CigarCraig's Blog

by CigarCraig | October 10, 2018 · 10:01 am

News: Cigars International Opens Super Store in Dallas, Texas

This is pretty old news by now. I didn’t get a chance to attend this grand opening like I did the Hamburg, PA Super store, and I remember hearing all kinds of complaints from local mom-and-pop retailers when they opened, about how it was going to put them out of business. I’m not sure this has been the case, as, from what I see in this area, at least, small stores continue to flourish. On another note, I have been passing on posting industry news about people being promoted within companies, and insider stuff that I don’t really think consumers would really be interested in. How do you all feel about that? Do you want to see news like that here? News like the former VP of IPCPR joining the Tobacco Plus organization? You can read about it on other sites but I’ll gladly pass it on if you want it posted here. Just let me know in the comments. Back to the news from Scandinavian Tobacco Group about the grand opening of the CI store in Texas:

Cigars International recently launched a Super Store in the suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth, marking Cigars International’s fourth retail store and the first outside of its home state of Pennsylvania.

The store was built in just six months and is located in a sprawling, mixed-use development called Grandscape in The Colony.

Craig Reynolds, president of Cigars International said, “Given that the handmade cigar category was built on the kinds of personal interactions that can only be had in-store, our new location gives cigar lovers a unique venue for experiencing the camaraderie of fellow smokers. Our stores are meant to complement the traditional cigar shop experience and enhance the cigar
lover’s appreciation for handmade cigars.”

The Cigars International Super Store at the Colony encompasses more than 7,000 square feet including an outdoor smoking lounge. A 2,500 square foot, glass-enclosed humidor anchors the space, which also includes a bar, a Club Macanudo lounge, 32-foot-high ceilings and an impressive array of handmade cigars and accessories.

The design of the Super Store mimics that of a curing barn. The rectangular shape and shades on the sides of the building represent the characteristic look the Northeast’s iconic tobacco sheds, and the truss work is a design element that was carried over from two of Cigars International’s other stores.

The grand opening took place on Saturday, September 22. Cigars International estimates that more than 1,000 cigar enthusiasts visited the Dallas-area Super Store that day. While in-store, cigar lovers had the chance to purchase a limited edition Macanudo Inspirado cigar, available only at the Colony location. Made with aged tobaccos, the cigars are presented in individual
coffin boxes, selling for $17.99 for the Toro Grande, and $19.99 for the Double Corona.

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Tagged as cigar, Cigars International, macanudo, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Texas

by CigarCraig | October 7, 2018 · 1:36 pm

Foundation Cigars at Gilbertsville Cigar Factory, a Marzio Cigar, and the Contest Winner!

Friday I took a long overdue drive up to the Gilbertsville Cigar Factory, a shop in Gilberstville, PA which used to be called Sir Stogies, and occupies a building which was the W.K. Gresh & Son’s Cigar Factory, and Gilbertsville Cigar Factory No. 95 in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The shop is owned by Chris and Amber, and Chris is wears another hat as the area’s rep for Miami Cigar and Company. I’ve known Chris since I met him in 2011 when he gave me a special cigar on the day my first granddaughter was born. The store is beautiful, with spacious lounge areas, two walk-in humidors, and an attentive staff. The historic building offers a very nice ambiance. Gilbertsville Cigar Company is one of the few shops around, due to their close ties to Miami Cigar and Co., that carries Marzio Cigars, which is an interesting sort of joint venture between Toscano and La Aurora. I have wanted to try this cigar since I heard about it, out of curiosity. Considering the tobacco they use from the Toscano cigars is basically Kentucky or Tennessee fire cured tobacco, it compares to the KFC, and it’s a bit unfortunate that there’s nothing else to compare it to. It started out to be overwhelmingly smokey and didn’t appeal to me, but it mellowed over time and wasn’t that bad after a while. I think, like the KFC, some humidor time would mellow these out, but I’m not sure I’d go too far out of my way to find out. I’m reminded that I bought some various Toscanos in Rome when I was there that I still have to open up and try.

