Tag Archives: Altadis USA

by Craig Vanderslice | June 12, 2019 · 10:07 am

News: Altadis U.S.A. Announces H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez

Soon I won’t be able too keep up with the news items. Here’s some interesting news out of Altadis USA. The H.Upmann line the produce with AJ Fernandez may be my favorite Altadis product, I’ll be interested in trying this blend as I’m sure it will be quite different!

H. UPMANN HISPANIOLA BY JOSE MENDEZ WILL BE AVAILABLE AT 2019 IPCPR

H. Upmann takes adult consumers on a Dominican voyage

Altadis U.S.A., maker of world-renowned premium cigars, is introducing the newest in the H. Upmann series, the H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez. The brand is partnering with Jose Mendez for this special project, which will serve as a passport to the island of Hispaniola.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus came ashore this island and named it Hispaniola (today known as the Dominican Republic and Haiti). Little did Columbus know that he had stumbled upon what would become one of the most important lands in all of tobacco. H. Upmann is paying tribute to this island through this new offering, that features exclusive varieties from the Dominican Republic such as Olor, Pilotico and Andullo tobacco– the last two developed exclusively for Altadis by the Mendez family, the largest tobacco grower in the island.

Andullo tobacco – indigenous to the island of Hispaniola and rarely used for handmade premium cigars – undergoes a specialized fermentation process that helps accentuate the qualities of the leaf. This tobacco is then used in the filler, which provides the cigar with strength, rich aroma and deep flavor rarely seen in any other tobaccos. The result is a unique smoking experience.

Rafael Nodal, Head of Product Capability for Tabacalera USA. Stated: “Jose Mendez & Co. has an amazing library of rare and special Dominican tobacco. Together with Siegfried Maruschke, grandson of Jose Mendez and President of the company, we have created a cigar which highlights the spirit of Hispaniola and takes us on a journey through the most representative tobacco varieties of the island”

H. Upmann Brand Manager Candela Diaz added, “We are very excited to expand the H. Upmann brand with the help of collaborators, such as Jose Mendez. It was quite the experience to see this ancient andullo tobacco brought back to life; our partners in Jose Mendez have done an outstanding job. We look forward to showcasing this one of a kind cigar in Las Vegas at the 2019 IPCPR,” she said.

The H. Upmann Hispaniola is a full-flavored, medium to full bodied cigar that features Dominican fillers and binder within anEcuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The andullo tobacco is mixed within the filler to create a richly complex smoking experience.

The blend will be available in 20 count boxes in three different vitolas.

Robusto, (50 x 5): $8.50

Toro (52 x 6 1/8): $8.95

Belicoso (50 x 6): $8.80

About Altadis U.S.A.

Altadis U.S.A. has been crafting fine premium cigars since 1918 and is responsible for many of the world’s most renowned brands, including Henry Clay, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann and Trinidad. If you have ever enjoyed a premium cigar, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed a cigar crafted by Altadis U.S.A. Visit www.altadisusa.com for more information.

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Tagged as Altadis USA, cigar, H.Upmann, IPCPR

by CigarCraig | March 4, 2018 · 10:45 am

Saint Luis Rey, Mark Twain and Debonaire Cigars

I have a co-worker who likes cigars and we’ve been trading smokes back and forth over the last few months. he lives in the Allentown, PA area, so he’s in the CI stores pretty often. When I say trading, it started with one of the guys telling him I liked cigars, and him gifting me a couple as a welcome to the company kind of thing. I responded in kind, as I’m the one who’s supposed to be giving cigars to people, ya know? Over the last year or so he still doesn’t get it. So it’s become a thing, the same bag being passed back and forth ever other Monday. Oddly, he seems to find cigars I haven’t tried. One of which was a Saint Luis Rey Titan. He gave me one of these last year and I had the unfortunate experience of literally falling on my face in the street with the cigar in my mouth. I was digging it too, and it smashed, probably saving my teeth and nose form damage. So I had an opportunity to give it another go this week, and I really enjoyed it. It’s made in Honduras with a Nicaraguan wrapper and binder, and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru. When I look at the Altadis portfolio and think that there are only a select few cigar in it I like, I forget about the Saint Luis Rey. I really liked think in the 90s when I believe they were made by Julio Eiroa, but my recollection could be flawed. ck to the cigar, I really like these, it probably has to do with that peruvian tobacco, I love what that does to a blend. There’s an interesting and unique spice the it brings. The cigar burned well, I didn’t fall on my face, and life was good. The size is 5½” x 60, and I found that it was a good size. I don’t mind a 6×60, or 4½x60, or 4×60 even, so this was good. These are a very good value.

