New Cigars Blossom in Springtime

MIAMI CIGAR & COMPANY introduced their 1989, a tribute to the founding of the company in that year. Now, we await the coming of a very special cigar that will be introduced at the IPCPR in August in New Orleans. I shan’t say the name, but I will indicate that it is a term that is well known in Miami, FL. The cigars I have smoked are very different from anything in the NMC. They provide flavour, complexity and nuance, as one would expect from MC&C.

You will find a more complete report in my 15 August column, as that is so close to the opening of IPCPR, that I won’t be giving away any secrets. Stand by.

The Last weekend in April, La Aurora launched their new 107. Several events around the country featured Guillermo Leon, and Gulllermo does not do events like, say, Rocky Patel or Nestor Miranda. He parcels himself out more on the order of Litto Gomez.

But I’m not writing about the events, which suffice it to say, were all well attended and the cigar well received, I am going to show you a comment made on the discussion board of Bob McDuffee’s ‘show’ “DogWatch Cigar Radio” by Bryan, an avid and knowledgable smoker: 

 Link to the post on La Aurora 107:

“I don't know how many have had the opportunity to have a La Aurora 107 (official date for the 107 promotion is Friday April 30 -- I strongly suggest visiting your local retailer on that date) but I have been calling this out: this is an industry game changer. I cannot summon the superlatives necessary for everything about this cigar. It is rich, a hint of spice, beautifully constructed. I've heard comparisons to the best of the Don Carlos lines, to a Don Carlos crossbred with VSG... I tend to think of it as a bulked up Spitfire, but it is very unique. If you smoke La Auroras on a somewhat regular basis, you won't necessarily be surprised -- it is right in the La Aurora wheelhouse -- but you WILL be amazed. Of new entries this year, nothing touches it.

 And MSRP will drift from $6-9, depending on vitola, state taxes, etc. The robusto will be under $8 in almost any market. If we're considering price point, it is fair to say that nothing's going to touch this. Even without such considerations, the 107 should make all top 10 lists this year. In other words !!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that states it plainly.”

No surprise to me that a comment like this would appear. I have been smoking, praising and telling you about the cigar for a month and a half.

By the way, I couldn’t attend the event in West Palm Beach, but I called and purchased a box of La Aurora 107 belicoso. You have to support your tobacconist at these events! My bonus was a bundle of the robustos which, not being a robusto smoker, I gave to my nieto, Mateo Posada. I think he took with him when he went to Colombia to visit his grandparents. I can just see him handing out cigars – Big Shot from America!

My purchase at Stogie’s of London Square was another box of belicosos and my bonus was a bundle of belicosos…I love these 107s

I was in a tobacconist’s in Denver and a couple of gents were talking about the price of cigars…the high price, as it were. They had it pretty right as regards the cost out of the factory, and it started me thinking.

No one figures in the cost of in-store events that smokers have become almost addicted to! The cost of flying all over the country. Hotel stays. Meals. Rental cars. The manufacturers have to recover these costs as well as the cost of the tobaccos, bands, rolling, boxes, and all the direct and overhead costs.

I often think about the Cubans, making cigars for more than 200 years. Not only did Ramon Allones, H. Upmann, Ramon Cifuentes (Partagas) never do an in-store event; they never had to introduce line extensions, new blends nor new vitolas!

Anyone who complains about the cost of cigars, remember…you brought it on yourself, with all you have come to expect of the makers and the retail tobacconists.

What a great day I had Monday, 3 May…I spent it with cigar makers.

First on my Agenda was a stop at My Father Cigar Company in Little Havana.

I joined Pepin and Jaime and started by smoking a Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial belicoso. I’ve become very enamoured of belicosos lately, whereas I used to only smoke Churchills, Toros, Lanceros and Coronas.

And this one was terrific. But, I’ve written about the Jaime Garcia line before, so I’ll just say it’s an extraordinary smoke…what one would expect of the Garcias.

After all, Pepin is el mejor tabaquero del siglo vente-uno!

Pepin handed me two La Reloba, an old Havana made cigar that Pepin and Jaime are resurrecting. This little beauty comes in two versions: one with a Sumatra (orange in the band) wrapper while the other version comes with a Habano (red in the band). I’ve smoked them both now, and they are very special cigars; what you would expect from the Master and the semi-Master (Jaime will be a Master shortly, I think).

