San Cristobal Experience

I was visited this week by our friendly, neighborhood Ashton rep, Rex. If you have never had the opportunity to meet Rex at an event keep a look out because Rex hosts one of the best seminars around. So I went to visit Rex at our downtown location during his Tasting Seminar featuring the newest Ashton cigar, The San Cristobal Elegancia. I don’t want to spoil the experience but this is a must attend event and we offer these events several times a year at Corona Cigar Co.

We just recently brought back the original San Cristobal, which is one of my favorite Ashton’s. It is really nice to have all 3 San Cristobal’s available. Let’s start it off with the original. The cigar was first introduced back in 2007 blended and manufactured by Don Pepin Garcia. 100% Nicaraguan puro, medium to full bodied with rich flavors of dark, roasted coffee and cocoa with a surprising undertone of black cherries. The cigar is a wonderful experience.

Next up the San Cristobal Seleccion del Sol – the cigar features an intricate blend of 100% aged Nicaraguan tobaccos. Starting off medium bodied, the cigar slowly becomes a full bodied smoke by its finale. A complex array of flavors ranging from pepper and spices to leather and wood will become the most prominent features throughout your smoking experience.

Finally we have the newest San Cristobal – Elegancia. This cigar features the ever growing popular Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. This wrapper is vastly different than its US counterpart; the wrapper has much more prominent notes of cedar and peppered spice. This cigar is a welcomed change from the last 2 installments from San Cristobal. Mild to medium bodied cigar boasting a full flavored profile; the San Cristobal Elegancia delivers consistent flavor and quality at a price that won’t break the bank.

My UZI Weighs a Ton

The excerpt from the back of the bundle -

The UZI story began on the very first final consumer blending session at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in late 2010 during a Cigar Safari tour with the B.O.T.L. group. After conducting blending sessions for the previous 3 years at the Drew Estate factory we were amped up to extend the concept to Joya de Nicaragua. I worked with the Joya de Nicaragua team utilizing Drew Estate tobaccos, including a San Andreas Negro wrapper, Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Binder and hearty Brazilian Mata Fina Filler, coupled with Nicaraguan fillers provided by Joya de Nicaragua. The blend proved to be rich and earthy, with a bright, sweet undertone. As months of blending passed, I felt this blend was most noble in the 6x60 format and began calling this cigar "The Uzi." We all had a good laugh at the name, but when I went back to their factory to pick up the round of 50 sticks, I said, "Damn, My UZI's Weighs a Ton!" - and the brand was officially born.

I smoked my first MUWAT back before the 2011 Tradeshow, Jonathan Drew sent us some prerelease smokes and I instantly fell in love with the flavor. Let me describe the MUWAT in 3 words: Big, Bold & Flavorful. I can't tell you how much I enjoy smoking this cigar. One of my favorite flavors in cigars is those earthy tones; that is why I prefer the Liga Privada No. 9 over the T52. The MUWAT is available in 3 sizes: 5x50, 6x60 and 7x60. These cigars burn slow and even - I smoked the 7x60 earlier today and it racked up a 2 1/2 hour burn time! These cigars won't be as limited as the Liga Privada so you will have a chance to enjoy these cigars. Stop by 1 of our 3 locations and fire up a MUWAT!

Davidoff Belicoso Supremo White Edition 2011

I think Davidoff makes amazing cigars. The quality of tobacco and level of craftmanship is always outstanding. I really enjoy Davidoff's fuller bodied cigars such as the new Puro d'Oro and I especially like the Davidoff Seleccion 702 Limited Edition 2009. Both of these cigars have more of the deeper, richer flavors that I look for in a cigar and the newest Limited Edition from Davidoff has just those qualities.

The Davidoff Belicoso Supremo White Edition 2011 is medium to full-bodied with notes of coffee and leather, but the best aspect of the cigar is the amazing spice rack notes that are tasted when retro-nasally exhaled. The cigar hits every part of the tongue making it a well balanced mouth watering experience. I would have to say this cigar ties the Seleccion 702 for my favorite Davidoff cigar. Both cigars are an amazing experience.

To buy Davidoff Belicoso Supremo <---Click Here.

Undercrown by Drew Estate

The long awaited, much anticipated Undercrown is finally here making it a fantastic smoking week at Corona Cigar Co.

The story behind the Undercrown is very interesting. The cigar rollers were smoking too many of the Liga Privada T52's, and who can blame them. This was restricting production, so the rollers were allowed to create cigars for personal consumption from the leaves of the plant the T52 comes from, but are not used in the T52. What the rollers created was something quite impressive and with a few tweaks from Jonathan, Steve, and Marvin the Undercrown was born.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Undercrown. It uses different leaves than the T52 and I was expecting something medium bodied and not quite as good as a T52. I was wrong on both counts. The Undercrown is full bodied (awesome) and every bit as good, if not different, than the T52. The cigar is creamy with a very subtle spice and earthy, and just about the most delicious thing I have had all year. The Undercrown is my new favorite cigar.

Call Corona Cigar Co. at 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

My Father Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo

I am a huge fan of the My Father and My Father Le Bijou lines as are many cigar smokers. In fact many of the dedicated My Father smokers were requesting a box press cigar from Pepin. The Garcia's obliged by creating their first ever box pressed cigar, The Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo.

The cigar was released soon after IPCPR this year using the same blend as the Le Bijou line, Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro, with Nicaraguan binder and filler, however, I swear this cigar is stronger. Maybe it's my palate right now. This is a full bodied cigar with deep flavors of earth just like the non box pressed Le Bijou but it has a lot more nasal spice when it is retrohaled. Whatever the reason for its extra bit of strength, I'm loving it.

The My Father Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo is another excellent offering from the Garcia's factory. Call Corona Cigar Co. for availability 1-888-70-CIGAR.

EPC Maduro

One of my new favorite cigars released this year is the EP Carillo Maduro. Since re-entering the industry after parting ways with General, Erenesto has made hit after hit. In my opinion every blend he has released has been excellent and the EPC Maduro is exceptionally good.

The EPC Maduro is medium to full bodied and very complex. The cigar has loads of flavor with notes of coffee and semi-sweet chocolate that coat the palate along with a very nice, subtle cedar spiciness. This is a classic cigar in every aspect, from its flavor to its rustic looking wrapper, and hands down one of the best cigars released at the IPCPR. Enjoy EPC Maduro today, you won't regret it.

Hey FDA...KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY CIGARS!

Right now there is an active movement by the nanny-state, anti-tobacco zealots that want to take away your God given right to enjoy a cigar. If these prohibitionists get their way, the FDA will expand their cigarette & smokeless tobacco regulations to include cigars. So what would this mean for you?

• Walk-in humidors, self-serve cigar displays and mail order/internet cigar sales could be banned.

• All flavored cigars such as rum, cognac, bourbon, vanilla and coffee could be banned.

• Ornate, decorative cigar boxes would be covered with grotesque, graphic images.

• Cigar events with free cigars would be banned.

• Cigar advertising would be limited to black and white "tombstone" ads.

• Costly user fees (taxes) would be imposed on your cigars to fund the bureaucrats at the FDA to regulate your cigars.

