Author Archives: CigarCraig

by CigarCraig | October 16, 2018 · 9:26 am

News: Drew Estate Shipping Florida Sungrown Trunk Press Toro

Here’s some news from Drew Estate. If you haven’t tried the FSG, give it a shot, that Florida tobacco adds a very interesting flavor component that is unique and quite delicious. I can’t wait to give this box pressed toro a try.

Drew Estate announces today the shipping of the Florida Sun Grown Limited Edition Trunk Press Toro to Drew Diplomat retailers across the nation.

This prized cigar features a unique blend different from the core line as the Trunk-Press Toro utilizes a Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf wrapper, Mexican binder, with one full leaf of Florida Sun Grown Cuban Seed Corojo, along with fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras.

From the Florida Sun Grown Farm, Jeff Borysiewicz notes, “The entire FSG Farm Team here in Clermont, Florida are is excited to see cigar enthusiasts be able to enjoy something so special that we take great pride in growing, harvesting and curing, right here in America. “

From Little Havana, Willy Herrera, Master Blender of Drew Estate, “Working on the FSG Limited has been an exciting and unique experience. Blending tobaccos that haven’t been grown in Florida in decades present some challenges, especially since the heavy, mineral-rich soil in Central Florida gives the tobacco a one of a kind, distinctive flavor profile. In addition, making it a trunk press style only adds to the remarkable smoking experience.”

The Florida Sun Grown Limited Edition Trunk Press Toro is featured in a 10 count box with an MSRP of $157.99.

ABOUT DREW ESTATE

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attracting new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, drew estate

by CigarCraig | October 14, 2018 · 12:27 pm

A Joya de Nicaragua Event at the Wooden Indian and Another Contest!

OK, full disclosure, the seasons changed overnight, it went from temps in the 80s and shorts and t-shirts to fall with sweatshirts all at once, and my immune system hasn’t handled it well, so I’ve had a bit of a cold this week. On the plus side, I had three promising job interviews this week, at least 2 of which I hope produce second interviews and possible offers real soon. Sadly, neither are in the cigar industry, although I would certainly entertain offers in that area! Interested parties should not waste any more time! Anyway, when I get a cold, I tend to smoke cigars I know pretty well, and steer clear of cigars I want to pay a lot of attention to, and if things get really bad I avoid them altogether. I had a Macanudo Red Robusto, an Epic Maduro Robusto, a CAO Flathead 660 and a Camacho Criollo Churchill. All are cigars I really like, I have a bunch of on hand, and are readily available anyway. Funny story about the Camacho (maybe not funny “ha ha” funny…), I posted that I remember in the old days of Camacho when this cigar was called the Camacho Havana. Kevin of Cigar Prop (Thanks again for the Lighter Bleed Tool for last week’s giveaway, it’s on it’s way to the winner!), says he smoked a ton of the Criollo, but never knew it had a predecessor. I told him I might have an old band around, and he seemed interested in seeing it. I have a 26″ tall vase I throw my bands in, but that fills up, so sometimes I stuff (and I do mean stuff) the overflow in gallon bags. I pulled a gallon bag out of storage, dumped it on the floor after looking it over, and, in Rainman fashion, immediately found two old Camacho Havana bands. I guess I’m a cigar band savant.

Friday evening, after a day of interviewing, I went down to the Wooden Indian (check out their new online store!) for their Joya de Nicaragua event. Of course, I’m a huge Joya fan, it’s the first cigar factory I ever visited, my appreciation for their cigars goes back many many years. They are one of the rare companies that doesn’t make a cigar I wouldn’t smoke. Sure, there are some that I like more than others, but not a one I dislike. Juan Martinez, the president of the company was there, and I always enjoy my time speaking with him, and this was probably the first time I was really able to hang out with him where it wasn’t at the factory, or the trade show or industry event. I smoked a Joya Silver Toro, which I enjoy a lot, and talked to Juan about the Cinco Decadas, and how it does share some tobaccos with the Silver, confirming my suspicion. I also was able to see the “Joya de Nicaragua “Cinco Décadas: The Rise of the Nicaraguan Cigar”” Book, which is absolutely beautiful, I can’t wait to read it. It was printed in Peru and the graphics and quality are absolutely stunning. As always, Dave, Dan and their staff, as well as Alex, our local Drew Estate Rep, hosted a great event.

