Paul Garmirian Gourmet Reserva Exclusiva corona extra
I was introduced to Paul Garmirian cigars by Shawn about a year ago, but I didn’t smoke one until recently. Â Shawn gave me a Gourmet robusto a while back that I put up for aging and, honestly, didn’t give it much thought. Â That was until I was a guest on the StogieGeeks.com show. Â We had a great time and one of the cigars they constant rave about are the PG cigars. Â I just had to try it, so I dug out the PG Shawn gave me and lit it up. Â It was lighter than I expected, but had great flavor. Â I’ve been trying to hunt more down, but they have been pretty hard to find. Â Tim from StogieGeeks graciously sent me a Reserva Exclusiva which has true 10 year old aged tobaccos in it. Â Wow, what amazing flavor. Â In short, it is one of the best cigars I’ve ever had. Â Instant box worthy. Â I will hunting these down every chance I get. Â Watch the video for the full review and thank again to Tim from StogieGeeks.com. Â Great site and bunch of guys. Â If you don’t subscribe to their podcast and visit their site, you are really missing out.
Merlion by La Sirena Coming Ashore!
 Miami, Florida – May 04, 2012 – In what one can term Beauty & The Beast; La Sirena and La Aurora have teamed up to create a new cigar, Merlion.. The name Merlion comes from a mythical creature that is half lion and half mermaid, the perfect fit for La Sirena and La Aurora.
 The Merlion will be rolled at La Aurora Cigar Factory utilizing 6 different types of tobacco. The wrapper is a silky looking Ecuadorian Corojo, while the binder is Sumatra from Brazil. The filler, has 4 different types of tobacco including; Brazillian Bahia, Dominican Corojo, Dominican Criollo
’98, and Nicaraguan ligero to add that strength that you expect from a La Sirena cigar.
Merlion which comes 20 in a box is available in 3 sizes, Robusto (5 x 50 / $9.00); Toro (5.5 x 54 / $10.00) and Gran Toro (6 x 58 / $10.50). All prices are before local taxes.
According to Brand Manager, Arielle Ditkowich “We are very excited to be working with Guillermo and La Aurora, they have blended us a beautiful medium bodied cigar that is extremely complex and offers a nice contrast to our existing line.”
The Merlion by La Sirena is expected to start shipping late June 2012.
 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.miamicigarandcompany.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/miamicigarcompany.
La Flor Dominicana rebrands Premium Line as LFD Light, April 2012
Coral Gables, FLÂ April 2012 – La Flor Dominicana rebrands its original line “Premium Line” as LFD Light.
La Flor Dominicana, who has a reputation for some of the strongest cigars on the market, will be giving its Connecticut shade wrapped mild cigars a facelift. The changes will include a couple new sizes as well as new shelf friendly packaging.
“This line is very special to me and we need to ensure that it stays consistent with where our brand is today. We have come a long way since we originally released this cigar and most people are unaware that we even make mild cigars,” says Litto Gomez, who co-owns La Flor Dominicana with his wife, Ines Lorenzo-Gomez.
The two vitola additions will be a 54×6, called the Maximo, retailing at $8.50 and the Governador, a 60×6 1/4 that will retail at $9.00. The packaging will be in the company’s taller “space saver” boxes as opposed to the flat wide boxes that seem a bit outdated in today’s humidors.
“We’re obviously known for our fuller bodied cigars and as I travel around the country I meet so many people that have no idea that Litto started with very mild cigars that are still in our portfolio. I’m excited about these changes, because I think there is still a large segment of the market that enjoys a milder smoke,” says Andrew Brennan, Vice President of Sales LFD.
LFD Light is expected to be landing on humidor shelves in May of this year.
La Flor Dominicana is a vertically integrated premium cigar company, where we proudly control the process from the seed to the final grading, inspecting and packing process. Our tobaccos are grown at our farm in La Canella, Dominican Republic. Our factory is located in Tamboril.
COUNTERFEIT COHIBA CIGARS SEIZED IN MIAMI
COUNTERFEIT COHIBA CIGARS SEIZED IN MIAMI
Richmond, VA— General Cigar announces that a team of special agents from the Miami Office of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco conducted raids yesterday resulting in the seizure of over 10,000 counterfeit COHIBA® cigars with an estimated retail value of more than $200,000.
The counterfeit cigar seizures followed an investigation conducted by law enforcement, in cooperation with General Cigar, which is the exclusive owner of the COHIBA trademark in the U.S.
The raids took place at retail stores located on Calle Ocho, a popular tourist destination in Miami’s Little Havana district. Law enforcement officials are expected to file criminal charges for violations of Florida state law relating to counterfeit goods.
The seized counterfeit cigars featured cigar bands displaying the word COHIBA® and “Republica Dominicanaâ€Â and were packaged in various styles of wooden boxes which also displayed the COHIBA® mark. According to the special agents involved, approximately 1,800 boxes of counterfeit COHIBA® cigars were seized.
Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “Protecting cigar consumers from counterfeiters and maintaining the integrity of our products is a top priority for the company, and we are very grateful for the efforts of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation continues.â€
General Cigar devotes significant resources to protecting the COHIBA® brand, which is a frequent target of cigar counterfeiters. In November of 2011, the company’s cooperation with federal and Florida state law enforcement agencies led to the seizure of more than 3,000 counterfeit COHIBA® cigars from seven tobacco retail stores located in Key West, Florida.
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.
® COHIBA, Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
Altadis USA announces the new ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta
Altadis USA is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the latest act in this enduring love story – ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta.
A Romeo y Julieta cigar unlike any to come before!
 Ever since 1875, cigar aficionados have been passionate about Romeo y Julieta.
As one of the premium cigar world’s best-known and most highly trusted brands, Romeo y Julieta has always been revered for its consistently excellent, mild smokes.
Now, Romeo brings new excitement to the contemporary aficionado with this line of modern, fuller-bodied cigars. The new cigar will be available at retail tobacconists in May.
Robust, full-bodied and rich in complex flavor nuances, Romeo is meticulously crafted at the famed Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic by the skilled hands of the factory’s most accomplished artisans, each with decades of expertise, chosen specifically to create this uncommon cigar.
The new cigar will be available in four sizes: Churchill, Piramide, Robusto and Toro.
We’ve made an early introduction of the new Romeo cigar at the TAA meeting and start presenting the brand during the week of April 23.
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta – a spectacular smokedestined to set a new trend in luxury cigars.
Roma Craft Intemperance EC XVIII Faith
Intemperance is the new and first line of the Roma Craft Tobac company. Roma Craft is the brainchild of Skip Martin and Michael Rosales. The Intemperance line is produced in Esteli, Nicaragua at the Fabrica de Tobacco NicaSueno factory. They come in two wrappers, a Ecuadorian Connecticut (EC XVIII) and a Brazilian Arapiraca (BA XXI) with four vitolas in each line.
The Intemperance name is from the history of prohibition. The logo is inspired from a propaganda/political print from 1855 by A.D. Fillmore.
“In the last sixty years, this anti-smoking movement has grown in influence and power much in the same way the temperance movement before it grew. We believe that it is well past time to initiate our own modern intemperance movement.”
For more information on the whole Intemperance lines click here.
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Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon
At last year’s IPCPR, Rocky Patel introduced his latest extension of the Vintage line. The Vintage 2003 uses a select Cameroon wrapper over binder and filler that have been aged for over 8 years. As a Cameroon fan, I was eager to try it. The cigar had a great burn and was a very smooth smoke. Mild to medium in body, the cigar had great sweet, creamy and spicy flavors. It pair amazingly well with coffee and is one of the best Cameroon cigars I’ve smoked on the market. Watch the video for the full review.
Rocky Patel announces the re-release of the Decade Edicion Limitada 2012
Camacho: Bold Honduran Smokes, New Convenient 4-Packs
PINELLAS PARK, FL, APRIL 16, 2012 — Camacho, the world’s best-known producer of bold Honduran smokes, has announced the release of new 4-pack assortments for its popular Corojo and Connecticut lines. Camacho Corojo, released in 2000, is the highest rated product in the Camacho portfolio and has been in Cigar Aficionado’s “Top 25†both in 2010 and 2011. Comprised of 100% Authentic Corojo tobaccos, the Corojo is Camacho’s crown jewel and has been a staple amongst full-body cigar lovers for more than a decade.
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DAVIDOFF TO HOST INAUGURAL GOLDEN BAND AWARDS
PINELLAS PARK, FL, APRIL 12, 2012 — Davidoff, the leading luxury tobacco brand has announced the inaugural Davidoff Golden Band Awards Show, honoring those Appointed Merchants who best embody the Davidoff standard of excellence. The first annual awards show will be part of an exclusive Davidoff event on August 4th at IPCPR in Orlando, Florida. The Davidoff Golden Band Awards materialized from the brand’s success, rooted in decades of long-standing partnerships with trusted merchants. Davidoff has a long history of working with its family of retailers to help them expand their businesses, discuss best practices and grow the Davidoff brand, hand in hand. “The awards are an opportunity to officially recognize these retailers for their commitment and passion for Davidoff,†said Jim Young, President, Davidoff North America. Richard Krutick, Davidoff Marketing Director, adds that, “This annual event will stimulate improved standards in the industry and help drive superior performance and growth.â€
Appointed Merchant nominations will be announced in July across six categories:
• Best Davidoff Merchandising
• Best Davidoff Performance
• Davidoff Growth Award
• Davidoff Appointed Merchant of the Year
• Davidoff Industry Service Award
The final award category is the Zino Davidoff Legacy Award, which will be presented to the Appointed Merchant who has stood out over the years as the champion of what premium cigars and premium cigar retailing are all about.
Davidoff, founded in Geneva in 1911, is dedicated to bring pleasure to a discerning global community of Good Life aficionados. The brand unites growing, ageing, blending and crafting artistry to bring cigar connaiseurs pleasurable cigar experiences. For additional information, visit www.davidoff.com.
