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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Some Cigar Humor...

America, Russia and Japan are sending up a two year shuttle mission with one astronaut from each country. Since it's going to be two years up there, each may take any form of entertainment weighing 150 pounds or less.

The American approaches the NASA board and asks to take his 125 lb wife. They approve.

The Japanese astronaut says, "I've always wanted to learn Greek. I want 150 lbs of books to learn Greek with." The NASA board approves.

The Russian astronaut thinks for a second and says, "It's gonna be two years up there. I want 150 pounds of the best Cuban cigars ever made." Again, NASA Okays it.

Two years later, the shuttle lands and everyone is gathered outside the shuttle to see what each astronaut got out of his personal entertainment.

Well, it's obvious what the American's been up to, He and his wife are each holding an infant. The crowd cheers.

The Japanese astronaut steps out and makes a 10 minute speech in absolutely perfect Greek. The crowd doesn't understand a word of it, but they're impressed and they cheer.

The Russian astronaut stomps out, clenches the podium until his knuckles turn white, glares at the first row waving a chewed up cigar at them and says:

"Anybody got a match?"

Padron 46th Anniversary Review

Padrón Family Reserve 46 Years

Wrapper: Nicaraguan-Sun Grown Piloto Cubano

Binder: Nicaraguan-Sun Grown Piloto Cubano

Filler: Nicaraguan-Sun Grown Piloto Cubano

Strength: Medium to Full

Age: All Tobacco Aged for 10 years

Tasting Notes: Right from the start the cigar draws you into its own world. The wrapper is seamless and smooth with an oily sheen. Even the filler was crafted by an artisan, deep pockets of black tobacco organized to allow a full draw with little resistance.

The first puff can be best explained as sensory overload. Dense smoke filled with decadent flavors of roasted coffee and cocoa with undertones of earth. The retrohale floods your sinuses with layers of spice. Not only that, the room note is sultry and adds to the ambiance of the experience.

The Padron peaks in complexity and strength twice: once at the first quarter of the cigar and finally at the last quarter. At these crescendos, I picked up on some other flavors like licorice and blackberry. It’s hard to believe that Padron cigars are Nicaraguan puros, yet blends like the 40^th,80^th, and 46^th overshadow the 1926 Serie and 1964 Anniversary.

I talked Jorge Padron while I was smoking the Padron 46^th and we talked about the blend and all the hard work that went into perfecting the blend for the 46^th. We also talked about how the public has responded to the 46^th and the level of quality we’ve come to expect from Padrón, that Padrón can’t make a bad cigar. Each year till 2014, we will be seeing a limited edition Padrón cigar culminating to the 50 year anniversary for Padrón. Let’s just say every year is going to be exciting culminating to the 50 year anniversary.

Have a drink...

Finding the right drink compliment for cigars is as much a daunting task as selecting the perfect cigar. Your choice in beverage can greatly enhance your cigar smoking experience and guide you into relaxation. Your beverage choice isn’t limited to the alcoholic varietal; coffee, soda and tea are equally wonderful compliments to cigars. I’ll briefly touch on beverages that could greatly enhance your cigar experience.

Port wine is a wonderful spirit that melds with entire cigar spectrum. Port is produced from grapes grown and processed in the demarcated Douro region of Portugal. Port begins as wine, it is then fortified by adding aguardente, a neutral grape spirit, to halt the fermentation process; it leaves behind residual sugars and boosts the alcohol content. Some of my favorite port wines are Sandeman and Smith Woodhouse, both offer sweet, yet spicy flavor profiles.

Rum, whisky, and cognac pair very well with cigars. Each spirit delves into different flavor profiles that might bring out flavors you might not normally experience. A good rule of thumb to follow with these spirits is to pair with opposing flavors. For example, if you’re smoking a bold, spicy cigar it would pair well with a straight rum or fine cognac. If you’re smoking a mild cigar, pair it up with a spiced rum or whisky.

Drink choices are not limited to the alcoholic variety, coffee, tea, sodas and water pair surprisingly well with cigars. Our Corona Cigar Co. coffee is a low caffeine Nicaraguan blend that is mild and flavorful. Teas are refreshing cold drink alternatives and have many varieties that you can easily find one that will pair well with your cigar. Cola based sodas are more suited for cigars, but don’t count out there’s a cigar for even the fruit based varietal. Much can be said for water paired with cigars, but try some sparkling water with your cigar; it’s a pleasant combo that marries well with cigars.

I’ve only touched base on some of the possible pairings with cigars. Don’t be hesitant; variety is the spice of life. Share your pairings in the comments and let us know about your experiences.

