Berger & Argenti Clasico
A few months back I reviewed the Berger & Argenti Mooch which I really enjoyed. Shortly after trying the Mooch for the first time I began sampling the Clasico line. So a couple days ago I was digging though my humidor and found a couple of them in the bottom of a tray and decided to fire them up for this review.
Name: Clasico
Company: Berger & Argenti
Made in: Esteli, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Stalk-cut Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $5.50/stick
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: Rothschild (5″ x 50)
Pre-Light
The Clasico has a simple understated band that nearly seamlessly blends in with the silky caramel colored wrapper leaf. Tiny veins weave them selves throughout the wrapper but are mostly undetectable by touch. The filler tobacco appeared to be evenly bunched and the triple cap was expertly applied. Both the wrapper and foot had a light aroma of hay and tobacco.
Viaje Exclusivo Tower Cigars 45th Anniversary
Viaje has been releasing limited editions left and right lately and it can be overwhelming. People are constantly searching for the latest and great Viaje blend, usually with limited success. Luckily, we get a new Viaje and will be somewhat easier to find and buy. That cigar is the Tower Cigars 45th Anniversary. This cigar is a box pressed robusto and comes in at 5.5 x 52. It uses the same blend as the Exclusivo line and will cost $10.50. These will be sold in boxes of 20 only at Tower Cigars. Mark Just, owner of Tower Cigars, told me that he will be taking pre-orders for this cigar on April 5th. I was given this cigar in a limited edition gift pack by Andre Farkas, the owner of Viaje Cigars to see what I thought of the cigar. Without further ado, here is my video review.
XIKAR Announces New Prices on HC Series Cigars
8 March 2011
XIKAR Announces New Prices on HC Series Cigars
• XIKAR Becomes First Major Brand to Reduce Cigar Prices in 2011
• US Retailers Embrace XIKAR’s Dramatic Price Reduction
Kansas City, MO. – March 8, 2011 – XIKAR, Inc., a leading cigar and accessory company, announced a bold new pricing strategy for its highly rated HC Series Cigars. This dramatic price reduction re-emphasizes XIKAR’s long-standing commitment to value and fair price. According to Jerry Dear, EVP Sales & Marketing, “the most common encounter in this age of inflation is a price increase driven by rising costs and increasing taxation. XIKAR wanted instead to broaden our appeal and offer a wonderful cigar to everyone.” Consumers will enjoy an average cost savings of 18% per cigar repositioning the HC Series line to a compelling price range of $6-8 per cigar.
“We realize this decision is unprecedented in the midst of many competitive price increases, but XIKAR’s core values and culture demand that we listen carefully to our consumers and respond accordingly,” said Kurt Van Keppel, XIKAR’s President.
XIKAR will continue to produce all HC series cigars to the same exacting quality standards from boutique factories in Nicaragua and Honduras. “The blends and the quality will not change,” said Scott Almsberger, Vice-President of Product Development. “I personally guarantee that XIKAR HC Series cigars will continue to be produced using the highest quality aged tobacco, so consumers can continue enjoy they same great HC Series Cigars.
Today, XIKAR HC Series cigars are available in over 500 cigar shops around the country, and plans are in place to increase U.S. distribution and expand overseas.
XIKAR’s new lower prices will make it even easier for customers to enjoy a great cigar at a price point that is more affordable in today’s economy.
XIKAR is once again kicking off the cigar season with innovative accessories, featuring the 3D Mayan Collection, the Cloisonné Collection, and limited edition gift packs. “It’s been a great 15 years of constant growth for XIKAR”, says Van Keppel. “With this bold action, this should be the best year ever!”
Additional Resources
For additional information, including HC Series Cigars and accessory information, please visit www.xikar.com.
For Media Enquiries:
XIKAR, Inc.
816-994-7154
Email: rmoreno@xikar.com
Our Commitment
We never waiver in our commitment to offering you top quality leisure tools that enhance your lifestyle. So you can buy with confidence, we back all our products for life and welcome any suggestions and concerns. If you feel that a XIKAR product fails to live up to our promise of fit, finish or function, simply return it to us and we will immediately and cheerfully repair or replace your product under our Lifetime Guarantee.
About XIKAR, Inc.
From its Kansas City headquarters, XIKAR is the world’s leading manufacturer of cigar cutters, including the well-recognized Xi cigar cutter, along with a full line of cigar accessories, lighters and humidification devices and containers.
XIKAR cigar cutters and accessories are sold through more than 3,000 dealers worldwide. With even more product and service introductions planned, XIKAR strives to lead the market in providing quality and innovative cigar accessories now, and in the years to come.
Tatuaje Havana VI Hermosos
So yesterday I made the 2 hour drive to The Humidour Cigar Shoppe in Cockeysville, MD for a Tatuaje event. After five plus hours of smoking Tatuaje cigars I just felt like I should keep the streak going today and review one. I decided on the Havana VI Hermosos because I can’t get enough Corona Gordas.
