The Stogie Guys

Starting tomorrow, StogieGuys will be reporting live from the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans as we talk to cigar makers about their latest offerings and sample their newest cigars. In the meantime, we continue with our preview of the new cigars that will be released at this year’s event:

Drew Estate — Despite being available at Drew Estate events for some time, the corona-sized Dirty Rat will be officially released at the IPCPR. The Dirty Rat is a variation of the Liga Privada blend, but with the blend changed slightly to account for the smaller ring gauge. We also hear a cigar called the Undercrown will likely debut, but no details have been released. Additionally, Drew Estate announced that it will be partnering with Xikar for a series of cigar accessories.

Fuente — Fuente will be making two new cigars for Carlos Fuente’s brother, Arturo Fuente Jr., of the Tampa Cigar Sweethearts Company: Flor de Ybor City and Ybor Gold. We’ve also heard reports that a new torpedo version of the relatively new Magnum Rosado line will likely be introduced.

Tatuaje — Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje brand will introduce a number of line extensions this year. Ambos Mundos Grande (5.5 x 56) will come in both Habano and Sumatra wrappers with an MSRP of $6.25. Havana VI Gordito (5.5 56) will sell for $7.50. Havana VI Verocu No. 5 (4 x 40) will be sold in cabinets of 50 with an MSRP of $4.25 per cigar. El Triunfador No. 7 (5.9 x 54) will sell for $8 apiece. Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 7th  (5.6 x 46) will come in both Natural and Reserva (broadleaf) wrappers with an MSRP of $9 per cigar. Petit Tatuaje Reserva (4.5 x 32) will sell in cabinets of 50 for $3.50 per cigar. Lastly, Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva (4 x 40) carries an MSRP of $4.50 per cigar and will be sold in cabinets of 50.

Nestor Miranda — Nestor Miranda is set to debut a new line called Art Deco, a collaboration between Nestor and Don Pepin Garcia. The Art Deco is a blend of Nicaraguan corojo and Dominican San Vicente with a dual binder of Dominican criollo ’98 and Nicaraguan Habano 2000 finished in a Nicaraguan corojo ’06 wrapper. Instead of wooden boxes, the Art Deco will be sold in metallic art deco tins of 21 cigars. It will be offered in three sizes: Coffee Break (4.5 x 50), Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54), and Gran Toro (6 x 60).

La Aurora — The oldest Dominican cigar maker is introducing Guillermo León by La Aurora, honoring longtime company president Guillermo León. The cigar features filler tobacco from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Brazil, and Nicaragua and is finished off with an Ecuadorian Habano Vuelta Arriba wrapper. Guillermo León will be available in four vitolas: Corona, Gran Corona, Gran Toro, and Belicoso. The estimated MSRP is $7.50-$10.00 per cigar. Also being introduced is a new corona size of its La Aurora 107 blend. Finally, La Aurora will reportedly be releasing a new La Aurora Corojo line using an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and a filler blend of Dominican Cubano, Dominican olor, and Nicaraguan habano. The Corojo will be available in five sizes and will sell for $5.50 to $7.

Illusione — Illusione will debut a limited edition cigar called Singulare, which will feature a new size and blend each year. This year features a the Phantom (6 x 50). Made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, the blend is 100% Nicaraguan tobacco. Production was limited to 1,000 boxes of 15 with an MSRP of $12 per cigar.

DomRey — DomRey, a subsidiary of Davidoff and maker of Cusano and Cuvée, is set to release two new labels. The Cusano 15th Anniversary Limited edition uses a Domican wrapper and comes in boxes of 15. Meanwhile, the Cuvée Cusano Signature line will be the first time a cigar shares both the Cuvée and Cusano names. Both cigars are being made by Davidoff blender Henke Kelner.

Prometheus — Prometheus is the distributor of the Fuente-made God of Fire, Sencillo, and Angelenos cigar lines, as well as a large line of luxury cigar accessories. Angelenos is adding two new sizes: a Robusto (5.25 x 50) and a Double Robusto (5.25 x 52). Sencillo is adding a new Gigante (6 x 60). New God of Fire accessories are also coming.

Xikar — Known best for its line of cutters, Xikar is expanding its Xikar HC Series cigars made by Jesus Fuego at Nestor Plancencia’s Nicaraguan factory. All three blends (Connecticut, Criollo, and Habano Colorado) will add a large cigar size (6 x 60).

Los Blancos – NINE by Los Blancos debuted at last year’s show, but this year they are expanding the regular production line to include a Lancero (7 x 38). NINE is a spicy, full-bodied Nicaraguan puro made in Esteli.