• Special release and limited edition cigars would be a thing of the past since all cigars would have to undergo extensive (and expensive) testing and be approved by the FDA.

• Nicotinelevels in cigars could be regulated to near zero levels...bye bye strong cigars.

• Logo cigar shirts, hats and jackets could be banned.

Now if all of this has got your freedom loving, "Proud to be an American" blood boiling, there is something you can do about it. Right now there is a bipartisan bill in Congress (H.R. 1639) and in the Senate (S.1462) called "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Preservation Act". This
bill would clarify the Tobacco Control Act so that the premium cigars that you and I love would be "hands off" by the FDA.

Corona Cigar Company has been leading the charge to protect your freedom from the tobacco prohibitionists. But to get this bill passed, we need your help. Call, write, email or meet your Congressman and Senators and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1639 and S.1461. There's a handy link at https://remote.coronacigar.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=4ac4e20b6117451e96badcbd005525d3&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.CigarRights.org where in less than 5 minutes, you can easily email your elected officials.

To learn more, view my video that explains the Traditional
Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Preservation Act at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DKqAEj_sHI.

Stand up
for your rights and let your voice be heard! God bless America!

Jeff
Borysiewicz
President & Founder
Corona Cigar Company

1-888-70-CIGAR
www.CoronaCigar.com
www.Facebook.com/CoronaCigar

Follow me on www.Twitter.com/CoronaCigarCo and www.Facebook.com/CoronaCigar

Protect Your Right To
Enjoy Cigars! Join Cigar Rights of America www.CigarRights.org

Illusione MJ12

Corona Cigar Co. received an Illusione shipment last week chock full of MKULTRA's and new Illusione maduros as well as my favorite Illusione cigar, the MJ12. The ULTRA is fantastic and I can't wait for the other sizes that will be released. However, I have been smoking a lot of the MJ12 because it is just so good.

MJ12 references Majestic 12 which conspiracy theorists say are a group of individuals in the government formed to investigate and cover up the Roswell space ship crash in 1947. The cigar is wrapped in foil to replicate a spaceship hull and shows what a great sense of humor Dion has.

The cigar itself is amazing. Medium to full bodied with overtones of coffee and leather. There is an undertone of cream that mixes nicely with the coffee flavors, it reminds me of a latte, a perfect mixture of strong espresso and cream. The MJ12 is a fantastic cigar not to be missed. Call 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

Fonseca 120th Anniversary Rarissimus

I promised in an earlier blog of the Domus Magnus to report on the Fonseca 120th Anniversary. This cigar commemorates the rich history of the Quesada family and their contribution to the production and art form of the cigar. The cigar blend was created to honor the family's Cuban heritage and has Cuban seed tobacco grown in Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The wrapper is a special sun grown Habano Vuelta Ariba that gives the cigar and intense but balanced kick.

I am highly impressed with the The Fonseca 120th Anniversary. It is an outstanding cigar and a perfect tribute to the years of cigar craftsmanship. The cigar is medium to full bodied, leathery, nutty and spicy. As an anniversary cigar, it could have easily been given a $10 plus price tag but instead runs in the $7 to $8 range making it available to more smokers and not just the big spenders. I love that, because I have been smoking a lot of these.

I highly recommend the Fonseca 120th Anniversary Rarissimus. <---Click here to buy.

Fausto: This Cigar Really Does Go to 11

The advertisement for Fausto shows an amplifier dial going past the normal 10 to 11. My first thought when seeing this ad was the opening scene of Back to the Future when Michael J. Fox blows out the amplifier by cranking it up all the way. The Fausto blew me away just as the amp did to Michael J.

I was highly anticipating the Fausto as I heard it was the T110 blend. I never got a chance to smoke a T110, but what I can say is the Fausto is probably the best cigar Pete has produced to date. And I loved, LOVED, the OR 2003 Cojonu so that is saying a lot. It is a very strong cigar but never sacrifices strength for flavor. Full bodied and very spicy on the retro-hale, the Fausto's predominate flavors are coffee and cedar with a subtle sweetness and undertones of dark chocolate.

A brief summation of the Fausto: Pure Awesomeness. Buy yours today at CoronaCigar.

Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limitada

IPCPR is over and with its end comes many wonderful beginnings as new cigars start to roll into the shop. Today was an amazing day for me as two new cigars hit Corona Cigar Co. shelves. Both cigars were from Quesada, best known as the creator of Fonseca. They have been releasing cigars under the family name, starting with the Quesada 35th, and these cigars were fantastic.

The two new releases we received today were the Fonseca Rarissimus CXX Anniversary and the Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limitada. I promise there will be a blog on the Rarissimus, done by either Cigar Alex or me, but in this blog I wanted to highlight my newest favorite cigar, the Casa Magna Domus Magnus.

It comes in two sizes; the Optimus, a 5 1/2 x 52, and the Primus, a 6 1/2 x 55. My first thought was, "Who is the Transformer fan in the Quesada family?" I like to think Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, is probably a cigar smoker, but I can't say for sure. I will say this cigar will definately transform your cigar smoking experience. (Sorry for the bad pun.)

The Domus Magnus is different from any cigar I have smoked before. It has loads of rich coffee and nuts. It is full bodied and sweet, but just the right amount of sweetness and is one of the more savory cigars I have smoked in a long time. They blended the Domus Magnus around a Sun Grown Jalapa wrapper. This is a must try cigar and unfortunately, like so many cigars I like, it is limited, so that means get as many as you can before they disappear.

Call 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

2011 Annual IPCPR Convention Recap - Part 1

2011 Annual IPCPR Convention Recap - Part 1 by Jeff Borysiewicz

Each year the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association holds an annual trade show and convention. This is the largest premium cigar trade show on the planet with every non-Cuban cigar manufacturer represented. After being held in New Orleans for the past two years, this year's show was held in Las Vegas thanks to the pro-business State Legislature that passed an exemption to the indoor smoking ban, allowing tobacco conventions and their revenue (and tax dollars) to return to the state of Nevada.

At the opening breakfast, the IPCPR introduced William S. Spann as its new Chief Executive Officer. Spann seems to be just the kind of leader the IPCPR needs considering the local, state and federal legislative/regulatory threats facing America's historical cigar industry.

Spann had served as chief of staff of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and, before that, as president and chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida. He served as part of Governor Jeb Bush’s executive leadership team first as communications director and then chief of staff at the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Spann earned the rank of Commander during a 20 year-career with the U.S. Navy. His final duty station was as Director of Communications for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis where he also taught Ethics and Moral Decision Making for the Junior Officers. (Spann replaces Joe Rowe who retired as Executive Director after ten years at the helm of the IPCPR.)

Every two years the IPCPR swears in a new President who is elected from it's Board of Directors. I have had the honor of serving on the IPCPR's Board for the past three years and have had the pleasure of working extensively with outgoing President Gary Pesh, owner of Old Virginia Tobacco. Gary was perhaps the most dedicated, pro-active and engaged President that the IPCPR has ever had. Gary and a team of fellow cigar retailers including myself will continue to serve on the IPCPR's Legislative Committee to protect America's premium cigar retailers, manufacturers and consumers from unfair cigar taxes and anti-cigar legislation.

