Saturday, February 18, 2012

New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Exquisitos Review

New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Exquisitos - 4 7/8 X 50. Wrapper - Ecuador Connecticut (wrapper from New Wave Connecticut), Binder - Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro (wrapper from Core Maduro), Filler - Nicaragua & Dominican Republic (filler from Core Maduro). Medium bodied.


Initial taste - Oak wood and a mild spiciness.

First third - Creamy, woody, sweet fruitiness and a peppery spice.

Second third - Creaminess, fruity sweetness, pepper and wood with a tangy citrus emerging.

Last third - Creaminess continues with the citrus right behind it followed by the sweet fruit, pepper and some wood notes. Nice long finish of Peppery spice and citrus.

Construction - A beautifully smooth, light-brown flawless wrapper with no major veins and a perfect cap. The burn was straight with a semi-solid black and white colored ash that held on. Draw was perfect.

A fantastic cigar that had very complex, balanced and unique flavors. The cigar incorporated the best aspects of Connecticut wrapped cigars - Creaminess and pepper; and combined it with the best flavors of Maduro wrapped cigars - Fruity sweetness along with Nicaraguan filler - citrus and wood; to form an amazingly interesting and wonderful cigar. MSRP for this vitola is $6.35 for a single and $152.40 for a box of 24 cigars. The Connecticut Short Run will come in 3 sizes and 1,000 boxes per size. Absolutely recommended.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR CO. IS A HIT AT THE 2ND ANNUAL NEAT STUFF CASINO NIGHT!!

TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR CO. IS A HIT AT THE 2ND ANNUAL NEAT STUFF CASINO NIGHT!!

 (Miami, FL) February 15, 2012—Toraño Family Cigar Co. was happy to return as the official cigar sponsor for the 2nd annual Neat Stuff for Kids Casino Night event at the newly renovated Coral Gables Country Club. Neat Stuff for Kids is a local nonprofit agency in South Florida which provides brand new clothing for neglected, abused, and underprivileged children.

Toraño family members Carlos Llaca-Toraño and Jack Toraño were present at the event as they educated event-goers on cigar craftsmanship while sampling some of Toraño’s award winning cigars. Event attendees were treated to Toraño new releases Vault and Loyal as this fabulous Las Vegas style event which featured professional grade gambling tables, show girls, and specialty entertainment.

President of Toraño Family Cigar Co. Charlie Toraño has taken a special interest in Neat Stuff for Kids as this local charity nicknamed “The little engine that could” has been awarded the highest possible rating by charity navigator for their efficiency as 96% of all donations go straight to the cause, without receiving government grants. Charlie Toraño said, “I commend Neat Stuff’s Executive Director Franklin Monjarrez for his vision and compassion and we as a company are more than happy to support the work that he and the organization does for kids in our local community.”

A leader in the cigar industry, Toraño Family Cigar Company is a four generation company currently based in Miami, FL. It enjoys a rich heritage and history in tobacco growing and manufacturing. For more information: www.Toraño.com. Please also follow Toraño on Face book: Toraño A family Cigar Company or on Twitter: @TORAÑOFAMCIGARS.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Chess Extreme Corojo Torpedo 1 Review

Chess Extreme Corojo Torpedo 1 - 4 X 64. Wrapper - Nicaraguan Corojo, Binder - Dominican Olor, Filler - Nicaragua (Ligero '98 & Ceco Corojo). Full bodied.

Initial taste - Cedar wood and pepper.

First half - Pepper, cinnamon and leather with notes of Mediterranean spices such as cumin, sage and rosemary. Good balance.

Second half - Continuation of the pepper, cinnamon, leather and notes of the Mediterranean spices. Very long finish of spice and cinnamon.

Construction - Nice looking,a darkish brown wrapper with a nice oily sheen. No major veins were visible and the cap was bumpy and uneven. Burn was razor sharp producing a salt and pepper colored ash that was solid and did not fall of easily. Draw was perfect with plenty of smoke.

I really like this cigar - it had nice complexity and very good balance. The Mediterranean spices were interesting and not something that I taste in many cigars that I review. The burn and draw also made the smoking experience that much better. MSRP for this vitola is $6.10 and I feel that it is a worthy price point for this cigar. Definitely a cigar to be enjoyed after a full meal. I would absolutely recommend this cigar to try for someone looking for a unique profile - full body smoke with excellent construction.

