Twisted Cigars Announces Initial Release of Torcido
Micro-Boutique Cigar Release
Springfield, MO
Torcido Cigars
Christian and Jessica Hutson of Twisted Cigars are excited to announce the pending release of Torcido cigars. Torcido is a unique, medium to full bodied cigar created in the Dominican Republic at the Matasa factory. The release party will be at Just For Him Cigar Store from 6-9 PM on June 29.
The process started with just an idea years ago when Christian fell in love with the culture of cigars and the people who create them. Torcido is a testament to the history and abilities of the Torcedores that have been rolling cigars for generations. The Quesada family was instrumental in taking that dream and a description of a cigar that didn’t exist and making it a reality.
“I could tell you what I think this cigar tastes like,” Christian says. “However, I would prefer you smoke it yourself and tell me what you find in it. We worked hard to create a well balanced blend that stood up to the strong foods and drinks we prefer.”
“We wrote a flavor profile first and then tested and tweaked different blends for months,” states Jessica. “After discovering the unique wrapper tobacco, the remainder of the blend was created to work around this amazing wrapper.”
Torcido Profile
Wrapper: Dominican Cuban Seed
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Matasa
Vitolas: Corona, Robusto, Lancero
Twisted Cigars
Twisted Cigars is a distribution company owned by Jessica and Christian Hutson. The couple also owns and operates Just For Him Cigar and Pipe Shop in Springfield, MO. With this background, all of the products through Twisted Cigar will be retail friendly.
Stores carrying Twisted Cigars will be limited based on production and listed on the company website at TorcidoCigars.com The company has currently filled retail openings for the first production of cigars.
Locations
Burns Tobaccanist Downtown, Chattanooga, TN
Just For Him, Springfield, MO
The Humidor Cigars and Lounge West, Witchita, KS
For more information:
Just For Him: 417-886-8380
Twitter: @TorcidoCigars
Smoke Inn Arturo Fuente Solaris Microblend
Smoke Inn has been releasing small batch production cigars from various manufactures, like Padron, My Father and Tatuaje, as exclusives for their stores for the past couple of years.  Each blend as been very well received and are produced in very small batches. The newest release is the Solaris by Arturo Fuente.  The cigar was originally created by Fuente Sr. with a nice Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper as a test blend for this wrapper that was grown as an experiment by them.  The cigar turned out great, but not in very large quantities.  The cigars sat and aged for 8 years until Abe Dababneh, owner of Smoke Inn (also very funny and great all around guy)  approached Fuente about doing a microblend series.  Now the cigars are available to purchase.  The cigar is a mild cigar, mildest of all the microblends, but, like the other microblends, HUGE on flavor.  I really enjoyed this cigar and will be ordering a box of these.  This is a great change of pace for me.  I encourage all our followers to give this one a shot.  Highly recommended.  Watch the video for my expanded review.
Special thanks to Abe, Adam and especially the Lovely Lady M!
Partagas 1845 Corona Extra
Partagas cigars have been around for over a century and a half. Founded in Havana, Cuba in 1845, The company has gone through a few changes. Wether it was the Cuban Embargo, General cigars/Swedish Match merger, or changing factories, Partagas stayed strong in the cigar world both Cuban & non-Cuban. I have enojyed Partagas cigars since I first started out enjoying cigars. I would buy them in samplers or as singles, I have always enjoyed a Partagas.
“Herritage Rewrapped” is the slogan for the new 1845 line of Partagas. Naming the new line after the year the company was founded. The 1845 has been in the works for some time, with some of the blended tobacco has been aged for nine years. Jhonys Diaz, Francisco Rodriguez, Yuri Guillen were all the brainchilds of the blend with Benji Menendez as thier advisor.
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Alec Bradley Cigars to Release “American Sungrown Blend”
DANIA, FL – June 15, 2012 – On the heels of last year’s “American Classic Blend†release, Alec Bradley Cigars has announced the release of “American Sungrown Blend,†a fuller-bodied, all-Nicaraguan leaf blend. Priced affordably, the “American Sungrown Blend†offers an extension to the American Classic selection with a little more spice. The cigars will retail between $4.20 to $5.75, and scheduled to arrive at retail cigar stores by [July 4th. 2012]. For more information, please visit
AlecBradley.com, or call 239-682-4080.
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CAO CIGARS and TWO FOOT FRED to ROCK CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Nashville, TN—CAO Cigars announces that it will serve as an official partner at the blockbuster CMA Music Festival on June 7-10, 2012 in Nashville.
