Corona Cigar Company Blog

San Cristobal Experience

2011-11-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-25T19:29:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-18T21:16:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-10T20:56:00.004-04:00

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

2011-10-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-29T20:26:00.005-04:00

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!

2011-08-25T17:03:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-18T21:14:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-11T19:30:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-03T19:48:00.005-04:00

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

2011-07-27T20:12:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-25T13:57:00.002-04:00

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

2011-07-15T05:15:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-12T19:36:00.003-04:00

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

2011-07-10T17:23:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-28T15:07:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-20T19:20:00.002-04:00

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

2011-06-13T20:28:00.008-04:00

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

2011-06-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-03T14:10:00.003-04:00

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

2011-06-01T20:04:00.006-04:00

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

2011-05-31T13:28:00.004-04:00

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

2011-05-26T14:18:00.005-04:00

“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

2011-05-13T20:18:00.008-04:00

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

2011-05-10T14:58:00.002-04:00

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.