Gonzalo Torre didn’t just smoke cigars — he smoked them in the lobby of The James Hotel, the Art Deco gem he owned on Miami Beach’s iconic Calle Ocho strip. The El Mago Miami Art Deco Edition is Nicholas Fusco’s tribute to that building, that era, and the man who made it feel like home. The cigar’s packaging was designed in the image of The James itself, and the blend inside lives up to the elegance of the presentation. This 6×52 Toro wraps a golden Ecuadorian Habano leaf over a USA Broadleaf binder and all-Nicaraguan filler for a medium-bodied, unmistakably Cubanesque smoke with notes of coffee, cocoa, spicy earth, pepper, and a subtle sweetness on the finish. Cigar Journal gave it 90 points. Each stick comes individually tubed, just as refined and dressed up as the hotel it honors. Close your eyes, take a draw, and you’re somewhere between the ocean breeze and the neon glow of South Beach.
