The Stogie Guys

This week StogieGuys.com is in Orlando covering the 80th annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show—the convention where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut new creations. Check back throughout the day for updates, and keep an eye on Twitter for even more.

Early AM: Yesterday was George E‘s first visit to any IPCPR Trade Show. Although he won’t be on the floor today, before he left for his home in the Tampa area he wrote up his thoughts on his inaugural cigar convention:

My first trip to IPCPR felt something like a cross between a kid in a candy store and a piñata party. Because not only are there more cigar displays than imaginable, there’s so much you’d never expect.

Like a booth for a seller of canes (a comment on the demographic of many cigar smokers?). And more electronic cigar/cigarette booths than I would have thought possible. Leather finger cases and tobacco pouches. Music from The Cigar Station. Hookah pipes, invariably displayed by provocatively dressed young women. Pipes, rows and rows of pipes. China tobacco. Mexico tobacco.

Did I mention cigars?

There’s much more than I’ll ever be able to see and appreciate in my brief one-day visit. But the highlight was unquestionably the people.

One of my first introductions was to Jerry Cruz of Stogie Review. Jerry and I have corresponded over the years but I never had the opportunity to meet him face-to-face. He’s every bit as funny and engaging in person as he is on video. At an after-hours party Patrick S took me to the night before the convention opened, Steve Saka of Drew Estate and Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson were on hand, as was Skip Martin, owner of CroMagnon, who seems to love nothing more than talking cigars.

At the show’s first day, I was able to chat with some industry types I’d met before, like lawyer and brand owner Frank Herrera, who didn’t have a booth, and Eddie Ortega, who did. I got to sample his Ortega Serie D Natural, one of several cigars I had on my must-try-when-I-finally-see-them list. Terrific cigar.

Obviously, I can’t compare this convention to any in the past. I can tell you, though, that I left with good feelings about the future of the industry. The passion and knowledge exuded by so many cigar makers and brand owners was inspiring, while the varied ages and backgrounds of those attending was encouraging.

I think cigars are in good hands. –George E

Saturday Midday: One of my first visits of the morning was to Altadis, whose booth seemed more lively than in past years. The Romeo stick (which has been out a little while) is certainly a focus, as is the new Montecristo Epic. I was particularly interested in the Ovalado, an oval-shaped smoke (box-pressed but with slightly rounded corners) made by the Turrents, the first family of Mexican tobacco, with a San Andres Habano wrapper, a San Andreas corojo binder, and filler from San Andreas and Nicaragua. It’s the first I’ve seen of a Mexican Habano wrapper. Also of note was the Montecristo local series. We reviewed the New York Edition a while ago, and next up is a Montecristo Texas edition.

Afternoon: Gurkha is introducing two main lines at this show, both made at Abe Flores’ factory where he also makes Pinar del Rio. Ghost comes in four sizes (5 x 52, 6 x 54 , 6 x 52, and 6 x 60) and uses a Dominican criollo ’98 binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers surrounded by a dark, oily Brazilian arapiraca wrapper. Also out is the 125th Anniversary, utilizing Habano wrapper and binder with Nicaraguan, Brazilian, and Dominican filler. Oliver Hyams, at Gurkha, notes the 125th anniversary is of the rolling of “gurkha” cigars, not the company. Gurkha has also created the East India Trading Company to house some of its more value-oriented lines that don’t fit into the Gurkha portfolio. Red Witch, a new line, is the second under the East India Trading Company umbrella.

Afternoon: J.C. Newman introduced Perla del Mar at the show. The cigar is made at their Nicaraguan San Rafael factory where Brick House and El Baton are produced. It features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, with Nicaraguan binder and filler and is priced to be affordable at $4.50-5.95 for the four sizes. In addition to a number of sharp-looking new humidors and matching ashtrays, the other highlighted item was the introduction of the Brick House Maduro, which comes only in the “Might Mighty” size (6 x 60).

Late Afternoon: This may be the last update of the day, as reliable internet access seems to be a rare commodity here. But there are many more details that we’ll be sharing in the coming days, including new releases from Alec Bradley, La Flor Dominicana, A.J. Fernandez, Nat Sherman, La Palina, Room 101, and many, many others. Also, keep an eye on the Twitter feed for shorter updates and more photos.

Check back throughout the day today for live updates from the Trade Show floor as we get the skinny on new products. And feel free to leave a comment on this post if you have a question you’d like us to ask a cigar maker. You can read our previous 2012 Trade Show coverage here, here, here, and here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credits: Stogie Guys

This week StogieGuys.com is in Orlando covering the 80th annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show—the convention where cigar makers from around the world come to showcase their products and debut new creations. Check back throughout the day for updates, and keep an eye on Twitter for even more.

