Monte Pascoal
I was recently sent a few samples, three Robustos and three Double Coronas, of the Monte Pascoal. These cigar are Brazilian puros and feature both Mata Fina and Mata Norte tobacco. I’ve had a good experience with Mata Fina tobacco in the past, so I was looking forward to trying these cigars.
Name: Monte Pascoal
Company: Tabacos Mata Fina Ltda
Made In: Cruz das Almaz, Brazil
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina & Mata Norte
Comes in: Box of 25
Vitola: Robusto(5 7/8″ x 50) & Double Corona (7 5/8 x 49)
For this review I smoked through two Robustos and two Double Coronas over the last several weeks. Then I sat down on Masters Sunday and smoked through my final two samples back to back.
Lou Rodriguez Edicion Reserva Bom Bom
While visiting my favorite cigar shop in New Orleans, Crescent City Cigars, the owner, Armando Ortiz, was telling me about a new cigar he is bringing into his store that he just sampled. He raved about this new cigar and told me I needed to try it. This new cigar company is called Lou Rodriguez Cigars and was started by Lou Rodriguez, an emergency room doctor and cigar lover. Armando arranged to have some samples sent to me from Lou. Lou sent a sampler of robustos to Crescent City Cigars for me, but Lou told me he also wanted me to try one of his smaller petit corona size cigars, the Bom Bom. He stated these are his current favorite and he thought I would really like them. About a week later, the box shows up with some of the most beautiful petit coronas you’ve ever seen. They use a 5 year old San Andres maduro wrapper from Mexico and a binder and filler blend from Nicaragua. This little cigar is strong and full bodied for sure. Nice little kick, but how are the flavors? Watch the video and find out.
Now available at Charmed Leaf
Avalon Numbers Series 46
I first heard about Avalon Cigars a few years back on an episode of Dogwatch Cigar Radio and instantly became interested in the brand. The fact that a couple guys from Mississippi with a passion for cigars and the Blues, were able to harness that passion and develop a cigar company is just the kind of story I enjoy. Unfortunately it took a while for me to find these cigars in any Maryland cigar shops. Approximately a year ago I finally got a chance to try the Juke Series, and now I’ve gotten to smoke though a handful of the Numbers Series.
Name: Numbers Series
Company: Avalon Cigars
Made in: Miami, FL
Wrapper: 5 Year Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Price: $5-6.00/stick
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: 46 (5.25″ x 46)
Pre-Light
The first thing that caught my eye about this cigar is the extremely veiny and toothy texture of the wrapper. The wrapper is a medium shade of brown and had a slightly oily feel. Overall the construction seemed on par with other premium cigars with only a slight softness towards the head. Pre-light aroma was tobacco with a slight barnyard on the foot.
Press Release: PUNCH RARE COROJO RETURNS WITH NEW FRONTMARK
Richmond, VA—The highly-anticipated 10th anniversary edition of Punch Rare Corojo is about to be made even more exciting with the release of a new, limited edition frontmark which will debut at tobacconists nationwide beginning in late March.
Called Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary, the 5†x 50 frontmark is unique in that it will feature a proprietary Connecticut Corojo wrapper. The new cigar will begin selling in late March for a suggested retail price of $6.50 per cigar until the limited supply is depleted. The cigars will be packed in eye catching cabinet style red wooden boxes and can be easily identified by a secondary red-and-gold band that bears the Rare Corojo distinction.
Rick Chandler, director of marketing for Punch cigars commented, “For ten years, cigar enthusiasts have looked forward to the annual return of Rare Corojo, a brand that features a unique reddish-brown wrapper and epitomizes the best of what Punch cigars offer – a spicy no-nonsense blend at a reasonable price. This year, we’re pleased to have upped the ante by offering the classic Punch Rare Corojo along with the standout new taste of the 10th Anniversary frontmark.â€
Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary joins the seven existing Rare Corojo frontmarks, which made their annual return to tobacco retail shops across the country earlier this month.
Punch Rare Corojo® 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 Rare Corojo, Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
Press Release: Zino Platinum and Ron White Celebrate Innovative Partnership
Famous for his love of premium cigars, comedian Ron White’s broad and successful portfolio will now expand to include Zino Platinum Ambassador. Zino Platinum, the premium cigar brand, known for its creative approach to marketing, has joined forces with White in 2011 in an innovative relationship designed to expand both brands’ audiences by creating awareness in new markets. The extent of White’s involvement will include, but not be limited to, special appearances at Zino Platinum events and a Zino Platinum Ron White Signature cigar blended to his tastes and preferences for his personal use.
White’s first appearance as an Ambassador will be at the March 29th nationwide launch of the new Z-Class Series in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl, where he will take part in the unveiling of the product, the first new line of Zino Platinum Cigars in 8 years. As the partnership evolves, White will be making appearances at select retail outlets and supporting various creative marketing efforts.