J. Fuego — Jesus Fuego’s Origen line will officially debut at this year’s IPCPR show. The line uses a Brazilian corojo wrapper, Costa Rican binder, and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. While the series has been available to select retailers for some time now, a Lancero will be a new addition.

Alec Bradley — Alec Bradley cigars is introducing the Maxx Connecticut, featuring a shade-grown Connecticut wrapper. Except for the wrapper, the blend will remain the same as the original Maxx line and will come in four sizes: The Fixx, The Culture, The Freak, and The Curve.

Primer Mundo – Sean Williams of Primer Mundo will have his own booth this year (last year he was stationed at the Los Blancos booth) where he be featuring the new Miami Liga. Rolled in Miami, it uses Nicaraguan and the Dominican filler including three ligero leaves, a double binder, and is wrapped in a Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper.

La Caridad del Cobre — Frank Herera’s La Caridad del Cobre will debut a new line called La Charada, which means “the charade.” La Charada is derived from the old Cuban lotto system. In La Charada, each number corresponds with a thing. If you dream about certain things you play the numbers that correspond to what you dream about. There are seven vitolas: four maduro and three natural. Each vitola is named and numbered after one of the objects in the La Charada Cubana. The Natural has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with binder and filler from the Dominican Republic. The Maduro has a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with binder and filler also from the Dominican Republic.

Gran Habano — Gran Habano is introducing the new Azteca line. The full-bodied line features a Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper and binder with Nicaraguan and Panamanian filler. Available in three sizes, it will sell for around $7 each.

Hammer + Sickle — Vodka and cigar maker Hammer + Sickle will be debuting a new cigar called Berlin Wall, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and demise of communism in Eastern Europe.

A.J. Fernandez — A.J. Fernandez has made top-selling cigars, but at this year’s IPCPR he is introducing his first nationally-distributed solo cigar. San Lotano is an old Cuban cigar line that Fernandez has re-launched in three variations with Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro wrappers.

While we’ve comprehensively surveyed the most notable cigars set to debut at this trade show, there will undoubtedly be many more new cigars before the IPCPR concludes. For all the info, including our take on some of these new cigars, check back starting tomorrow for live IPCPR coverage.

Patrick S and Patrick M will be on the trade show floor getting the latest scoop from the cigar makers. If you have a question you’d like us to ask your favorite cigar maker, let us know in the comments.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show opens in New Orleans today. The annual show is arguably the most important event of the year in the cigar industry, serving as an opportunity for cigar makers to show cigar retailers their latest offerings and make sales for for the upcoming year.

While selling cigars is still the primary purpose of the show, these days most of the news out of the trade show revolves around the new cigars that nearly every cigar maker releases. Here is part one of our comprehensive list of the already-announced new cigars set to debut at the show:

Altadis — Industry giant Altadis USA has revealed a few of the cigars it will be unveiling at the trade show this year. Included is a Honduran-made H. Upmann Sungrown blend (featuring an Ecuadorian wrapper with Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers), an Omar Ortez Originals Puro Maduro (using a San Andres maduro wrapper around Maduro binder and filler tobaccos), Warlock (made by Omar Ortez utilizing  an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers), and an A. Turrent Triple Play Puro Maduro (also using a San Andres maduro wrapper with Connecticut broadleaf binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, San Andres, and Honduras). The company will also debut a new Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition Humidor featuring the artwork of artist Charles Fazzino, and a new dual-flame torch.

Padrón — One year after the debut of the Padrón Family Reserve 45, the Nicaraguan cigar masters are introducing the new Family Reserve No. 46. A trunk-pressed smoke, the 46  (5.5 x 56) features well-aged Nicaraguan tobacco and will cost around $25 per cigar.

Rocky Patel — Prolific cigar maker Rocky Patel will be officially debuting his 15th Anniversary cigar utilizing an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Available in four box-pressed sizes, the blend will cost $8 to $12 each.

E.P. Carillo — Ernesto-Perez Carrillo, creator of the famous La Gloria Cubana line, will debut his regular production blend available in six sizes. Also expected is a new annual limited edition release that follows up on his 2009 Edición Inaugural release.

CAO — After the success of the CAO La Traviata at last year’s show, CAO is debuting a maduro version featuring a Connecticut-grown broadleaf wrapper. According to CAO President Tim Ozgener, the Maduro will be priced similarly to the natural blend at around $5 each.

