Crowned Heads Announces ‘Headley Grange’ Project
Viaje Super Shot 10 Gauge
Viaje recently released 3 new additions to their cigar lines: Winter Class (WLP), Friends and Family, Super Shot. The Super Shot is the cigar I’m reviewing today. Patterned after a shotgun shell (shotgun shells come in 3 sizes today: 2 3/4″, 3″ and 3 1/2″) and these cigars coming in at 3 1/2 x 54 ring gauge in boxes of 25 cigars. The boxes are patterned after Remington shotgun boxes from the 40s or 50s. A 12 gauge version will be released at the end of March that will be 3 1/2″ x 52. Viaje used all Nicaraguan tobacco for these cigars using the upper primings of the tobacco plant for the tobacco in the cigar. These get more sun so they are thicker and more oily. They also develop a richer flavor and more strength. Is this cigar a hit or a dud? Watch the video and find out.
Thanks for Mike Mando at The Cigar Shop in Biloxi, MS and Browning for their assistance in the review.
RoMa Craft releases new Intemperance
RoMa Craft announced the release of their new Intemperance line featuring two different wrappers: a Brazilian Arapiraca and an Ecuadorian Connecticat wrapper. Released in both parejo and figurado sizes, the retail prices range from $5.00 to $7.00. Sampler packs are available for order now at their online store at Hava Cigar Shop with 5 and 10 packs coming in March. Boxes of 24/30 (Petito) will be released to retailers in May.. Pre-release orders are being taken now with a 20% discount.
Intemperance EC XVIII – Ecuador Connecticut
The Charity, a 4 x 46 Petito, $5.00
The Virtue, a 4 1/2 x 52 Short Robusto, $6.00
The Faith, a 5 x 50 Short Perfecto, $6.50
The Industry, a 5 1/2 x 54 Belicoso, $7.00
Intemperance BA XXI – Brazil Arapiraca
The Intrigue, a 4 x 46 Petito, $5.00
The Avarice, a 4 1/2 x 52 Short Robusto, $6.00
The Envy, a 5 x 50 Short Perfecto, $6.50
The Ambition, a 5 1/2 x 54 Belicoso, $7.00
RoMa Craft is a new cigar company founded by Skip Martin and Michael Rosales. They brought in both their cigar lines, Cromagnon and Adrians, under RoMa Craft and will be releasing new lines under RoMa Craft.
EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Reinados
The New Wave Connecticut was released last year and garnered many accolades from us cigar bloggers. It was hard not to find it on many of our Top Cigars of the Year list, including mine. A very flavorful, medium bodied Connecticut, was a huge hit. Now, EP Carrillo released this years Short Run in the New Wave Connecticut. The Short Run 2012 uses the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the New Wave Connecticut with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder along with Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers from the Core Line maduro. I’ve been a really big fan of the cigars that EP Carrillo has put out after the Inaugral Edition 2009, which I didn’t care for at all. This cigar was no different. Starting out with a mild body and later developing into a medium bodied cigar, the cigar had notes of wood, sweet spice, honey, cocoa and the great creaminess of the New Wave Connecticut. The smaller ring gauges had a more concentrated flavor and more fuller body, but the larger Reinados was smoother than the rest. Another great cigar from EP Carrillo.
- Exquisitos: 4 7/8 x 50 – $6.35
- Invictos 5 7/8 x 52 – $7.10
- Reinados: 6 1/4 x 60 – $8.60
Thanks to EP Carrillo for sending me a sampler pack of these cigars for review.
Rocky Patel to release exclusive “Burn” cigar to Rocky Patel cigar lounges
Rocky Patel announced today the release of an exclusive cigar for their cigar lounges called “Burn”. The cigar will make its first appearance at the Cigar Cave in Palm Harbor, FL with releases to all other Rocky Patel cigar lounges shortly thereafter. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with a proprietary blend of tobaccos from Nicaragua as the binder and filler. It will be released in 3 sizes in 20 count boxes:
Robusto (5×50) – $152.00 retail
Toro (6×52) – $162.00 retail
Titan (8 ½ x 60) – $186.00 retail
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Illusione 68
There is quite a following of the Illusione line of cigars. I tried a few here and there when I first got into cigars. I jumped head first and wasn’t quite ready for this flavor profile of cigar just yet in the larger ring gauges. I was smoking mainly the larger ring gauge Illusione and didn’t care too much for them. I stopped buying them all together for a while and then got a hold of a few HL Maduros (OR). I fell in love with that cigar and thought; “Even though its a maduro, I wonder if I’ll like the smaller ring gauge cigars”. So I tried the smaller ring gauges and found to like the smaller ring gauge a lot better than the larger. Watch the video and see my take of the 68.
Paul Stulac Phantom
The Paul Stulac line of cigars started off with Paul Stulac, a B&M owner from Canada. Paul was on vacation in Miami, FL a few years back and went to the Cuban Crafters factory and started talking with Enrique “Don Kiki” Berger. One thing led to another and eventually they came up with the Paul Stulac cigar line. I have seen a little talk of these on a few forums and when I was at Buckhead Cigar Club in Buckhead (Atlanta) GA this December for the 2011 ATL Tweetup I saw they had them on hand. I figured, why not try one. I smoked the Phantom and liked it alot. The next day, I tried the Angel as well. I liked it too, but the Phantom seemed to be a little more on my wavelength. I had another Phantom the last day there and I brought one home to review.
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Gran Habano GAR Opium STK
Another release from Gran Habano under the STK series this year is the Opium. The Opium is a limited release cigar with only 1000 boxes released. Coming in at $9.00, that’s not bad at all for such a limited release. The Opium exhibits a very unique hybrid wrapper of corojo and habano seed tobacco that produced a very dark brown, oily wrapper. The filler is a mystery, only being list as “mix of unique fillers”. So, how did it all turn out. For me, not to great. The cigar had a very rich, deep earthy flavor with some wood notes, but that wasn’t all. It got very bitter for me after about the first inch and never let up. When Gran Habano has something like the Zulu Zulu STK out there, for cheaper I might add, I would much rather spend my money on that. Watch the video for more in depth analysis.
Sosa Underground Delphic
The Sosa Underground is a new cigar that is part of the new wave of edgy/urban cigar lines that seem to be so popular as of late. Overseen by Arby Sosa, Sosa’s Sales Manager, at the Sosa cigar factory in Little Havana, FL, this cigar has many difference that set it apart from the other brands. The Sosa family reached out to a famous Miami tattoo artist, Jay Barranco, to come up with the Undergrown logo.
This cigar comes in three very different sizes:
Arcane (perfecto) 4 ¾ x 41
Delphic (perfecto) 5 ½ x 41
Dar (robusto) 5 x 50
Using a Habano wrapper from Nicaragua with a binder and filler also from Nicaragua, the cigar did have a nice spice note. That wasn’t all. The cigar show a nice balance of woodiness, nuttiness (is that a word?) with a nice sweetness through out the cigar. The cigar also had a nice buttery mouth feel with the smoke as well make the cigar a joy to smoke. You really can’t beat this cigar for the price.
General Cigar Kicks off Super Bowl Weekend in Indy
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.