By the way, I shan’t say what it is, but you’ll be amazed at the price point of this cigar!

Who walked in an hour after I got there, Jorge Valdes and Aquiles Legra, owners of the four Sabor Havana shops (www.saborhavana.com) in south Florida. We chatted with Jaime, Pepin and Janny, and then Pepin, Jaime, Jorge and Aquiles talked some business. In Spanish, of course, so I paid no attention. When we were ready to leave, Jorge had a call from Mike Gianini, who is Director of Marketing for the La Gloria Cubana brand. Mike was in town and 200 feet up 8^th Street at El Credito Cigar Company (General Cigar Company) – the home of La Gloria Cubana.

We went over to see Mike, Grace Cabezas, Premium Sales Manager and Cesar Marmanillo, who is the Operations Manager at La Gloria, Miami. After the greetings and a little conversation, we all left for Garcia’s on the River (the Miami River) and some great conversation and sea food.

Grace gave me a La Gloria Cubana Artesano Tabaquero…a new cigar that contains not only two distinct wrappers, but, two distinct blends! The inspiration for it was my friend Rick Rodriquez, of General Cigar, who worked closely with Benji Menendez to create this unique smoke.

I have to tell you, in spite of my early skepticism, because I am wary of dual wrapped cigars (They all remind me of those ridiculous ‘barber pole’ or ‘zebra’ wrapped cigars), this cigar is remarkable. Joya de Nicaragua has a very popular line composed of two wrappers, but, again this Artisano Tabaquero is two distinct blends!

My compliments to everyone at General Cigar who had a hand in its creation!

No, I’m not going to talk about nuts, fruits, hay and barn siding. It just tastes like a damned good cigar with some real spice, a smoothness and richness of flavour that will have me smoking it again.

This delicious smoke comes in the following sizes:

650                 6 x 50     MSRP $8.00

652 (Belicoso)   6 x 52     MSRP $9.50

750                 7 x 50     MSRP $9.00

The two tobaccos used for the wrappers are Connecticut Shade and Ecuadoran Sumatra, while the fillers and binders come from General’s vast inventory of beautifully aged proprietary Dominican tobaccos, none less than five years old. And, perhaps some Honduran as well, I’m not sure, honestly.              

When it gets to your favourite tobacconist, you definitely should give it a try.

My next stop was Cuban Crafters (So, I parted company with Jorge and Aquiles)  and went to see Kiki Berger, Mike Argenti, Al Argenti, Joey Oliva (who now sells for Berger & Argenti) and, my pal, Jose Bermudez. On the way in, I bumped into Jose Montagne, the owner of Guantanamera. It was like an Alumni Reunion!

Entubar ashesI stayed there until 7:30 at night, smoking a fabulous Entubar Double Corona for a couple of hours – only relighting it once, and talked with the guys about all things cigars.

GJA as DotheadThe Entubar is made with a core of ligero, yes, solid ligero that runs from the head to the foot and extends about ¼” past the foot. You light the whole foot and get the most remarkable flavour experience. The cigar is perfectly made, with a beautiful wrapper and it smokes beautifully.

 It will be at local tobacconists soon…and you should give it a shot!

 And two days later…who walks into Absolute Premium Cigars (22 S.W. 8^th Street, Miami, FL 33130 – 305.374.9999) but Joey Oliva and Albert Argenti of, none other than, Berger & Argenti.

They had come, of course, to introduce Mauricio Hanono to the cigars and to try and sell him the line. I’ve written often about Mauricio, the Grandfather…oops…the Godfather of Miami tobacconists. Everyone wants Mauricio to carry their cigars. Generally, he will, because Mauricio is very conscious of finding those cigars that will answer the constant query, of people who walk into his shop, “What’s new?” And if they don’t sell, they wind up in ziplock bags with four other cigars and a Chinese made Bic replica…$14.95. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of cigars!

I hinted at the Rocky Patel – EO Brands deal in my last column, but I constrained myself from writing about it in before they put out their Press Release. Now, the Press Release is all over the place, like dog shit, so I can comment. Not the deal I would have made. Oh, and inasmuch as Rocky Patel is such a large company – someone there should know how to write a proper Press Release.