Toraño Family — Reflecting its new focus and new name, the Toraño Family Cigar Company will be bringing three new cigars to market this year. The Master is a joint effort by Charlie Toraño and longtime master roller Felipe Sosa using an all-Nicaraguan blend. Single Region by Toraño (MSRP $6.50-$6.95) features Jalapa tobacco all from one farm and is being rolled at the Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, which also makes cigars for Illusione, Alec Bradley, and Padilla. The third line, Brigade, features an Ecuadorian wrapper and will sell in bundles of 16 for around $2.50 per stick.

Camacho — Camacho makes cigars for Room 101 and will be introducing the new Room 101 Conjura. The full-bodied blend features a Honduran rosado wrapper, Honduran binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Limited to just 12,500 cigars for each of the blend’s four sizes, it will sell for $7-10 each.

La Flor Dominicana — Litto Gomez’s La Flor Dominicana will be adding a chisel size to its relatively new Air Bender line, and possibly another smaller ring gauge size. Also expected is a new full-flavored maduro Salomon.

Ashton — Ashton is adding a third version of its Aroma de Cuba line: the Aroma De Cuba Mi Amor. Made by Don Pepin Garcia, the blend uses a  Cuban-seed Mexican wrapper around aged Nicaraguan tobaccos.

AVO — Avo cigars is introducing a new full line called Avo Heritage. Made in four sizes (Churchill, Toro, Robusto, and Short Robusto) it utilizes the same Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper as the Avo 2009 Compañero along with a Dominican binder and a blend of five different Dominican fillers.

La Palina — La Palina, Bill Paley’s new line, is introducing it’s regular production Family Blend in New Orleans. It comes in four sizes, Pasha (a Churchill with an unfinished foot), Babe (a robusto), Alison (a torpedo), and Little Bill (a perfecto). The blend uses a Costa Rican binder with Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. Pasha and Babe use a Costa Rican wrapper, while Alison and Little Bill utilize an Ecuadorian wrapper and additional ligero fillers.

Revolution Cigars — Paradigm 262-maker Revolution Cigars will introduce a new, milder line called Ideology. The cigar will feature a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan, Mexican, and Dominican tobaccos. Revolution cigars is also adding a 4-inch by 60 ring gauge vitola to the Paradigm line called the “4SIXTY.”

Pinar del Rio — Abe Flores’ Pinar Del Rio is re-launching all of their standard lines, which have been re-blended and will now be sold in boxes of 20. Pinar del Rio has also reduced its MSRP by 10% across the board this year. The main focus at the show, however, will be the launch of the new line: 1878 Cubano Especial Maduro. It will come in eight vitolas and feature a Brazilian Arapiraca maduro wrapper, Dominican criollo ’98 binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.

Joya de Nicaragua — Joya de Nicaragua is adding an additional size to its Dark Antaño line. “La Niveladora” will be a six-inch by 52 ring gauge box-pressed toro.

These are far from all the new releases, so check back after noon for part two of our IPCPR preview, which includes new cigars from Tatuaje, Illusione, La Aurora, and many others. Also be sure to check in regularly starting tomorrow for live updates throughout the day from the IPCPR Trade Show floor.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Set to be officially released at the IPCPR show this week, this Corona (5.5 x 43) is a new addition to La Aurora’s recently-introduced 107 line. It features a relatively vein-free Ecuadorian wrapper around Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. Smooth medium-bodied flavors make for an interesting smoke, with leather, spice, graham, and warm woody flavors. Construction is superb, and this format is a perfect vehicle for this complex, balanced smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

PG Cigars is a great all-around brand, but my favorite blend from this old-school boutique manufacturer has to be the 15th Anniversary. It was first released in 2005 in only one size and is now available in ten vitolas, including the Short Robusto (4 x 50). A stout smoke, it boasts smooth yet full flavors as varied as cedar and melon to cinnamon and pine—all in harmonious cooperation. I can’t say enough about this complex, well-constructed cigar. Suffice to say it is well worth its price tag of about $12 apiece.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The communist isle of Cuba, reeling from highly centralized mismanagement, is ironically turning to private investment to slow its economic decline. Raúl Castro (pictured) announced this week a plan to allow some business licenses that would get redundant workers off the government payroll. While it remains to be seen if such licenses would extend to Cuba’s cigar industry, we have every reason to believe that tobacco privatization would yield positive results—as it did for the late Alejandro Robaina, whose family-owned farm consistently outperformed state-operated plantations.

2) Following New York’s ridiculous tax hike on cigars, lawmakers on Tuesday approved a new state budget without a cigar tax cap. “The only ‘good’ news from Albany is that the state’s budget office may be willing to reconsider a cigar tax cap,” reads a press release from the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). “The budget office wants to review available empirical data demonstrating the impact of taxation on cigars and how it impacts state revenues, including revenues lost to surrounding states.”

