PUNCH KICKS OFF TAILGATING SEASON WITH SIX PACK AND SWEEPS
Punch Cigars® is inviting cigar lovers to kick off football season with the brand’s first-ever tailgating pack and sweepstakes.
Debuting this month at cigar shops across the country, the limited edition six-pack comes with a great starting lineup of top-sellers from one of the best brands to hail from Honduras. Â Created with the tailgating enthusiast in mind, the pack contains a range of Punch cigars to smoke and share. Inside each pack are three, beefy Champion frontmarks from the Punch, Double Maduro and Rare Corojo collections, along with a Punch Grand Cru Maduro, a Punch Elite and one Punch Deluxe Robusto. Also contained inside is a Punch-branded cigar cutter and bottle opener, all for the suggested retail price of $24.99 per pack.
“Tailgating fits perfectly into our occasion-based marketing platform,†said Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar. “We created this promotion to connect with consumers while they’re tailgating because hanging out with the guys and gearing up for the game is one of the best times to sit back, light up a Punch cigar and maybe do a little trash talking about the other team.â€
To give sports fans the chance to tailgate like a pro, Punch is also running a sweepstakes. Between now and December 28, consumers of legal smoking age can visit www.punchcigars.com to enter to win the Punch Tailgating grand prize: Five boxes of Punch cigars; a Char-Broil Grill2Go Grill; a $200 Chicago Steak Companygift card; a $500 StubHub gift card; a tailgate lounger; a tailgate game table, and a Punch-branded lighter and ashtray.
In addition, the Punch tailgating six-pack will be awarded to one lucky winner per day between now and December 28. No purchase necessary. For official rules, please visit www.punchcigars.com.
Punch cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., which manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo®, Cohiba®, Partagas® Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana® and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.
® Punch, Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur, La Gloria Cubana and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
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Antonio Benitez Maduro Corona
P. Benitez Cigars has been around for a few years out of the region of Jalapa Valley and Estelà Nicaragua. Their Cuban seed, Habana Criollo tobacco is rolled in their factory in Managua, Nicaragua. The Antonio Benitez is the second blend from said factory. It was blended by Pedro Benitez and his son, Reynold in honor of Benitez’s first grandson, Reynold Antonio.
Vitola: Corona
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo
Source: Sample
First Look: A very prominent “A” sticks out in gold on the band against a dark brown habano maduro wrapper leaf. A nicely applied double cap covers the fairly firm feeling cigar. The firm feel also relates to the firm draw that is slightly more than milkshake thick. Cold draw reveals dark chocolate/cocoa and hay tastes. The foot has a woody and dark chocolate aroma to it that is fairly pleasant to the senses.
Construction: Overall, it had a fairly thick draw, but not enough to put it down or give me a headache. The burn had a slight curve to it and produced a tight ringed off-white ash, which held for about an inch or so. Even though it had a thick draw, it still produced a good amount of dense smoke that had a peppery room note. A seasoned cigar enjoyer would like the room note, but could see where a nonsmoker or novice could see it being overbearing in strength. Me, I liked the room note alot.
Flavors: Notes of charred meat with a slight “twang” on the tongue are the first thoughts of the smoke. Nice and dark flavors which alot of people have came to like.The dark wrapper color goes hand & hand with the dark flavors I get at the start. When I say dark, you would think the flavors or overly bold and harsh. But that is not the case one bit. Working into it more, notes of black pepper start to compliment the dark charred meat notes. Its like I was smoking a smoked pepper rubbed steak. The farther I got into it, the black pepper seemed to ramp up in strength.
Around a 1/3 into it, some dark espresso flavors seem to take over some. But the black pepper tastes are still present. Through out the cigar, the meaty, peppery, and espresso notes bounce all over my palate. I really enjoyed the complexity of the smoke. It is not too complex to where the point of you getting a nice flavor you like, then quickly changing to another flavor. I like a nice complex smoke, but not too complex to where you loose track of a good flavor in the complexity.
The last part of the cigar stayed pretty much the same as the middle portion. Meaty and peppery, yet also seemed to mellow off some in flavor strength and body. At the very end, the black pepper seemed to drop off almost all together and changed into a toast note. That was completely unexpected!
