by | December 4, 2018 · 8:00 am

News: Ventura Releases Newest Case Study: CS/13

More news from Ventura Cigar Company, this time with a new offering in their Case Study line. If the theme of the Case Study line remains consistent, without over-speculation, this could be a test blend for a popular line that never made it to production because there wasn’t a steady supply of one of the tobaccos, or maybe it just wasn’t “el jefe’s” cup a tea…anyway, whether it was a lost blend or purpose made for this project, given its pedigree, I look forward to trying it!

 

Limited Edition Case Study #13 Now Shipping

 

Don’t miss the chance to experience the latest release from the Case Study Project.

 

Just in time for holiday gifting or smoking, Ventura Cigar Company is pleased to announce the arrival of the limited-edition Case Study CS/13. First announced at IPCPR 2018, Case Study CS/13 is now shipping, and will soon be available via select online retailers and premium tobacconists nationwide.

 

This full-bodied cigar is a special blend from Drew Estate, made at their factory in Nicaragua. Only 200 boxes of this ultra-exclusive cigar were made, making it a true collector’s cigar.



“Some things are truly worth waiting for,” says Michael Giannini, General Manager of Ventura Cigar Company. “And Case Study CS/13 is one of those things. The blend is perfect, and the smoking experience is solid. Case Study is a concept born of master blenders and their exceptional craft. For those who love the leaf, I encourage you to seek out this stick before it sells out.”

 

The Case Study cigar project pays homage to the modernist design triumphs of mid-century architects and designers as commissioned by Arts & Architecture magazine from 1945 to 1966. The 26 homes built for this initiative were created by masters like Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, and Eero Saarinen, and have become icons of architecture, renowned for their craftsmanship and alluring aesthetic. In similar fashion, the blends of each of the 26 Case Study cigars are created by master blenders, whose names can’t be divulged, but whose iconic signatures are all over their craft.

The Case Study project also features a handful of limited-edition blends created with rare and vintage tobaccos that are no longer available. Case Study CS/13 is one of these exclusive vitolas, and should be sought after and enjoyed, as once it’s gone… it’s gone.

Case Study CS/13

20-count box

Size: 5×50

Format: Robusto

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Indonesian

Filler: Multi-country Blend

MSRP: $330/box, $16.50/Cigar

 

For more details about other Case Study cigars, or any other brands from Ventura Cigars, please visit venturacigar.com.

 

About Ventura Cigar Company

Ventura Cigar Company (VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study, Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes the 4th Generation and Comoy’s of London line of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts.

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by | December 2, 2018 · 10:45 am

A Partagas, a Cornelius And Anthony Meridian and Thoughts on a Common Etiquette Question

I had another busy week, as will be the common theme for the next few weeks, I fear. This has resulted in coming home and defaulting to known good cigars, cigars I love and know will hit the spot. Often times I’ll find myself thinking of a cigar during the day and I have to smoke one that evening.  This was the case this week a couple of times, most notably with the Partagas Legend. To recap, this was the Toro Leyenda, the 6 ¼” x 54 size. This cigar has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Honduran OSA binder and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler. I’ve likened this to the Partagas Limited Reserve in the past, I didn’t think of that on this go around, I think this cigar is best smoked in warmer weather or indoors, my 40something degree back porch while not too uncomfortable wasn’t ideal for the proper enjoyment of this particular cigar. It was still enjoyable, but the nuance was missing. This isn’t your typical heavy broadleaf offering, and if you’re looking for that kind of cigar, try the Partagas Black.

 

For some reason I’ve seen this come up a lot recently in discussions, and it continues to cause some dissenting opinions. Since I haven’t really got a lot of cigars to talk about this week, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the debate over whether it’s ok to bring outside cigars into a shop or lounge. I think the biggest problem with the argument is the definition of the establishment in question. If it’s a cigar shop with a lounge, I say it’s common sense to leave your personal cigars at home and buy cigars at the store. I admit that I used to be guilty of bringing my cigars to the shop and buying a few and smoking my own, but in the last several years I’ve abandoned that completely and always buy from the place I visit and smoke what I buy there, I think it’s the right thing to do. Let me tell you, as a cheap SOB, and someone who has a significant stockpile of cigars at home, I don’t need to buy more cigars, but I still do the right thing! There is also a twinge of CAD (Cigar Acquisition Disorder, a topic for another post) at play. There are other kinds of establishments where it’s OK to bring your own cigars though, places that may sell cigars, but that isn’t their bread and butter. This, it think, is where the confusion lies. These establishments are more bars or restaurants than cigar stores, and, many times, their cigar menu pricing is highly inflated. Some places might have a “cutting fee” depending on how much that is, it might be better to just buy one of their cigars anyway, but if your buying drinks or food many times it’s overlooked. I’ve personally been to places like Club Macanudo in NYC, which has ridiculous cigar prices, and never bought a cigar there, and never had a problem smoking outside cigars, the same with Mahogany in Philadelphia when it was where Ashton Cigar Bar is now.  I would argue that those who vehemently argue one side of this debate or the other need to have all the facts, as there are many variables. It depends a great deal on what percentage of income a business depends upon cigar sales, versus liquor or food. Is it just a cigar store or a  bar that allows cigar smoking and has a humidor?  is it a cigar lounge with a bar?  I think the best course of action is to ask the proprietor or manager first before being presumptuous, an

