Tag Archives: Ventura

Archetype Sacred Scales, New Onyx Bold and Perdomo Reserve Cigars

I’m still coming across a cigar here and there from last January’s TPE show, this time it was an Archetype Sacred Scales robusto that Ventura Cigar‘s Michael Giannini handed me on one of our visits at the Phillips and King booth. The P&K booth was one of the largest and busiest at the show, not a big surprise since their parent company owns the show. Oddly, they seemed to feature more of other companies cigar brands than their own, at least more prominently. The Sacred Scales is a San Andrés wrapped cigar made by Ernesto Carrillo, who Michael worked with for quite a while with La Gloria Cubana. It has an Ecuador binder and fillers from Nicaragua. I absolutely loved this cigar. It checked all the boxes for me, dark earth, sweetness and spice. This is a cigar I’ll be looking to smoke again, a definite winner. The Archetype line bounces around from factory to factory, one is made at Drew Estate, one by EPC, and others by Davidoff, etc. It’s a little confusing, but when you find one you like, run with it!

 

I was out running some errands and stopped in a shop on the way and picked up a few new cigars I wanted to try. The first one was the new Onyx Bold Nicaragua. I believe that the CigarCigars chain may have had the exclusive initial release on these, which is where I got this cigar. I can’t say I’ve actually smoked an Onyx cigar before, not sure why, but it’s my understanding that this iteration really wouldn’t compare to the Dominican version anyway. The Onyx Bold Nicaraguan has a San Andrés wrapper Nicaraguan binder and fillers and is made by A.J. Fernandez. I, of course, got the toro size, which is 6” x 54. This cigar smoked really well, burn and draw were perfect, it was a real pleasure to smoke. While it didn’t have the pungency of the Sacred Scales, it still had the dark earth, spice and sweetness I like, although it was smoother and more refined in this cigar. I thought it was quite a nice smoke! Like I said, I have no idea how it compared to other Onyx cigars, I always considered them to be very mild, which is why I passed them over.

 

The other two cigars I picked up were the new Perdomo Reserve 10 Year Anniversary in Sungrown and Maduro. I picked these up in the Epicure size, which is the 6” x 54 Toro. I’ve been oddly intrigued by this release. I really like the 20th Anniversary line, I like some of the other line OK, and tolerate others. I actually dislike the Champagne, which is in the line these cigars are now under, and there are few cigars I actively dislike. The Maduro, I believe, directly replaces the Champagne Noir, whether it’s the same blend, I couldn’t say. I do know that the Noir fell in to the “like” category. I started with the Sungrown, with the anticipation that the Maduro would give the 20th Maduro a run for it’s money. I took a walk before settling in to watch the Flyers game on the big screen on the porch. This 10th Anniversary Sungrown was a delicious cigar. The Nicaraguan Wrapper is Bourbon barrel aged, and I think most of Perdomo’s wrappers are at this point, with Nicaraguan binder and fillers. I thought it was a great, medium-bodied cigar, with rich, smooth flavors. It had sweetness, some nuttiness and some wordiness. It was very good. It got me well into the first period of the hockey game. After a palate cleansing bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, I lit up the Maduro for the second and third periods. I suppose my expectations were a little high, or the ice cream didn’t cleanse my palate enough, but the Maduro didn’t delight me as much as I had hoped. It was a decent smoke, make no mistake, and it made it through two solid periods of outstanding hockey, where the Flyers clinched the number one seed in the eastern conference! In a normal year that would result in a trophy, I think! It means nothing if they don’t continue on the the Stanley Cup Finals, for which I have some special cigars set aside. Anyway, the Maduro had some of the maduroey flavors one expects, cocoa, coffee, etc., although they seemed to be muted to me. Perhaps it was the hour, or the fact that it was the third cigar of the day. I’ll try another on a clean palate, however, it seemed consistent with my feelings on the Champagne Noir. It was a good smoke, it just wasn’t the the 20th Anniversary, and the fault lies with me for setting unrealistic goals expectations. Once again, I’ll smoke it again, but as of this sitting, I preferred the Sungrown over the Maduro. It happens!

