Cigar of the Week: Helix

The move to full-bodied cigars was on full-steam in 2002 when U.S. Tobacco created a new blend with a light-colored Connecticut wrapper and packed it in an electric blue box.

Made, of all places, in Honduras, the home of fuller-bodied cigars, this new line was light, airy and mild and no one thought much of its chances. Who wants a mild cigar? . . . but everyone loved the box. The brand was Helix and it was a surprise.

Its clean, balanced flavor, combined with a mild body and a gentle but intriguing flavor marked this cigar as one to watch. Nicely priced, it quickly secured its own niche among the top mild-bodied cigars on the market and it has continued to occupy that role today.

What was the U.S. Tobacco cigar division is now part of General Cigar, and Helix has continued to flourish today, even as part of the company that owns the Macanudo franchise, the world’s top-selling mild cigar.

That’s because although Helix is mild, it is a completely different cigar with an entirely different approach than Macanudo. Where Macanudo’s forthright and open taste has made it an American standard, Helix is more complex, more delicate and asks the smoker for more devotion and patience. The reward is a subtle, caramelized flavor with a gently spiced aroma and an ultra-smooth texture. It earned a CigarCyclopedia.com tasting grade of "A: Exceptional."

Best of all is the price. Helix is a true bargain, with retail prices from just $2.95 for the x542 – a 5-inch, 42-ring corona – up to only $4.45 for the massive Super 8 (8 x 54). The x550 robusto (5 x 50) is a ridiculous $3.35 retail, and the x652 toro (6 x 52) is merely $3.75.

That makes Helix a cigar you can enjoy any time and anywhere. Its even burn makes it a fun smoke at leisure, but it offers plenty of sophistication to follow any lighter meal or cocktail. For the golfer, the standard Helix series is also available in two tubed shapes: the Cylinder (6 1/2 x 44) and the Tubular (5 x 50).

There is also a maduro-wrapped version of Helix with a purple band and box, but it’s a different cigar that has its own characteristics and niche. If you’re a mild child, the original Helix is for you.

(Rich Perelman is editor-in-chief of CigarCyclopedia.com, offering comprehensive daily coverage of cigars, accessories, issues, people and prices at www.CigarCyclopedia.com.)

Rich Perelman

3/3/08

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