The new President of the IPCPR is Curt Diebel from Diebel's Sportsman's Gallery in Kansas City, MO. Curt is an "old school" second generation tobacco retailer and has some big shoes to fill. Hopefully he will build upon the amazing progress that the IPCPR has made in the past four years. We will keep you informed on his performance.

There were some great new products at this year's show. I'm writing this as I sit on a plane on the flight home so forgive me for only highlighting a few.

During the show, the Drew Estate booth was packed every day and they introduced two new cigars that have a lot of buzz surrounding them. Liga Privada is getting a line extension with a classy looking cigar called "Undercrown". Hopefully they will be able to keep up with demand as our Liga Privada shipments are never large enough to keep up with our orders. The other new cigar is called "My Uzi Weighs a Ton" which is blended by Jonathan Drew and made in the Joya de Nicaragua factory. We had a few pre-release Uzis for sale and they quickly sold out in our retail stores as they were a hit with our customers. I'll have "Big Guns" Neal and Cigar Alex write a review on all the new cigars when they arrive in our stores.

Dion Giolitto with Illusione Cigars has a beautiful box-pressed version of his cigar coming out and this cigar has a gorgeous wrapper. (It uses Aganorsa Nicaraguan tobacco so I'm not surprised.) Since I can't light up on the plane, I'll have to get back to you about how the cigar smokes. Can you believe that you use to be able to smoke a cigar on a plane? Oh how I could go for a cigar right now...

I smoked the new, limited edition box-pressed Casa Magna from Manolo Quesada and Nestor Placensia. This cigar is great, with a nice balance of flavors. I'm looking forward to smoking more of these.

Pepin Garcia and his son Jamie had some great looking new cigars. There is a limited edition humidor filled with My Father cigars that is pretty cool and I look forward to smoking these when they are ready. Speaking of ready, some one keeps farting on the plane and I'm ready to light up my cigar to help kill the smell in here...good grief.

There are a bunch more new cigars to write about in "Part 2" of my blog including a cigar packed inside a 50 cal bullet and an awesome "art" cigar from Puros Indios. Wait until you see these...absolutely incredible!

Next year the IPCPR convention returns to Orlando after a 15 year hiatus. Hopefully the trade show will alternate between La Vegas and Orlando giving cigar retailers on both coasts two great entertaining cities to visit.

Regards,

Jeff Borysiewicz
President & Founder
Corona Cigar Company



About IPCPR

With more than 2,000 members throughout the U.S. and 31 foreign countries, the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association is the leading non-profit industry organization representing retailers, manufacturers and distributors of hand-made cigars, pipes and accessories. Stores displaying the IPCPR logo are recognized as premier purveyors of premium tobacco products. Members of IPCPR have access to IPCPR market research, trade shows, services, publications, and participation in community, constitutional and legislative action programs.

IPCPR 2011

Ipcpr 2011

So it's 4:56 the day before I leave for Las Vegas for the IPCPR. It's been too long since I've posted. I'm going to be posting to coronacigars.com, smokesforblokes.com, twitter and Facebook daily I hope. This is going to be an amazing yet fun experience for both myself and my girlfriend as well. I want to thank Guillermo Leon and all my great friends at Miami cigars for making this happen. I'll see you all in Vegas and happy smoking.

Quesada 35th Anniversary

Quesada isn't a new brand in the cigar world; in actuality it comes from one of the most established cigar families, but normally they are represented under the Fonseca brand. This is the first time the Quesada Family has used their last name for a cigar, but 35th Anniversary is an important milestone. The 35th Anniversary marks when the Quesada Family became the first cigar company to setup in the Dominican Republic's free zone.

Manuel Quesada, head of the Fonseca Cigar Co., played a very little role in the creation of he cigar; his daughters secretly were creating the cigar to surprise their father. A rare Arapiraca grown in Ecuador was selected for the wrapper for its oily, chocolate complexion. The filler is comprised of 3 tobaccos: Dominican Cuban Criollo from 2008, Dominican Vuelta Arriba ligero and Nicaraguan Esteli ligero.

The Quesada 35th Anniversary is a medium to full bodied journey through a complex array of flavors. The beginning boasts impressive strength married with espresso and cedar. Those flavors hang through the entire smoke, but every so often notes of hay, white pepper and anise dance across the palate. These won't be around forever, visit at http://www.coronacigar.com/ or call us at 1-888-70-CIGAR and snag up what you can!

A Capa Especial

Tatuaje has been busy making some very some new cigars but Pete Johnson stumbled upon some wrappers that would go great with Tatuaje Brown label binder and filler, Sumatra. The Tatuaje Capa Especial is only available in one size the 7th size (5 5/8 x 46). The cigar offer a very unique flavor, very reminiscent of crisp green pepper but I also am experiencing burnt coffee and lots of the famous Nicaraguan spicy oils. The finish is thick - coating your palate in pepper and oil. The cigar is great but not my cup of tea. I think I will stick with a good 'ole Havana Cazadores Brown label. If you love Tatuaje, you have to try one!

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Body: Medium to Full

Tattooed Smoke

Helping a customer today selects some cigars and I stumbled upon a cigar that doesn’t receive the praise it should. The cigar I’m talking about is the Tatuaje “A”. Measuring a whopping 9¼ inches by a 47 ring gauge; the size alone might even discourage someone from trying it. It’s a classic Cuban size made famous by the Montecristo A.

Enough about the fluff and let’s get down to how the cigar smokes. The Tatuaje A is medium bodied and offers the smoothest smoke available on any Tatuaje cigar IMO. The cigar has a slight creaminess yet offset by nuances of leather and black pepper spice. If you have the time to sit down and smoke for 2 hours, fire up one of these bad boys!

FDA Regulation

Hey FDA...KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY CIGARS!

Right now there is an active movement by the nanny-state, anti-tobacco zealots that want to take away your God given right to enjoy a cigar. If these prohibitionists get their way, the FDA will expand their cigarette & smokeless tobacco regulations to include cigars. So what would this mean for you?

• Walk-in humidors, self-serve cigar displays and mail order cigar sales would be banned.

• All flavored cigars such as rum, cognac, bourbon, vanilla and coffee would be banned.

• Ornate, decorative cigar boxes would be covered with grotesque, graphic images of dead people.

• Cigar events with free cigars would be banned.

• Cigar advertising would be limited to black and white "tombstone" ads.

• New user fees (taxes) would be imposed on your cigars to fund the beurocrats at the FDA to regulate your cigars.

• Special release and limited edition cigars would be a thing of the past since all cigars would have to undergo extensive (and expensive) testing and be approved by the FDA.

• Nicotine levels in cigars could be regulated to near zero levels...bye bye strong cigars.

Now if all of this has got your freedom loving, proud to be an American blood boiling, there is something you can do about it. Right now there is a bill in Congress (H.R. 1639) called "Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Preservation Act". This bill would clarify the Tobacco Control Act so that the premium cigars that you and I love would be "hands off" by the FDA.