 

Well, that’s all for today. Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

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News: Ventura Cigar Releasing Archetype Master & Pupil Cigars at TPE

Here’s another news piece, this falls into the pre-TPE category. Ventura’s parent company owns the Tobacco Plus Expo, so I will be interested to see if they have any preferential treatment. I have to admit to looking at them a bit of a cynical eye since they made changes to their sales force. There’s enough divisiveness already, I don’t want to go down that road. 

To Teach and Be Taught

Ventura Cigar Company to Release New Archetype Cigars at TPE 2020: Master & Pupil

Unveiling new insights in the Archetype story, Ventura Cigar Company is pleased to announce Master and Pupil, two new cigars that examine strength and transitions through rich tobacco blends crafted by Juan Martinez and Doctor Cuenca from Joya de Nicaragua. The industry will get a first look at Master and Pupil at the Tobacco Plus Expo 2020, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, 1/29/20 – 1/31/20. Customers can expect to see the cigars at fine tobacconists online and across the country soon after.

 

Inspired by the studies of both Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung, who identified common threads and themes of storytelling that transcend both time and culture, Archetype cigars outline the familiar tale of a hero’s journey, with cigars punctuating each crucial stage. Master and Pupil incorporates the essence of Freud and Jung, teacher and student, and tensions uncovered with the reversal of roles and transition of student to teacher.

 

Pupil is mild and relaxed in nature, and features an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan filler, and a Nicaraguan binder. It will be available as a 6 x 52 Toro.

 

 

The Master is a bold, confident cigar that’s crafted with a Nicaraguan wrapper, filler, and binder. It will also be available as a 6 x 52 Toro.

 

“No matter where you are in life, you are a master or a pupil. And then, one day, you are both,” says Michael Giannini, General Manager of Ventura Cigar Company. “We are students first, learning from those who came before. And then we find ourselves as the teachers, imparting our knowledge on others just starting their quest. We are never fully done learning, either, so the roles of teacher and student are fluid, always changing. The Archetype Master and Pupil cigars explore these transitions and tensions through blends that offer strength and nuance throughout the smoke. We’ve worked on these for over a year with the masters at Joya de Nicaragua, of whom we are all students. These cigars are solid. If you’re coming to TPE 2020, come by the Ventura Cigar booth to say hi and check them out. And if you’re not at the show, well, keep an eye out.”

 

Master and Pupil are the latest releases to Archetype, a line marked by highly rated cigars that include Dreamstate, Sage Advice, Strange Passage, Initiation, and Axis Mundi, in addition to the 2018 3-cigar mini-series Crystals, Curses, and Cloaks. Master and Pupil are scheduled to ship immediately after TPE 2020.

 

For additional information, please visit venturacigarcompany.com.

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes Tommy Bahama Luxury Cigar Accessories and the 4th Generation Tobacconist and Comoy’s of London lines of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts.

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News: Ventura Cigar Company Will Keep Everyone Rolling at Big Smoke 2019

More news from Ventura Cigars, who is determined to show that they are here to stay despite the less than positive perception left by the recent downsizing (I know how that feels!) I’ve been a student of Michael’s on several occasions in the areas of rolling as well as blending and you can’t have a better instructor.  I imagine this  will be a real treat for the Big Smoke attendees.

Ventura Cigar Company to Hold Rolling Event with  Michael Giannini + Indiana Ortez at Big Smoke 2019.  Two industry stars share secrets of their craft as attendees learn to roll their own Psyko Seven Nicaragua Cigar.

