Guillermo Leon Gran Corona
Miami Cigars Company introduced 3 much anticipated cigars this year at IPCPR in New Orleans. The Nestor Miranda Art Deco, La Aurora Corojo and the Guillermo Leon. These cigars were well received by the community and each fit its own niche. This week I review the Guillermo Leon in one of my favorite sizes, gran corona. I smoked several samples at the show, but after the show ended, MCC send reviewers a five pack sampler to try out and give their impressions. The cigar is of normal La Aurora high quality which translates into a great looking cigar that burns really well. The flavors are really great too and the cigar, to me, seemed to be mild-medium in body. I enjoyed the cigar, but I prefer cigar with this similar flavor profile to be stronger. That is a personal preference. Check out the video for more.
Graycliff Hotel 2010 Halloween Package
GRAYCLIFF’S GHOSTLY PIRATE PATROLS THE RAMPARTS!
An 18th century buccaneer still searches for the Captain who took him prisoner
Nassau, Bahamas (September 30, 2010) — Every old estate and castle has a story of intrigue and mayhem, and Graycliff, the 18th-century mansion which is the centerpiece of the fabled 5-Star Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant, is no exception. By all accounts, the Graycliff wraith is focused on finding his tormentor and bringing him to justice, pirate-style. It is supposed to be the spirit of a seaman, captured by Captain Graysmith, the notorious pirate who retired with his riches and built the mansion on a hill. Graysmith needed the hilltop site to afford him a full view of the harbor so that he could inspect his fleet from the comfort of his opulent surroundings. Retired though he was, the pirate in him would brook no confrontation and he ruled his fleet with an iron hand.
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Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S is now the world’s second largest cigar company
After having received the necessary approvals from the relevant competition author-ities, Skandinavisk Holding A/S and Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S on 1 October 2010 closed the transaction with Swedish Match AB which creates the world’s second largest cigar company and an even stronger world leader in pipe tobacco.
On 26 April 2010 it was announced that the parties had signed an agreement to form a new company by combining all the tobacco business of Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S (STG) with the cigars and pipe tobacco business of Swedish Match AB (SM) (with the ex-ception of its US mass market cigars). After having obtained the required approvals from a number of national competition authorities, the transaction has now been completed with effect from 1 October 2010.
The new company carries the name Scandinavian Tobacco Group and has an annual turn-over of approximately MEUR 690 and an EBITDA of approximately MEUR 140 (based on 2009 results). Annually more than 2.5 billion cigars and 1,650 tons of pipe tobacco will leave the Group’s factories in Europe, Asia and Central America. The joint company has approximately 9,700 employees. The new company, which has sales companies in 15 countries, is market leader in a num-ber of countries in Europe within cigars and pipe tobacco and holds more than 30% of the US premium cigar market. The company’s leading cigar brands include Café Crème, La Paz, Henri Wintermans, Colts, Mercator, Macanudo, CAO, Partagas (US), Cohiba (US) and Punch (US). Leading pipe tobacco brands are Erinmore, Borkum Riff, Clan, Half&Half, and W.Ø. Larsen.
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CAO La Traviata Maduro
The La Traviata Maduro was introduced at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show as a line extension of the highly acclaimed La Traviata. CAO retained the same filler and binder blend, only changing the wrapper from an Ecuadorian Habano to a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. For more information on the story behind La Traviata I highly suggest you take a look at the CAO website.
Name: La Traviata Maduro
Company: CAO
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Pueblo Nuevo, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic
Price: ~$6.00
Comes in: Box of 24
Vitola: Radiante (6×52 Toro)
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Avo Heritage Short Robusto
At this year’s IPCPR, Avo Cigars introduced a new cigar to their line. It was somewhat of a departure from the other Avo cigars in that it would be stronger and less expensive than the rest of of the lines. That cigar is the Avo Heritage. I was given a sample of this cigar at the show by Edward Simon and immediately sparked it up. It was so enjoyable that I took a break in the Avo Lounge the had set up until the cigar was down to the nub. Needless to say, this was one of the best cigars of the show for me and I wasn’t alone thinking this. If you haven’t seen it yet, Edward was gracious enough to take some time out to give me a video interview which he talks about the cigar in detail which I posted on the site several weeks ago. Finally, I was able to get a full review up. How does this cigar stack up to the other Avo cigars? Watch the video and find out.
Illusione and Drew Estate Cigars discontinue Nosotros brand of cigars
From Dion Giolito of Illusione Cigars:
Effective immediately, Illusione cigars will no longer participate in the Nosotros brand project with Jonathan Drew DBA Drew Estate. After two and a half years, terms for a product delivery date still could not be negotiated. The Nosotros brand/trademark dies in the Drew Estate Factory as per contractual agreement, and will not be made outside of the factory where it originated. – Dion Giolito, Illusione Cigars
Sad day. The Nosotros was one of my favorite cigars.
Augusto Reyes Signature Torpedo
This year at IPCPR in New Orleans, Augusto Reyes Cigars introduced two new cigars. This cigar, the Signature, is one of them. This cigar is a Dominican puro in that it has Dominican tobacco as its wrapper, binder and filler. Many of you probably recognize the name from the many offerings from Cigars International, but, as Augusto Reyes told me, “these are 10 times better”. I hope so as the cigars that CI has as a bit…..bad, in my opinion. Because of that, I hesitated to try these when I got my sample. After hearing others state how good the cigar was, I decided to give it a shot. How did it turn out? Watch the video and find out.
Cain F 654T
Today I’m firing up a cigar that was introduced to the market at the 2009 IPCPR show with quite a bit of buzz behind it. My initial experiences with the Cain lineup wasn’t what I expected. The press behind this cigar described a bold/powerful cigar and I just didn’t get that. Then, I tried the Cain F, and my opinions were changed some. In my mind, the Cain F delivered on the promise of a bold/powerful cigar.
Name: Cain F
Company: Oliva
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Unknown
Filler: 32% Esteli Ligero, 25% Condega Ligero and 25% Jalapa Ligero
Price: $8.00
Comes in: Box of 24
Vitola: Torpedo (6×54)
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Viaje Satori Karma
Viaje release two new cigars at this years IPCPR: Satori and a medium bodied 50/50. This week, I’m reviewing the Satori Karma that was given to me at the IPCPR show by Andre Farkas of Viaje. This cigar is a Nicaraguan puro with an oscuro wrapper. This cigar is another very limited release from Viaje, so get them while you can. So, how does this cigar stack up against the other cigars from Viaje? What the video and find out.
Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial
Today I’m firing up a fairly new cigar that comes out of the My Father Factory. This factory was made famous through the expert blending of Jose Don Pepin Garcia, but this time his son Jaime has taken over the blending role. For this review I’m smoking the Petit Robusto, but this cigar is available in four additional vitolas (Robusto, Belicoso, Toro, and Toro Gordo). Originally rumored to fall in the $20 price range, this Reserva Especial fall in a more comfortable $6.00 price range. Check out the video to get my take on this cigar.
Name: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial
Company: My Father Cigars
Made in: Esteli, Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (1/2 Garcia Farm, 1/2 Oliva Farm)
Comes in: Box of 20
Vitola: Petite Robusto (4 1/2″ x 50)
Price: $6.50