CAO will have a big presence at the event, with two separate locations including a luxury cigar lounge boasting VIP views of the Riverfront daytime stage. Featuring a personal appearance and photo ops with country music’s celebrity emcee/ CMA Music Festival fan favorite/premium cigar connoisseur Two Foot Fred, the swanky cigar lounge will also feature meet and greets with CAO Brand Ambassador Rick Rodriguez who will be on hand to share details about the upcoming new collection of CAO Cigars, aptly called “Concert.â€
 “CAO was originally launched in Nashville, so music is in the brand’s DNA,†commented Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar, parent company of CAO Cigars. “Since the music occasion is a perfect opportunity to enjoy a premium, hand crafted cigar, we are happy to be part of the CMA Music Festival. It’s the perfect venue for us to continue CAO’s ties with music. We look forward to welcoming country music fans to our relaxing lounge environment and to sharing the premium cigar lifestyle with them.â€
Nashville’s own UPtown’s Smoke Shop will work in partnership with CAO, selling an array of handmade CAO cigars to consumers of legal smoking age who visit either of the two CAO areas during the CMA Music Festival. Visitors to the CAO lounge will also have a chance to enter the CAO Photo Booth to take away souvenir photo strips from the event. For the technically savvy country music fan, photos can be uploaded onsite to Facebook or Twitter.
Two Foot Fred said, “UPtown’s is my favorite cigar shop, hands down. It’s my pleasure to make the appearance for them at the CAO booth as my way of thanking them for the great customer service they’ve shown me over the years.â€
CAO will post live updates leading up to, during and just after the CMA Music Festival. Visit the brand’s Facebook page and Twitter feed for up-to-the minute details, celebrity sightings and more.
About CAO Cigars
CAO cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., a division of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, which 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®, Punch®, CAO, Partagas®, 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.
About CMA Music Festival
CMA Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – a celebration of America’s music – that takes over downtown Nashville June 7-10 with non-stop concerts on multiple stages with a vast and varied roster of artists. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).
About Two Foot Fred
Fred Gill, aka Two Foot Fred, gained national attention for his work with Big & Rich as part of the MuzikMafia. As an emcee and performer, he has toured extensively with the duo and has performed onstage with artists such as Kenny Chesney, Larry the Cable Guy, Tim McGraw and Brooks & Dunn and was a cast member on CMT’s MuzikMafia TV. He has also appeared on CMT’s Gone Country and Barely Famous: The Warren Brothers. His other TV work includes appearances on Las Vegas, Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Blue Collar TV, among others. Fred’s wild rise to fame has been chronicled in his inspirational autobiography titled “Two Foot Fred: How My Life Has Come Full Circle. For more information, please visit www.twofootfred.com.
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® Macanudo, Cohiba, La Gloria Cubana, Punch, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
2012 Summer Releases for Primer Mundo Cigar Company
Atlanta, GA — June 6, 2012
Primer Mundo Cigar Company is excited to announce the release of two new cigar lines coming this summer to add to the existing family of El Primer Mundo Cigars. The first of which is the Clase Reserva, which is the third cigar that EPM is making at El Titan de Bronze on Calle Ocho in Miami. The Clase Reserva will be banded with the classic globe and medallions as the Liga Miami, Epifania and the three core lines made in Nicaragua with Plasencia Cigars. The line will be a limited run of 1200 boxes with 12 cigars per box. Clase Reserva will only be available in a 6×52 toro size with a San Andres wrapper and Nicaraguan binder & filler and is a rich full-body smoke.
        The second release this summer will be La Hermandad, which represents a real departure from what has been the classic line-up from EPM over the last 5 years. The cigar is being made in the Dominican Republic and has a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler. La Hermandad is the fullest cigar done by EPM to date and will have a distinctly different theme in logo and branding. Both cigars will be available for the IPCPR convention in August. With the Clase Reserva and La Hermandad EPM is bringing out two maduro cigars in the same season. The only maduro ever made by EPM prior to this was the Red Label which was the very first cigar ever put out by Sean Williams and EPM back in 2006. The company is excited to add these offerings to the mix providing even more full body options for their retailers and consumers who have shown great support for the brand over the last 5 years.
America’s Top Sommelier Tabs La Aurora Preferidos #2 as Favorite Cigar
 
Miami, Florida – June 6th, 2012 – In a recent article in the Sommelier Journal, America’s top wine expert, Alexander LaPratt tabbed the La Aurora Preferidos #2 as his favorite cigar.
