General Cigar will be the toast of Indianapolis this weekend, with sampling events that are on par with the Big Game itself. In fact, two of the three events that General Cigar is participating in have been named to BleacherReport.com’s highly-publicized ranking of the “10 Best Parties of Super Bowl Week.”

According to Alan Willner, General Cigar’s vice president of marketing said, “General Cigar has long been known for associating our brands with high profile events that elevate the cigar smoking occasion. This year, we’ll once again be at the best parties leading up to the ‘Big Game’ to bring the ultimate cigar smoking experience to A-list athletes, celebrities and football enthusiasts.”

Last night’s Jaws Cigar Party was hosted by none other than Ron Jaworski at Nicky Blaine’s cigar bar in downtown Indy. This fundraiser benefitted Ron’s pet charities — Jaws Youth Playbook Foundation and Gleaners Food Bank’s BackSack program.

An array of General Cigar favorites, including La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale, CAO OSA Sol and Macanudo Cru Royale, as well as Macanudo Vintage 1997 Maduro were available for Ron’s guests which included his ESPN boothmates. We’ll provide more details on the event, including photos, next week.

Tonight (Friday, Feb. 3) is the SPP Sports Poker Tournament to be held at the Indianapolis Zoo. General Cigar will be on hand to sample Punch, Grand Puro and Grand Cru cigars to event hosts Devin Hester, LeSean McCoy. Other noteworthy names expected to attend are Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement) and Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side) and a slew of NFL greats. Stay tuned for more info.

Saturday night is the big Rolling Stone party at the Crane Bay event center. To celebrate Bacardi’s 150th anniversary, General Cigar has teamed up with the premier rum brand and will serve La Gloria Cubana and CAO La Traviata to a roster of A-list guests. Jeff Gordon, Joe Jonas, Marc Anthony, Nikki Reed and Andy Roddick are all expected to attend.

Outside of Indy, General Cigar is once again participating in Franco Harris’ annual Immaculate Reception. This year’s event will be held in Sin City and will benefit Soldier’s Angels. Franco’s beloved Punch Grand Cru cigars will be on hand for guests to smoke and savor.

** Event recaps and photos will be available following the Big Game.

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Name: Black Market
Company: Alec Bradley
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Panama & Honduras
Comes in: Box of 22
Price: $7.40/stick
Vitola: Toro (6 x 50)

The Black Market did not let me down. It was a well balanced medium to full-bodied cigar with tons of flavor. I picked up lots of espresso and cocoa and some notes of wood and spice. The Tempus is still my favorite cigar from Alec Bradley, but I think the Black Market is now my second favorite, demoting the Prensado to third.

I strongly suggest giving this cigar a try. It’s box worthy to me, but it’s definitely worth picking up a 5-pack if you’re looking to give it a try.

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Details

Size: 16-3/4″ W x 10-3/4″ D x 6-3/4″ H
Capacity: up to 150 cigars
Comes With: Humidifier, Hygrometer, Cigar Scissors and 3 Adjustable Dividers
Price: $189.00

Form

First off the Winston Humidor’s combination of eye catching shape and finish make for a nice addition to any smoke room. My personal taste leans towards darker finishes, but in the case of the Winston I really enjoy the mesh of light and dark colors. The unit as a whole is feels heavy in the hands. Quality hardware, in the way of hinges, was used which made for easy opening.

In my experience most humidors of this size are equipped with a lock. The Winston, however, does not come with one. I’m not sure that a lock is actually necessary, and in some cases it becomes a burden when a key is misplaced, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

The Winston humidor includes a humidifier, hygrometer and cigar scissors. All of these items attach nicely to the inside top of the lid using a magnet that is hidden inside the lid. To me this is a nice touch considering the Velcro used in equally expensive humidors which always seems to fail after prolonged exposure to humidity.

Function

The humidor that’s in my procession didn’t seem to have the tightest of seals when I first unpackaged it. I came to this conclusion based on personal experience with other humidors. With others I could always sense a “grab” when the lid was lifted from the base. To me this was indicating a tight fit between the lid and base. I didn’t feel that same “grab” with the Winston. Then I remembered an old trick a local shop owner taught me years ago to test a humidors seal. He told me that if you close a dollar bill between the lid and base that you should be able to feel significant resistance as the bill is pulled out. That indicates a proper seal. I tried this with the Winston and found the seal to be adequate.