Friday Early Morning: Yesterday, I sat in on the seminars IPCPR holds before the Trade Show officially opens this morning. First up was the CRA/IPCPR Cigar Politics seminar. Unfortunately, attendance was sparse compared to later sessions, in part because it was the first one of the day. I’d estimate 200 people attended. The big news announced there was that Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) would be signing on as a sponsor of Senate Bill 1461 to protect cigars (and the jobs in the cigar industry) from FDA regulation. While it took him a while to get on board with the bill, his support makes plenty of sense given the number of major retailers (Cigars International, Famous Smoke Shop, Holts, etc…) based in the state. At the Cigarnival festival in Easton, Pennsylvania, held just over a month ago, attendees were encouraged to contact Senator Casey. That personal contact from his constituents apparently worked.

Friday AM: In addition to the seminars, yesterday I went on the show floor as setup was taking place. Seeing the booths makes it clear how much time, effort, and money goes into the show. Some of the setups are literally as complicated as building a small house (and can cost just as much). It reminds you that, at the core, manufacturers are here to make sales that justify the extraordinary cost.

Friday Midday: As Chris Edge told us in our recent interview, he is focusing on relaunching Dona Flor into the American market. Still, Alonso Menendez (a cigar we thought very highly of when it first hit the US market seven years ago) is available for those who ask for it. Further, Chris tells us he will soon be releasing a special Alonson Menendez to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the brand.

Friday Midday: Erneto Perez-Carrillo showed us his newest line Inch, featuring large ring gauges and using a high priming Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The blend, he tells us, uses original Dominican piloto cubano seed tobacco that reminds him of some of the stuff he used when he first launched  El Credito in Miami. He also shared with us a new blend he’s working on that so far doesn’t have a name and will come out in October. In addition, a new annual edition is due out in November.

Friday Midday: Sean Williams of El Primer Mundo is focusing on promoting his new line Hermandad, made in the Dominican Republic at Abe Flores’ (Of Pinar Del Rio) factory. The blend uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler. Sean also shared with us his new Clase Reserva cigar, which features a San Andreas wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar is made at El Titan de Bronze in Miami and is limited to 1,200 boxes of 12.

Friday Midday: Eddie Ortega of Ortega Cigar Company said he’s been pleased with how his brand has grown so far – based on the feedback on the Series D, which is available in both Maduro and Natural now. He said coming into the show, his cigars are available in around 150 stores nationwide. He also mentioned two new releases he working on. “The Brotherhood” – which Ortega hopes will be ready in the next few months – will be a cigar where a portion of profits are donated to Wounded Warriors. He’s also working on “Ortega’s Dirty Dozen” that will be a series of 12 limited releases each with its own personality, size and blend. I asked him if he’ll be making these with Pepin (like his Series D line and his previous 601 cigars), and he said that he plans to work with others too, to diversify his lines’ flavor profile.

Friday Afternoon: General Cigar was busy as always, with quite a few notable new releases. On the high end is the Cohiba Ediciòn Diamante ($22 and $25 for the two sizes – 5″ x 50 and 6″ x 54 – respectively). The cigar uses a Cameroon wrapper from 1980 (with a Indonesian binder and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler) and comes in boxes of 10, with 2012 boxes of each made. Another new cigar from General is the new Macanudo Vintage 2006, which uses Connecticut Habano and San Augustine double binders, and was described as the strongest Macanudo vintage release to date. It will hit shops in November and will cost $8.40-$9 each.

Friday Afternoon: General Cigar introduced the second CAO line since the company fully joined the General Cigar family. “Concert” is designed to celebrate the brand’s Nashville roots, and the city’s rich music tradition, hence the limited edition working speaker humidors seen in the photo above. The blend is based on the “C” blend from the Last Stick Standing promotion, but Ricky Rodriguez, the “bro” primarily responsible for the CAO blends, tells me there were 15 different variations of that blend before they ended up with the final Concert blend. Interestingly, Concert comes in four sizes that are all 5.5 inches in length, with four different ring gauges (46, 50, 54, and 60). The cigars will launch with a 30-event tour starting in September (where the working amp humidors will be given away), and will sell for $5.75-7.50 per cigar.

Friday Afternoon: Erik Espinosa (formerly the “E” of “EO Brands”) had a booth set up that had some familiar cigars including some new ones. Just three weeks ago, Espinosa finalized a deal to take the 601 and Murcielago lines back, after Rocky Patel bought a 50% share in the company a few years ago. Espinosa is also launching the new “Espinosa”cigar featuring an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler, as well as “La Zona,” a new value-priced stick. The new cigars as well as the 601 brands will all be made at Espinosa’s new La Zona Factory in Estelí (previously, the 601 lines were made at Pepin’s My Father Cigars factory). Erik says he is working to ensure that the 601 blends don’t change, even as they move to the new factory. A maduro version of Espinosa is in the works, but at least a few months off.

