2013 Year Wrap Up
2013 has past me up in a very fast fashion. I have gotten quite a few more cigar reviews and news out this year. I think this year has been my busiest on NTA. I appreciate all your views and comments; please keep them coming. This is a small editorial on some thoughts that have been dancing around my head over the year and thought I’d share them.
Things I have noticed in 2013 in my cigar world:
- “Gimmick Cigars”: Not saying this in a negative form.  I consider a “gimmick” cigar being one that has a celebrity, show, movie etc… attached to the cigar. There was a good bit of cigars named after famous people, TV shows, etc.. this year. A few come to mind, Duck Dynasty, Sons of Anarchy, the Wild Bunch series, Cammacho’s Ditka series, etc… I tried the SOA cigar and it quite surprised me for $6, it was actually a pretty good smoke! The Ortega “Wild Bunch” series was a huge hit with me. Most the cigars were pretty good, and only a few were so-so in my eyes. I didn’t try the Duck Dynasty or Ditka series cigars though. They were priced a little too far out for me to try and I didn’t hear too much about them.
- Bigger Sizes: If you think a 6×60 was big, now there are production cigars with ring gauges up to and beyond 70. The Epsinosa LaBomba “F Bomb” comes in at a healthy 7×70. The large ring gauged cigars I found to have liked were the EP Carrillo “Inch” Maduro lines, Los Regalos Quetzal distributed by Emilio Cigars and the Drew Estate MUWAT. This is not every larger RG cigar I like, but just a few I can think of off the top of my head. But I am wondering when will it end?
- Cigar Shops Opening Branded Lounges: There were quite a few branded cigar lounges that opened up in 2013. The Burns Tobacconist Downtown (in Chattanooga, TN) opened a Davidoff Lounge. I visited both Burns locations while on vacation in June and they are both a must see when in the area. I was a little too early to see the Davidoff lounge, but the pics and reports I’ve seen make it out to be very casual, yet upscale. Club Humidor in San Antonio also opened a David Lounge and its atmosphere looks similar to the Burns’ lounge. Cordova Cigars in Pensacola, FL opened up the first Espinosa Domino Lounge in their shop. Cordova is somewhat close to me, yet I couldn’t make it to the grand opening. It too looks like a great place to sit, have a cigar, drink and play some bones.
- More Cigar/Tobacco Laws: This never hit home for me until this year. My hometown started a “public smoking ban”. No smoking in public means I can’t go do to a near-by large park and sit on a park bench (a ways away from people) and enjoy a cigar and a magazine. I can’t sit on my tailgate at lunch for a quick smoke; I thought America was “The Land of the Free”? Many cities are going this way as Halfwheel.com reports almost on a daily basis a new city starting a public smoking ban, new tobacco law or tax. Some cities are even taxing cigars and other tobacco products 10fold as well as raising the age to buy tobacco products. I don’t have much of an issue with raising the age, but it is still obsurd that an 18yo can fight for his or her country with a high powered rifle strapped to their back, yet some can not legally smoke a cigar in their home town. I can go on and on about this, but won’t.
- Not Too Many New Boutique Cigar Companies: Last year, there seemed to be an explosion of new boutique cigar companies popping up almost weekly it seemed. There wasn’t so many this year. A few do ring a bell: Dante, ONE 13 Cigars, Puro Vida, Guerra Cigars. There are a few others, but it doesn’t seem to be as many as last year. Possibly they come out under my radar? Or maybe the market is getting flooded with “boutique” companies?
- “Cigar Twitter” Slowdown: I have been on Twitter for a few years. When I first was on, Twitter was THE social media outlet. The latter part of this year I have seen a slow down on companies, spokespersons and reps on Twitter. A few main names were on Twitter a pretty good bit. They would get right back with you with questions or comments; but not so much the last half of the year. Eddie Ortega said it best: You have to be on social media, you have to get your name out, its free marketing – not a direct quote, but summarized. I, myself, have slowed down on Twitter, so maybe its a nation-wide occurrence? I used to be big into the forum sites, I am a member of probably a dozen or so. Now, I have slimmed down my postings to three or four.