Final Thoughts:Â I really liked this cigar alot. The one dislike was the thicker draw. I liked the mix of espresso, charred meat, and black pepper notes. It was like I was having espresso with my steak dinner. A fairly complex smoke thats produced a peppery room note. Later on, I will review the same cigar in a 6×60 size to see how the size affects the flavors. So keep your eyes pealed for it’s review in the next few weeks.
Tailgate Like A Champion With Punch
PunchCigars is giving away a 6-pack with your tailgate essentials: 6 Punch cigars, a cigar cutter and a bottle opener EVERY DAY from now until December 28. You can enter here: Punch Daily Prizes
Global Premium Cigars and Emilio Cigars Enter Distribution Agreement
Press Release, September 24, 2012
Global Premium Cigars and Emilio Cigars Enter Distribution Agreement
Enrique Sanchez Icaza, owner of Global Premium Cigars, makers of 1502 Cigars manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua, and Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, announced today that they have entered into a distribution agreement. Under this arrangement Emilio Cigars sales staff will bring the 1502 cigars to market, while Sanchez Icaza will continue to focus on manufacturing and product development along with retailer support and education about the brand. Sanchez Icaza will continue to handle sales in the state of Florida as well. The cigars will be warehoused and shipped from the Emilio Cigars facility in Vineland, NJ.
“I am delighted to be able to help another boutique manufacturer benefit from our existing shipping and billing facilities, and even more happy that we were able to make this arrangement with a dear friend” said Griffith.
Sanchez Icaza added: “I am very proud and honored to have Gary carry our 1502 Cigars. He is a true friend, great entrepreneur and a great cigar guru. I am sure our business relationship will be very successful!â€
Product should arrive at the Emilio Cigars warehouse within a week, and begin shipping immediately thereafter.
Gary A. Griffith
443-350-6957
Emilio Cigars
Nicaraguan Cigar Co. Condega Serie F Petite Robusto
Boutique or “Salon” cigar companies are coming up in the cigar community more and more each day. I was searching on Twitter for new companies and came upon a new company called Nicaraguan Cigar Co. and figured, why not follow them and see what they are all about. Shortly after I was offered to review their cigars for NTA and today I’m going to take a first impression of the Condega Serie F Petite Robusto.
Condega is the area in Nicaragua where the “famed” Esteli city is in. A lot of people have heard of Esteli, but not so much of Condega which adds to the mystique of this cigar. I’ve noticed a good number of great cigars come from Esteli, which means they also come from Condega; so lets see how this one fares up.
Vitola: Petite Robusto
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Arganorsa
Filler: Nicaraguan
Source: Sample from company
First Thoughts: Atop the cigar is a deeply and neatly applied double cap giving plenty of room for a cut. A medium brown wrapper with a few small veins covers the Serie F. The cigar has an overall firm feel with no hard of soft spots. The foot has a hay aroma to it. The whole cigar has a pleasant aroma to it, though I can not put my nose on exactly what it reminds me of. The cold draw is dead on. Its not too loose or too stiff, its right where I like to have a cigar draw at.
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AVO 25th Anniversary Edition
Tampa, FL – September 14, 2012 – This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the AVO cigar brand created by cigar icon Avo Uvezian, who began composing cigars in 1987. To celebrate the 25 years of “CIGARS IN PERFECT HARMONY,†Avo Uvezian has decided to share with you his two greatest passions, the piano and the cigar. It is this passion for music and cigars that has presented Avo with such happiness throughout the last quarter century. Today, in celebration of 25 years, Avo presents his passions to you…
A stunning black lacquered, wooden ‘piano’ box, containing a short-term humidification system and a small compartment for accessory storage, brilliantly displays the “AVO 25th Anniversary Edition†cigars. Presented in a splendid 6†x 52 Toro format, the full-bodied, remarkably aromatic cigar, possesses sweet and spicy notes with a truly captivating aftertaste. The extraordinarily balanced filler tobaccos are refined with a Piloto binder and crowned with a silky Criollo, Sun-Grown (D.R.) wrapper, creating an exceptional smoking experience. Consisting entirely of Dominican tobaccos – a true Dominican “Puro†is brought to life in celebration of this special anniversary.