Friday Evening: It was a busy first day on the show floor for us, going from booth to booth. We hit far more than just those booths listed above (nearly 20 all told), but since StogieGuys.com is only on the floor Friday and Saturday, a lot of the information we got will have to come tomorrow or later this week in a followup article. Tonight there are a plethora of cigar parties and events taking place. Meanwhile, continue to check our Twitter feed and stop by tomorrow for more coverage, including George E’s impressions from his first Trade Show.

Check back throughout the day today and tomorrow for live updates from the Trade Show floor as we get the skinny on new products. And feel free to leave a comment on this post if you have a question you’d like us to ask a cigar maker. You can read our previous 2012 Trade Show coverage here, here, and here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credits: 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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Politicians in Santa Monica—the unofficial ground zero of anti-tobacco lunacy—were considering a bold regulation that would criminalize smoking for new tenants in apartments and condos, and they had even asked city employees to recommend a date by which all existing apartment and condo units would also be deemed smoke-free. These measures have been surprisingly dropped for the time being, but not because the city didn’t want to encroach on the rights of consenting adults in their own homes. Instead, the city is tabling the regulations because it doesn’t want to interfere with those who smoke medicinal marijuana.

2) With this year’s industry trade show just around the corner, many cigar makers are issuing press releases about the new smokes they plan to bring to market. Gurkha, for example, says it is launching a 125th Anniversary blend of four sizes that will retail for $8-11 apiece. Miami Cigar & Co. is producing a Nicaraguan habano oscuro-wrapped blend called Añoranza. Mercer Cigars is releasing a series of blends handmade by “Handsome Jimmy,” a cigar roller from Cuba. The Toraño Family Cigar Company is rolling out Salutem. And Iconic Leaf Cigar is debuting a line called Recluse. These excerpts are but a few of the many press releases we have received over the past week. Stay tuned in the days leading up to the IPCPR Trade Show for more coverage, and be sure to check back on August 2 when the trade show actually begins, as the StogieGuys.com team will again be on hand to cover the year’s biggest cigar event.

3) Inside the Industry: Macanudo is sending eight contest winners to Augusta National to watch the 2013 Masters. Each winner and one guest will be whisked away to the mecca of golf from April 10-15 where they will enjoy a golf-lover’s dream come true: all-access tickets to the first major golf championship of the year, including roundtrip airfare and accommodations. Enter here.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Casa Fernandez Miami. Nice Tight Ash checks out the CAO LX2 Rosado Especial (CRA Edition). Cigar Brief smokes the J. Fuego Origen Maduro Original. Cigar Fan fires up a Partagas 1845.

5) Deal of the Week: Last call to enter the Hoyo de Monterrey box-a-day giveaway.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) When Puro PAC launched last December, it set a goal of raising a six-figure war chest to push for passage of the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act” and support politicians who sign on to protect cigars from dangerous FDA regulation. According to recent Federal Election Commission filings, Puro PAC has done just that. The group has raised a quarter of a million dollars so far, mostly from cigar manufacturers and retailers. At the top of the list are Drew Estate, Thompson Cigar Company, Premium Imports (La Flor Dominicana), Ashton, BestCigarPrices.com, Alec Bradley, Fuente, and Miami Cigar—all of whom have contributed at least $10,000 to Puro PAC in defense of cigar rights.

2) Just when you thought smoking bans had gone as far as they could, along comes Santa Monica, California, to push the anti-smoking envelope even further. Last week, a majority of city council members voted to ban smoking in all new units in multi-unit housing. While current tenants could choose to allow smoking, once they leave the units are automatically designated non-smoking going forward, meaning that soon anyone who can’t afford a single family house will be prevented from smoking in their own home.

3) Inside the Industry: The New York Tobacconist Association is holding a Stogathon dinner with the support of most major cigarmakers to raise funds to support the association’s lobbying activities. Cigar Aficionado reports Zino Platinum is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the Zino Platinum Ten Toro X (5.5 x 60), a smoke with a Nicaraguan wrapper, Dominican binder, and Peruvian and Dominican filler tobacco that will come in a box decorated by New York graffiti-style art.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the J. Fuego Edición de Familia. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Between the Lines. Cigar Brief smokes the Tatuaje Mini-Mum. Cigar Explorer smokes the new L’Atelier Surrogates. Cigar Fan fires up the My Father Cedros Deluxe Cervantes.