Friday, February 3, 2012

GENERAL CIGAR KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL WEEKEND IN STYLE

GENERAL CIGAR KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL WEEKEND IN STYLE

General Cigar will be the toast of Indianapolis this weekend, with sampling events that are on par with the Big Game itself. In fact, two of the three events that General Cigar is participating in have been named to BleacherReport.com’s highly-publicized ranking of the “10 Best Parties of Super Bowl Week.”

According to Alan Willner, General Cigar’s vice president of marketing said, “General Cigar has long been known for associating our brands with high profile events that elevate the cigar smoking occasion. This year, we’ll once again be at the best parties leading up to the ‘Big Game’ to bring the ultimate cigar smoking experience to A-list athletes, celebrities and football enthusiasts.”

Last night’s Jaws Cigar Party was hosted by none other than Ron Jaworski at Nicky Blaine’s cigar bar in downtown Indy. This fundraiser benefitted Ron’s pet charities -- Jaws Youth Playbook Foundation and Gleaners Food Bank's BackSack program.

An array of General Cigar favorites, including La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale, CAO OSA Sol and Macanudo Cru Royale, as well as Macanudo Vintage 1997 Maduro were available for Ron’s guests which included his ESPN boothmates. We’ll provide more details on the event, including photos, next week.

Tonight (Friday, Feb. 3) is the SPP Sports Poker Tournament to be held at the Indianapolis Zoo. General Cigar will be on hand to sample Punch, Grand Puro and Grand Cru cigars to event hosts Devin Hester, LeSean McCoy. Other noteworthy names expected to attend are Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement) and Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side) and a slew of NFL greats. Stay tuned for more info.

Saturday night is the big Rolling Stone party at the Crane Bay event center. To celebrate Bacardi’s 150th anniversary, General Cigar has teamed up with the premier rum brand and will serve La Gloria Cubana and CAO La Traviata to a roster of A-list guests. Jeff Gordon, Joe Jonas, Marc Anthony, Nikki Reed and Andy Roddick are all expected to attend.

Outside of Indy, General Cigar is once again participating in Franco Harris’ annual Immaculate Reception. This year’s event will be held in Sin City and will benefit Soldier’s Angels. Franco’s beloved Punch Grand Cru cigars will be on hand for guests to smoke and savor.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

AVO Heritage Toro Review

AVO Heritage Toro - 6 X 50. Wrapper - Ecuadorian Sun Grown, Binder - Dominican Republic, Filler - Dominican Republic. Medium - full bodied.

Initial lighting taste - Spicy woodiness.

First third - Spice, citrus, leather and cedar wood notes.

Second third - Spice continues, tangy citrus, leather and sweet fruit notes. Very nice.

Last third - Spice, citrus leather and fruity sweetness. Long finish of spice and tangy leather.

Construction - A nice looking, brown wrapper with a somewhat bumpy texture and some moderate veins. The wrapper had a slight oily sheen to it. Burn was straight producing a light gray ash that was solid and held on. Draw was very good and allowed for plenty of smoke.

This was a fantastic cigar - great complexity and balance and a flavor profile that I love. The sweet fruit notes on the back end of the taste was very enjoyable. MSRP for this vitola is $8.50 which this cigar is worth every bit of. I smoked this down to my finger tips and wished there was more. By far my favorite line from AVO Cigars hands down. Definite recommend.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Macanudo Welcomes Two New Frontmarks

Making their retail debut this week are Macanudo Café Gigante and Macanudo Maduro Gigante. Created in response to consumer demand for large-ring offerings, both the Macanudo Café and Macanudo Maduro Gigante cigars measure 6” x 60. Each will be packed in a 25 count box and sold for an SRP per cigar of $7.99, or $199.75, SRP per box.

CAO debuts new La Traviata frontmark

Following in the footsteps of the highly successful Ecuadoran-wrapped CAO La Traviata Luminoso, the new Maduro version features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper to lend a touch of sweetness to the critically-acclaimed blend. At 4.5” x 50, the new Rothschild will be available for an SRP of $5.10 per cigar, or $153 for a 30-count box. “CAO La Traviata ‘Luminoso’ is one of our top sellers, so it was only natural that we gave CAO fans a new take on one of their favorite cigars,” said Ed McKenna, CAO’s senior brand manager. “Rick Rodriguez and I are looking forward to receiving some great feedback about CAO La Traviata Maduro Luminoso on our website, caocigars.com.”