Tag Archives: Prime Living

La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva Presidente Prime Living Ariticle

You’ll have to excuse me, my day started with a migraine, then I just finished typing my post up and then it vanished so I have to start over, so I’m a little irritated. So I’ll re-write that post later and post an article that was published in the Spring 2018 issue of Prime Living magazine. This near the end of my four year run as the cigar feature writer for that magazine. That was a fun gig, and I enjoyed having a cigar article published in a mainstream publication. Most of my articles are still on their site, Prime-living.com, but take some digging to find.

 

La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva Presidente

“Colleción Reserva speaks to the legacy of La Gloria Cubana and proves that while so much has happened with the brand, nothing has changed.” – Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.

 

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., like many cigar makers, left Cuba early in life and came to America. He had dreams of being a jazz drummer, and after trying his hand in New York City, he moved back to Miami to work with his father at his El Credito factory in Little Havana. In the mid ’90s, his La Gloria Cubana cigars were highly rated by the new magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and the brand took off. Eventually Ernesto built a factory in the Dominican Republic to meet the demand.

 

In a few short years, La Gloria Cubana became one of the most popular brands in the United States, and in 1999 the company was purchased by the company which owns it now, General Cigar Company. Ernesto worked for General Cigar Company for several years before “retiring,” then eventually returning to the cigar industry with E.P. Carrillo Cigars.

 

Several months ago I had the pleasure of talking with Ernesto Carrillo at a local cigar shop, and one of the points he made was that there is a lot of cooperation in the cigar industry, from other cigar companies helping him source tobacco when he was just starting out to this latest collaboration with the company that he sold his highly successful brand to previously.

 

Last year, General Cigar Company collaborated with Ernesto Carrillo to produce the La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva, manufactured at EPC’s Tabacalera La Alianza in Santiago, Dominican Republic, based on a blend Ernesto created in the ’80s, which was one of my favorite cigars, the El Rico Habano.

 

The Presidente is a large cigar, with tremendous balance and flavor—I’ve tasted cinnamon, sweet honey and earthy flavors. The cigar brings back memories of the El Rico Habano and La Gloria Cubana cigars of the cigar boom of the ’90s.

La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva Presidente

Size: 7.5” x 54

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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Another Prime Living Article: Ora Vivo World Edition

It’s the holidays and I’m, once again, being lazy and digging into the archives to republish an article I wrote for the November/December 2014 issue of Prime Living Magazine. I think there may be another release in the Ora Vivo line in the near future!

 

Life is a fleeting glance and taste of beauty. We honor it… in all its forms. Ora Vivo is our salute. — Armand Assante

 

Ora Vivo World Edition

 

Armand Assante is an accomplished actor who’s appeared in more movies than I can count, some notable films are Judge Dread, Gotti, American Gangster, The Mambo Kings, I could fill this space with his body of work. One thing many of his characters have in common is cigars, and this is because Armand Assante is truly a cigar lover. Somehow he managed to fit partnering in a cigar brand into his busy schedule. Mr. Assante partnered with Victor Vitale, an ultra-boutique cigar manufacturer based in Philadelphia (now New Hampshire) and Gary Macchione, a Chicago area cigar broker, to create his legacy, the Ora Vivo Armand Assante brand. Mr. Asante says: “What we wish for ‘Ora Vivo’ is it to be our tribute and honor to the Cigar industry’s brotherhood… of cultures. We want those nations that have created the magic of cigars to be honored together, and shared, by one, such as the one Victor and Gary and I have created.” The brand made it’s debut in July of 2013, the original blend having sold out, as well as the European blend. The latest release is the World Edition, of which the 6×56 is the subject of this review. The cigar is a Nicaraguan Puro, manufactured in Honduras. The blend is comprised of tobaccos from three growing regions in Nicaragua. The wrapper is from the Jalapa valley, the binder is from Condega and the fillers a blend of Esteli and Condega tobaccos. I find this cigar to be smooth, medium bodied, well balanced, and refined. The flavors are sweet and earthy tobacco, and the construction is perfect and consistent as one would expect from a premium boutique cigar. The Ora Vivo Armand Assante World Edition is Armand’s tribute to the cigar industry, and a cigar he truly loves, and it’s a great smoke.

