10 at $180.

All in all, I find the Nova brand worthy of their price tags and enjoyable cigars. I would recommend them to every cigar smoker as their brand variety will leave you with plenty of options. I recommend the Platinum Batch Robusto to anyone, but especially new cigar smokers as it is an easy introduction into cigar smoking.

More about Nova and their cigars can be found on their website at www.novacigar.com as well as on social media @Novacigar and @CigarBlondie. Plus, if you post a photo of a Nova cigar, do not forget to use the hashtag #MakeNovaBig.