To get this bill passed, we need your help. Call, write, email or meet your congressman and senators and ask them to support H.R. 1639. We have a handy link on CoronaCigar.com where you can easily email your elected officials.
Courage,

Jeff Borysiewicz
President & Founder
Corona Cigar Company

1-888-70-CIGAR
www.CoronaCigar.com
www.Facebook.com/CoronaCigar

Click Here and Urge your Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor HR1639!

EP Carrillo Short Run 2011: Smokers, Fill Your Lighters and Sharpen Your Cutters

Oh happy day! Today the EP Carrillo 2011 Short Run has arrived at Corona Cigar Co. No need to say I have been smoking myself silly on these. This is yet another release from Ernesto that is proving that he is one of the best cigar makers producing today.

The EP Carrillo Short Run 2011 is a full bodied smoke with a medium strength. It starts out very full in strength but mellows to medium as it is smoked. The full bodied flavors last throughout. The blend is Nicaraguan Dominican tobaccos with an Ecuadorian wrapper. Flavors of dry spice, rich wood and coffee abound with a subtle sweetness I love in full bodied cigars. The sweetness just seems to be a perfect counterpart to the spice.

The EP Carrillo Short Run 2011 is a limited production run, so I would recommend you get yours today . . . before I have free reign to really start smoking. Call Corona Cigar Co. at 1-888-702-4427.

Father's Day Smoke

So I was walking around the store today looking for something to smoke, and I stumbled upon some A. Fuente Añejo cigars. I can honestly say this is one of the greatest cigars of all time. Story has it that back in 1998 Hurricane Georges tore through the Caribbean resulting in a shortage of OpusX tobacco in 2000. Instead of halting production, Carlito Fuente commissioned the use of an aged Connecticut broadleaf; thus the Añejo cigar is born.

Here’s the breakdown-

Wrapper: 5-year-aged Connecticut Broadleaf aged in a cognac barrel

Binder: Dominican tobacco from Chateau de la Fuente

Filler: Dominican tobacco from Chateau de la Fuente

The Fuente Añejo cigar is a medium to full bodied experience that will keep you craving more. With its cinnamon spice quality and thick enveloping smoke, the Fuente Añejo is a wonderful cigar that is at the very least smoking at least one. We have limited availability on these at http://www.coronacigar.com so don’t hesitate and give us a call to try one today.

The Velvet Hammer

Even though Ashton's recent success can be attributed to Don Pepin Garcia; Cigars like the Ashton Aged Maduro, Cabinet and VSG . So today I decided to spark up one of Ashton's unsung heroes, The Ashton ESG. The Ashton ESG is handrolled at Fuente's cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. Originally introduced in 2006, the Ashton ESG was delayed one year till its release. The reason for the delay was due to the ultra-rare wrapper grown at Chateau de la Fuente.

Nicknamed the Velvet Hammer, the Ashton ESG is a medium bodied cigar with unparalleled balance and smoothness. Decadent notes of kitchen spice like cinnamon and anise are ever present with a slight peppery nuance. Check out our online store for pricing and availability on the Ashton ESG.

Liga Privada No9 Vs. Liga Privada T52

With the recent delays in the Liga Privada T52 shipments I have been out of and craving a Liga Privada T52. Our most recent shipment of Liga's was a batch of the No. 9's and I have been smoking these in the absence of the T52's. Now I love the No. 9 as well, but the T52 is my favorite. This led me to ask some of my co-workers and customers which Liga they liked the best. I didn't keep a record of the answers so this is far from scientific. What I did learn is that which Liga you like the best can tell you a lot about the type of cigar you prefer.

I categorize the Liga Privada No. 9 as earthy and the Liga Privada T52 as spicy. Whichever of these two you like better, that is the overall cigar note that you prefer. I know there are a lot of other notes in cigars, but if you want to figure out if you like earthy better than spicy, smoke a Liga No. 9 and a Liga T52 and you will have your answer. For the most part my un-scientific poll had the cigars neck and neck. My vote for the T52 put it in the winning category. Stalk cut wrapper can't be beat.

Liga Privada No.9 Buy Now Liga Privada T52 Buy Now

Illusione Singulare Phantom 2011

Illusione is becoming one of the most sought after cigars in the industry. Always receiving high marks, ranked in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 of 2010, Illusione is on the cutting edge of the cigar industry. Enter Dion’s next concept: 1 size, 1 blend and different concept every year limited edition cigar. The first limited edition in the lineup is the Singulare Phantom, a Nicaraguan Puro. It is only available in a 6 x 50 size and uses a secret blend of Nicaraguan tobacco hailing from an undisclosed location.

The cigar is beautifully finished; the wrapper is silky smooth and shows it was expertly rolled by one of Nicaragua’s finest. With a cut and a light, the Singulare Phantom coats the palate with a slight spice and sweet cedar. These flavors evolve into a prominent spice with a slight cinnamon quality. From start to finish, the Illusione Singulare Phantom is one of the smoothest, medium bodied, full flavored cigars available. If the availability wasn’t limited this cigar could easily place highly on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 cigars for 2011.

Get your Illusione Singulare Phantom's at http://www.coronacigar.com

Para japon

“Para Japon” cigar was created by La Aurora. Proceeds are being donated to relief efforts for Japan in wake of the catastrophic earthquake that rocked Japan in 2011.

The Para Japon cigar is available in only 1 size, a 5 x 50 robusto. The cigar is beautifully wrapped in Nicaraguan tobacco; bound together by Dominican tobacco; and blended with selected tobaccos from Cameroon, Brazil and Dominican Republic.

This cigar has an exquisite blend of tobaccos that provides a rich earthy complex smoke with lots of flavor, hints of spice, well balanced with an intense aroma and a long finish.

">Buy Now

Art Deco by Nestor Miranda

May 6th was free cigar day for most retailers. Nestor Miranda was giving away an Art Deco cigar with any cigar purchased. I'd smoked one of these at the IPCPR and really enjoyed it, however, when they came in the shop I was on a Liga Privada T52 binge. On free cigar day I smoked an Art Deco and was floored. It is a really good cigar. It flew under my radar and I'm sorry I have missed its tasty goodness for so long, so I have been making up for lost time by smoking a lot of the Art Deco.

The Art Deco is a full bodied cigar with a medium strength. It is spicy with a woody undertone and a subtle sweet molasses note. This is a fantastic everyday affordable smoke. Get your Art Deco cigars at http://www.coronacigar.com/

Join the Conspiracy

Join the Conspiracy

So walking the store looking for something I haven’t had in awhile and I spotted the Room 101 Conjura Edition. With our upcoming event for Room 101 in a couple of weeks I thought I would revisit this tasty smoke.

The Room 101 Conjura Edition features a Rosado wrapper (Specially selected for Room 101), Honduran binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco filler. Released in 2010 by Camacho for Los Angeles based jewelry designer, Matt Booth.