The first review after IPCPR

The first cigar of the day was enjoyed by the pool. The Tobacos Baez Series H Famosos Made by Pepin Garcia. The Series H I smoked was a Robusto shape. Using a Nicaraguan cuban seed Connecticut wrapper, this blend features a lush habano wrapper leaf offering a medium - bodied smoke without the spice. I found it somewhat lacking. However all other attributes were on par. The draw was excellent and the roll was perfect. The ash was firm and the burn was perfect. The ash was nice and light almost white. I picked up a nice nutty note throughout the cigar. This cigar was a bit too mild for me. For people that like a good mild cigar it wasn’t bad.

I Highly recommend the second cigar of the day. The Viaje Torpedo. The Viaje is a Nicaraguan Puro.The Viaje had a gorgeous color, with dark brown over a reddish brown oily background. The cigar felt smooth and was evenly packed throughout. The cigar gave off a cedary aroma at the foot with a strong sweet aroma of tobacco. The taste was earthy right off the bat. The resulting draw was nice and open throughout. There were hints of dark coffee and cinnamon that was slightly sweet along with a distinctive Nicaraguan puro taste. The finish was long and smooth with no sight of bitterness. The ash was nice and light and held on very well. This smoke reminded me of the Padron 45. If you come across this cigar at your local retailer I highly recommend this cigar. It had big taste for a much more reasonable price. I hope you enjoy both of these smokes and happy smoking.

La Aurora 107 Corona

Hello All it's been a while. I want to thank all of my great friends at Miami Cigars. They have provided me the opportunity of smoking the La Aurora 107 Aniversario Corona. This cigar hasn't hit the market yet. For those of you that read my blog I'm sorry if I may repeat myself but I've reviewed this cigar before but in a much different size and due to the smaller ring gauge the cigar handles and smokes completely different.

The La Aurora 107 is released to honor their 107 years in business. La Aurora is the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican. The La Aurora Serie Aniversario 107 is made using Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Ecuadorian tobaccos.

I shared this amazing cigar with some of my dearest friends and they liked it as much as I did. In fact I heard this is my favorite size more then I can say. I agree completely. Due to the size and the smaller ring gauge you can taste more of the binder and wrapper. It makes the cigar sweeter and a little more bold. I can't explain my excitement when I lit up this cigar. I'm usually not a fan of smaller ring gauges but this is the exception.

My first impression of the 107 was the cigar was well constructed with a veiny medium brown wrapper. The veins were neatly lined up all the way down the cigar. The band was beautifully made with the La Aurora trademark lion head prominently printed on the band with La Aurora Serie Aniversario 107. The wrapper had a very sweet smell with hints of honey. The foot of the cigar gave off a hint of spice. The cap cut very cleanly with my Monte Blanc scissor cutter.

At first light, I picked up a hint of pepper, cinnamon, honey and pine. The draw of the La Aurora 107 was clean and open, effortless and produced a perfect amount of rich white smoke. The smoke produced a sweet smell of wood and tobacco. The burn was perfectly even leaving behind a tight light grey, almost white ash.

At about the halfway mark the La Aurora is getting even more enjoyable. The cigar started to pickup notes of cedar, honey and sweet tobacco. The burn was still perfect with the tight light grey ash still attached. At this point the cigar has stabilized with less pepper.

At the finish I was a little concerned because I smoke cigars quickly that it would build up to a harsh end. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The final half of the La Aurora 107 finished incredibly smooth and flavorful. The cedar and cinnamon notes were still very prevalent with slight hints of sweet tobacco and honey notes that I loved. This beautiful cigar burned perfectly all the way through. In case you were wondering, the ash fell off about half way through. There were no real signs of nicotine in this stick. Mild to medium, very smooth and immensely enjoyable. I would recommend this cigar to anyone that enjoys a well priced (form what I read between $5 and $7) and well constructed cigar. I hope you all enjoy this cigar as much as I did and happy smoking.

A Smoke For The Times

The other day I arrived home to find a box in my mail box from my good friends at Miami Cigar and Company. I opened the box to find 6 Nestor Miranda 1989 Oscuro Torpedos. The Nestor Miranda 1989 is manufactured by My Father Cigar Corp. I think Rene Castaneda described this cigar wonderfully, “ A satisfying blend of rich, aromatic and flavor filled Nicaraguan tobaccos, from the Esteli and Jalapa Filler.”