In 2002 Zino Platinum was developed by the Oettinger Davidoff Group in partnership with American marketing specialists, revealing an entirely new approach to design, marketing and publicity. Zino Platinum represents a fusion of time-honored cigar tradition and the hip culture of today and tomorrow. Zino Platinum Cigars’ various shapes, tastes, blends and aromas are all respectfully drawn from the best of classic cigar customs. Zino Platinum cigar smokers are youthful, ambitious, strong, proud, successful, fashionable and bold. Today Zino Platinum is still at the forefront of pop culture and the leading lifestyle brand in the cigar industry. Zino Platinum uses the best traditions of the old school and the innovations of the new school to create a dynamic market opportunity.
Ron began his career two decades ago and now is one of the most successful comedians, recording artists and entrepreneurs in the United States. Best known for his uninhibited comedy shows, White shot to fame after his appearance on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. His career includes two Grammy-nominations, a Gold Record, numerous one-hour specials, a New York Times Best Seller and CD and DVD sales over 10 million. White will make special appearances alongside Zino Platinum at retail events across the US in support of the brand.
A Beautiful Weekend in the Dominican Republic with La Aurora Cigars
Several months ago I was approached by Jason Wood of Miami Cigars to see if I was interested in a trip to the Dominican Republic to visit La Aurora Cigars. Need less to say, it didn’t take me long to answer with a YES. I’ve never been out of the country before so this would be a first for many things with the two biggest being in a foreign country and touring a cigar factory. After confirming with Jason my flight itinerary, I went to the post office and applied for my passport. I had no idea that passports cost so much and take so long to make. My flight left out of New Orleans at 6 am, which meant I had to be at the airport at 4 am (Thanks Jason!) to clear security and catch my flight. My flight landed in Miami around 8:45 am, but I had a 10 hour lay over. I wasn’t the only one as several of us had early flights. Brian and Jerry from StogieReview.com, Mario from CigarExplorer.com, Barry from acigarsmoker.com all arrived on the early flights. Being a good host, Jason picked us up and took us to his cigar shop, Cigar 1, in Miami to hang out until our flight to the Dominican Republic. We also met up with Tom of the Tampa Cigar Examiner who drove down from Tampa. Jason, along with Chris and Sheila, made us feel welcome as we smoked cigars, Jason gave each of us a sampler pack of cigars Miami Cigars distributes for us to smoke, and had Presidente Beer. Cigar 1 has a great selection of smokes including some rare La Aurora cigars which most of us purchased before our trip.
Jason, Chris and Sheila
Cigar Journal: Miraculous Templar Cigars
I was contacted a while back by David Rafaeli about his new line of cigar the Miraculous Templar Cigars. There’s a story behind the name for the cigar, and instead of reiterating it here, I’ll just point to to their website. For this “review” I’ve only smoked one of each of the cigars listed below. So my thoughts are skewed a bit considering my limited experience.
Sumatra Natural
Name: Sumatra Natural
Company: Miraculous Templar Cigars
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Comes in: Box of 50
Vitola: Toro (6″ x 50)
The Sumatra wrapper is a medium shade of brown and felt a little dry. The veins in the wrapper were small and barely tangible. The filler tobacco felt as though it was evenly bunched and was held together with a nicely applied wrapper. One interesting thing about this cigar is the fact that it came pre-punched. This is somehitng I can’t ever remember seeing in the premium cigar market. The aroma off the foot was classic tobacco and the wrapper had a sweet smell that was reminiscent of sugar cookies.
Press Release: SERIE N DAY MARKS FIRST VIRTUAL CIGAR TASTING
Richmond, VA—Team La Gloria Cubana® has designated Friday March 25, 2011 as Serie N® Day and will commemorate the occasion with the premium cigar category’s first-ever national virtual cigar tasting which will be broadcast on www.lagloriacigars.com/serien.
On March 25, 2011, Team La Gloria members Michael Giannini (director of marketing), Rick Rodriguez (cigar master in training), Yuri Guillen (director of manufacturing) and Leo Peraza (master cigar maker) will host a virtual tasting broadcast from the El Credito Cigar Factory in Miami’s Little Havana district. Live streaming video of the tasting will be available beginning at 6:00 PM (EDT) on the Team La Gloria website and will continue throughout the evening, with additional interactive broadcasts featuring Serie N Day retail events at 6:00 PM Central and 6:00 PM Pacific.
Select Serie N retailers across the U.S. will participate in a live, open forum chat on Skype which will be part of the virtual broadcast. Participants watching live on the website will be able to communicate directly with Team La Gloria members and with fellow Serie N enthusiasts through tweets and Facebook updates which will be addressed by Team La Gloria members during the broadcasts.