Getting down to the nitty-gritty, the Conjura is a rich, complex smoke with smooth, approachable characteristics. Think of it as the cigar that will keep you guessing. A strong, airy spice is prominent throughout the entire cigar with nuances changing almost every puff. Roasted coffee, cedar, leather, hay, white pepper, and even some flavors that I couldn’t put my finger were present throughout the cigar. Camacho Cigars and Matt Booth have out done themselves this time and I can’t wait for what they have in store for us with the rest of the Limitado series.

Timely Smoke

So our friendly Alec Bradley Rep, Kevin, came by and dropped me off one of the new Tempus maduros. So I decided to fire it up and see how it goes.

The Alec Bradley Tempus Maduro is delicious. It is medium to full bodied with heavy flavors of earth and cocoa with a prominent black pepper spice.

Alan Rubin, Owner of Alec Bradley Cigars, has been ramping up his cigars. He's been featured in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars 3 consecutive years in a row!

Who knows what the feature will hold, but time will tell...Fire up a Tempus and enjoy time well spent.

Zino Platinum Z Class: A High End Luxury Smoke at a Moderate Price

I know I have said it before, but I love new cigar arrival day at Corona Cigar Co. Today we received our shipment of Zino Platinum Z Class. I have been awaiting this cigar for a few weeks now as it has been touted as being medium to full bodied. Since I smoke predominately in the medium to full bodied category I like to see if cigar makers actually make good on their claims of full bodied status. The Zino Platinum Z Class definitely delivers.

The Z Class is not a strong cigar but it is most certainly full bodied. It has loads of flavor and a very nice nose spice when retro nasally exhaled. Each size is supposed to have a slightly unique profile. So far I have smoked a 550 R (robusto) and am currently smoking a 654T (toro). To be honest the only difference I have made out is the robusto seemed to be slightly stronger. Both have really delivered on taste and at $8 to $12 a cigar I will definitely be smoking more of these.

These are currently available only as pre-release at select Davidoff retailers, so look for these online at CoronaCigar.com or call 1-888-70- CIGAR.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial: A Second Chance

When the My Father Limited Edition 2011 released it blew my mind. If I could, I would smoke that cigar nonstop, however, due to its price and limited nature it is an impossibility. This has led me to start smoking regular line My Father and My Father Le Bijou.

Tonight I was selecting a My Father to smoke and sitting next to the My Father line in our store was the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial. I have to be honest, when this cigar first came in the store I smoked one and hated it. Maybe it was me, maybe the cigar was a little fresh, I don't know, but it did not work for me. I decided to give the cigar a second chance. They looked great sitting on the shelf. I picked one up and smelled the foot. It smelled amazing. I smelled the wrapper and it too smelled wonderful. "Yep, I'm smoking this cigar," I said to myself.

After finishing my cutting a lighting ritual I took my first test puff I decided the cigar deserved a blog post. It was really, really good, and I was wrong to not have given it a second chance earlier. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial is rich and full bodied. The most interesting characteristic, and I hesitate to share this, but I swear I tasted notes of coconut on the finish. Without going into further subjective tasting notes, the cigar is fantastic and the price point makes it even better. This is definitely an everyday cigar that smokes like a high end special occasion cigar. Call Corona Cigar Co. for availability 1-888-702-4427.

My Father No. 1

I picked up the new Cigar Snob magazine today and was flipping through it and noticed both Janny Garcia's and Jaime Garcia's favorite cigar is the My Father No. 1. I love the My Father line, the lancero being my favorite, but the No. 1 my second, so, after reading that the No. 1 was their favorite, I was influenced to pick one up and smoke it.

The My Father No. 1 is fantastic. I used to smoke these a lot when they first came out and now smoke them from time to time. It's like visiting a friend you haven't seen in a while. You remember why you enjoy their time so much. The cigar is full-bodied with a medium to full strength. Slightly spicy through the nose, I love that little kick. The smoke is slightly dry, but just right, with rich earthy tones and loads of cedar notes. A complex, excellently made cigar that makes it one of the best cigars I smoke on a regular basis.

Tony Gomez in the house!

So Tony Gomez, son of cigar manufacturer Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana cigars, stopped by Sand Lake today. He's actually the La Flor Dominicana Account Rep for Florida! Tony walked up to me and handed me a La Flor Dominicana Coronado, one of my favorite cigars of all time. The La Flor Dominicana Coronado was released in 2006. It features a Nicaraguan sun-grown wrapper, Corojo-seed Dominican binder and a Sumatra-seed Dominican filler. The Coronado even ranked #2 on Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars the year it came out.

So I fired up the Coronado up after we came back from lunch but not before brewing up some Cuban espresso, one of my specialties. Right from the start the Coronado erupts with notes of leather and spices. Large plumes of smoke billowed from the cigar and the cigar burned straight as an arrow the whole way through. This cigar would definitely compete to be one of my "desert island" cigars.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender: A Round House Kick to the Palate

I am a big fan of the La Flor Dominicana line. I remember when the Chisel first came out. I smoked Chisel after Chisel. It was the same way when the Air Bender Chisel was first released last year. I just about smoked myself silly, they were so spicy and delicious, I couldn't get enough.

Well it has been a few months since I smoked an Air Bender Chisel and I was looking to do a blog on a cigar and I saw the Air Bender Chisels on the shelf. They were just begging to be smoked. Upon lighting it up I knew I had made a sound decision. It was sweet and spicy and full of power. The Air Bender line is excellent, and the Air Bender Chisel is one of my favorite cigars. If you like full bodied cigars these are a must try.

E.P. Carrillo Elencos: The Continuation of a Masterpiece

As of this moment my favorite cigar is the EPC Elencos. My favorite cigar changes from week to week and sometimes from day to day. I've diagnosed myself as a streak smoker. I like variety but often there are only a handful of cigars that scratch that "itch". At times I have smoked only one cigar line for days straight. Currently the Elencos by Ernesto Perez Carrillo is that cigar. I can't get enough of that taste.

The Elencos is very unique; there is no cigar in the industry that is like it. It is essentially the 2010 Limited Edicion on a regular release. I loved the 2010, and I was slightly concerned when I heard it was going to be a regular run cigar that it would lose something in the transition. The regular production does not disappoint.

The E.P. Carrillo Elencos has this wonderful sweet gram cracker quality. It is full bodied smoke with lots of complexity and some subtle nuances that present themselves at various points of the smoke. Woodsy, nutty, cherry, and wine notes are all present at various stages of the cigar along with that amazing, ever present gram cracker flavor. There is a nice kick when the cigar is retro-nasally exhaled. The EPC Elencos is a bold, flavorful cigar that keeps me smoking them back to back. Get a box today before I smoke them all.

My Father Special Cigar

Attending a Corona Cigar Co. event will often get you a chance at exclusive cigars. During the Drew Estate event there were JD4's that could be procured. At this weekend’s Don Pepin event there was an opportunity to get a hold of the My Father Special, a cigar only available at Pepin events. I was fortunate enough to receive one and thought I would share it on the Corona Cigar blog. The first thing I was told when I was handed the cigar was that it smokes like the old Centurion blend. And it does, which I was very happy to find out. The Centurion was an amazing blend that smoked great out of the box, but when aged a little bit, oh man, it was amazing. The My Father Special did not disappoint, and upon finishing left me begging the rep for just one more sample. He kindly obliged. The cigar is full bodied, with a medium to full strength. There is loads of spice and dry roast coffee on the palate with a long finish that starts of dry but turns creamy and slightly sweet. It’s almost like the flavor grows from the back of the tongue to the sides and then tingles at the tip. The My Father Special is just that, a very special cigar. Try and get out to the next Pepin event to get one.