 

Ventura Cigar Company will keep everyone rolling at Big Smoke 2019. Happening November 15 – November 17 at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Cigar Aficionado’s annual event is a popular draw for premium cigar enthusiasts. It offers attendees the opportunity to meet, greet, pose, and sample wares from top industry names. Ventura Cigar will be taking things to the next level, rolling PSyKo Seven Nicaragua cigars in their booth on Friday and Saturday, and offering a Rolling Seminar on Sunday, 11/17, where attendees will roll their own Archetype Axis Mundi cigar.

 

Michael Giannini, General Manager of Ventura Cigar Company, will be heading up the Ventura Cigar Company team and leading the rolling events.

 

“It’s great to be coming back to Big Smoke,” says Giannini. “Ventura Cigar is honored to be here, and excited to be rolling this weekend. The Cigar Aficionado team always puts on a solid event. And they ranked our Archetype Axis Mundi cigar as #13 of the top 25 for 2017, so we’re stoked to give Big Smoke attendees the opportunity to create their own on Sunday. We hope everyone also comes by the Ventura Cigar booth on Friday and Saturday to check out the PSyKo Seven Nicaragua cigars that we’ll be rolling with Indiana Ortez. It’s not often to get the chance to create with a cigar’s creator. It’s going to be such a good time.”

 

Indiana Ortez, rising industry star and the mastermind behind the PSyKo Seven Nicaragua blend will be rolling alongside Giannini at the Ventura Cigar Booth, and during Sunday’s Rolling Seminar. Hailing from the renowned Ortez tobacco family in Nicaragua, Indiana first collaborated with Ventura Cigar in 2018 on the Fathers, Friends, and Fire cigar, and has continued to add her expertise and youthful vibrance to their portfolio. The duo will share stories and behind-the-scenes info as they give Big Smoke attendees a hands-on rolling experience throughout the weekend.

 

“This won’t be as easy as people think,” says Ortez. “There’s a lot of factors that go into rolling, including patience, skill, and intuition- especially while using Connecticut Desflorada wrappers from a 2017 crop, like we’ll be doing for the PSyKo Seven Nicaragua cigars. But I know it’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to it!”

 



For tickets to Big Smoke 2019, visit thebigsmokes.com . For Big Smoke updates, more info on PSyKo Seven Nicaragua, and the other Ventura Cigar Company cigars, please visit venturacigar.com, or follow @venturacigar on Instagram. 

 

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes Silver Dollar Nasal Snuff and the 4th Generation Tobacconist and Comoy’s of London lines of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts. 

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News: Ventura Cigar Company Still Strong After Recent Layoffs

This was reported a couple of days ago by a popular outlet (whom I consider to be friends, by the way), in a rather over the top doom and gloom manner, and subsequently defended on social media as being the end of the company. Maybe it’s best not to rely on recently released employees as 100% credible sources of information, there might be some emotions involved. Their sources are purely speculation on my part, but we have some responsibility to report things accurately. Clearly, the folks at Ventura are vehemently denying that they are going away. Considering Kretek’s involvement in actively bringing premium cigars into the Tobacco Plus trade show lately, I couldn’t imagine them divesting themselves of their premium cigar brand, especially one that’s been gaining traction. How this effects other distribution arrangements remains to be seen. 

 

Ventura Cigar Company Still Strong After Recent Layoffs

Kretek International, Inc., Parent Company of Ventura Cigar, restructures in anticipation of FDA Action within Overall Tobacco Industry.

 

Ventura Cigar Company has just announced the restructuring of its national sales organization in advance of new FDA regulations expected to hit the tobacco industry in the coming months. In a continually evolving environment, Ventura Cigar Company, through Kretek International remains a strong and profitable company and will continue to deliver high quality products and service to our valued consumers and customers.

 

Michael Giannini, General Manager of Ventura Cigar Company said “Making tough decisions has kept Kretek International strong throughout the decades, and I commend the company for recognizing the changing market landscape and taking necessary steps to remain an industry leader. We are grateful for the contributions of our employees and wish everyone well as they continue their journeys.”