Director of Marketing Michael Giannini commented, “Serie N is a very unique cigar, both in taste and appearance, so we created an innovative event to capitalize on the buzz that’s been generated for the product within the digital media space. By including the retail community and in welcoming questions and comments from our existing consumers and those who may be enjoying the product for the first time, we will be able to ride the groundswell by capturing increased interest in the product.â€
To get in on the excitement surrounding Serie N cigars, consumers of legal smoking age are invited to pick up the March issue of Cigar Aficionado which contains a coupon for a free Serie N cigar, redeemable by accessing the list of participating cigar retail shops across the U.S. available on the Team La Gloria website: www.lagloriacigars.com.
Leading up to Serie N day, Serie N social media promotions will take place on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/teamlagloria), Twitter (www.twitter.com/lagloriacigars), YouTube and the Team La Gloria site. Detailed information about these promotions can be found on the “promotions†section of the Team La Gloria website.
About La Gloria Cubana
La Gloria Cubana 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.
La Gloria Cubana, Serie N, Macanudo, Cohiba, Punch, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
Cigar Expo 2011: Cigarnival
Last year Brian and I had the opportunity to attend the Cigar Expo at Famous Smoke Shop and we had a great time. So when I received the press release for this years event I knew I wanted to post it here for anyone that does not regularly visit Famous Smoke Shop and would be interested in attending. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
(EASTON, PA) March 10, 2011 — Famous Smoke Shop, the nation’s leading retailer of discount cigars online, has announced that tickets are now on sale for their annual Cigar Expo 2011, which will take place on Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27 at Famous Smoke Shop’s future headquarters located at 90 Mort Dr. in Easton, Pa. This year’s Expo is called “Cigarnival,” and as the name implies, attendees will experience a carnival-like atmosphere replete with carnival games and performers, all they can eat and drink, plus the world’s leading cigar makers, and plenty of cigars to smoke. There are so many different ways to be gambling online in California these days that people prefer that more.
V.I.P tickets cost $250 per person and include at least 40 cigars, an exclusive dinner with the cigar makers on Friday, August 26, early admission to the event at 11:00AM on Saturday, August 27, plus additional complimentary cigars from select vendors. General Admission tickets cost $175 per person and include at least 40 cigars with admission to the event at 2:00PM on Saturday, August 27. The event will accommodate 750 people with only a limited number of V.I.P. tickets available. All attendees will also receive goodie bags upon entering the event.
“We’re especially excited about this year’s event because it’s going to be held at our new location,” said Famous Smoke Shop retail store manager, David Zayas. “Our new store will be a state-of-the-art facility, and will have much more room for people to spread out, too.”
Cigar manufacturers which have already committed to attending include Alec Bradley, Altadis U.S.A., Arturo Fuente, Avo, Camacho, E.P. Carrillo, Cigar Agency, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Flor de Gonzalez, Fonseca, General Cigar, Kristoff, La Flor Dominicana, Rocky Patel, Pinar Del Rio, Tatuaje, and Torano, with many more to come. Also returning this year is Berta Bravo, “The Guayabera Lady,” who will be featuring her exclusive line of original Guayabera shirts and other clothing.
Carnival games and performers will be on-hand to entertain the guests throughout the entire day. Moreover, Drew Estate Cigars will again host the Casino tent; where attendees can play Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, and Craps for ACID cigars and other Drew Estate items.
As Famous has done at their previous Expos, Cigar Expo 2011 Cigarnival will provide plenty of food and drinks (including micro-brews) for all, live entertainment, a DJ, special deals on cigars and accessories in the retail store, and raffle prizes. Because this is a cigar-smoking event, no one under 18 will be admitted, but guests are encouraged to bring their significant others.
For more information and ticket sales, please call 1-800-564-2486. Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting cigarexpo.net.
Saint Patrick’s Day: Illusione ~888~ Candela
If you have been watching my reviews from the beginning, you know that St. Patrick’s day is a special day for me, being of Irish descent. Every year I try to review a special cigar on this day and this year, Dion Giolito of Illusione Cigars gave me a cigar that made it easy for me. At the 2010 IPCPR, Dion released the 888, 88 and HL with a special capa candela wrapper. He gave me a sample at the show and I knew right away that was my St. Patrick’s day cigar. What better a cigar for St. Patrick’s day than a green cigar? The 888 Candela is the same blend at the standard 888, but just with a special capa candela wrapper. Dion has been developing this wrapper for over a year and a half. Several of my cigar blogger and smoking friends speak highly of the cigar, so I was excited to finally smoke it. So, was this cigar a Cú Chulainn or an Oliver Cromwell? Watch the video and find out.