Next from my coworker, we’ll call him “Stan” so I don’t have to keep typing “coworker”, was a 6″x60 Mark Twain Memoir No.2. He gave this to me a while ago, and I sat on it a while. I remember that Mark Twain smoked terrible cigars to keep the moochers from mooching his cigars, so maybe not a great branding idea? So with a bit of trepidation I lit it up. Not bad at all! There’s not a lot of information about this line out there, it seems to be Nicaraguan in make-up, which seems right and has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, which is very intriguing. It’s a Meier and Dutch distributed brand, so it would be available to B&Ms, but most of the outlets that seem to have it online are in the CI Family. These are under $4, which makes them a tremendous value I think, because it was a solid cigar. It had a pleasing flavor, there were more interesting flavors than in some pricier cigars. I don’t know where this is made, but it was of good quality, which probably would have put it out of Samuel Clemens’ wheelhouse. Nothing to fear there, I’d smoke them again, and I like what the PA Broadleaf adds

“Stan” also gave me a RoMEo 505, which I’ve enjoyed before, and the one I smoked this week came from a purchase a few months ago. I also had a yearning for a Hemingway Short Story, but I came across a Maduro Best Seller first and had to smoke it, what a special little smoke! I also grabbed a Herrera Esteli TAA edition. Oddly, the Herrera Esteli line doesn’t excite me as much as it does others. I love the Norteño, and I happily smoke the Herrera Estelis and think Willie is a great guy, but I’m afraid it’s not a cigar I go out of my way for. I do keep trying though. So I’ll wrap this up with the Debonaire Maduro Sagita. I forget the circumstance, but Friday I wanted a smaller cigar, I remember, it was snowing like crazy, I dropped my wife off at a job, got home t find out it was canceled, and headed back out to get her. So when I got home I was more than ready for a smoke, if only to calm my shattered nerves. I am well familiar with the Debonaire Maduro, as well as the Habano, but I haven’t tried the Daybreak yet. Anyway, The Sagita is a 5½” x 38 petite lancero. It has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Dominican and “Central American” fillers. Interesting fact about the Debonaire line: only the wrappers change, the blend stays the same, and it’s a tasty blend. Phil Zanghi uses what he calls an alchemy process to turn his tobacco into gold, and I do enjoy the cigars. The Maduro adds a sweetness to the savory blend that I find appealing. Thanks to Drew Estate, who distributes the line, for sending these along.

That’s about all I have for today. I’m happy that Spring seems to be close, and Daylight Savings time closer. Hopefully I can get back on the two posts a week schedule soon. I had a thought about supplementing with some sort of video, although I’m not entirely sure about that… Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Altadis USA, cigar, cigars, Debonaire, drew estate, Mark Twain, Saint Luis Rey

by CigarCraig | July 13, 2014 · 9:54 am

Some New Cigars: Romeo y Julieta, Arandoza and Flor de Gonzalez

I guess I’m trying to get a head of all of the upcoming IPCPR coverage, of which I will not be participating in. I’ve had some samples come in of new (and new to me) cigars that I felt compelled to smoke this week. Also, I will be finding myself in the Chicago area for a few days the third weekend in August to visit a cigar shop or two, so anyone in the area with suggestions, or wants to meet for some smokes, let me know! It’s always fun to visit shops in other cities, and I’ve never been to Chicago and hear there’s a lot of great shops. I also hear the taxes are high! Local insight is appreciated.

Thursday’s walk featured a Romey y Julieta RyJ Toro, the companies first Nicaraguan cigar. I seem to recall a time when Romeo y Julieta was made in Honduras, then production moved to the Dominican Republic. When I was at Cigarnival a couple weeks ago, I was surprised to run into my old friend Oliver Hyams at the Altadis booth. Oliver was the marketing guy with Gurkha, and Toraño before that. he’s now with Altadis and gave me this toro to try. I really enjoyed smoking this cigar! It had a smooth, sweet flavor that was unmistakably Nicaraguan, and very good. The burn and draw were perfect, and it was a very nice smoking experience. This is a cigar I’d happily smoke again, and will be on the look out for more.