Industry Star @ Corona Sand Lake

So Don Pepin Garcia was at the Sand Lake store today for an event. If you don’t know who he is, there is a possibility he probably makes one of your favorite cigars. Not only does he blend and manufacture cigars under his own name, he also blended and manufactured Tatuaje, Cabaiguan, La Aroma de Cuba, 601, Murcielago and that’s to just name a few.

He and I walked through the cigar where we conversed about the industry in general. I asked him many questions about cigars, but some that really stood out where his thoughts on the industry. He said it is a challenge to create a unique blend that no one else has done before. He says he is constantly trying new hybrids of tobacco to create the next best cigar. His greatest success so far was the wrapper used on both vitolas of the My Father cigar. The original My Father utilizes an Ecuadorian Habano-Rosado hybrid and the My Father Le Bijou incorporates a wrapper called Pello de Oro (This wrapper is extremely difficult to grow because it is prone to many agricultural diseases).

I was surprised when Pepin started to ask me about other company’s cigars and how well they were doing. We stopped in front of the NUB cigars and he told me that it is very innovative. He is very surprised by the response of the NUB cigar sizes and they can’t be very cost effective because the amount of tobacco that they cram into each cigar. He also told me that walking through the store that you would be surprised to find out that many cigars are tied to each other; Tobacco growers might have an exceptionally good harvest will sell the same wrapper to 2 different manufactures but from 2 different primings.

In the short amount of time Don Pepin Garcia has been in the industry, he has become one of its shining stars. He has been leading the way in innovative cigars constantly scoring high marks in cigar publications. Not only that, he has been teaching his son, Jaime Garcia, the tricks of the trade and he too will be one of the industry greats. Check back soon as I’m going to write up the cigar I rolled during the Pepin event!!!

EPC Connecticut: Ernesto Perez Carrillo Does it Again

It is always an exciting day for me when Corona Cigar Co. gets in a shipment of new cigars. It's like Christmas. Today we received two new cigars from EP Carrillo, the EP Carrillo Connecticut and the EP Carrillo Elencos. I decided to fire up the lighter of the two new cigars.

Ernesto has the golden touch right now. He is, in my opinion, producing some of the best cigars in the industry. The EPC Connecticut is just another addition to his already amazing line up.

The cigar features an Ecuadorian grown Connecticut wrapper and smokes like the core line only creamier. And I love the core line. This is a great cigar for the first of day smoke, as I tend to smoke very full-bodied. The cigar is medium in body, mellow in strength and full of flavor. The EPC Connecticut is a fantastic cigar and one I am happy to add to my smoking rotation.

Viaje Skull & Bones Limited Edition

So if you haven’t heard yet, Corona Cigar Co. was bombed by our new friends at Viaje cigars. Andre Farkas, Owner of Viaje Cigars, has given us the opportunity to be annihilated. We received an extremely limited quantity of the newest limited edition Skull & Bones (MOAB and WMD). These little sticks of dynamite are made with some of the strongest Nicaraguan tobacco available. Strong enough to peel the paint off a wall but the Skull & Bones is very flavorful with slight nuances of pepper and espresso bean. So if you’re in the mood for a face melting, Skull & Bones delivers!

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro

Corona Cigar Co. will be hosting Jose Pepin Garcia this weekend and I decided to pick up an old favorite that I had forgotten about, the Don Pepin Series JJ. I went over to the shelf to pick one out and noticed that the maduros were looking especially oily and delicious. I made my selection. It was the oiliest, stinkiest cigar of the bunch. Pre-light draw was fantastic and lighting it up, first puff, I knew this cigar was going to be amazing.

The Don Pepin Series JJ Maduro was full-bodied, medium to full in strength, and amazing on every puff. The smoke is thick and earthy and has sweetness on the tongue and spiciness through the nose, a wonderful combination in a maduro cigar. Flavors of coffee and cocoa abound with nice earthiness. The Series JJ has, like most maduros, those deep, rich earth tones. A very well made, excellent cigar. Come by the event on Saturday March 26th from 12-8 and meet Don Pepin himself or if you are an online customer pick up a box; these are not to be missed.

Viaje White Label Project Candela

Corona Cigar Co. was lucky enough to get a shipment of the very rare Viaje White Label Project. While these are mostly gone I was fortunate enough to get a hold of one before they disappeared entirely. (By the way, Corona should be getting a lot of the limited releases, fingers crossed, so make sure to check with us prior to these releases.)

The Viaje WLP starts out very vegetal but quickly the "green" taste fades to the background as the cigar becomes very creamy. This makes a very interesting, very good contrast. Think pistachio ice-cream. The cigar is medium bodied and stay that way throughout. The cigar is slightly sweet and I want to say I detect some coffee bean hints toward the half way point. It has a very complex flavor; a very enjoyable cigar.

Green with envy...

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

So we drink green beer, Guinness or fine Irish Whiskey like Jameson why not enjoy a Candela "green" cigar and avoid an uncomfortable pinch today. So I decided to light up one of our newest additions to Corona Cigar Co., The Illusione 888 Candela.

Dion Giolito, Owner of Illusione Cigars, wanted to revitalize the image of Candela cigars. He created 3 limited editions cigars featuring the paisley green leaf: hl, 88, and 888. The cigar brings back memories of my childhood when my grandfather would smoke cigars outside on the back porch. So not only is this paying homage to St. Patrick's Day but paying my respects to my grandfather and his love for a fine cigar.

The Illusione 888 Candela has an earthy profile of flavor with slight nuances of grass and pepper. Flavors are consistent throughout the cigar, yet the cigar spikes in intensity about the midway point. Sometimes a slight creamy note becomes ever present while smoking but it doesn't stay around for long. The flavors of a Candela are a welcomed change from the norm of cigars in the present day. The other Candela I enjoy is our own Corona Cigar Co. 10th Anniversary Candela which brings more pepper to the smoke and less grassy notes with a slightly sweetened cap.

Feel free to give us a call or visit our website, www.coronacigar.com, and get your hands on some St. Patrick's Day smokes. Keep posted by checking our blog for what's up in smoke at Corona or follow me on twitter @CoronaCigarAlex.

Avo 85th Anniversary Limited Edition 2011

One of the perks of working in a cigar store is getting to smoke new cigars before they are released, even if it is only a couple days before the release date. I have been lucky enough to procure a Avo 85th Anniversary Limited Edition 2011 and thought I would share the experience.

Avo 85th Anniversary LE 11 is blended using a combination of San Vincete and Piloto Dominican tobacco held together by a Peruvian binder and finished off with a Sun Grown Dominican wrapper. This blend gives the cigar a medium to full body with a medium strength. The Diadema shape really highlights the taste of the wrapper from the beginning. The Avo LE 2011 is rich and leathery; it coats the palate with a long finish tasting of coffee and cream. It is a very elegant and complex cigar. Pre-orders are currently available at http://www.coronacigar.com/.