Since I’ve been using this humidor for approximately 4 months I’ve had the opportunity to use the humidor in a variety of humid and dry weather conditions. All humidors, in varying degrees, fall prey to the extremes in weather, and the Winston was no exception. During humid times I had to refill the humidifier every two and a half weeks. During drier periods the refills fluctuated between one and a half to two weeks. Overall I’d say the humidor performed rather well. I was able to keep the humidor in a range of 62-8% RH with little effort.

The description states that “up to 150 cigars” can be placed in this humidor. I can wee that if they were all coronas. However, I’ve had a variety of sizes in the humidor so I’ve been able to fit anywhere between 30 and 60 sticks in the humidor at one time.

Final Thoughts

Overall I’ve been very pleased with the Winston humidor. To me it performed well in all the areas a humidor should. The cherry on top is the appearance, which in my opinion is stunning. To me this humidor is a great buy, one that I would spend my own hard earned money on.

For better picutures of the finish and interior of the Winston humidor please visit the 1st Class Cigar Humidors. Also, please leave any feedback you have on this review. Since it was my first time reviewing a humidor, other than an travel humidor, i’d appreciate any feedback you may have on how to make any future articles more informative.

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In the coming months we will finally be launching a redesigned site that we’ve promised for the last two years. Along with the redesign we’re hoping to improve the way you’re able to view our content. I’m also hoping to change things up and provide some different types of content. With that said, I’d like to once again ask for your input regarding what you’d like to see. What can we do better? What would you like to see? Should we just STFU?

Also, this New Year is going to bring about a change for me. Throughout 2011 you might have noticed a drastic drop in the amount of posts from me. Well without going into a ton of detail I’ll just say there were a number of personal and professional reasons that I just couldn’t keep up. Good news is things are starting to slow down and I should be back to regular weekly posts. I’d really like to thank Ben and Shawn for keeping this boat afloat while I was absent.

One more piece of business. At the beginning of December I posted the “Sometimes I Just Want and El Cheapo” article along with a contest. I sent and e-mail to the winner, Brian, but have not yet heard back. I’ll give Brian until midnight Friday, January 6th to reply. If I don’t receive a reply by then I’ll choose a new winner via a random number generator.

So that just about wraps up all I have to say. We hope you have a great year and look forward to seeing what you have to say.

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em

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“Delightful Dozen”

* Viaje Exclusivo Tower 45th Anniversary – I’ll probably catch alot of grief with this being a limited production cigar; but this cigar really impressed me. It was a cigar for one particular retailer, Tower Cigars, I was able to split a box with Ben. This smoke was amazingly good right out of the box and has been getting better with some age on them. I knew as soon as I smoked it, I knew it would be one of my top cigars of the year.

* Crowned Heads – Four Kicks Robusto – The highly anticipated release from Jon Huber was on my “have to get” list. And I was not disappointed by it at all. I had a few of each and decided the Robusto was the best. But the other vitolas were also very good as well. Either size you get, you are getting a solid medium bodied smoke with lots of flavor.

* Adrian’s Cro Magnon Knuckle Dragger – Ben had gave me this unbanded dark wrappered cigar and said “Just try it, I know you’ll like it”. So I did right then and there. About an inch or so into it, I said “Wow! These are powerful and flavorful!” Thats the one thing I like about the Cro Magnons; they are powerful and flavorful. Unlike alot of the other “powerhouse” cigars, the Cro Magnon has alot of awesome flavor! I had the EMH, and even in the larger RG, it was still awesome, but still preferred the smaller RG.

* My Uzi Weighs a Ton (MUWAT) – An amazing collaboration of Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua, the “Uzi” is one of the few 60RG cigars that I like and actually smoke on a regular basis. The 60rg has always been too large of a ring gauge and never felt quite right. But the Uzi comes in all 60rg in 5,6,&7″ lengths. It was a toss up either the Undercrown or the Uzi, and the Uzi seems to have a little better flavor profile that I like. The name would let you think that its a powerhouse smoke, but in all actuality its a nice medium-full bodied smoke thats full on flavor.

