Shawn’s 2012 Cigar of the Year Contest
It is that time of the year where everyone is working on and letting know what their 2012 Cigars of the year list is. I have got my list on the drawing board, but have already came up with my 2012 Cigar of the year. I have to do a few final decisions on which ones make and do not make the final cut of the overall list.
Here is a hint to my 2012 Cigar of the year: Its going to be a shocker to many of you.
Contest Prize: A 5pk of my 2012 Cigar of the year.
Contest Rules: I will publish my final list on Saturday 12-22-12 sometime after lunch. All you have to do to win is guess my 2012 Cigar of the Year. Simple as that!
- Put your guess as a comment on this post.
- One guess per person.
- First one to guess it wins.
- Contest ends on 12-22-12 at 12:00 noon CST.
- You don’t have to guess the size, just the maker and line.
- Open to anyone over 18 in the CONUS.
GOOD LUCK!!
Herederos De Robaina Toro
Little is known about the Herederos De Robaina line of cigars. They are though made by Amercian Caribbean Tobacco in Esteli, Nicaragua. They were recently added to the growing portfolio of cigars that Emilio Cigars distributes. They will be available in four sizes (robusto, toro, torpedo & churchill) in 10 and 20 count boxes. They should be on the shelves soon, if not already, with prices that start at about $5.75 and go up from there.
The Details:
Size: 6×50
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: unknown
Binder: unknown
Filler: unknown
Note: The blend make up is not disclosed by Herederos De Robaina or Gary Griffith (who supplied me the samples to try for review). I have mixed feelings of not disclosing the blend, but its their blend and can understand why they wouldn’t want to publish it.
First Looks: Nice medium to dark brown wrapper with a few small veins that has a fairly firm feel to it. No hard or soft spots the length of the cigar. A very simplistic band covers the top portion of the cigar. Its not very eye catching, but we don’t smoke the bands, we smoke the cigar!
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La Musa Melete to Ship this week from Emilio Cigars
Emilio Cigars Announce Epicurean Cigars Joint Distribution Agreement
Dona Flor CC Bahia Blend Corona
Dona Flor Cigars has been around for 35 years, but the roots of the company go back to the 1930s when Alonso Menendez perfected the art of cigar making in Cuba. The Dona Flor brand was released to American soil in 2005. But turmoil between the Florida distributor and Dona Flor has kept the cigars away for many of years. The lawsuit was settled, and Dona Flor is now distributed via a Colorado company named “Dona Flor USA” a division of  International Cigar Group. Dona Flor cigar are made in four blends, mainly composed of Brazilian tobacco.
 
Size: 5.5 x 44
Vitola: Corona
Wrapper: Connecticut ShadeÂ
Binder:Â Mata Fina
Filler:Â Mata Fina & Mata Norte
Source: Sample from Dona Flor USA
Things I’ve Realized as a Cigar Smoker
I’ve been smoking cigars for over a decade, but more enjoying them for about 5 or so years. I’ve had some great cigars which I get from a local cigar smoking bar. And over the years, I’ve realized a few things I thought I would share with you all. Some are basic things and a few are a little more in-depth.
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Ezra Zion and Emilio Cigars have entered into a nationwide distribution agreement
Press Release: November 30, 2012 Kyle, Chris, & the Don, the owners of Ezra Zion Cigar Company and CigarFederation.com, and Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, announced today that they have entered into a nationwide distribution agreement. To satisfy the rapidly expanding demand for the super-boutique Ezra Zion product line the Emilio sales staff will service new and existing accounts.
“When we launched Ezra Zion Cigar Company at IPCPR in August, we were overwhelmed by the positive response and volume of orders.†said Chris, “Keeping up with the demand for our cigars and delivering a supreme, quality smoking experience is paramount to our company. Joining forces with Gary Griffith and the House of Emilio will allow us to do that even better!†“We started Ezra Zion with the idea of making cigars that you and your buddies would make if you made a cigar. To us, smoking is a celebration and an experience to be had, not just a hobby. Partnering with Gary and his staff will bring that celebration to a shop near you.
The Inception and the Reagan lines have arrived at the Emilio Cigars warehouse in Vineland, NJ and will begin shipping immediately.
“I am delighted to be able to help this outstanding boutique manufacturer benefit from our existing shipping and billing facilities, and even more happy that we were able to make this arrangement with such passionate new cigar makers” said Griffith.