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d if it looks like a cigar store, be prepared to make a purchase and smoke what you buy. No store owner wants a patron asking another patron w

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hat he’s smoking and having that person told that it’s something that the store doesn’t carry! who does that help?  these stores aren’t cheap to operate, and if we don’t pay the rent on those seats in the lounge through our purchases, those seats aren’t going to be there for us the next time we are looking for a warm, dry place to relax with a cigar and the camaraderie that goes with it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

 

Now that I got that off my chest, back to the cigars. Last night I got home late from work, watched the end of one of my very favorite things, which is the Flyers beating the Penguins in Pittsburgh, then when to the porch with a Cornelius and Anthony Meridian Robusto. I wrote a rare review of this cigar a year and a half ago (here).  Some things remain the same, it’s still made at La Zona, it still has a rosado Ecuador wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican republic. It still comes in four sizes, the Robusto at 5″ x 50, Corona Gorda at 5½” x 46, a Toro at 6″ x 50 and a Gordo at 6″ x 60. At the time I said it was the strongest in the range, that, my friends, has changed. It still has some strength, and, admittedly, judging by the fact that I didn’t finish it until around 11pm and it was well after 1 am until I could get to sleep, then I had weird-ass dreams all night, it wasn’t the best choice for a nightcap. The Mistress has eclipsed the Meridian (and 90% of all other cigars) in the strength category. It’s still a very enjoyable cigar, and is solidly in my top five C&A offerings. It’s a satisfying cigar, if it weren’t for cigars like the Cornelius, Señor Esugars and the Gent, it might be my favorite in the line!

 

That’s all from me for today, Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 30, 2018 · 6:15 pm

News: First Drew Estate West Coast Barn Smoker Exclusively at TPE 2019

I’m fortunate to get regular news out of Kretek International, who owns Ventura Cigars, and has been partnering with Drew Estate on one of their newest Archetype offerings.  While the TPE show isn’t all about cigars, it’s about tobacco p

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roducts in general, premium cigar companies do exhibit

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at the show, and, to the show’s credit, they welcome the media with open arms. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to get to Vegas for this show and see what it’s all about. I’ll have to see what February vacation time, airfares and hotels look like!  Now, I don’t know that this “West Coast Barn Smoker” at the TPE show is going to be open to the public, the way I read it, it looks like it’s just for attendees of the show, but maybe there will be enough interest amongst the attendees there to make something like that happen! 

 

As the first big tradeshow of the new year, TPE 2019 brings together the entire tobacco industry for three days of networking, learning, exhibiting, and buying. It’s a show aimed at building relationships and partnerships, and honoring every facet of our ever-evolving, always-growing industry.We’re expecting hundreds of brands, thousands of products, and a whole lot of buyers ready to buy. Whether you’re an exhibitor, retailer, or a media partner, we’re hedging our bets that you’ll want to be in Las Vegas and at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the show from Monday, February 11 through Wednesday February 13.

 

As Lady Luck would have it, Drew Estate is bringing their popular Barn Smoker event to TPE. The first ever West Coast Barn Smoker will be held exclusively at TPE, in the cigar lounge during all three days of the show, offering an interactive, entertaining, and educational experience that celebrates the American tobacco industry. The brainchild of Jonathan Drew, these Drew Estate Barn Smoker events bring cigar aficionados, businesses, and brands to the barn level to learn about tobacco growing, processing, and manufacturing. The West Coast Barn Smoker will be a remarkable TPE experience that should not be missed.