The article which appears in the May 31st, 2012 issues and spans pages 87-90 breaks down the art of Cigar Service, which many sommelier’s offer upon request.
According to Mr. LaPratt, “[The La Aurora Preferidos #2] is a fascinating cigar that I was introduced to while training for the Best Sommelier in America competition. The shape is a perfecto, which means it’s tapered on both ends. When you light it, you first taste the wrapper (from Cameroon) and the binder tobaccos; toward the thicker center, more of the filler tobaccos start burning, and the flavor changes. It reminds me of how wine changes within a glass. The blend is a touch spicy in the beginning, but smoothes out as the cigar burns, revealing complex flavors of coffee, toasted hazelnut, and cinnamon and a creamy sweetness like that of milk chocolate.
Alexander LaPratt can be found at Atera in New York City, and the article written by Kara Newman can be purchased by subscription on the website, http://www.sommelierjournal.com/
About Miami Cigar & Company
Miami Cigar & Company, founded in 1989, is the exclusive US distributor of La Aurora brands which include Guillermo Leon & Leon Jimenes. They are also the worldwide distributor of Tatiana, Don Lino, La Sirena and Nestor Miranda line of cigars. They can found on the web at http://www.miamicigarcompany.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/miamicigarcompany.
CAO Last Stick Standing
CAO recently announced an interesting new way to release their next blend. They are letting you decide. CAO began shipping cigar tins to retailers beginning last month with three different blends that could potentially be the next new release for CAO. The cigars feature a C, A and O bands in a triangular tin which the consumer can vote for at their Last Stick Standing website. This is a very interesting way to get the cigar smoker involved in deciding what could become a new cigar in their rotation. CAO sent me a tin of the cigars for review, but instead of breaking it down into 3 reviews, I thought it would be better to smoke the cigars all in one review and give my overall impressions of each. So if you’re interested in my thoughts on the new blends, check out the video and see which one I selected.
Alec Bradley American Classic Blend
I’ve mentioned before that I’m always looking for great value cigars. So when I saw the Alec Bradley American Classic Blend in my local shop I was anxious to give it a try. With a price tag under five dollars for a toro this cigar definitely fits the bill but would it fit my taste.
When I finally sat down to smoke the American Classic Blend for review I decided to pour a few fingers of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel; another American classic.
Name: American Classic Blend
Company: Alec Bradley
Made in: Plasencia Factory (Esteli, Nicaragua)
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli & Condega)
Comes in: Box of 20
Price: $4.75/stick
Vitola: Toro (6″ x 50)
Pre-Light
The American Classic Blend Toro has a caramel colored Connecticut wrapper grown in Honduras. The wrapper feels dry to the touch and has an almost furry texture. the cigar has an aroma of hay and wood. I could not pick up much flavor of the tight pre-light draw
Flavor & Burn
Quickly after lighting the cigar the draw opened up and allowed ample amounts of smoke to billow from both ends of the cigar. the American Classic Blend started off with a woody flavor with hints of spice that were present through the retro-hale as well as on my palate. As I smoked my way through the cigar I began to pick up mellow notes of coffee as well as sweetness that really seemed to balance out the cigar.
The cigar burned evenly from beginning to end and held an ash well over an inch long.
Final Thoughts
The Alec Bradley American Classic Blend was a pleasant mild-to-medium bodied cigar that provided a nice blend of flavors. The cigar paired well with Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel but I’ve found that it pairs excellently with a cup of coffee. For me this is a cigar that is best in the morning or after a light lunch. That being said it’s still a satisfying cigar later in the day following a heavy meal. Overall I have to say that the American Classic Blend is a great value cigar that would easily fit into my regular smoking rotation.
Flor De Las Antillas by My Father Cigars
My Father Cigars recently released a new cigar to thier always extending cigar line. The Flor De Las Antillas is the new creation from My Father Cigars. “The name was chosen to honor Cuba, which has always been referred to as the flower of the Antilles” The cigar was blended to complete thier profile of cigars, being a more of a medium bodied smoke and to celebrate their Cuban heritage.
Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Cost: $6.29
Source: Purchased from:Cigar Earth
First Looks: Going back to their Cuban heritage, they start the cigar off with a nicely deeply applied triple cap that tops off a dark brown Sun Grown wrapper leaf from the Namanji Region of Esteli Nicaragua. The feel to the cigar is slightly soft and spongy feal to it, but doesn’t throw up any red flags at me as far as construction issues. But there are no clear bunching issues via hard or soft spots.
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