* E.P. Carillo – New Wave Connecticut – Now, the first thing I think of when I see a Connecticut wrapped cigar is “mild and flavorless”. The New Wave Connecticut is totally different with a nice medium body with very nice flavors that offer a little spice, sweetness, and nuttiness. I don’t smoke many Connecticut wrapped cigars, but this one is on the list of a regular smoke. It goes great with a good cup of not so strong coffee and is a great morning or afternoon smoke. I was really impressed with this smoke for a Connecticut.

* Viaje Late Harvest – Toro – I was at a time where I wasn’t going to chase down any LE cigars, and the Late Harvest happen to land in my humidor and I’m really glad it did. I have smoked both the Robusto and Toro and both are magnificent! I couldn’t pick an overall winner in size. But, the Toro seemed to be my favorite, just do to the longer smoking time. A great flavored cigar that shows a cigar doesn’t have to be full body to be good.

* La Caridad del Cobre – Javelin – I am always on the lookout for new Lanceros and Ben knowing this, handed me one a few months back and just said “try it”. Well, he didn’t have to tell me to try a lancero, but I am sure glad he did! This cigar is at the top, if not the #1 lancero I have ever had! Nice and strong body with great flavors. The shape alone is very interesting in the fact its a lancero/perfecto vitola. With sweet coffee like and spice notes, this cigar was a winner in my book. I did try the La Cucaracha (perfecto) and liked it as well, but the Javelin was still my overall favorite.

* Emilio Cigars – Grimalkin – A simple band design with two eyes staring at you covers up the complexity of the cigar underneath it. Grimalkin means “evil looking cat” and this cat is full of flavors that lead me to wanting more and more. Gary Griffith nailed this smoke as well as his others he has put out. But the Grimalkin reigns as the winner in my book with the nice cocoa notes and subtle spice.

* New Havana Cigars – Capa Especial – Only 70 boxes made, Ben and I were able to split one and I am sure glad I did! Similar to the Tatuaje 7th Capa (same sumatra wrapper), this smoke is totally amazing! This cigar is the NHC Seleccion Limitada with the 7th Capa Sumatra wrapper. The Sumatra wrapper really makes this cigar pop! I am a huge fan of Sumatra wrapped cigars and this cigar didn’t disappoint me one bit!

* San Lotano Oval Robusto – I enjoy alot, if not every cigar that AJ Fernandez comes out with. I saw alot of talk about these on twitter from numerous people when they came out. So when I was at Buckhead Cigar Club I had to try one, and ended up smoking a few. I had the Corona (in which I also reviewed) and the robusto. Out of the two, the robusto seemed to be the best balance of flavors and also seemed to be the favorite size out of many I talked to as well.

* Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero - Once again, a lancero gets in my top cigars of the year. Even though its a petite lancero, I still like this cigar alot. To me, its the flavors of a Tat Black, but more condensed down into a flavor bomb. The price tag of around $9+ kept me away from them some, but it still was not enough to keep me from buying them. I like the Tat Black Tubos, but the rarity of them has me leaning to like the Petite Lanceros alot more.

* Viaje Exclusivo Shorts – At first, these were a little on the “fresh” side and needed some rest. Every month or so, I found myself pulling one out of the humidor and each time, I enjoyed it more than the one prior to it. These are one of my favorite “short smokes” for when I want a powerful & flavorful cigar in a short amount of time.

-

“Sweet Spot Smokes”

This small selection of smokes is for the cost conscious cigar enjoyer or a new cigar smoker who doesn’t want to or can’t spend $10 or more on a cigar, but wants a good tasting smoke. I’m calling them my “Sweet Spot Smokes”. I refer to my “sweet-spot” price point at being around $7.00. Not that these cigars are cheaply made smoke, but just an affordable good tasting new smoke.

* Padilla LA Terraza Habano – At around $4.50, this smoke is a long filler smoke that shows you don’t have to break the bank to have a good smoke. Me and a few buddies cleared out a B&M of these during one trip they are a great smoke.