 

In addition to adding entertaining events, the Tobac

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co Media Group (TMG) is betting on success for its exhibitors and attendees by bringing in an exclusive advisory board as they develop this year’s show. Comprised of manufacturers and retailers, the board’s main role is to offer insights and guidance on creating a tradeshow experience that everyone can benefit from. And they’ve brought in industry veteran Dawn Conger to utilize her expertise from years of running IPCPR and other tobacco-related events. The TPE team has further stacked the deck with opportunity for retailers, distributors, and manufacturers, starting with NATO’s Industry Outlook on Monday, February 11 before the show floor opens at 1pm. This important seminar will provide insights on growth and trends, guiding retailers as they later browse in the exhibition space. And a NATO cocktail reception at 4pm will cap the day with time to mingle, talk with colleagues, and toast to industry-wide profits in 2019.

 

Leaving nothing to chance, additional educational seminars will be held throughout the show, offering information about various aspects of the premium tobacco industry, guiding retailers’ growth initiatives and providing insight to exhibitors about current customer demands. These seminars include:

 

• “Driving Profits, Inventory Management, Point of Sales Systems, and Customer Loyalty Programs”
• “Wall Street Update on the Tobacco Industry” 
• And the just-announced “Best Practices Executing Core Tobacco Categories in the C-Store Market” moderated by Angel ABCEDE from TPE’s partner, CSP.

“Everything’s coming up Aces for TPE 2019,” says Jason Carignan, CMO of Kretek, parent company of TMG. “The premium tobacco industry is going to be well-educated and well-represented at the show. We’ve reached beyond the expected, and have brought together a diverse group of speakers and topics, an exclusive Drew Estate West Coast Barn Smoker, and exhibitors committed to showing products that consumers will want. And TPE 2019 buyers stretch across the United States and into international markets, giving exhibitors exceptional reach and opportunity. TPE 2019 is giving everyone a chance to take stock of our marketplace, exchange ideas, explore new profit channels, and celebrate the industry that we all enjoy being a part of. We’re looking forward to seeing

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you there!”

TPE 2019 takes place from Monday, February 11 through Wednesday, February 13, 2019 in lucky Las Vegas. Whether you’re an exhibitor, retailer, or member of the media, don’t leave your 2019 growth and profits up to chance. Visit www.tobaccoplusexpo.com to reserve your booth or tickets to attend the show.

 

# # #

About TPE: 

Under the banner of Tobacco Media Group (TMG) and its Tobacco Business Magazine, (both owned by Kretek International), Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) is the largest B2B tobacco trade show highlighting the full-spectrum of tobacco, vapor, alternatives and general merchandise products available on the ever-evolving market. TPE 2019 is planning to deliver the industry’s most compelling content, products, and information, and will be held February 11-February 13, 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. To learn more about the show, please visit the website: www.tobaccoplusexpo.com. 

 

About NATO

Now in its 16th year, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, Inc. (NATO) is a national trade association organized to strengthen the business interests of all tobacco retailers on a collaborative and individual basis. Headquartered in Minneapolis, it assists its members throughout the country to respond to and stay atop the pulse of tobacco-related legislation on the local, state and federal levels. NATO will be holding its Industry Outlook 2019 event on February 11, 2019. To learn more about NATO, please visit the website: www.natocentral.org. 

 

 

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by | November 27, 2018 · 12:04 pm

News: Mombacho to Ship Casa Favilli Cigars to U.S and Swiss Retailers

Here’s some Tuesday news from Mombacho Cigars.  That reminds me, I’m out of their cigars, gotta resupply. I have a cold right now, and work’d been keeping me busy, so I haven’t been able to get to a local shop that carries them. I know my buddy Kosta at

MOMBACHO CIGARS S.A. TO SHIP CASA FAVILLI

The latest release from Mombacho Cigars S.A. is the first cigar to use a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper.

Mombacho Cigars S.A. announced today that it would begin shipping a limited Pre-Release of Casa Favilli to retailers in the US and Switzerland.

“Casa Favilli is very special to me,” said Claudio Sgroi, President and Master Blender of Mombacho Cigars. “This cigar is the first ever Nicaraguan Broadleaf in the industry. I am proud to say we have done something truly unique.”

Casa Favilli is the third core line cigar in the Mombacho Cigars portfolio and continues the company’s tradition of producing 100% Nicaraguan puros. The blend consists of a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper with binder and filler tobaccos from Jalapa and Condega. The cigar is named in honor of the Mombacho Cigars factory in Granada, Nicaragua.

“This is a unique cigar,” said Robert Rasmussen, Brand Manager of Mombacho Cigars. “Casa Favilli features a wrapper that has never been used before. It is on the full side of the strength spectrum and, in true Mombacho fashion, is packed with flavor.”