Camacho Monarca Candela: The Hulk

Christian Eiroa of Camacho made Corojo what it is today in the industry. He first created the cigar, and then the buzz over original seed Corojo. He also was the first to make a full bodied Candela cigar using his Corojo leaf. I nicknamed the cigar "The Hulk" because it was green and it was strong. The name caught around the shop and I have enjoyed smoking The Hulk over the years. With St. Patrick's Day coming up I have been going green with my cigars and thought I would blog the experience and The Hulk demands to be represented.

The Hulk starts out full; it hits the palate with spice and a slight sweetness. Great combination. The smoke is thick and mellow in the mouth but full and spicy through the nose. The cigar has a light creamy finish with the distinctive leafy notes of a candela cigar. At various points throughout the cigar I picked up subtle notes of honey. This is a very good candela cigar, one I highly recommend.

Corona Nicaraguan 10th Anniversary Candela Cigar

In my previous blog I wrote a brief history/education on candela in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. I promised to follow up with a series of candela cigar semi-reviews starting with our own Corona Cigar Co. 10th Anniversary Candela. Now my selection has a small amount of bias to it, but let me explain.

I have never really been a candela smoker and the cigar that changed my mind was the very cigar that Jeff had created as our house blend candela. See, I was biased against this cigar. I don't like candelas right? So when Jeff handed me the cigar and said, "Try this." I did my best to give it a fair shake. And it was good, really good. If I was Darth Vader I would have proclaimed, "Impressive!" in a very deep voice. Even though I am not Darth Vader I believe impressive is exactly what I exclaimed.

The very first impression of the Corona 10th Anniversary Candela is the smoke is clean and crisp. The cap is lightly sweetened which creates a wonderful contrast at the beginning of the smoke. The smoke is mellow in the mouth and medium through the nose. The taste is wonderful, like al-dente green beans and Japanese seaweed salad. This is a fantastic Candela Cigar and one I smoke on a regular basis. This month and this month alone we are offering a special on our house blend Corona 10th Anniversary Candela Cigars (<---Click here to check it out).

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day: or What is Candela? for 500 Alex

St. Patrick’s Day falls on Thursday the 17th this year and the tradition calls for wearing green. The thought popped in my head: Why not smoke green? And that's exactly what I am doing, a few days early, but I have big plans for St. Patrick's Day. This blog will be the research into which Candela cigars I will be smoking on St. Patty's.

Candela cigars were once the most popular cigar in the United States. They were so popular that the wrapper was dubbed American Market Selection (AMS). They fell out of favor in the 1970's but they seem to be making a resurgence with the popularity of Illusion's candela line, the small run Viaje WLP Candela, and the first full-bodied Candela, the Camacho Corojo Monarca Candela (Which I have nicknamed The Hulk).

Normally tobacco is cured over a 50 day period. The leaves loose the green color and slowly turn brown. Candela leaf retains its green color because the tobacco is flash cured using heaters thereby retaining the chlorophyll content. This tobacco is often mild and unique if flavor.

Over the next couple days I'll smoke and post various candelas Corona Cigar Co. has to offer. Tonight (in the next few hours) I'll start with our very own, very delicious, Corona Nicaraguan 10th Anniversary Candela.

Xikar Ash Can

So this past week I headed down to South Florida to visit friends and family. The one thing that helps me get through driving 3 hours on the turnpike is smoking a cigar. I love smoking in my car and if I have at least an hour drive you know for sure I will spark up a cigar and enjoy the ride. The only issues that came up happened if I had to put the cigar down to do something. I was actually using a Zino Platinum Scepter Can to ash into.

So in our latest Xikar order, we received a new product that we were chosen as a test market for, The Xikar Ash Can. It's about as big as a Campbell's soup can with a screw down lid. Inside there is a thick wire molded into a circle on one end and the other creating a spring each able to hold up to 56 ring gauge in place at different smoking lengths. At the bottom of the can there is a grate for ash to fall through.

Sits perfectly in a cup holder and even tested it my friend's car when we drove from Boca Raton to Coral Gables. No muss no fuss, when your done smoking drop the cigar butt into the can and screw down the lid.The seal is tight keeping the old musty cigar smell from spreading throughout the car. Doesn't feel cheap it and I'm surprised by the results. This is a great buy for the Cigar Smoking Road Warrior, so head on over to www.coronacigar.com or call us to get your hands on the Xikar Ash Can.

Julius Caeser

Julius Caeser was one of the cigars that really caught my attention at IPCPR 2010. Julius Caeser was initially released only to Diamond crown lounges. I was very excited as Corona Cigar Co. Downtown is a Diamond Crown Lounge and after having smoked a couple at IPCPR I was eagerly anticipating my next Julius Caeser encounter.

The cigar is all Dominican, except for its chocolate brown, velvety Ecuadorian Havana seed Wrapper. This cigar just looks amazing, and it tastes even better. The tobaccos used for Julius Caeser have been aged for 5 years giving the cigar a very mellow strength.

Now, I am a full-bodied cigar smoker for the most part and when I took my first puff of a Julius Caeser I thought, "Oh no, this cigar is going to be boring." And then, 2nd puff in, BAM, I got hit in the mouth with this flavor that kept growing and growing with each puff. The smoke is thick but silky, slightly sweet: pure flavor. The strength of the cigar also builds on every puff, moving from mild to medium. It is truly an ever changing experience which is what I love so much about this cigar. As Ferris Bueller once said, "It is so choice, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." Pick Julius Caeser up at your local Corona Cigar Co. store or online at www.CoronaCigar.com.

Avo Dinner

March is one of my favorite months of the year. It finally becomes warm in Florida, or the warm that I like. The weather is just fantastic here in March. March is also the birthday of two of my favorite people, my brother and Avo Uvezian.

I also look forward to smoking the latest Limited Edition cigar that Avo releases for his birthday. I loved the Avo LE 10 and have very high hopes for this year's birthday cigar, The Avo Limited Edition 2011 85th Anniversary. This year's blend uses a combination of San Vincete and Piloto Dominican filler with a Peruvian binder rolled in a Sungrown Dominican wrapper.

Boxes are avaiable for pre-order at Coronacigar.com. You can also buy tickets for the Avo Dinner on march 19th in any of our three Corona Cigar Co. stores or online at Coronacigar.com. Regular dinner ticket includes Ruth Chris' meal, Macallan 12yr single malt whisky, gift bag of with cigars including 1 Avo LE 2011 85th Anniversary, and a chance to spend the evening with one of the greatest men in the cigar industry.

The real value is the VIP dinner ticket. The VIP ticket includes everything the regular ticket provides in addition to a signed box of Avo LE 2011 85th Anniversary, a take home 375ml bottle of Macallan 12 year single malt whisky, and a seat at the "big boys" table with Avo Uvazien himself. Tickets are limited, so reserve them today and come celebrate Avo's birthday with us.