* My Father La Reloba Mexican – Don’t get me wrong, the Sumatra and Habano line of these cigars are good, but the Mexican selection is just a little bit better in my eyes. I think its the San Andreas wrapper from Mexico that really turns me onto this smoke. Usually a Mexican grown tobacco is not very high quality, but in this case, I could care less. Its a great smoke at about $5.50.

* Tabacums by Habana Port Cigar Merchants – When I saw the $3.50 price tag for a long filler handmade smoke I thought to myself “Its worth a shot, it may be a diamond in the rough”. And my thoughts were exactly right. Ben and I liked them enough we did a “quad review” of these cigars right on the spot at the B&M with Thomas Bender and Louis Molina. Its hard to find a hand rolled, let alone a good hand rolled cigar for under $4 these days and this one is definately one of them!

* Room 101 Namakubi – Papi Chulo – For $6.20, this cigar may seem a little over priced for a petite corona size, but if you want a Limited Run Cigar that has great flavors and have little smoke time, try these. A bit of sweetness then some black pepper. Its starts off sweet and ends off with a Severed Head of Black Pepper.

* Tatuaje P Series – I like almost every Tatuaje cigar produced. I saw the “P Series” and learned they were a Sumatra wrapped mixed filler smoke, I had to try them. At about $4.50, they are a milder smoke than most typical Tatuajes, but for a mixed filler, I really liked it. A Sumatra wrapped Tatuaje at a great price is a win-win in my book!

* Man O War – Puro Authentico - A Cigars International exclusive is the only drawback I have with this smoke. But a $6 price tag with awesome flavors that to me are very similar to a very popular cigar (with a “T” in the name) at half the cost is winner to me! I absolutely love these smokes’ flavor, size and price tag. An over all flavor bomb!

-

My 2011 Cigar of the Year

Tatuaje Avion 11

I guess I am turning into a “Tat Whore”, but when this cigar came out, I almost didn’t buy it. The $10.65 price tag at the time was a little too much I wanted to spend on a cigar. But I went ahead bought it, smoked it, and enjoyed it enough that I suspect I probably bought a 3/4 box over time.
The woody/earthy core with slight pepper and a faint sweetness is the flavor profile that I have to come to enjoy. The size of 6 3/4″ x 48/52rg (Perfecto Grande) is a great size cigar when you have time to enjoy a smoke. I have enjoyed many of these cigars as well as some of the others in the Fausto line; but the Avion seems to be the best of the line. A cigar with a full body and full (awesome) flavored Nicaraguan smoke is why I consider this my 2011 Cigar of the Year.

2011 Wrap Up and Special Thanks 

I’ve had alot of good, great, and not so great cigars this year. I would like to thank all my friends who have gifted or suggested me cigars. Without you, it would be a tough decision on what to smoke at times and I would have possibly missed out on some great cigars. Though I have only been with NTA a few months, I am appreciative of all of your comments, suggestions, and ideas. I look forward to what next year brings. Thank you!

“Nothing Beats a Nice Tight Ash”

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Guillermo Leon, owner of La Aurora Cigars with the La Aurora 107 Puro Vintage…..unreleased as of yet.  Amazing cigar.  I hope El Gato Grande decides to release this cigar.

Jason Wood of Miami Cigars, Mike of Buckhead Cigar Club and Guillermo Leon of La Aurora with the La Aurora 107 Puro Vintage and The Big Mike

Mike smoking The Big Mike……6 x 80 cigar.

Tour of the Sweet Water Brewery with Shawn and Brian Hewitt.  GREAT beers.

22 oz bone in rib eye and cheesy mashed potatoes at NY Prime in Buckhead, GA.  Unbelievable.

The Double Coronary Bypass from The Vortex

The DCB burger description

Totchos – Loaded nachoes, but instead of tortilla chips, they use tater tots.  Ingenious.

….and now for the greatest things probably ever conjured up in a kitchen…….

Rathburn's Thick Cut Bacon with a sweet BBQ glaze…….yes, you heard me right.  Godly.

This is BY FAR the greatest gastronomical nirvana ever created.  