Friday I chose a new cigar from Robert Arango at Arandoza Cigars. The Arandoza Red is being released at the IPCPR show and joins the White and Blue (I see a pattern here!). These are also made in Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Esteli. They tell me that it’s the strongest so far, with a beautiful dark San Andrés maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan Binder and fillers with triple ligero. The cigar started off with some horsepower, thick, rich, dark flavors. By the time I got home from my mile walk, I was starting to buy into the strength hype! by the time I was at about the one and a half inch mark, I was in need of a Coke! This is a powerful smoke, but delicious! There’s no compromising flavor for strength in this cigar. Another winner from Arandoza as I’ve enjoyed their other offerings as well.

Yesterday we spent the day doing some landscaping and beating ourselves up. After a swim, a nap, and some dinner, a cigar was long overdue. While at Cigarnival I talked to Yadi Gonzalez, the lady behind the Flor de Gonzalez brand, and she slipped me a prototype lancero that she’s been working on. Judging by the band markings, this may one day be a limited edition in the 90 Miles line. I measured this lancero at seven inches by 38, and it had a crude pigtail cap. One can’t criticize the cap on a prototype, in my opinion, it’s just a test sample. The cigar smoked very well, it had a nice draw and billows of smoke. This cigar had some strength along with the dark cocoa/coffee flavors. Yadi didn’t share any details of the blend on this cigar, but I’d bet it’s predominantly Nicaraguan, and may have had the San André s maduro wrapper, I can’t be sure, but I really liked it. I hope this is released, as I really enjoyed the heck out of it for the better part of two hours sitting on the deck listening to The Cigar Authority podcast, enjoying the welcome addition of my buddy Barry Stein to the line up. If you haven’t tried cigars from Flor de Gonzales, give them a try, the 1980 is my personal favorite, but they are all good right down to the “Upright Bundle” line that you can get for about $2 for the Churchill or large torpedo.

That’s all I got, until the next time,

CigarCraig

Midweek Cigars: An H. Upmann and a Kristoff

Welcome to the midweek edition, I’m working on some rather exciting things regarding the appearance of the site, so stay tuned! If all goes well, there will be a new look over the next week or so. I’m excited about it, as the look of the site has remained unchanged for the last 24 months and it’s time to spruce things up a little!

I dipped into the IPCPR show samples again and came up with this short, fat H.Upmann Sun Grown from AltadisUSA. I was taking an evening walk and wanted something short and different, so I picked out this chubby robusto, which they call a Short Churchill. Odd name, but I suppose if the “Churchill” in the line is 7″ x 54, then a 4½” x 54 is a Short Churchill…why not. This was a super enjoyable smoke. Pretty rich in flavor and well behaved, although the draw was a bit loose and it smoked pretty fast. Usually I can get more than a mile and a half (which is about two laps around my neighborhood) out of a cigar this size, with a few more minutes on the front porch to finish. This one was just about done at the end of my walk. This is another instance where, had I know the draw was so loose, I would have tried the punch first before whacking the whole end off of it. At least if the punch doesn’t cut it, I can still give it the full clip, but you can’t really do it the other way around (well, with some pectin, extra wrapper leaf, a little skill and patience, I suppose one could conceivably put a new cap on and punch it, but that’s an awful lot of work…) Anyway, totally decent cigar which I’d smoke again in a heartbeat!

Once again, I was in the mood for something different, so I grabbed a Kristoff Kristania robusto, one of two that I had picked up at Cole’s Tobacco Shop In Pottstown, PA a few months ago. I have very limited experience with the Kristoff line, I think a Corojo that I smoked at the Delaware Cigar Festival was about the extent of my Kristoff exposure. They look like really nice cigars, they always have a nice presentation, nice wood boxes with the cigars comfortably nestled in picadura tobacco. The Kristania, on the other hand, is their budget line, and the cigar looks nice, the wrapper has a nice oil to it, and is kind of mottled in an attractive way. As it turns out, I was very upset with myself for having put a Cain F Corona back in favor of this one. I had some trouble keeping the wrapper burning, and wasn’t a big fan of the flavor. Maybe this is mixed filler, which could account for the tunneling, but I don’t feel like this was worth my $4.95 all things considered. I’m quite willing to explore the other cigars in the line, as the Corojo was a really nice cigar, but I’ll be avoiding the Kristania in the future. I will say that, for the most part, Criollo wrappers don’t typically agree with my palate, and the burn problems and smoke production really took away from the experience.