The Nestor Miranda 1989 comes in three sizes Robusto 5 x 50, Toro 6 x 50 and Torpedo 6 1/8 x 52. It is also comes with two different wrappers Oscuro a medium bodied smoke or Rosado which is more medium to full bodied. These cigars are great not just for price(between $5 and $5.50 per stick) but also for enjoyability.

I smoked the Nestor Miranda 1989 Torpedo with the Oscuro Wrapper. The cigar was consistent all the way through with hint of cocoa and nutmeg. The smoke set off a sweet tobacco aroma into the air. The smoke was pleasant to be around, at least that is what I was told. This cigar was a little mild for my palate but was amazingly enjoyable to smoke. I didn’t have to touch up the cigar once. It stayed lit while I carried on conversations with my fellow friends of the ash. I would highly recommend this cigar to anyone that wants a great smoke at a reasonable price.

An Anniversary Well Celebrated

I want to start out by saying thank you to my wonderful friend Jeff Borysiewicz (JB) and the entire Corona Staff at the Downtown Orlando location. To my new friends Guillermo Leon, Jose Victoria, Rene Castaneda, and Mario Guzman thank you so much for a wonderful time.

Let me paint the picture for you of this amazing night. The Downtown Orlando Corona, nicely decorated in La Aurora banners and Presidente beer banners from the doors to the bar. The center of the bar near the fountain had an amazing spread of catered food. The band was playing the finest Spanish music. There were photographers to document this exceptional affair. The atmosphere was electric. There were boxes of La Aurora cigars being sold and Presidente beer being enjoy by the wonderful patrons. I was honored to be at this event and yet I’ve never been more comfortable. Our hosts for the evening couldn’t have been more generous and amazingly informative. They were answering questions and sharing information about all of their products. The highlight of my night was sitting down with Guillermo, his friend Arturo and Arturo’s wife sharing stories of the Dominican cigar festival and enjoying the finest La Aurora cigars and drinking a cold Presidente beer.

Now, the reason for this momentous event, the La Aurora Serie Aniversario 107. The La Aurora 107 is released to honor their 107 years in business. La Aurora is the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican. The La Aurora Serie Aniversario 107 is made using Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Ecuadorian tobaccos.

My first impression of the 107 was the cigar was well constructed with a veiny medium brown wrapper. The veins were neatly lined up all the way down the cigar. The band was beautifully made with the La Aurora trademark lion head prominently printed on the band with La Aurora Serie Aniversario 107. The wrapper had a very sweet smell with hints of honey. The foot of the cigar gave off a hint of spice. The cap cut very cleanly with my Monte Blanc scissor cutter.

At first light, I picked up a hint of pepper, cinnamon and pine. The draw of the La Aurora 107 was clean and open, effortless and produced a perfect amount of rich white smoke. The smoke produced a sweet smell of wood and tobacco. The burn was perfectly even leaving behind a tight light grey, almost white ash.

At about the halfway mark the La Aurora is getting epic. The cigar started to pickup notes of cedar, honey and sweet tobacco. The burn was still perfect with the tight light grey ash still attached. At this point the cigar has stabilized with less pepper.

At the finish I was a little concerned because I smoke cigars quickly that it would build up to a harsh end. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The final half of the La Aurora 107 finished incredibly smooth and flavorful. The cedar and cinnamon notes were still very prevalent with slight hints of sweet tobacco and honey notes that I loved. This beautiful cigar burned perfectly all the way through. In case you were wondering, the ash fell off about half way through. There were no real signs of nicotine in this stick. Mild to medium, very smooth and immensely enjoyable. I would recommend this cigar to anyone that enjoys a well priced (between $6 to $8) and well constructed cigar. I hope you all enjoy this cigar as much as I did and happy smoking.

Avo LE10

Each year Avo Uvezian blends and releases an exclusive cigar made in celebration of his birthday. And every year I anticipate the newest blend of the Avo Limited Editions.

This year I am extremely excited about the Avo LE10. It is reminiscent of the Avo LE05, my favorite of all the LE's.

It takes me back to the night I first smoked the Avo LE05. I was lucky enough to attend the special birthday dinner held each year at Corona. After an amazing meal, great fellowship and conversation, I lit up the Avo LE05 with the guys I was standing with and after a few minutes of smoking in silence we all looked to each other with the same awed looks and said, "Wow." It's those cigar memories that stick with me. That's what cigars can do; give you an anchor point for memorable evenings.

I see this year's dinner being the same. March 20th. Mark it down if you are interested in having one of the best cigar nights to be had. Bring a friend or loved one and celebrate with one of the most remarkable men in the cigar industry.

Visit http://www.coronacigar.com/products/avo-uvezians-birthday-cigar-dinner.html for more info.

