If you have been a reader at The Cigar Authority or listen to our weekly podcast then you know the name Nelson Alfonso as well as his brands Atabey, Byron and Bandolero. The cigars are amongst the highest we have ever rated with Atabey getting a 100, and Byron getting a 98. At the IPCPR this year, Selected Tobacco released a new size of the Byron called Distinguido that is part of the 21st Century […]
In 2014, Crowned Heads released the first Las Calaveras which was made at My Father Cigars in Esteli, Nicaragua. In 2015 that limited edition cigar sees a regular release and new branding in La Imperiosa. La Imperiosa as a brand dates back to the early 1900’s where it was made in Cuba. The translation of the name is “the imperative” or that which is absolutely necessary or required. The cigar comes in 24 count packages and […]
First off let me say that I consider myself a Cigar Geek. I embrace the term and even though some people think of it as a bad thing, I believe it to be a fair description. Cigar Geeks like myself seek cigars like the one in todays review, because of the size, a Lancero and the unique nature. However, many stores no longer carry the smaller ring gauge cigars because they do not sell. I believe it […]
Earlier today, David Garofalo penned an article about boutique cigars. If anyone is looking to start a cigar company and wants a model to look at, Fratello is a company that is the perfect case study. Omar de Frias built Fratello with the mix of a really good initial release and the hustle that hasn’t been seen since Pete Rose. All while maintaining his regular job with NASA. The Fratello Bianco is the second release […]
What exactly is a Boutique Cigar? Another Editorial by David Garofalo I got a lot of emails and calls about last week’s Editorial I wrote calling “The End of the Boutique Boom” so I thought we would clarify a bit because there is plenty of confusion on exactly what a “Boutique” Cigar Brand really is… so let’s dig in. Boutique, pronounced bo͞oˈtēk is a noun and according to the dictionary it means a small store […]
The Cigar Authority goes on the road to the tobacco farms of the Connecticut River Valley where we talk with Chris Topper whose family has been growing tobacco for 120 years. We will talk about the rich history of the Connecticut River Valley and the role that Broadleaf tobacco plays in the market today. All that and the usual shenanigans on The Cigar Authority. [jetpack_subscription_form] Next Episode: Chris Topper of Topper Cigars
Yesterday we reviewed one of two highly anticipated Connecticut shade wrappers to be released at the IPCPR. Today we take a look at the Drew Estate Undercrown Shade. According to the press release, ““Undercrown Shade” marks the first release blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera not to fall under the Herrera Estelí brand family. Herrera’s continued involvement in blending and brand development within Drew Estate is evident with this new blend, as Herrera […]
There were a few new releases at the trade show that were highly anticipated and at least two of them were Connecticut Shade wrappers which given the direction of new releases lately seems pretty rare. Today we look at one of those releases, Padron Damaso. According to the Padron website where Jose O. Padron writes, “THIS CIGAR was named for my grandfather Dámaso, who was the first Padrón to arrive in Cuba sometime in the […]
Since my co-workers returned from the trade show the number one question asked of me is; “Have you smoked the new Nick Melillo cigar?” Until today the answer was no, but after about 50 people asking for my opinion I decided to light it up today and smoke this pre-release from the man known as Nick~R~Agua on social media. The brand El Güegüense (Gwe-gwe-nse) translates into The Wise Man. According to a statement on the Foundation […]
Since March 14, 1958 the Cuban Embargo has been in place preventing amongst other things the sale of Cuban cigars in the United States. Earlier this year, President Obama moved to remove Cuba from the list of countries that support terrorism and to normalize relations. As those relations return to a sense of normalcy both countries have begun establishing an embassy in each others homeland. Now a bill is about to be filed that would […]