Anyway, The last time I visited this shop was in 2010, and just like that occasion, I ran into Walt White, whom you know as one of the founders of Stogie Review, and I spent a good deal of the evening catching up with him. I always enjoy hanging out with Walt. The reason I decided to make the trek to Gilbertsville was because they were having an event with Foundation Cigar Company and Nick Melillo. I knew Nick was going to be at a closer shop the next day, but I had other plans, and I always go to events at that shop anyway. It was a very busy event, lots of traffic and it looked like they sold a lot of cigars. I fully enjoyed a Tabernacle Robusto, and picked up a few cigars that I didn’t need. Of course, the Tabernacle is a favorite of mine, it’s Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, San Andrés binder and fillers from Jamastran in Honduras and Jalapa and Esteli Valleys in Nicaragua. I was hoping the new Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 was going to be there, but I didn’t see it and I forgot to ask Nick when it would be around. The Tabernacle is such

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a great cigar, dark, rich espresso and cocoa, right up my alley. They don’t call Nick the Chief of Broadleaf for nuthin. It was a great event in a great shop, highly recommended if you find yourself in that neck of the woods.

One of the Foundation cigars I picked up was the Charter Oak Maduro in the Toro size. I think I paid a whopping $5.50 + 6% sales tax for this cigar here in Pennsylvania, a state with no cigar tax for a 6″ x 52 cigar wrapped in the same Connecticut Broadleaf used on the Tabernacle, with Nicaraguan (Habano, Sumatra, the website says both) binder and fillers from Esteli and Jalapa. Even though it may have burned a little faster than the Tabernacle, and the ash wasn’t quite as sturdy, but for the price this was a really great smoke. Similar coffee and cocoa flavors, not as deep and rich, less refined, milder, but a very nice cigar. this is certainly a cigar that I would put in my regular rotation if I had such a thing. Top notch, and previous experience with the Connecticut Shade version, which is also actual Connecticut leaf, not

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Ecuador (how this is done at this price is anyone’s guess), was also very good.

Contest Winner!

Wrapping up another contest! this is another one which I noticed there weren’t as many entries as there used to be. I might put up a poll to see if I can figure out whats up with the contests. Do people no longer want free cigars? What’s the deal? I’ll keep giving stuff away, fewer entries just means better odds for my faithful readers who enter year after year, and I thank you all who enter! And special thanks to people like Kevin of Cigar Prop who not only provide cool stuff for me to give away, but have the creativity and ingenuity to create cool tools like this and make them a reality. Honestly, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t use a lighter bleed tool or a one of Kevin’s Cigar Props! He has some cool ideas coming up that I’m excited to share when I’m allowed! Anyway, I’m also always happy to share cigars that I’m into, even if it means depleting my own supply :-)! No big deal, the fun of smoking cigars is sharing them with others, and this time, I’m sharing them with Karl Brooks! The random number generator told me comment number 6, and Karl’s comment was the 6th one. Karl, please send me your contact info so I can pack up these goodies and send them out to you! Thanks again everyone! I need to start scrounging some things together as the holidays approach!

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

CigarCraig

4 Comments

Filed under Contest, Events, Review, Stores

Tagged as Charter Oak, cigar, Cigar Prop, cigars, Contest, Foundation, Gilbertsville Cigar Factory, Marzio, Tabernacle

by CigarCraig | October 3, 2018 · 8:42 pm

La Palina Blue Label TAA 2018 Cigar

I managed to smoke a couple of the new La Palina Blue Label TAA Exclusive Toros this week, and thought I’d share my thoughts, but first, I mixed last year’s TAA Bronze Label in just to compare. These follow the Black and Red Label releases, which were made at the PDR factory in the Dominican Republic, with the Bronze and now the Blue coming from the Placencia’s El Paraiso factory in Honduras. The Bronze Label went into regular release after it spent a year as the TAA excl

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usive. I smoked this last May and I think the few months in the humidor did it some good, because it had noticeable sweet flavors that I failed to note originally, and I probably would have made mention of that. I selected it because the size was right for the time I had, and the 5½” x 50 size was good for a nice hour and a half or so smoking time. I’d be very interested in smoking other sizes of this blend, I found

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it to be quite enjoyable!