Dave Garofalo, proprietor of three very large and well stocked, Two Guys Smoke Shops in Salem, Nashua and Seabrook, NH (www.2guyssmokeshop.com)  has a new internet video show, streamed live. Its call The Cigar Authority (http://www.thecigarauthority.com/) and aside from that being a great name for a cigar shop – think Sports Authority – the show is very enjoyable. Your classic radio/tv talk show format. Dave has a sidekick/foil and he has a co-host each week and, of course, guests.

The show is on Saturdays at 10:00 AM to noon. But, by going to the site and ‘pushing’ the red button, you can watch anytime and select from the archive of previous shows.

It’s enjoyable, informative and fun. Congratulations to Dave and his crew.

I’ve been smoking some of Abe Flores Pinar del Rio cigars and I have to tell you I’m impressed. I don’t know how much distribution Abe has achieved for his line; but, if you find them at your local tobacconist, you might give them a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

This and that…There’s a joint on Miami Beach called Norman’s. It’s a bar/tavern/sports bar…whatever you want to call it, with decent food – bar food. They have seating outdoors, and as long as I have been going there, for lunch or dinner; I have only sat inside twice. I like the outside because I can smoke my cigar(s)

Last evening (Tue., 4 May), I went to have dinner with my friends Les and Luis – both cigar smokers. Well, I won’t bother you with the details. I will tell you that some imbecile that looked like he was a character from MAD magazine came to tell us we couldn’t smoke!

“It’s policy, he told us.” And I told him I have never been stopped from smoking and no one around us (it was crowded), not men, not women, not children were complaining. So, I told him, you can go away.

The asshole returned with a bill for our drinks and told us to leave. I told him he can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell us to leave and get paid. The money had nothing to do with it; I just didn’t like this jerk. By the way, he was wearing a mini headset, like waiters wear in joints today; I don’t know why, and I asked if he was from NASA.

To make a long story short; we left, and we left for the last time. I will never return. I will not dine at places that won’t let you smoke OUTDOORS!

How about the blogger, cigarsage.com that wanted to start a boycott of Drew Estate because they wouldn’t send him a Dirty Rat and a Flying Pig!! John Brooke, at Drew Estate, tells me his e-mail ‘fell through the cracks’. As soon as Drew realized it; they sent the kid his cigars.

Is this a blogger that is here to be informative and make a contribution or just a guy that wants free cigars?

This and other things started a blogger friend of mine thinking about “standards for blogs” and an association of bloggers, to self-police a group that has become significant.

I refrained from any comment when I first saw the Patel Brothers ad, but my first thought was that you could put the words “Goodfellas” or “Godfather II” across the ad and no one would be confused. I did, however; refrain from comment.

Now, along come Rocky, Nish and Nimish in a tobacco field. Nimish without the tie is closer to reality than Nish & Rocky in business suits! C’mon guys, it’s a tobacco farm; it’s a tobacco field; it’s Esteli! Business suits in Estelí?

Barry Stein, who writes the cigar blog A Smoker’s Journal is the friend I referred to above, who is endeavouring to found an organization that will set standards for bloggers and try and improve and maintain the quality of writing that they provide. I have encouraged the effort, particularly, because of things like the ridiculous attempt to “boycott” Drew Estate and a year end list called “The Bottom Ten Cigars of 2009” published on some blog. That’s an exercise in pure ego, and doesn’t serve the smoker at all.

Barry, on the other hand, has done nothing but improve the quality of his blog since he created it, and that is what he is trying to encourage.

I understand that Nosotros, a cigar that is collaboration between Dion Gioloto, owner of Illusione and Jonathan Drew – who needs no further identification – is getting ready to ship.

Likewise, the Quesadas are about to start shipping (probably next month) their newest cigar – first shown at ProCigar Festival in February – Tributo. I’ve smoked them and they are terrific. Try ‘em when you can lay your hands on them.

June looks like a big month for new cigars…the core line of E. P. Carrillo, the new company founded my Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, his daughter Lisette and his son, Ernie (Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III) is also ready to ship. The limited edition E.P.Carrillo cigar, which shipped in December, was a sell-out!

And who can doubt there’ll be a new cigar from Rocky Patel in June. There is every other month!

"After a truly good meal, an outstanding cigar is still the most satisfying after-dinner activity that doesn't involve two human beings."

Brad Shaw, Radio Announcer