“Through videos and social media, we want to continue to bring innovation and insight into our cigar journey. Whether we are at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Ca. for a Reagan/Two If By Tea cigar pairing…in Nicaragua creating new blends…or on our ranch in Texas shooting an M-14 with a cigar burning, we want to bring cigar lovers everywhere into our world and take the journey with us.†added Chris.
Keep up with the Ezra Zion Cigar Company on EzraZion.com.
Follow on Twitter @EzraZionCigars
Gary A. Griffith
Emilio Cigars
Espinosa La Zona Connecticut Robusto
If you have been around cigars for a few years or so, you have surely heard of such brands as 601, Murcielago or Cubao. Well, one of the men behind these brands, Erik Espinosa, has started his own cigar company and purchased his own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. One of the first lines from the factory is the La Zona and is named after the factory. The La Zona is the “economical” cigar line from Erik and can be purchased in bundles of 20 for around $75+/-. For $3 and change, you wouldn’t expect much; so lets take a further look and see how this economical La Zona turns out.
1502 Cigars Ruby Toro
1502 Cigars is one of the new boutique lines that have came about recently from Global Premium Cigars. Recently the guys at Emilio Cigars (who gratiously gave me this cigar to try) picked up the 1502 lines under their wings for distribution. 1502 has two other lines besides the Ruby; The Black Gold and the Emerald. The Black Gold is the fuller of the lines. The Ruby being the medium body line. The Emerald is the milder of the three lines.
As Enrique Sánchez (Company owner) says “I like to start my day with an Emerald, then I enjoy a Ruby after lunch, and a Black Gold to end the night.”
Vitola: Toro (Box Pressed)
Wrapper: Equadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan from Jalapa Valley and EstelÃ
Source: Sample
First Looks: The 1502 Ruby is a very unique looking cigar. We have all seen a closed or shaggy foot cigar. But this has a half closed foot, which is pretty interesting to the fact, I have never seen a cigar foot presented in this form. The wrapper comes around the foot and leaves just a tad bit of the filler showing. I think it would help with getting an even burn due the wrapper is getting toasted just as evenly as the filler tobacco.
Overall, it has a soft almost spongy feel to the cigar. A nice oily sheen on the Sumatra wrapper with a slight tooth. A few minimal veins run through the wrapper, but no major veins. The wrapper has a slightly sweet and woody aroma to it. The foot aroma has a nice cinnamon and slight peppery aroma.
About a third into the cigar, the pepper seems to ease off even more. And a malt chocolate flavor starts to take shape. Its not a bold flavor, but a nice flavor.
Around half way, I got some citrus flavors accompanied to the muted coco/malty notes. Working into the final third, a earthy flavor eased onto my palate. This is when I really started to enjoy the cigar. An easy mix of white pepper, some malty coco, and earth tones, in the final third, is the plateau I think of the cigar. Right towards the end, a nice amount of black pepper arose from the ashes with a slight undertone coco note. It wasn’t a bold pepper, but a nice medium strength pepper note. I was still not 100% off of my head cold, so I didn’t attempt a retrohale.
Website: Global Premium Cigars
Twitter: @1502Cigars
Facebook: 1502 Cigars
Montana Azul Torpedo
Back in 2010 I was at the IPCPR Trade show in New Orleans, LA and was handed a few of these cigars. I set them with the rest of the samples into my humidor and quite frankly forgot about them. I kept seeing them peek out in the humidor and thought to myself “I haven’t tried one of them, nor have I ever seen anything on them”. So I figured to try it and let ya’ll know what I thought of it.
This is from Blue Mountain Cigars from Esteli Nicaragua. Blue Mountain Cigars have been in the cigar business since early 1995. Ran by Marvin Wright and his Jacqueline, Marvin has a history of tobacco. His father grew it, and when Marvin grew up he moved to Cuba to learn more about cigars. Eventually, Marvin landied in Jamaica to build the company of Blue Mountain Cigars. Reading into the name “Montana Azul” and looking at the band. I think the band looks like the blue (Azul) skyline of Montana, but thats just a hunch.
Vitola: Torpedo
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Source: Sample
First Looks: The cigar looks very well. A nice smooth wrapper with tight roll lines and no tooth. The band is a little flashy and shinny. Im not into flashy and shinny bands; I like a more “classical” band. But we don’t smoke the band, so I’ll get away from it. The overall feal of the cigar is nice. No soft or hard spots the length of the cigar. The wrapper has a light wood & cedar aroma to it. The prelight draw is good with about 1/4″ cut off the torpedo tip.
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