 

For more information about Ventura Cigar Company, please visit venturacigar.com.

 

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes Silver Dollar Nasal Snuff and the 4th Generation Tobacconist and Comoy’s of London lines of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts. 

 

 

About Kretek International, Inc.

Kretek International, Inc., parent company to Ventura Cigar Company, DRYFT Sciences, LLC, Phillips & King, and Tobacco Media Group (TMG) is America’s number one importer, marketer, and distributor of specialty tobacco products sold by convenience, mass, and national retailers. For over 30 years, Kretek has enjoyed a strong reputation for providing exceptional customer relationships and top-quality goods. The company continues to offer standout brands like Djarum, Cuban Rounds, and Djeep Lighters to distribution channels across the United States and Canada, bringing value, high margins, and growth to retailers and distributors. 

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News: Ventura Cigars Shipping Two New Archetype Chapter 3 Blends

A little late, but stuff happens!  I’ll pick some of these up when I see these in my local shop, which carries some of the Ventura line. There are about 6 stores in the soon to be 15 store chain within a 10 mile radius of my house, and it’s hard to say what any store might have at any given time. I’m not good about visiting any of them regularly, but I’ll keep an eye out for these!  

 

Now Shipping: Archetype Chapter 3

Coming Soon to a Tobacconist Near You: Two New Archetype blends from Ventura Cigar Company.

The story continues. Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) announced today that two new Archetype Chapter 3 cigars, are now shipping and will soon be available at online premium tobacco retailers and fine tobacconists around the United States. These unique blends, named Sacred Scales and Dawn of Destiny, were crafted by Cigar Master Ernesto Perez-Carrillo in collaboration with Ventura Cigar, and in celebration of the longtime friendship between Perez-Carrillo and Michael Giannini, General Manager at VCC. Recently debuted at IPCPR 2019. this will be the first opportunity for consumers to find and experience Archetype Chapter 3.

Ventura Cigar Company’s Archetype line heralds the Hero’s Journey, a common storytelling arc that has been shared across cultures and throughout time, and is marked by the highly rated cigars Dreamstate, Sage Advice, Strange Passage, Initiation, and Axis Mundi, in addition to the 2018 3-cigar mini-series Crystals, Curses, and Cloaks. 

Chapter 3’s Sacred Scales, marks the inflection point in this journey, beginning the hero’s return to the real world from the imaginary. And Dawn of Destiny represents the hero’s return to reality as the cigar travels across the thresholds of flavor.

Both tobacco industry icons, Michael Giannini and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo have been friends for over 20 years. This collaboration is a nod to their own journeys, perfectly synched with their careers crossing paths professionally for a third time. Chapter 3 begins.

“Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is a hero in this industry,” says Giannini. “He’s a master of his craft, with a lifetime of stories that he weaves into his blends. Calling upon him to create for Archetype Chapter 3 was like poetry. It has been an honor to work with and call him a friend for so many years. And it is an even bigger honor to work with him again now. I hope everyone checks out these cigars- you won’t want to miss out.”

Sacred Scales 

This full-bodied, full-flavored cigar offers a rich, signature Ernesto Perez-Carrillo smoking experience, featuring a San Andres Maduro wrapper from Mexico, an Ecuadorian binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. Sacred Scales will be available in a 5 x 50 Robusto, 6 x 52 Toro, and 6 x 60 Gordo.

 

Dawn of Destiny

A medium-full-bodied blend, this cigar features a smooth wrapper from Ecuador, which surrounds a binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. Dawn of Destiny will be available in a 5 x 50 Robusto, 6 x 52 Toro, and 6 x 60 Gordo.

For more information about Archetype Cigars, or any other cigars in the Ventura Cigar Company Portfolio, please visit venturacigar.com. 

 

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes Tommy Bahama Luxury Cigar Accessories and the 4th Generation Tobacconist and Comoy’s of London lines of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts. 

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