New this year is the La Palina Blue Label. The Blue Label is exclusive to TAA stores and is made at El Paraiso in Honduras, which is owned by Placencia. The wrapper is Habano, the binder is Honduran, and the fillers are Nicaraguan and Honduran. This is available in a 6½ x 52 Toro, which is a size I like in a cigar I like, and I like this cigar. When I can get another fifteen or twenty minutes smoking time out of a cigar that’s very good, I’m a happy dude. I smoked two of these over the course of a few days, which I rarely do. The first example I smoked left me with some questions, I found it slightly more earthy and leathery than I prefer, however, I had some distractions, and tonight I smoked the second example without any distractions and found more of the sweetness al

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ong with that earthiness that I had found with the Bronze Label, although the sweetness was far more in the background and subdued. The burn and draw were exceptional. While this cigar is ready to go, I think age will be kind to this cigar. Fortunately, I have a chain of TAA stores clo

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se by, so I should be able to get my hands on more of these, I’ll have to see if they have them.

That’s all for today, until next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Blue Label, Bronze Label, cigar, cigars, La Palina, TAA

by CigarCraig | September 30, 2018 · 11:09 am

Hostage and La Misión from Providencia Cigars, Buenaventura, and a Contest!

This week I dug into the new cigars from Providencia Cigar Company. I warmed up last week with an El Santo, the box pressed toro with a Nicaraguan Sumatra maduro wrapper. I really enjoy that cigar, and was excited to sample the Hostage, their newest release. This release came with a story of Providencia Co-founder Jim Faber’s abduction at gunpoint on a Honduran youth soccer field (the story is here in the news item I posted earlier this month). Considering it’s speculated that Jim’s abductors were Mexican gang members, it’s ironic, or perhaps fitting, that this cigar has a San Andrés wrapper. The wrapper is roughly the same shade of brown as the El Santo, which isn’t as dark as many San Andrés maduros, but the real difference to me lies in the flavor. This cigar had a unique flavor that I didn’t expect. It was a warm, fresh-baked bready flavor, not the dark coffee, cocoa flavors I thought I’d get. I think there were some almost floral notes as well, very interesting and entertaining. I am very interested in smoking another one and probably will in the very near future. I have to find out who has these in the area, I know the guys who own Providencia have some south Jersey roots, we have to get them to visit Philly one of these days!

Another new cigar from Providencia hasn’t had the official press release come out yet, but I smoked it anyway because it looked really intriguing and I couldn’t wait, was a 7½” x 38 Lancero called La Misión. This cigar has a Honduran Habano wrapper, an Indonesian binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler and, as I said, is a traditional Laguito No. 1

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in the Cuban Vitola de Galera. As with all of Providencia’s cigars, I believe this to be made in Honduras, and this is a difficult shape to produce, so I was quite pleased when it burned perfectly and was a pleasure to smoke until it burned my fingers. Flavor-wise, it was good, although perhaps I was spoiled by the unique flavor of the Hostage. I enjoyed the flavors it produced, they were good flavors of properly processed tobacco, with the cocoa and coffee flavors I like, with a leathery feel, and it was completely enjoyable. I loved the size, considering I’m not a fan of short small ring gauge cigars, I do like me a lancero, and I like them a lot. I look forward to sharing the story of the La Misión when it comes out, and appreciate to folks at Providencia sending me their new goodies to try.

Several weeks ago I stopped into one of the nearby CigarCigars stores to chat with Kevin, the manager there, and he had a box of Curivari Buenaventura BV 560 on the counter and said they sold like crazy, and at $5 and change, I guess I could see why. Since I had never smoked any of the Curivari line before, let alone the Buenaventura, and had heard of them, of course, I figured it was a no-brainer to give one a shot. Kevin did say it was a great cigar, and I agree with his assessment, it was a great smoke, I enjoyed it very much. Don’t let the 560 in the name fool anyone, it’s actually not 5″ x 60, it’s 5½” x 56 (I did some research considering Curivari doesn’t seem to list this line on their site with is befuddling, so I looked at several retailers and went with the consensus, with one large one seeming to have incorrect info). I’m hoping this is a regular item in the stores, because this is a winner at a great price, it’s another cigar with a really nice flavor, it’s sweet and earthy, not heavy and burdensome on the palate, a very good smoke.

Contest!

