THE HEAT - VPOTM

Summer in Japan has its own way of coping with the heat. Kakigori shaved to snow. Cold salads. Warabi mochi kept on ice. Everything reaches for cool. So this month we went the other way on purpose. Five cigars that lean into the heat instead of away from it, to sit alongside all that cold food and give you the other half of the season.

Cool the body with the food. Ignite the palate with the smoke. Five cigars, five expressions of heat, only in July.

01  Villa Casdagli Lonsdale. An excellent opener. Elegant spice, cedar, cream and incense. The Lonsdale format feels refined and burns beautifully through a warm evening.

02  Cavalier Black II Lancero. The star of the pack. Long and elegant, black pepper, dark espresso and cocoa, and the Lancero shape smokes a little cooler despite the bold profile.

03  Aladino Reserva Corojo. More depth than the regular Corojo, with that unmistakable Honduran pepper. Probably the cigar that best carries the idea of heat without ever overpowering.

04  Warped Nicotina. The one that keeps the pack from going one-note. Everyone expects pepper, then Nicotina answers with aromatic spice, earth, coffee and a quiet sweetness.

05  Dapper La Madrina Maduro. The perfect finisher. Chocolate, espresso, black pepper and dark fruit. A satisfying end to the climb.