3) Inside the Industry:  Arturo Fuente of Tampa Sweethearts is bringing two brands to market: Flor de Ybor City and Ybor Gold, both made by Carlos Fuente. Next week in New Orleans, General Cigar will present a check for $20,000 to Ducks Unlimited to restore wetlands in the Gulf Region. For a report on the new cigars expected to be released at next week’s IPCPR Trade Show, check back Monday for our exclusive preview.

4) Around the Blogs:  Smoking Stogie smokes an Opus X Chili Pepper. Stogie Review reviews an El Primer Mundo Liga Miami. Cigar Inspector inspects a CAO Sopranos. The Tiki Bar kicks back with the CAO La Traviata Maduro. Toasted Foot is giving away a box of the new Berger & Argenti Mooch.

5) Deal of the Week: Not long ago we noticed a price drop in this Don Pepin Elite Selection sampler, featuring some of the legendary cigar maker’s finest smokes. Included are two each of the Tatuaje Havana, 5 Vegas Miami, Cuban Classic, and San Cristobal—all for just $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

If you’ve met Jesus Fuego, I’m sure you’ll agree that he is a likable, animated cigar personality with a sincere passion for high-quality tobacco. My first encounter with him was at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans last summer.

More recently, we chatted at the Cigar Expo in June. That’s where he told me about the forthcoming full release of his Origen line, which is set to launch next week at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show. Over the last two years, three limited edition Origen vitolas have been leaked to the market, starting with 500 boxes of the inaugural size, the Toro. Fuego said he chose this strategy to thank those retailers who have supported his brand from the beginning.

The Origen recipe is composed of 100% Cuban-seed corojo tobaccos with a Costa Rican binder and a two-country filler blend from Honduras and Nicaragua. The wrapper, a Brazilian corojo leaf, is “the darker sister of the wrapper of the 777 Corojo,” Fuego told me. It is intended to produce a “much richer blend.”

Now he is ready to share this blend on a larger scale with a complete lineup of sizes, including a Lancero (7.5 x 38). This slender smoke retails for approximately $6-7 apiece. It has a toothy, almost leathery exterior with modest veins and ample oils. Reddish in color and firm in the hand, it carries a sweet, earthy fragrance.

Establishing an even light is as easy as striking a match. From the outset, the medium-bodied flavor is of coffee beans, nuts, and dry wood with some sweet caramel on the finish. Balanced and savory. The draw is a tad tight but on par with what you’d expect from a typical lancero.

Moving into the midway point, the profile becomes creamier and sweeter while losing some bite. The overall taste remains decidedly medium-bodied, however, especially since the dry wood and coffee flavors maintain their prominence. As the draw opens nicely to reveal more of a smooth, chalky texture, I am surprised at the level of spice—seems to me like there would be more zing from an all-corojo creation.

But I won’t count that against the Origen Lancero; it has a unique flavor that stands all on its own. Complementing the taste are superior physical characteristics, not the least of which are a perfectly straight burn and a well-built white ash.

So this new line from Jesus Fuego earns high marks in my book. While I don’t think it’s going to blow cigar veterans away, it is consistently enjoyable from light to nub. Based on the three samples I smoked for this review, the Origen Lancero is worthy of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One of the great things about writing for StogieGuys.com is that I get to meet some interesting people involved in the industry. Frank Herrera is no exception. Frank is an intellectual property lawyer in Florida, publisher of CigarLaw.com, and the owner of La Caridad del Cobre (LCDC). He recently spoke with me about starting his company, the next step for LCDC, the state of the trademark law in the industry, and more:

Stogie Guys: How does a lawyer end up in the cigar industry?

Frank Herrera: Back in 2001, when I was a new lawyer, I began to help some small cigar makers with the trademark applications. One cigar maker who has been in the business since 1995 or so came to me with a trademark dispute. At the time I was working for a law firm that did not allow me to alter my billing, or otherwise provide pro bono work for business clients. I basically gave him lots of advice on how to defend himself. I told him what books to read, where to get them, and basically gave him a litigation plan on how to fight the trademark dispute. Years later I ran into him at IPCPR (then RTDA) and he thanked me. He told me that he followed my advice to the letter and defended himself and won his case. He told me that winning saved his company and gave him the strength to continue in the business. His new cigar’s name is reflective of his company’s resurrection.

