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 […]
First introduced in 2010, the My Father Limited Edition is enjoying its 5th year. However, since they did not release a limited edition in 2014, it is only the 4th cigar in the series. In its inaugural release the cigars were rolled by father and son Don Pepin Garcia and Jose Garcia; the latter which is credited as the master blender and is denoted on the secondary band of the cigar. The limited edition comes […]
Following in their footsteps from last year, La Flor Dominicana is once again releasing a special edition for the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival hosted by Smoker Friendly in Colorado. The cigar which will feature a Ecuador Habano wrapper over Nicaragua binder and Dominican fillers, measures 6 x 54 and carries an MSRP of $100 per box of 11 cigars. It is limited in production to 75 boxes that will be branded with the festival logo. According […]
The Boutique Cigar Brand Boom is Over! The “Names You Know” That’s What Cigar Retailers were Buying Another Editorial by David Garofalo “What’s New” might be what consumers are asking for… but “What Sells” and what is “Most Recognized” is what cigar retailers are buying. I’m just back from the IPCPR Cigar Trade Show, the cigar industry’s largest convention and trade show world-wide. Walking through, I couldn’t help but notice the trade show booths that […]
We take a look at Lord Baltimore a resurrected cigar brand from the owner of Davidus Cigars. We also recap the 2015 IPCPR trade show and discuss what stood out and what doesn’t have a chance… Join us for all the shenanigans on The Cigar Authority. [jetpack_subscription_form] Next Episode: Lord Baltimore & IPCPR Recap
On our previous episode of The Cigar Authority before the IPCPR we lit up Recluse Amadeus Connecticut and I enjoyed the cigar so much, I couldn’t believe this one got by me and hadn’t been reviewed on the website. It is the perfect cigar on why the question we ask when we enter a cigar shop needs to change from “what’s new to what’s good?”. If you listen to the show, you know that Recluse is […]
Just prior to the IPCPR trade show in New Orleans a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would bring an end to cigars shipped via the United States Postal Service and would add various other requirements to other methods of shipping. The bill H.R. 3042, dubbed “Stop Tobacco Sales to Youth Act of 2015,” was introduced by two democrats from Connecticut; Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Elizabeth Etsy and seeks to change the language of […]
Two cigars made it back to me from the show with some special care given to them. The first was an M80 prototype for 2016 that I won’t be reviewing. If you follow me on social media, you can see the cigar. The other is today’s review. Henry Clay is a brand of cigars that was named for the American politician Henry Clay who served three terms as the Speaker of the House of Representatives […]