5) Deal of the Week: Freebies can make a normal cigar purchase a great deal, and this current promotion by Corona Cigar is no exception. Make any purchase of $75 or more and you get a free five-pack of Nestor Miranda 1989s (just be sure to add the freebie to your purchase).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Puro Pac

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Not satisfied with the widespread criminalization of smoking in most places, zealots are now turning their attention to private homes. And they’re starting this trend exactly where you’d expect: California, the hotbed of anti-tobacco lunacy. “The Santa Monica City Council has approved an ordinance that would prohibit smoking for new tenants in apartments and condos,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “The ordinance, passed Tuesday night by a 4-2 vote, would allow existing tenants to continue to smoke in their residences if they seek to have them designated as ‘smoking’…Whether that condition will endure is uncertain. In a related action, the council directed city staff to recommend a date on which all existing apartment and condo units in the city would be deemed smoke-free.”

2) In last month’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers what matters most when selecting a new cigar. “Word of mouth” topped the poll with 26% of the vote, followed by “written reviews” (24%), “price” (15%), “wrapper type” (14%), “blender” (11%), and brand (10%). Thanks to everyone who voted. Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And please contact us if you’ve got suggestion for a future poll.

3) Inside the Industry: 262 Cigars will be launching a new line called Revere in the fall that will be a Nicaraguan puro that sells for $6-9 in three sizes. American Kick Ass Cigars (AKA Cigars) is dropping the prices of its Hybrid and Respect blends by $1 per cigar. Casa Magna is introducing three box-pressed sizes to its Colorado line.

4) Deal of the Week: Here’s a Maduro Sampler with ten top maduro smokes for $35 (or double up for $60). Included are two Drew Estate Undercrowns, two Partagas Black Labels, two La Gloria Serie Rs, and two Boris 11 Maduros.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

It’s been too long since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve typically sells for $12 per cigar, but when my local shop put the torpedo (6.1 x 52) on sale for $9.50, I grabbed up a sizeable stash. This wonderful cigar, which debuted about a year ago, has a flavor of spice, cream, earthiness, and sweetness that hits my palate in all the right ways. Expertly balanced and more complex than most realize, this is a fine cigar with excellent construction. It’s too bad only 10,000 torpedos were produced.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

As soon as I smoked Babyface, the Tatuaje Monsters version of “The Face,” I wished I had bought more than the two boxes of the Little Monsters I purchased, plus the one I was gifted before mine arrived (each Little Monsters box has two Babyfaces). The robusto-sized cigar features tremendous creaminess, graham cracker, and dark chocolate. The finish is deliciously clean and the cigar has excellent construction. I would buy two boxes in a second if this cigar was available by the box for its pro-rated price of $7.50 per cigar.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

–The Stogie Guys

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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) The rights of consenting adults to enjoy a premium cigar are under constant threat by politicians and anti-tobacco zealots. Mounting smoking bans, ever-increasing tobacco taxes, and the potential of stifling FDA regulations make now a critical time for all cigar smokers. That’s why the staff of StogieGuys.com so vehemently supports (and belongs to) Cigar Rights of America. CRA, as you know, is a consumer-based non-profit that lobbies for cigar rights at the local, state, and federal levels of government. If you aren’t a dues-paying member, please consider joining CRA today. And if you are, please help convince your fellow cigar enthusiasts to sign up as well. The critical work of CRA is made possible only by our support.

2) Dr. Michael Siegel, author of the Tobacco Analysis blog, is a tireless truth-teller and debunker of the bad science often used to support anti-tobacco efforts. Unlike us, Siegel does support some smoking bans (like those in workplaces), but unlike many of his colleagues he isn’t willing to use bad science to promote his goals. Two recent posts on his site are particularly noteworthy. First, he notes that a study of the effect of graphic posters required in New York at places that sell tobacco shows that the posters have no effect on people’s decision to quit smoking. Then, in a follow up, he catches the anti-smoking forces explicitly stating their bias for creating research to support the goal of promoting the ugly, graphic, and apparently ineffective posters.

3) Inside the Industry: The East India Trading Company, a subsidiary of Gurkha, will be releasing an Ecuadorian rosado-wrapped line called “Red Witch” at next month’s industry trade show. Also expected at the show is the highly anticipated La Palina Maduro blend, which will be sold in four sizes. And Reinado has announced the introduction of Grand Empire Reserve, a box-pressed Nicaraguan in the Elegidos size (5 x 55, $9.95).

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Viaje Roman Candle. Cigar Fan fires up an Oliva Serie V Lancero. Cigar Explorer explores an Alec Bradley American Sun Grown. Cigar Brief lights up an Illusione Ultra OP No. 4. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Crowned Heads Headley Grange.

5) Deal of the Week: Need convincing to become a CRA member? Here are two ways to join CRA and score some really excellent smokes at the same time. The newest CRA Sampler includes a one-year membership along with 10 top-notch super-premium sticks for just $100. You should also check out this $40 “Let Freedom Ring Sampler” with six of our favorite cigars from Ashton, Tatuaje, My Father, and Padrón that includes a six-month membership. Why not buy them both and be a full member for 18 months?

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: CRA