Leaf by Oscar is a cigar that is the brainchild of Island Jim and he is one of the most colorful people in the cigar industry. I first met Island Jim at the Chattanooga Tweet Up and we got to sit down together, and smoke this very cigar. The concept is original, a cigar wrapped in a tobacco leaf with a twist. I kid you not, this is a cigar packaged like tamales, but we will let […]
I’ve smoked Matilde Cigars in the past, and plan to put a review up on The Cigar Authority in the future of these wonderful smokes. In this video they take the time to explain their unique capping methods of all their sticks. I am passionate about smoking cigars and have dedicated 40 years of my life to the cigar industry. I am now tapping my deep roots in the Dominican Republic to revive a forgotten brand called Matilde. […]
Day 3 of the 2014 IPCPR Trade show is open for business, and the first company we focus today is Table 36 Cigars. In this video Will from Table 36 tells you how their cigar company started as well as a little bit about their cigars. Fellowship – Constructed at the famed Raices Cubanas factory, the filler is a mix of Honduran leaf grown on Raices own farm in Trojes and Nicaraguan leaf from the Jalapa valley. […]
One of the highlights of IPCPR is the Davidoff Golden Band Awards, which is a black tie affair. Attended by official Davidoff merchants, the dinner features live entertainment, and some cigars. This year the cigar was the new Davidoff Nicaragua Salomon. The 2014 Awards go to: Cup O Joes – Queensbury, NY (Best Merchandising) Cigars on The Avenue – Winters Park, FL (Davidoff Growth, Single Store) Humidor of Westmont – Westmont, IL (Davidoff Growth, Multiple […]
Our last update for day 2 of the IPCPR comes from Jason Holly of Viva Republica. He shares with us something new, and something not as new. The cigars are made at the La Aurora factory and are distributed by Miami Cigar & Company. Jason Holly hails from Pennsylvania where he owned a cigar shop and is a Harvard graduate. He also handles product development for the aforementioned Miami Cigar & Company.
I’ve often said that Noel Rojas and Guayacan might just be the next big thing in the cigar industry. The stuff coming out of his factory in Nicaragua are among the best I’ve ever smoked. I don’t know how many of you know that I blended a cigar called KILO that I was going to release and I might still be doing it one day with 2 Guys Smoke Shop and United Cigar Retailers. But […]
A short while ago we got a press release from Kuuts telling us about their new Nicaraguan Blend. A couple of the people I miss from Miami are John Gonzalez and Gabriel Alvarez who head up operations here in the United States. Hopefully I get to enjoy this cigar with them in the near future as I smoked many samples of it before the final blend was chosen. According to the press release, The Kuuts […]
Henke Kelner’s of Davidoff fame has a son with his own factory in the Dominican Republic that is beginning to make some waves. One of the cigars riding that wave is Cabal who I have had the honor of smoking a cigar with at Sabor Havana in Miami, Florida. This year was their first ever IPCPR and we stopped by for a brief visit. According to their website: Cabal {kuh • bäl} n. a group of like-minded […]
The IPCPR is a lot of hard work, not just at the show but in the months leading up to it. But as always, the cigar business is one giant family and it isn’t unusual for one cigar maker to wander over to another company’s booth. Here we have Christian Eiroa at the JC Newman booth checking out their new Brickhouse furniture.
The part of IPCPR I have been waiting for the most is the visit to the Padron booth. The Padron 50th is a limited one time release, or at least for now it is. The company is leaving the door open to make the cigar again in the future though wether or not it is in the same size remains to be seen. The 50 count box is expected to sell between $4,000 and $5,000. […]