Name: Havana VI
Company: Tatuaje
Made in: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.75/stick or $162/box
Comes in: Box of 24
Vitola: Hermosos (5 5/8″ x 46) Corona Gorda
Pre-Light
The Hermosos features an Habano wrapper from Ecuador which visually appears oily and feels as such. The visible veins add texture to an other wise smooth wrapper. Construction was flawless and as always was completed with a traditional triple cap. Both the wrapper and foot had a spicy barnyard aroma. Pre-light draw was free and foreshadowed what was to come.
Reinado Torpedo
Recently, I was contacted by Antonio Lam about trying out his new cigar line. I heard some buzz about Reinado at IPCPR, but I wasn’t able to make it by his booth. Luckily, he found me on Twitter was sent me some samples of this cigar. This cigar comes in a robusto, torpedo and churchill. Antonio sent me the torpedo which seems to be his most popular. The first sample I tried was about a week after I got them and the flavor seemed a little flat and the ash flowered a lot. I keep my humidor at 69% humidity, so I thought maybe this cigar would be better at a lower humidity. I dry boxed this cigar for about 14 or so hours before smoking the review sample. So what affect did that have on the cigar? Watch the video and find out.
PS – Thanks to CigarPhoto.net for the photos!
Cigar Journal: Cuban Stock Part II
A couple of weeks ago and wrote up the first part of my review of four Cuban Stock cigars. Today I’m smoking the last two cigars that were sent to me from Cuban Stock Cigar Company. If you missed my review of the first two you can find them here.
Cuban Stock Reserve
Name: Reserve
Company: Cuban Stock Cigar Co.
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic (aged 10 years in wine barrels with Dominican tree roots
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: Toro (6″ x 50)
Cuban Stock Reserve production is limited to 200 boxes or 4,000 cigars per month. This cigar also utilizes filler tobacco that is aged in a way I’ve never heard of before. Although I’ve heard of tobacco being aged in wine barrels before, the addition of tree roots is a bit of a curiosity to me. I regrettably didn’t notice this fact until I was finalizing my review and wish I would have had time to ask “why the roots?”
Punch Cigars announces new Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary
General Cigars will be releasing a 10th Anniversary edition Rare Corojo that should be hitting the stores shelves by the end of March.  This cigar will feature a Connecticut Corojo wrapper in a 5 x 50 robusto size. The MSRP is $6.50. Below are some pictures of the artist renditions of the box, label and cigar. Hopefully I will be able to get a review up of the cigar soon.
Zino Embassy 2010 Limitied Edition Belicoso
It seems like every year someone release yet another limited edition cigar especially around the holidays. Zino has their Embassy which I missed out on last year and will how well it was received, I knew I couldn’t miss out on it this year. The Zino Embassy is released in a box of 10 with an MSRP of around $10. It uses the same Selection 702 Ecuadorian Sun Grown that was on the Davidoff Seleccion 702 Limited Edition in 2009. Pretty amazing price for what you get and a Zino at that. Doesn’t really matter though if it doesn’t live up to its and Zino/Davidoff’s standards. So, the question is it an international star or an international incident? Watch the video and find out.
Zino Embassy
52 x 5 1/2″
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun-grown Selection 702
Binder: Piloto Domincan Republic
Filler: Piloto and 3 types of Ligero from Domincan Republic
Vitola: Belicoso
MSRP:Â $10
Reviewer:Â Ben
Date:Â 2/25/2011
Press Release: Jon Huber, Formerly of C.A.O., Creates New Cigar Company
Jon Huber, the former director of lifestyle marketing for C.A.O. International Inc., has formed a new cigar company with three other former employees of C.A.O. The new venture is called Crowned Heads LLC.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, where C.A.O. was located until it was moved to Virginia, Crowned Heads consists of Huber, Mike Conder, formerly C.A.O.’s senior VP of marketing; Michael Trebing, who served as C.A.O.’s creative media manager, and Nancy Heathman, who was C.A.O.’s graphic designer.
“It’s going to be very different from what we did at C.A.O.,” said Huber, who said Crowned Heads would be a boutique company that eschews titles, offices and cubicles. The company has begun to meet with tobacco brokers to develop a brand and by year’s end it hopes to have a cigar with five sizes on the market. Huber said that having a cigar ready for the industry trade show in July was a “possibility, but not a probability,” and said he would try to take cigar smokers “behind the scenes” to see how the company develops its products along the way.
Vudu by Rocky Patel
The Vudu is produced by Rocky Patel in his Tabacalera Villa Cuba, S.A. factory in Esteli Nicaragua. This cigar was blended by Amilcar P. Castro and is sold exclusively at the Famous Smoke Shop.
Name: Vudu
Company: Rocky Patel
Made in: Tabacalera Villa Cuba, S.A.
Wrapper: Mexican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $5.00/stick or $79.99/box
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: Robusto (5″ x 50)
Pre-Light
The Vudu was a well made cigar finished off with a traditional cuban triple cap. The wrapper was a dark shade of brown and was surprisingly dry to the touch. The cigar also felt solid as my hand as it appeared to be jammed packed full of tobacco. Pre-light aromas were barnyard on the wrapper and wood/hay on the foot.