A Confession

I used to be a snob when it came to cutting a cigar. It was a straight cut or nothing, although in a pinch I would deign to use another method. However, Xikar's newest V-cutter, the VX Metal V-Cut, has fundamentally changed me. It has shown me the error in my ways.

The innovative "reverse" V-cut does not tear the cigar cap like traditional V-cutters do as soon as they become the slightest bit dull. The cut is clean and smooth and does just what a V-cutter should do, give you the best of both a straight cut and a punch. The V-cut has the same open surface area of a straight cut while keeping more of the cap intact as a punch would.

And now for the shameless plug: If you like V-cutting at all you have to get this cutter. Heck, even if you don't like V-cutting, you have to give the Xikar VX V-Cutter a try. It just might change your mind as it has mine. Buy one today at www.coronacigar.com

IPCPR 201

Hello all it’s been a long time. A lot has happened since I’ve last written; I have a wonderful girlfriend, my favorite football team won the Superbowl Go Pack Go and I work a lot at two wonderful jobs which has kind of taken up a little of my time but since the football season is over and I have a little more time I’m back and ready to write.

I’ve been thinking lately that I need to write about my wonderful trip to the IPCPR in New Orleans. Now seems like a good time to me. So I arrived In New Orleans on Tuesday at 9:45am. I called the hotel as soon as I landed they were kind enough to let me store my bags until I arrived back from the show. After checking in I walked over to the New Orleans Convention Center. Where I waited in line for about an hour. I had no idea what to expect. Thanks to my wonderful friends at Miami Cigars and Guillermo Leon for having a badge waiting for me at the counter when I walked up. When I walked through the door it was like heaven. There were so many vendors and the wonderful smell of cigars in the air. This was like nothing I’ve ever seen. The first stop I made was at my home away from home Miami Cigars. When I walked up I saw all of my friends and there was a cigar waiting for me the Nestor Miranda Art Deco. What a way to start the show. While smoking my first cigar Guillermo walked up to me and gave me a cold Pesidente Beer. After I left their booth I made my way around the Convention Center where I met up with Jose Oliva, Christian Eroia, Matt Booth, Paulo Garzaroli and Alan Rubin. Alan was someone I was really interested in meeting because i’ve never met him before. He was kind enough to ask me back to hang out with him the next day. After making my way around and smoking some awesome cigars I made my way back to the Miami Cigars booth. When I arrived Rene asked what I was doing that night. Since I had just arrived I had no plans. Rene asked me to join them at an after party on Bourbon Street. I of course joined them. It was awesome we had get hors devour, cold drinks and interesting conversation. I met some really cool guys from Texas that owned a cigar shop. At the party Guillermo Leon gave everyone a sampler of all the sizes of the Guillermo Leon Signature cigar. We shot the shit for a while afterward we walked inside to see some of the most beautiful women dancing. We joined them for a few minutes until we decided to walk around New Orleans and check out the sites. After walking around for a while we decided to head out and get some sleep.

Wednesday morning I got into the show early since I was with a distributor. This day I started the show with the Guillermo Leon Signature. Today was a little busy at the booth so I decided to grab a Presidente and make my way around the show again this time hoping to see booths I wasn’t able to see the first day. Wow that was a really cool experience to visit smaller cigar manufacturers we I found two really good cigars the San Lotano and the Viaje (which won #2 cigar of the year). I visited Graycliff again when I was given an almost blood red labeled Graycliff. Paulo asked me if I was hungary which I was so he gave me some conch chowder that his chef made for him to bring to the show. While eating the chowder I was given some 35 year old Macallan. I walked around the show bumped into my friends from the night before had lunch with them and made my way around the rest of the show. I met up with Alan Rubin had some really interesting conversation about the cigar lifestyle. From there I made my way to the Torano cigars where I learned about the single region. That’s a unique idea to grow all of the tobacco used for the cigar all on the same farm. Towards the end of the show I met up with Neil and Alex from Corona Sandlake. That night I decided to go to Harrah’s Casino right next to the convention center. I broke even then decided to go back to the hotel and get some sleep.

Thursday it was a little hard for me to get up but I did and got to the show at 9:45am. I walked into the Miami Cigar booth where I sat across from Pepin Garcia and Jamie. We talked about the cigars they are rolling for Miami Cigars. That was a surreal moment for me. While sitting there I saw Alex and Neil and decided to walk around with them today. We saw even more new cigar makers and stopped into booths I wouldn’t normally go into. We stopped by Drew Estate nickname Shoe Estate. His booth were full of custom painted shoes. We ended up meet up with Jeff Borysiewicz and his lovely wife Tanya. We walked around stopped into the Davidoff Booth saw a couple of accessories manufacturers then stopped for lunch. After lunch I was talking to Tanya where she asked me why I don’t work for them. I had for three months. We ended up walking around the show until it closed where Alex and Neil left to come back to Florida, Jeff went to lead a CRA meeting and I went and hung out with my friends at Miami Cigars drank a lot of beer and smoked a lot of cigars. After the show officially closed I walked back towards my hotel with both Jeff and Tanya. After a few steps Jeff asked me, “Why don’t you work for us?” I laugh and say Tanya asked me that earlier. Tanya then proceeded to tell Jeff I’ve worked for them for three months. We all laughed. Then Jeff asked me what I was doing that night. I said, “ more then likely sleeping.” He told me to meet them back at their hotel in 20 minutes. I set my bags down and proceeded to their hotel. I sat down in the bar and talked to Tony “Stretch” Gomez and his rep Justin. Watched some of the saints game. I got a call from Jeff telling me it was time to go to dinner. We got on the bus that took us to the Aston dinner. We were one of the last people to make it to the event. We walked in and were treated to an Aston White Label to go with the pre dinner drinks. Then we were asked to find our table by our rep. Our rep is Sexy Rex. I sat at a table with a lot of cigar shop owners in Florida. We told a lot of funny stories and had a blast. After we talked for a while the waiters walked around with a menu that was designed for us by Emeril’s. While the salads were being served Rex handed us the Aroma De Cuba Especial Edition 2010 blend. It was awesome. Then came dinner Steak, spinach salad and potatoes. The after dinner cigar was my favorite the Aroma De Cuba Mi Amore. For dessert they served us a chocolate cigar on top of coconut shavings and custard. It was awesome and after dessert we were given the Aston ESG. What an amazing night. At Dinner I met David Savona from Cigar Aficionado. What an interesting man. After talking a lot and exchanging great stories we decided to head back since I had to leave early.

Friday marked my return to reality. I left with a suitcase full of goodies I was given at the show. I got 3 gallon sized ziplock bags full of cigars. I can’t thank everyone enough for the hospitality. I can’t wait for next year. I hope to see everyone there Vegas 2011.

Corona Cigar Co's own Four Roses Single Barrel selection has arrived.

Check out our new Four Roses Single Barrel Cigar Selection Recipe...113.6 proof, barrel strength Bourbon with a mash & yeast recipe selected especially to pair with cigars. Next time you visit our Downtown Orlando store, let us pour you a dram. Give Kristy Six, our Shipping Manager, a call at 1.888.702.4427, and get your very own bottle today!