Absolutely E……P…….I…….C.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and Maple Ice Cream coated in powered sugar and covered in BACON sprinkles.  You're either extremely jealous right now or crying.  Go ahead.  It's ok.

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And just to add a little something extra to the review I had my Dad sit in with me. This is only the second time he’s smoked the Anarchy, but I get the impression he’ll be looking to pick some up for himself. Watch the video to her what we have to say.

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Take for example the Padron Palmas Maduro I’m smoking right now. I picked this cigar up a local B&M for $4.30. The cigar is burning and drawing well and to this point has been an extremely enjoyable cigar. The Palmas is full-bodied, well balanced and provides a satisfying combination of cocoa and coffee flavors with a healthy blast of spice. I could see myself smoking this cigar quite often, and at $4.30/stick I could see keeping a box or two on hand.

Over the last couple of years I’ve reviewed a number of budget friendly cigars, and I hope to keep that trend up in the coming years. To help me do that I’d like to ask for your help. Leave a comment below letting me know you favorite cigar in the $3-5 price range or a cigar in that price range that you’d like me to review. I’ll do my best to try and sample as many of your suggestions as possible. And just so I can make sure I get plenty of suggestions to pick from I’m going to offer up a 5 pack of the Padron Palmas Maduro to one randomly selected person. I’ll accept all comments posted up until 12/9/2011 @ Midnight EST and you must provide a legitimate e-mail address so I can contact you for shipping information. I look forward to seeing your suggestions.

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Cromagnon 5pk Halloween Contest Winners:
“Tom” with “The Exorcist”
“C Bradley” with “The Original Halloween”

My Contests:
Oakland Raiders vs Cleveland Browns
Prize: General Cigars Blogger Pack
Total Score was 41.
Winner: TriMarkC
He got it dead on! Good job!

Auburn vs. Florida
Prize: Macanudo Millionares Sampler Pack
Total Score was 23
Winner: Cindi with a total score of 37

Ben’s contests:
New Orleans vs Carolina
Prize: General Cigars Blogger Pack
Total Score was 57
Winners: Tcigar & Andy K Both had total scores of 55

Mississippi State vs UAB
Prize: Macanudo Millionares Sampler Pack
Total Score was 24
Winner: Andy K. with a total score of 31

Congratulations to the winners!

Please Email Ben at Ben@Nicetightash.com with you addresses and we will ge the prizes out to you.
Thanks to all that played and to the sponors of the contests General Cigars.

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Richmond, VA—General Cigar is pleased to announce that Alan Willner has joined the company as vice president of marketing.

A consumer product marketing veteran with 20 years of experience, Willner will play an integral role in increasing the company’s market share. As such, he will oversee General Cigar’s consumer and trade marketing, public relations, CRM, event and innovation platforms, and will also spearhead international sales and marketing initiatives. Additionally, Willner will direct Club Macanudo® in New York City.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Alan’s unique blend of strategic planning, brand building and product development expertise. Alan’s experience and vision will help further define our brands and we look forward to the contributions he will make toward driving deeper market penetration and consumer engagement,” said Dan Carr, president of General Cigar.

Willner joins General Cigar from Starr Hill Brewery where he held the position of president and CEO.  Starr Hill is an award-winning, craft brewery and partner of Anheuser-Busch. During his tenure at Starr Hill, Willner dramatically increased distribution and created new products which resulted in Starr Hill becoming one of the fastest growing breweries in the U.S. and one of the largest in the competitive mid-Atlantic region.

Earlier in his career, Alan held leadership positions with the Coors Brewing Company, Diageo and Nabisco.

“As premium cigar smokers increasingly seek connectivity with the brands they enjoy, and as retailers seek new ways to expose consumers to the premium cigar lifestyle, I am excited about the opportunity to work with our team of cigar masters and artisans to bring their passion to life.”

As Vice President of Marketing, Willner will join the company’s management team and will report directly to President Dan Carr.

Willner is a graduate of Arizona State University and also studied at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He previously served as Chapter President for the American Marketing Association.

About General Cigar

General Cigar Co. Inc., a division of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®,  La Gloria Cubana®, CAO, Partagas®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories.

In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and also exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

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