Contest

Here’s what happens when I don’t smoke a lot of new cigars during the week. Even though I JUST had a contest, Dan at the Wooden Indian hooked me up with a nifty Joya de Nicaragua Travel Humidor, so courtesy of Joya de Nicaragua, Drew Estate and the Wooden Indian, let’s have another CigarCraig.com giveaway celebrating 50 years of Joya de Nicaragua and the launch of Wooden Indian’s Online store! In addition to the JdN 5 count travel humidor, there’s a JdN hat and a JdN cutter, and I picked up 5 Joya Cigars at the event to fill the humidor! There’s a Joya Silver Robusto, a Joya BlackToro, a Cabinetta Toro, an Antaño 1970 Gran Consul and a very special event only Joya De Nicaragua Clasico (actually, you could probably get this if you were a diplomat, as this is the cigar that’s in embassies around the world for dignitaries to enjoy). I know, it’s crazy having another contest so soon, my apologies! I hope you can forgive me!

Same rules as always, leave a comment on this post to enter, the only other rule is that the last winner isn’t eligible, give someone else a chance! One entry per person, and I’ll select a winner next Sunday, 10/21/2018. Let’s see a bunch of entries, this is some great stuff!

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

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Cinco Decadas, Contest, drew estate, Joya, joya de nicaragua, Silver, wooden indian

by CigarCraig | October 12, 2018 · 9:43 am

News: Providencia Cigars Announces La Misión Lancero

I had the pleasure of smoking this Lancero a week or two ago and it definitely is worthy of consideration. Here’s the official details from my friends at Providencia Cigars:

Providencia Cigars is pleased to announce their latest, limited production, cigar – La Misión.

La Misión (The Mission) brings the company’s production line to five blends, joining the ranks of the El Santo, El Padre, Trinitas, and The Hostage. With the addition of La Misión, the company completes the story of Providencia Cigars Founder Jim Faber’s “mission” to Honduras which started as a professional soccer player and turned into a mission to organize youth soccer camps to get boys and girls off the street in a gang littered environment.

Jim Faber, founder of Providencia Cigars, states:

“I never imagined that a short term mission trip to Honduras would turn into 15+ years of my life living and working with some of the most amazing people in the world. “La Misión ” (the mission) is a tribute to the all the hard work and sacrifice that so many people made over those years. I was just honored to be a small spoke in the wheel in God’s vast and eternal plan.”

La Misión will be available in a single 7.5 x 38 lancerofinished with a traditional pig tail cap.

The multi-country blend of La Misión starts with rich Honduran and Nicaraguan filler that is bound with a sweet Indonesian leaf all wrapped with a well-aged, dark Honduran Habano wrapper. As with all cigars produced by Providencia Cigars, the Honduran leaf used in La Misión is planted, grown, and harvested by Providencia Cigars on a private farm in Honduras.

Medium to full in strength, the La Misión blend offers a balanced profile of pepper, cocoa, and spice with an undernote of caramel sweetness.

La Misión comes packaged in 10 – count cedar boxes and bundles of 11 with an MSRP of $9.99 per cigar/ $99.90 per box/bundle. Current production is limited to 1,050 cigars.

La Misión is produced at the La Pequena Vega Cigar Factory in Danli, Honduras.

Providencia Cigars will be taking orders and shipping La Misión starting this week.

Artwork for the La Misión was done by JT Design Studio who designed the cigar bands as well as the inner box lids.

Product photography was done by DiaVita Photography

About Providencia Cigars

PROVIDENCIA CIGARS has three founders, Jim Faber, Reed Grafke and Raymond Zinar. Ray, Jim and Reed became friends with Javier Mendoza, a second generation plantation owner and master blender who founded La Pequena Vega Cigar Factory in Danli, Honduras.

Javier’s family plantations and drying barns are located in in the region of Trojes, Honduras, a mountainous valley nestled along the border of Nicaragua. With the perfect combination of sun and shade, plus water from mountain aquifers and Cuban-like soil, the Trojes region of Honduras produces a uniquely flavored tobacco that is highly prized in the premium cigar industry.

For more information visit their website at www.providenciacigars.com or contact Providencia Cigars via email at info@providenciacigars.com

Hi-Def Photos are located here.

About JT Design Studio

With more than 20 years of experience in the graphic design industry. JT Design Studio specializes in custom graphics for your business to help you stand out from your competition. They offer web design and hosting services, branding, print materials, embossing, foil, die-cuts, yard signs, banners vehicle graphics, mailing services and much more.

You can contact JT Design Studio at jtdesignstudio@yahoo.com and on Facebook at JTDStudio.

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, La Misión, Providencia

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

News: Cigars International Opens Super Store in Dallas, Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contest Winner!

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