 

Don’t forget to enter the Gurkha contest!  I’ll pick a winner on Sunday and have another great contest.  Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Ora Vivo Armand Assante World Edition Cigar

I was digging around the humidor tonight, thinking that I really hadn’t prepared anything for tonight’s post. I came across an Ora Vivo Armand Assante World Edition Toro (6″x56) that looked lonely, so I decided to put it out of its misery and skip my midweek post. Then it occurred to me that I wrote an article about this cigar for the November/December 2014 Issue of Prime Living Magazine, and decided it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to post  it. This, as well as the rest of my articles, can be found on the Prime-Living.com website in the Gentlemen’s Room. It can also be found in print in Prime Living Magazine, available in Barnes and Noble stores in Texas, and by subscription. If your browser doesn’t support the embedded article below, it can be found here: http://prime-living.com/gentlemens-room/the-ora-vivo-armand-assante/

 

[pageview url=”http://prime-living.com/gentlemens-room/the-ora-vivo-armand-assante/” border=”yes” scrolling=”yes”]

 

That was easy! I have yet to see a comment on one of my articles on the Prime Living site, challenge dropped! That’s all for now, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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Another Nomad, a Joya de Nicaragua, Emilio Cigars and a La Aurora

Nomad_S-307_TorpedoAnother week has gone by and another bunch of cigars smoked.  After hanging out with Fred Rewey last week, I decided I had better smoke that Nomad S-307 Torpedo that I had removed from cello because I was going to smoke it, and put it away in favor of the Esteli Lot 8613 I was handed. I really hate trying to put cigars in cello tubes, I don’t know how the workers in the factories do it, but I suppose if you do it eight hours a day, you get pretty good at it. The 6 ½ x 52 torpedo has a nice box press, a rich Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Ecuador Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers.  It’s rolled in the AJ Fernandez factory, but Fred had his hands in all aspects of the blending. I guess I’ve been picking these up here and there, because I find I have a good handful in the humidor, and I can’t get upset about that (I did find that Lot 1386 this week). The cigar is a great smoke, it’s earthy and spicy and has a hint of sweetness. It’s a cigar I enjoy quite a bit, as I said, I’m not unhappy about having a few of these in the humidor.

 

JdN_Antano1970_GranConsulI went with a trusted friend on Thursday, the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 in the Gran Consul size. The Gran Consul is 4 ¾” x 60 cigar with a tapered head, making it feel like it’s not a 60 ring.  I gave it a V-cut this time, and had a good burn and draw, and ample amounts of smoke. This is a tasty Nicaraguan Puro, and is full bodied and spicy. I prefer the Dark Corojo over this line but only by a slim margin. JdN is one of the few major cigar companies that I have a hard time thinking of a cigar they make that I  don’t like. I have a slight bias in that I’ve been to the factory a couple times, but the cigars they make hit my palate just right almost  all the time.  I think the size of this particular cigar makes it fun and interesting to smoke, I guy I’m weird that way!

 

Emilio_AF1_toroFriday there was some news that confirmed what many of us may have been wondering. It appears that Gary Griffith has retired from Delaware Cigars, Emilio and House of Emilio.  Gary blended the Emilio brand, and built the boutique distribution company known as the House of Emilio.  In his honor I smoked an Emilio AF 1 Toro that’s been hanging around the humidor for a couple years. I really like what Gary did with AJ Fernandez and the San Andres wrapper on this cigar, making it a sweet flavor bomb. I had my hand on the corona size, but decided to go with the Toro instead. The Toro is a little mellower than the corona, but I enjoy taking the additional time to smoke a toro. As much as I enjoy smaller cigars, I like my daily vacation to be a little longer sometimes! I know the House of Emilio will continue on supporting the six brands in it’s stable, and I hope the Emilio line lives on, both as an homage to the family that owns Delaware Cigars, and Gary who created it.  I hope Gary comes out of hiding every once in a while, he’s an interesting guy with a great knowledge of tobacco and just a bunch of fun to be around.  Enjoy your golden years with Dora!

 

LaAuroroa_100Anos_PreferidoNo1Yesterday was a fun filled and action packed Saturday. We went to our eldest granddaughter’s 4th birthday party, then came home and did some yard work then drove my son back to his place in Philly. I was ready to sit down and relax with a fine cigar after that! But, as usual, I spent the first half of my cigar taking my evening walk, and it was a beautiful evening to do it. The cigar I selected was a La Aurora 100 Años Preferido No.1 which was a gift from Barry Stein back when he first sold his old website and took the job with Miami Cigar and Co. You may recall four years ago when my granddaughter was born, I happened to spend the afternoon with Guillermo Leon of La Aurora, and started my own tradition of smoking a Puro Vintage 2003 whenever a granddaughter is born (I can only have two more granddaughters kids!). Of course, the significance of all this La Aurora talk is that my daughter’s name is Aurora, so I’ve always been partial to the brand, even if there are quite a few cigars in their range that aren’t to my taste. The Cien Años is a cigar that I really enjoyed. The pefecto shape is really cool and fun to smoke, and it burned perfectly down to a finger burning nub. I really enjoyed this smoke on several levels, the cigar was great, and I made me think of my family and friends. Can’t ask for much more than that.