Time for another CigarCraig giveaway! This is a good one! Last week Kevin at CigarProp.com shipped out his Kickstarter round of the Lighter Bleed Tool 2.0. The Kickstarter was fully funded in something like 2 days, which is crazy, and it’s a super-useful tool. I’ve been using the 1.0 version religiously whenever I fill a lighter and it’s great, I never have to worry about damaging the fill valve of my expensive (or cheap) lighters with a screwdriver or other non-purpose-built tool when I bleed my lighters. Kevin very generously provided a Lighter Bleeder Tool 2.0 in Aluminum for today’s giveaway! Since I can’t not include cigars, I am CigarCraig after all, and since Kevin just did a whole series of reviews on his Youtube channel of Cornelius and Anthony cigars, and since Cornelius and Anthony cigars are among my favorites anyway, I selected a five-pack from my humidor to accompany the Lighter Bleeder Tool 2.0 for this giveaway! Let me tell you, the cigars I selected DO NOT SUCK! They are cigars that are my favorites and are hard to part with! Who knows what else might fall into the box while it’s being packed up. Check out Kevin’s videos, they are a hoot, leave a comment on this

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post to enter, and I’ll select a comment at random next Sunday, October 7, 2018. Must be of legal age to win, you know the rules. If you don’t win a bleed tool, they are available on Amazon too!

That’s all for today, hard to believe it’s the end of September already. I have to start thinking of wrapping the cigar porch for the cold weather smoking! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

36 Comments

Filed under Contest, Review

Tagged as Buenaventura, cigar, Cigar Prop, cigars, Contest, Cornelius and Anthony, Curivari, Hostage, La Misión, Lighter Bleed Tool, Providencia

by CigarCraig | September 27, 2018 · 9:07 am

News: Ventura Cigar Company Heading to Drew Estate’s 2018 Kentucky Barn Smoker

This is interesting news from the folks at Ventura Cigars. Iâ€™m surprised to learn that there are still Barnsmoker tickets available. two days before the event, so if youâ€™re close by I highly recommend it. Itâ€™s a great deal if only for the cigars you get, but the experience is worth a whole lot more. I miss my buddy Michael Giannini, I hope we get a chance to catch up one of these days! If you are attending the Barnsmoker and meet Michael, tell him I said hello!

Bringing smooth vibes and great smokes to an already raucously good time, Ventura Cigars is honored to be part of Drew Estateâ€™s 2018 Kentucky Barn Smoker on September 29, 2018. Held in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the event is the brainchild of the magnetic Jonathan Drew, and drawspeople, brands, and local businesses together to celebrate American Tobacco Agriculture, and the innovative and pioneering spirit of the industry. Ventura Cigars is proud to support the festival and contribute to the fun of the day.

Michael Giannini, General Manager at Ventura Cigars, will be sharing stories over smokes, while meeting and mingling with attendees. Heâ€™ll also be showcasing the popular Axis Mundi cigar, a Drew Estate creation from Ventura Cigarsâ€™ Archetype line. With complex layers of rich tastes and essences, like coffee beans, spices, dried figs, and charred oak, the Axis Mundi is highly rated by multiple industry experts, even earning recognition as the 2017 #13 Cigar of the Year from Cigar Aficionado. It ups the ante for Barn Smoker event-goers, and cigar enthusiasts in general.

â€œIâ€™m so proud to be attending this yearâ€™s Kentucky Barn Smoker with Ventura Cigars,â€ says Giannini. â€œItâ€™s always a good time, and weâ€™re especially pleased to be here with Axis Mundi cigars in-hand. This is a top-notch smoke, as expected when creative powerhouses like Drew Estate and Ventura Cigars come together. If youâ€™re at the Kentucky Barn Smoker, come by, check us out, and have a smoke.â€

Thereâ€™s still time to grab your tickets to see Michael Giannini and celebrate American Tobacco Agriculture at the 2018 Kentucky Barn Smoker by Drew Estate. VisitÂ www.barnsmoker.com for more information about the event or www.venturacigar.com for additional details about Axis Mundi and other Archetype cigars.

The Archetype Axis Mundi Cigar

Formats: Churchill, Toro, Robusto, Corona

Wrapper: Maduro Habano Ecuador

Binder: Indonesia Sumatra

Filler: Habano Nicaragua

Taste: Full-Bodied

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 Archetypeâ€™s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes the 4thGeneration and Comoyâ€™s of London line 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.