Not a lot else going on! Don’t forget to go to to the Cigar Rights of America site to send a letter to your elected officials. Or you can use the widget in my side bar on the right, between the IPCPR and CRA logos.
Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Review, Take a Cigar For a Walk

Tagged as Altadis USA, Churchill, cigar, cigar rights, cigar store, cigars, H.Upmann, IPCPR, Krisania, Kristoff, robusto, Short Churchill, Sun Grown

by CigarCraig | September 18, 2011 · 11:18 am

The Delaware Cigar Festival and Another Contest!

Saturday, September 17 marked the long awaited fifth annual Delaware Cigar Festival, organized and hosted by Gary Griffith, the Premium Cigar Manager of Delaware Cigars and the creator of Emilio and Grimalkin Cigars. The event took place at Delaware Park, which is already one of our favorite places in the area to go and waste some money on the ponies, or drop some pennies in the slots. The event was unique, as it is a big herf disguised as a charity event, although Gary won’t use the charity aspect to promote it. The format is that the manufacturers and reps sell their samples for $3 each, with all of the proceeds going to charity, which this time benefited the family of a slain police officer (news report here), this was just in the last few days and quite tragic.

Photo Courtesy of Charlie Greenbacker

For your entrance price you got a bag with about 20 or 25 cigars (nice stuff too, I looked!) and assorted swag, a nice picnic buffet with burgers, dogs, chicken, ribs and beans, and the opportunity to talk with the assorted cigar makers and reps who were there. Brands represented were: Inked Magazine, Rocky Patel, Arturo Fuente/JC Newman, Emilio Cigars with brand creator Gary Griffith, Drew Estate, Altadis USA, Oliva, Perdomo, La Sirena with Brand Ambassador Arielle Ditkowich, La Flor Dominicana, Cigar Rights of America, EO Brands with Eddie Ortega, Miami Cigar, General Cigar, 262 Cigars, Kristoff Cigars, El Primer Mundo with Sean Williams, Veritas Cigar Co., and The Cigar Agency. Keith Park from Prometheous was also there. All of these companies donated TONS of stuff, either cigars that were sold for $3 each, or stuff to be raffled off (we bought 10 tickets didn’t win a darned thing!). The attendance was capped at 300 people, including staff, press and exhibitors, so it was a nice sized crowd. It was rarely a problem to have a chat with the vendors.

In addition to getting to schmooze with some of my friends on the manufacturers side, I was able to hang out a bit with some fellow blogger types such as Barry from ACigarSmoker.com, Walt from StogieReview.com and Michael from CigarEvents.com. I also had the great pleasure of meeting one of my readers, Charlie, who won big in the raffle give-aways! These events are always about the people, and you just don’t meet nicer folks that those associated with cigars for some reason!

What a wonderful event that I would recommend highly next year if you are within a 3 or 4 hour drive. Gary is a fine gentleman and I appreciate him welcoming myself and my wife for the afternoon. It’s refreshing to see a retailer put on a “not for profit” event, and to have so many people there enjoying cigars and camaraderie. I’d love to see more manufacturers participate in the future as the event is for good causes and shows the cigar business in a positive light. The only downside was that the weather could have been a little nicer, it was overcast and under 70 until we drove off the premises, then the sun came out and it was nice! Hardly anyone’s fault. I managed to win about $4 on the ponies over the course of the day too!

In honor of the event, I’m going to have another quick give-away! I know, I JUST had one that ended this week, but we got a couple Rosie Napravnik Bobbleheads at the park for Racing Fan Appreciation Day and I thought I’d combine it with a beautiful Veritas Connecticut Salamone that I purchased from the Delaware based Veritas Cigar Co. at the event. So leave a comment to enter, and I’ll pick a winner next Sunday, September 25th.