“The packaging for this marvelous occasion is a masterpiece of its kind. The “grand piano†box, crafted specifically for the 25th Anniversary of the AVO brand, is monumental and beyond comparison.†explains Scott Kolesaire, AVO Brand Manager. “The 25th Anniversary Edition cigar is a magnificent blend that perfectly captures the passion, quality and expertise that has gone into every AVO cigar over the past 25 years.â€
The “AVO 25th Anniversary Edition†is produced in extremely limited quantities, only 2,000 individually numbered boxes containing 25 cigars each will be available in the United States. The retail price will be $16.00 per cigar – $400.00 per box, taxes not included.
“AVO 25th Anniversary Edition†was unveiled at the IPCPR convention in Orlando, FL. and will begin shipping to Select Merchant locations this week.
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Avo Uvezian is a cosmopolitan who began his career as a musician and went on to become a composer, cigar aficionado and even a creator of fine cigars. Avo, who lent his name to AVO Cigars, has nurtured all these talents in his quest for perfection. In both music and the creation of cigars, passion is the driving force that spurs him to find perfect harmony. Of Dominican origin, the AVO brand of cigars has become one of the most popular and beloved cigars of today’s market.
www.facebook.com/avocigar
www.avo.com
www.twitter.com/avocigars
Torcido Lancero
I’ve got a little theme going on with the recent reviews and that is “house brands”. Last week, I did a review on Bonita Smoke Shop “Time Warp” and this week I will be taking a look at the Torcido Cigars Lancero from Just For Him out of Springfield, MO. Just for Him is a shop chock full of pipes, pipe tobacco, and have over 50,000 cigars in stock. The shop is owned by Christian and Jessica Hutson and I was contacted by them if I would like to try the new Torcido line when they had sent me the press release of Torcido Cigars.
Vitola: Lancero
Wrapper: Dominican Cuban Seed
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Factory: Matasa
Source: Sample from Torcido Cigars
First Look: The first things I notice with this cigar, is the dark wrapper, pig tail cap and the closed foot. A closed foot and pigtail cap are always eye catching to me, so this cigar is very pleasing to the eye for me. The wrapper is of a dark almost black wrapper, with a few veins here and there with an aroma of sweet and dark cocoa. There is an overall firm feal to the smoke, but ho hard or soft spots to worry with. The stiff feal still lets a good milkshake thick type of cold draw.
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Bonita Smoke Shop Time Warp
You see them almost everywhere these days; house branded/blended cigars. From your mega online retailers, to your Mom n Pop B&Ms, they are everywhere. I, like probably most of you, are always on the look out for that “diamond in the rough” house brand cigar. A cigar that doesn’t cost a whole lot, but delivers in flavor. A month or so ago, I was on twitter discussing the subject of diamond in the rough cigars, when Jackie from Bonita Smoke Shop mentioned to me about their house brands (The Time Warp & 18th Anniversary) and graciously offered me some samples to try & to review. I was very appreciative of thier offer and accepted it. I have smoked a both of them and am going to give you my thoughts on the Time Warp now and the 18th later on.
Size: 6×50
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: Certified Vintage Natural Maduro
Binder:Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican
Source: Samples from Bonita Smoke Shop
Cost: $6.95/ea – $31.30/5pk – $118.15/bundle of 20 – $278/Cuban Wheel of 50
Jackie from Bonita Smoke Shop has been working on this blend with Willy Herrera of El Titan de Bronze boutique cigar factory on Calle Ocho, Little Havana, Miami, FL for quite some time. She didn’t want to put out the cigar till she was very pleased with the flavor profile that she had dreamed of. So, lets take a closer look into Jackie’s dream.
First Looks: A very neatly applied double cap tops the light brown aged maduro wrapper. Now, when you think maduro, you think dark. But this is possibly the lightest maduro wrappers I’ve ever seen. There are a few veins in the wrapper, some larger than others (but they will all burn). A slightly spongy feel to the cigar, but there are no hard or soft spots the entire length of it. The wrapper has an aroma of wet straw and the foot of hay. The foot reminds me of a barn; but not the barnyard (poo) we always hear people talking about.
Construction: A very tight white/off-white & gray ash comes out about an inch or more from the easily toasted foot. The burn on this cigar was pretty great considering I was smoking it during a rain storm under my carport. I figured I would have a good bit more touch-ups than what I did considering the ambient humidity outside. But, I only had one touch-up; and it could have corrected itself eventually had I gave it some time. About half way in, the ash got a little flaky, but no concerns. The draw stayed consistent with a little resistance, but not a tight “milkshake” draw.