- Has the Emilio House of Cigars Seen an Overbooking: The House of Emilio had a massive amount of smaller companies to take under their wings the first part of 2013. Each week or so, it seemed like Gary was announcing distributorship of one company or another. Don’t get me wrong, I think its a great idea as it helps smaller companies with great blends get out more. There are quite a few cigars I have tried under the House of Emilio that were awesome and glad to see them turning to ashes in my ashtray. But, the majority of 2013 didn’t see so many additions onto the house that Emilio created. I would like to see more companies pair up in such ways to broaden their distribution. But, in doing so, I hope the parent company (or distributor) doesn’t let their own lines suffer. I don’t think Emilio has done that, I have tried the Draig Melete and it was better than the “Pink Dragon” of 2012. So, it doesn’t seem like Emilio has slacked off on their end of cigar production. But, I would like to see a few new additions onto the House of Emilio in 2014 as far as new smaller companies.
- Branching Off From Parent Companies: This month alone, Bryan Scholle and Ariel Ditkowich announced they would be parting ways from their parent companies. Ariel is going to take full control of La Sirena from Miami Cigar at the end of 2013. Bryan posted of Facebook of his leaving the Oliva Studio Tobac, with no other plans mentioned. Oliva noted there would not be a 2014 Studio Tobac Tour. Jose Blanco of Joya de Nicaragua also departed his company and from the looks of it on social media, he made a world tour of his own. I would personally like to see Jose start his own company as he has a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to tobacco. Edgar Hoil parted ways with Room101/Cammacho and started his own line of cigars. Edgar is a talented artist and from what I have heard, his cigar blends are as impressive as his art.
- The Explosion of E-Tobacco Products: Electronic Tobacco products were invented in 1963. They really hit mainstream in 2004 and have gotten ever so more popular recently. This year, with all the tobacco laws going into effect daily, I have noticed a drastic amount of E-Tobacco products. From E-Cigarettes, E-Cigars, E-Hookahs… There is an E-Everything now!! I can’t go one hour on cable TV or radio without seeing a E-cigarette ad. E-Tobacco shops are opening up in every local town and are doing quite well it seems. I have even seen them at the IPCPR Conventions with their scantly models showing off their products. I have also seen a few B&Ms and many convenience stores now selling E-Tobacco items, so it must be fairly profitable & popular. I’m old school and I’ll stick with my hand rolled beauties! I am not knocking the E-items, but not too sure I want to inhale water and chemical vapors into my lungs. I know cigars aren’t 100% “healthy”, but water in my lungs sounds less healthy (isn’t that how people drown?).
- Companies Thinking “Out of the Box” From Their Norms: The first thing that comes to my mind is Davidoff releasing their Nicaraguan Puro cigar. Known for their well aged Dominican blends, they threw a lot of people off with them making this cigar. I had a few and for the money its a great smoke! There was also the Romeo Y Julieta “RYJ” Nicaraguan cigar. I tried one of them recently and it was along the lines of the Davidoff; yet no where near as good. EP Carrillo got more into the larger ring gauge cigar niche with their INCH line. I smoked a handful of the maduro line and I have to say, I really enjoyed that cigar.
- “New” Tobaccos Being Used: Sam Leccia broke into the Fire Cured tobacco cigar niche with his Black line and a day later, Drew Estate announced their KFC line using Kentucky Fire Cured Tobacco. Both seem to be a great hit with both companies, yet it is not the first time a company has used “Pipe” type tobacco in a cigar. I have been getting a cigar made in Lousiana from Crescent City Cigars for a few years that has a fair amount of Perique tobacco in it and its a pretty good smoke. Ventura Cigars released their Project 805 (read my review) that contained Andullo tobacco. The sample leaf they sent me smelled like a dark and musty pipe tobacco that was right up my alley. Although the Fired Cured and Andullo tobacco are similar in aromas, the Andulo is a natural form of tobacco, while the Fire Cured comes from a curing process.
- Has Drew Estate Finally Got Ahold of the Band Glue “Situation”?: For as long as I can remember me smoking cigars, Drew Estate has been known in my head for putting way too much glue on their cigar bands. From Acids to La Vieja Habana to their LE cigars, they all had too much glue on their bands. Many times I tore the wrapper pulling off a band or ad to fight with the band to get it off somewhat “clean”. I have seen a handful of posts on forum sites with the same issues; so its not just me. Drew Estate’s newest releases, KFC and Nica Rustica, hit the shelves recently and I was eager to try them. I was astonished that both bands came off without any trouble! It wasn’t just me, a few other people noticed this as well. So I hope DE has got a grasp on the “a little goes a long way” idea.
I would like to thank all who have supported NTA this year. Through comments, review cigar samples, shares on social media if it wasn’t for you guys, NTA would not be. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support.
MANY THANKS GUYS AND GALS!
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