Imports to Cuba from U.S. Drop by One-Fourth

Cuba’s economy is hurting badly, so much so that they are cutting back on food and agriculture imports from the U.S. “Crippling economic malaise” is how the Associated Press describes the situation down south.

Even though the U.S. is still the largest seller of food to Cuba, the communist nation is now turning to counties like Vietnam for cheaper, albeit “lower-quality” food imports and who also offer longer payment terms, according to the AP.

Food and agriculture goods have been exempt from the Cuban embargo since 1960.

A report from the non-partisan U.S.-Cuba Economic Trade Council details the slide in imports from the U.S. to Cuba, revealing a 26 percent drop in imports from 2008 to 2009, from $710 million to $528 million respectively. The AP says imports to Cuba from Venezuela, China, and Spain are down as well.

Also of note: sales of Cuban cigars are also falling, off eight percent in 2009 says Habanos S.A.

“The U.S. market, the largest in the world with 230 to 250 million cigars smoked annually, is off limits to Habanos due to the U.S. trade embargo imposed against Cuba since 1962,” a Reuters article reminds us.

CRA Call-To-Action: KANSAS and INDIANA

Let's help our friends in Kansas and Indiana!

Do you know....

....the FACTS about the Florida Cigar Industry??? As listed at the 2010 Florida Cigar Summit, here are a few FACTS about the Cigar Industry in Florida:

• Cigars have been made in Florida since 1831
• Today, 70% of the cigars sold in the U.S. are either made or imported through Florida
• There are over 250 Small Business "Mom-and-Pop" cigar shops in Florida
• There are over 60 Family-Owned, Small Business Cigar Manufacturers, Leaf Dealers, Importers and Cigar Company Headquarters in Florida
• Cigars are enjoyed as a SOCIAL hobby, not as an addictive habit
• Cigars are an ADULT product that are very price sensitive - demand is greatly affected by increasing taxes, especially taxes related to total weight
• Cigar taxes are JOB KILLERS!
• Cigar taxes increased 700% last year at a Federal Level, one of the highest tax increases on any product in recorded history!
• Last year's cigar tax increase in Florida led to the closing of the 105-year old Hav-a-Tampa factory in August of 2009, putting 500 people out-of-work in the middle of a recession.
• Over 5,500 people are still today directly or indirectly employed in the Florida Cigar Industry; any additional tax on the state level would put most of them out of work.
  

2010 Florida Cigar Summit

The First Annual Florida Cigar Summit Luncheon with Florida's Republican Leadership was held at the Historic J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Tampa's Ybor City on Friday, February 26, 2010, where cigar manufacturers, cigar leaf growers, cigar brokers, premium cigar retailers, and consumers had the chance to discuss the issues facing Florida's Cigar Industry.

The Florida Cigar Summit was planned in conjunction with the Cigar Association of America, the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association, and the Cigar Rights of America. It included a tour JC Newman's Cigar Museum and a tour of Tampa's only cigar factory that is currently rolling cigars.

Invited Republican Leadership guests included Attorney General Bill McCollum (Florida Gubernatorial Candidate), President Jeff Atwater (FL Senate), President Designate Mike Haridopolos (FL Senate), Majority Leader Alex Diaz de la Portilla (FL Senate), Representative Will Weatherford (FL House of Representatives). Additional invitees included the following Florida Senators: Thad Altman, Mike Bennett, Victor Crist, Don Gaetz, Rudy Garcia, Andy Gardiner, and John Thrasher. Invitees from the Florida House of Representatives included the following: Steve Crisafulli, Chris Dorworth, Scott Plakon, and Steve Precourt.

Chair Committee Members included Corona Cigar Company, J.C. Newman Cigar Company, Rocky Patel Cigars, Tabacalera Perdomo, and Thompson Cigars. VIP Host Committee Sponsors included Arturo Fuente Cigars, Camacho Cigars, CAO International, Drew Estate, Nestor Placenica, and Oliva Tobacco (Tampa). Manufacturer Sponsors included Action Label, Alec Bradley Cigars, Ashton Cigars, Casa Fernandez/AGANORSA, EP Carillo Cigars, Felipe Gregario Cigars, Flor de Gonzalez Cigars, House of Oxford, Graycliff Cigars, Gurkha Cigars, IPCPR, La Flor Dominicana Cigars, Mederos Cigars, Miami Cigar, Mike's Cigars Distributors, Oliva Cigar (Miami), Padron Cigars, Puros Indios Cigars, Torano Cigars, and Xikar.

The event was a huge success and we look forward to the next FL Cigar Summit!