Flavor: Right out the gate, I got nice creamy notes of wood and toast. Nice medium to full flavors! Once I got into it more, I got hints of roasted peanuts here & there. Around the half way point, some notes of cinnamon type of spice crept up on my tongue. Its not a kick in the pants spice, but deffinately noticable. About 3/4 way into it, a creamy caramel tones take over and the toast and cinnamon take a step aside as undertones. It is very woody on the retrohale. I don’t retrohale but a few times during most cigars. But this smoke was smooth enough, I caught myself doing it numerous times throughout the cigar. It never got bitter, nor hot which was a good sign to me. It ended with great notes of toasted bread again. Sometimes I have trouble getting the toast notes in cigars, but this really stood out for me in the Time Warp. Also, I notied when I walked away from it and came back it had a very pleasant room note to it as well.
Overall: If someone asked me what the Time warp is similar to, I would say along the lines of a La Aroma de Cuba EE. But, its alot more smoother and possibly a tab bit milder bodied. Don’t let me get you to think they are the same, they are definitely not the same! Just similar. Its got full flavors of creamy notes of wood, toast, and caramel, with a slight cinnamon spice to it, which I really enjoyed.
Final Thoughts: I have had quite a few house blend cigars where the shop owners put their fingers in the blending and some turn out well. And there are some house blends that it seems they slap a band on a cheap bundle or 2nd cigar and call it “theirs”. The Time Warp is one of those cigars that shows the time, passion, and dedication it took to make a good cigar. Overall I was pretty impressed with this cigar! Its not too powerful, but has awesome flavors.
The Time Warp is not your typical house blend cigar!
Iconic Leaf Cigar Company pre release party for “Recluse” at Outland Cigars
Iconic Leaf Cigar Company is extremely proud to announce that today August 31st it will be doing a national pre release party of their first blend out of the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas factory called the RECLUSE at Outland Cigars in Charlotte North Carolina from 5-9pm.
Scott weeks the national marketing and brand manager says:
This is a labor of love that’s been a long time in the making.
Every leaf in this cigar went through Two years of fermentation.
Every detail was looked into in the making of this cigar and no stone was left unturned. We are extremely proud of this new blend out of this new and exciting young factory. I personally am so excited to be a part of what I feel is going to be one of the greatest factories and brands out there, period.
You can read more about the release at Cigarevents.com
Best regards,
ILC Team
Iconic Leaf Cigar Company
10421 NW 28th St.
Doral, Fl. 33172
(305) 725-0318
Cigar Inn to Launch Fernando Leon
Miami, FL – In 1997, Fernando Leon of La Aurora Cigars traveled to New York City with Nestor Miranda from Miami Cigar & Company. This was the first time the head of La Aurora traveled to the United States for a cigar event. The location was Cigar Inn and they were hosted by the Fakir Brothers.
Fifteen years later, La Aurora Cigars is set to release the Fernando Leon and what better then to have the official launch at Cigar Inn. This time joining Gus, Billy & Bas will be the son of Don Fernando, Guillermo Leon who heads La Aurora in the Dominican Republic.
This two-day marathon event starts on Tuesday, October 23rd with a sold-out sit down dinner for Cigar Inn members. The dinner which will feature the Fernando Leon will be catered by Rothmann’s Steak house.
According to Guillermo Leon, “My Father only shared the cigar with close friends and family, it is only fitting that we release the Fernando Leon at Cigar Inn. Ever since that event in 1997, Cigar Inn and its customers have always been an extended part of our familyâ€.
At the request of Cigar Inn, the party will continue on Wednesday, October 24th, when Miami Cigar & Company and La Aurora Cigars invite you to stop by and experience this special cigar, the Fernando Leon for FREE, while supplies last.
“We are honored and privileged that La Aurora has chosen us for the release of this cigar.†adds Billy Fakir of Cigar Inn. “Fernando Leon was a great man, who knew a lot about tobacco. We are happy to call the Leon family our dearest friends and look forward to hosting this wonderful event in the Cigar Aficionado Loungeâ€.
Fernando Leon was the head of La Aurora Cigars from 1950s until his passing in 2009. The son of Eduardo León Jimenes was a Master Blender before taking on the role of President when his father passed. The cigar named after him was the only cigar he smoked on a daily basis. He was 89 years old when he passed. Today, his son Guillermo Leon heads La Aurora making him the third generation of the Leon family business to run the company.