 

The latest issue of Prime Living Magazine should have hit the shelves in Texas, wherever fine magazines are sold,  and in the Gentleman’s Room section you’ll find an article on the Macanudo Estate Reserve. You can read the magazine online if you are outside of their distribution area, or get to the article on their website. Also, if I had one complaint about the House of Emilio, it would be their website theme. I can’t tell you how off-putting that silly background is, the whole concept seems like it was stolen from another site…:-)  On another note, the folks at The Cigar Cork sent me a sample of their cigar tube. I kind of tried to talk them out of it, but they were persistent. Now I need to figure out how to actually test and review it. I suppose I can put a cigar in it and leave it roll around the floor of the car for a few weeks and see what happens. If I carry this thing in my front pants pocket I’ll either get looks of disgust or admiration, neither of which I’m comfortable with…it’s a nice tube, certainly large enough for a 60 ring cigar, so stay tuned for more on that. Their retail presentation with the holders and actually selling cigars in them is pretty spiffy.  Anyway, today is another beautiful spring day, and I’m not going to spend it sitting at my desk!  Enjoy your week.

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

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MBombay, La Sirena, EP Carillo, Inka Secret Blend and a Quesada Cigar

MBombay_Classic_ChurchillIt’s gotten darned cold here in PA, my enclosed porch is nice, but tonight I’m sitting in a Cigar Cigars store that’s two miles from home smoking a Quesada Oktoberfest that was on the half off table. Nice smoke, just getting it going. Sunday I smoked a couple Churchill sized cigars, a MBombay Classic with a Connecticut shade wrapper that was fantastic. It was creamy and well behaved and kept me company while I was on the phone holding for Verizon to no avail. Great afternoon cigar, ultra-premium well balanced and tasty. Not something you see everywhere, but worth finding. Later I had a La Sirena Trident Churchill from the original My Father made production and these are aging nicely. I look forward to comparing it to the new La Zone made line. Speaking of La Sirena, I wrote an article about the Oceano in the current issue of Prime Living magazine, which can be found on page 55 of the on-line version.  It’s nice to see a main stream magazine featuring a Cigar Notes piece in very issue. I’m proud to be a part of it.

 

EPCarillo_Core Maduro_EncatoMonday I lit up an EP Carillo Core Maduro Encanto that I brought back from the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival. This cigar had a gnarly CoConnecticutroadleaf Maduro wrapper, very rustic. I usually find this to be a good sign! I was right, it was a really tasty cigar, loads with rich, dark flavors of espresso and dark cocoa. I haven’t smoked a great many EP Carrillo cigars over the past couple years.  Of course, I was a fan of the La Gloria Cubana line going back to the mid-90s, but I haven’t gotten around to sampling many of Ernie’s newer cigars. This one was a winner, right up my alley. The ugly broadleaf wrapper is really quite tasty and ads a nice sweetness.  Another great smoke with a great draw and burn.

 

InkaSecretBlend_coronaLast night I selected a cigar that’s due for its US launch in a couple weeks, but has been exclusively available at CGars Ltd in the UK. I’ve smoked a couple of these in various iterations over the years, and remember an interesting evening sitting at Casa Fuente in Vegas with Mitchell Orchant and his manufacturer in Peru, Genaro, testing prototypes. There was an ashtray loaded with cigars that only had an inch smoked, which brought questions from the waitstaff. Clearly they have improved the smokability of these as every one they lit up that night seemed to be plugged. I remember running into Genaro at the Draw Tester booth at the IPCPR sho and he was looking into the machines. Anyway, this is a Peruvian Puro and I like Peruvian tobacco. The cigar was 6″ x 46, had a roll reminiscent of a Havana, a bit on the loose side, but had a great burn and draw. There was a nice sweetness and it was a really great smoke. I have smoked the 6×60 size and think the 6×46 size is a better representation of the blend.

 

imageThis Quesada Oktoberfest is really good, even in the 6×60 size. Very rich and flavorful, but the shop closed at 7pm, so I had to take the rest of the cigar home to finish on the porch. I tried taking the dog for a walk, but the temps are in single digits and neither of us were happy about it. It’s a long burning cigar, well worth the $5 I paid for it from the discount rack.  I suppose the size didn’t sell well, but it was  a really tasty cigar, and I am quite glad I picked up a couple. It was very nice, with a savory flavor to it. The Cigar Cigars shop is only two miles from home, so I can see visiting it with some regularity.  It’s got a nice selection and a Montecristo Lounge that while I haven’t set foot in yet, looks comfortable. I’m happy sitting in the front of the store as it’s quite comfortable as well.

 

That’s about it for today.  I need to get it together and get Mark’s goodies shipped out to him. I need to find a big enough box to hold it all!  I’ve been slacking. Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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