In 2002, I took on the Guantanamera case. Since then, we’ve been defending the trademark against Corporacion Habanos, S.A. at the Trademark Office and now on appeal at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Apart from the Cohiba case (which General just won) this is the longest running cigar trademark dispute between a U.S. company and Cuba. Thus, in representing these clients since 2001, I’ve learned a great deal about all aspects of the industry. Over the years I learned to appreciate the uniqueness of the industry. I particularly like the fact that it combines all the things that I enjoy: cigars, trademarks, history, culture, agriculture, and of course the social aspect.

SG: What has been the biggest challenge in launching La Caridad del Cobre?

FH: The biggest challenge getting LCDC off the ground is actually convincing myself to commit to the project. I started the brand in early 2009, but I made some bush-league mistakes. The biggest early mistake was that I approached it as a hobby. At that time, I was intimately familiar with the business (having counseled clients on nearly every aspect of it), but yet I was only spending a few hours a week on the brand. At IPCPR last year I shared a booth with a friend just so I could dip my toe in the business at the national level. That was a considerable waste of time and resources since I was completely unprepared. The minute I got back from IPCPR I committed myself to making a great product and to work on the brand. I’m excited about this year’s IPCPR, and I think that you will agree that I got my shit together. Another big mistake was refusing help from some very notable persons in the industry.

Over the past year, that has changed. I’ve been extremely lucky to be associated with some great minds in the cigar business. Most have helped me in recognition of my long hard (and until recently solo) fight against Cuba’s trademark wars. In a strange way, defending these cases against Cuba is my way of political protest. I like to think about it in the context of a U2 lyric about Helter Skelter… “This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles…we’re stealing it back.” Thus, Fidel Castro stole Guantanamera and a multitude of other trademarks, dreams, lives, etc… “I’m stealing it back.” It’s not enough that Cuba has been socialist/communist for all these years disrupting lives and families. Now they are filing countless trademark oppositions and cancellations against small, under-funded cigar companies for their use of terms or phrases that are their only way of preserving their pre-Castro culture. Fuck them.

SG: What is the next step for your company after the trade show?

FH: The next step for LCDC? Fulfill the IPCPR orders and tour the country visiting shops. Continue to create cigars that I can stand behind and be proud of. I’ve got lots of ideas for new brands, new vitolas, and new blends, so I’m excited about dedicating myself to this. I wanted to come out with a cigar this year called “La Fiera,” which means fierce woman (I’ve encountered a few over the years), but I just couldn’t find the right blend to bring that cigar to life. I’m certain that I can breathe some life into her by next year. I’m also working on a Tres Triste Tigres culebra. The name means the “three trapped tigers. ” It’s the title of a famous book written by the Cuban author Guillermo Cabrera Infante. It’s going to be two naturals inter-twined with a maduro. In the myth/religious story of La Caridad del Cobre, three men were in a rowboat and were facing death on the high seas. It was two white Cubans and one mulato. Thus, the idea is blend the LCDC myth/religious story with Guillermo Cabrera Infante’s Tres Triste Tigres.

SG: What is your opinion on the state of trademark law in the industry?

FH: This industry is all about trademarks. Let’s face it: Without a trademark, only the true aficionado would be able to differentiate most cigars. Trademark law is hot across the board regardless of industry, and the cigar industry is no different. However, unlike other industries, a great deal of cigar disputes are actually between Corporacion Habanos, S.A./Cubatabaco and small to mid-size family-owned cigar companies. Over the past ten years Cuba has committed itself to clearing the record of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) of any trademark that looks, smells, or tastes like it might suggest a connection with Cuba.

It might surprise you, but I think that cigar trademark disputes should be resolved without any litigation or lawyers. The cigar industry is like no other industry. To use a sexist phrase, it’s much more gentlemanly. Gentlemen should resolve disputes without lawyers and the courts.

SG: Do you remember your first cigar?

FH: My first cigar? Must have been an unbanded candela that I stole from my uncle Arturo Herrera when he was visiting my family farm in central Florida. I was like 14 or 15. Loved that guy. He would visit with my aunt Lola and I just remember the smell of the cigar and their happy faces. They’ve both passed on, but I still remember him with a cigar and those good times. Not sure that you could pay me now to smoke a candela but, who knows, maybe I’ll come out with one in the future. Of course, I can’t call it Arturo for trademark purposes (laughter). Maybe Lola?

SG: Besides your own stuff, what other cigars have you been enjoying lately?

FH: I dig anything that Dion Giolito makes. Gran Habano. Canimao. La Tradición Cubana.

Many thanks to Frank Herrera for speaking with us. For more information, visit CigarLaw.com and La Caridad del Cobre.

–Patrick M

photo credit: Facebook