Casa Favilli will be available in 12-count boxes and in three sizes:
Robusto – 5 x 50 – MSRP $10.95
Toro – 6 x 52 – MSRP $11.95
Torpedo – 5 ½ x 52 – MSRP $12.95

The initial pre-release of Casa Favilli will consist of approximately 150 boxes of each vitola and will ship to retailers during the first week of December. The cigar will be in regular production starting in 2019.

ABOUT MOMBACHO CIGARS
Mombacho Cigars S.A. is a Canadian owned company established in 2006 that entered the US market in 2013. The international interest in Mombacho has grown rapidly and Mombacho cigars are now available in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and Trinidad and Tobago. Mombacho produces all of its products at its factory in Granada, Casa Favilli, where over 30 members of the Mombacho Family work. For more information contact Robert Rasmussen, Brand Manager of Mombacho Cigars, at rob@mombachocigars.com.  mombachocigars.com | f/t/i: @MombachoCigars

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by | November 25, 2018 · 10:39 am

Thanksgiving Week Cigars, Partagas, Aladino, Ashton, etc.

It was a long week with a holiday that included traveling and working Black Friday for the first time in 29 years (I might have worked one in there somewhere, but it was a rare occasion)! It was also unseasonably cold this week, so between that and my schedule, I didn’t take my usual evening walks and opted to relax on the porch after a long day instead. So I don’t have anything really new to report on this week. The cigars I smoked were all cigars I’ve enjoyed in the past. There was an Umbagog from Dunbarton Tobacco ad Trust in the mix, a great smoke which I adore. This is on my “goto” list with the likes of the Nica Rustica and Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars when I want cigar perfection. I had a La Gloria Coleccoin Reserva in there too, another recent favorite.

This time I went big with the Presidente, despite the cold, the porch was tolerable and the cigar was fantastic.

 

I try to smoke something special on holidays, so when we finally got home on Thanksgiving after spending a nice day in New Jersey with family, I lit up an Ashton VSG Belicoso No.1 from a box I’ve had for a year and half or more. The Belicoso No.1 is 5¼ x 52 and is wrapped in a Sumatra wrapper grown on a private estate in Ecuador, which is ironic considering Ecuador is typically always cloud-covered, at least where the Ecuador Connecticut tobacco is grown is, yet it’s called Virgin Sun Grown. It’s a Dominican cigar, made by Fuente, but it’s not a mild cigar by any stretch of the imagination, it’s full flavored and on the high side of medium. This like has been around since 1999, and is another one of those cla

ssic cigars that has stood the test of time, and I think should be a staple in every humidor.

 

Friday I got home from the Black Friday craziness and had an Aladino Maduro Toro from JRE Tobacco.  This is a box pressed 6″ x 50 cigar that was originally exclusive to 2 Guys Smoke Shop, I assume it’s in wider distribution now. Side note, it was a year ago today that my wife, Macha and I went up to 2 Guys in Salem, NH and witnessed the 400th episode of The Cigar Authority. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year!  Anyway, this Aladina Maduro is less “maduro” tasting than I expected or remembered from smoking it before, which is OK, because it’s still very good. It harkens back to the old Camacho Corojos from years ago a little, as it is all Corojo with a San Andrés wrapper. It really was an enjoyable cigar, although I was expecting it to be more along the lines of what one expects from a San Andrés wrapped cigar. This was from the original release, I ordered a couple of each of the toro and lancero to try when they came out, I think I have a lancero left still. That will have to wait until warmer weather, I avoid lanceros in the colder months usually.

 

Last night I got home and just had it in my head that I wanted to smoke a Partagas Legend for some reason. I happened to have the 6¼” x 54 Toro Leyenda on hand, which is my preferred size anyway, although a robusto would have been fine (it doesn’t come in a robusto). This cigar has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the Honduran Olancho San Augustine Binder that General uses on a lot of cigars lately (they, no doubt, bought the entire crop and had a great yield a few years back! it seems to show up in just about every new cigar description), and Dominican fillers. I sat down and lit this up on the porch with the Flyers game on the iPad, which got turned off after the first period because it was so bad, and threatened to ruin the great cigar. You know how José Blanco says that sitting next to an Asshole will ruin a great cigar?  well, watching a bad hockey game can do it too. I really like this cigar, although it’s not necessarily a cheap date at around $14 each, but still a very good cigar.

 

That’s about all for today, I hope everyone had a safe and satisfying Thanksgiving if you are in the US and celebrate such things! Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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