November/December 2019 | Cigar Aficionado

In this issue

Arnold Schwarzenegger • November/December 2019

The one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to the cover of Cigar Aficionado as his newest project, Terminator: Dark Fate, hits theaters. Schwarzenegger sits down with executive editor David Savona over a hearty cigar and talks about the appeal of the Terminator—the role that made him a superstar—his thoughts on business and politics and his lifelong love of fine cigars. Also in this year-end issue, the story about Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, the $160 million film that brings together Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, a guide to the best cigar-friendly steakhouses in America, the mysteries of top-tier Cognac and a walk through the fields of the Connecticut River Valley, home to golden-brown Connecticut shade. All that, and much more, plus our blind tasting of 81 cigars.

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Features

The Terminator is Back

The gates are massive, perhaps 20 feet high, and they slowly swing open, revealing a sea of green grass decorated with statues. They are among the many big items in the oversized …

Mob Movie Magic

When did Hollywood invent the time machine? That’s the question you may ask when the camera moves in on Robert De Niro’s face as he speaks on the phone in a crucial early scene of …

10 New Faces of the PGA Tour

The finish to the 3M Open in early July couldn’t have been a more revealing look at the way young players are taking their place on today’s PGA Tour. Matthew Wolff, all of 20, and …

Steakhouses for Cigar Lovers

The waiter in the white shirt and black vest has delivered your cocktail, a Martini so cold you think your teeth might crack as you take that first sip. You move on to the …

Cognac's Top Tier

Entering the underground sanctum known as the Chai du Fondateur, or Founder’s Cellar, at Cognac giant Hennessy, makes a visitor feel as if he has opened a door on a long-closed …

Time Flies

The most significant pilot’s watch in history wasn’t a pilot’s watch—or at least not what we’d think of as one today. While technically qualifying (because it was made for a …

Cigars

Shade in the Dusk

The once-dominant wrapper leaf grown under cloth in the Connecticut River Valley now needs protection from encroaching development.

The Clan of the Man Cave

When his local cigar club shut down, one man struck back, converting a carriage barn into an inspired man cave.

Best of the Best

The tobacco rolled into today’s Cuban cigars is the best in five years. Here’s your guide to the 10 best available on the market.

Connoisseur’s Corner: Hoyo de Monterrey Exclusivo

Were Cuba’s Edición Limitada cigars ever intended for long-term aging? We see how some of these limited editions stood the test of time. Plus, an old Hoyo de Monterrey from a …

Ratings from this Issue

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Cohiba Behike BHK 52

Issue Date: December 1, 2019

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La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Churchill

Issue Date: December 1, 2019

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Herrera Esteli Habano Edicion Limitada Lancero

Issue Date: December 1, 2019

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H. Upmann Magnum 50

Issue Date: December 1, 2019

Up Front

Screen Magic

We were at the New York City premiere of The Irishman , Martin Scorsese’s epic new film starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. The September 27 screening was scheduled …