Tag Archives: IPCPR

by CigarCraig | October 30, 2013 · 6:54 am

IPCPR 2013 – Epicurean Cigars, Gonzo Vintage 2007 and AG Azul Vintage 2008

Sunday afternoon I found myself browsing the expansive humidor of the Cigar-ette City store in Peoples Plaza shopping center in Newark , Delaware. This is the flagship store of the Delaware Cigars chain which is managed by Emilio Cigars’ Gary Griffith. Jim was working in the humidor and was very helpful and knowledgeable. This humidor is stacked to the rafters with just about everything you could imagine. It would be no problem to stock the humidors of the three or four stores closest to my home fully and still have a great stock left over. They had a full compliment of the Liga Privada Serie Unicos on hand (I can’t remember if I saw Dirty Rats…I’m sure they were there), as well as what looked like full lines from Don Pepin, Tatuaje, etc, etc. It’s an overwhelming selection one could easily go broke quickly. I selected a handful of cigars, including some Emilio AF1 and 2 coronas, a La Musa Melete, and a few of the Gonzo Vintage 2007 Lanceros from Epicurean Cigars. Since I had a few hours to kill, and the state of Delaware bans ALL indoor smoking, even in cigar shops, I pulled a folding chair out of the car and sat on the sidewalk in front of the store to enjoy a cigar.

The cigar I chose was one of the Epicurean Gonzo Vintage 2007 Lanceros. I’m kicking myself a little for not getting a robusto or two to sample, because this box pressed lancero was a terrific smoke. For my palate, Connecticut Broadleaf over a San Andrés binder is a double whammy flavor explosion, and this perfectly built panatela was as rich, dark and flavorful as I had hoped. I’m glad I got two, and I’m glad Gary had just sent me one recently. I’m salivating thinking about it, and may just smoke another one this week. I must make a point to sample more sizes, perhaps they will be a little less expensive here in Pennsylvania. Two thumbs up on this one. This is a cigar that is right up my alley, perfect in every regard, burn, draw, flavor and appearance.

After I packed up my impromptu sidewalk cigar lounge, I headed back to the university where my wife was busy doing some research, and parked my butt on a bench and lit up an Emilio AF1 Corona. You may recall in my last post I wondered out loud if one existed and lo and behold it did! I snagged a couple, and I do believe I liked the AF2 better in the corona size than the Broadleaf wrapped AF1. For me I think the AF1 works better in the larger ring gauge. I’ll let the other ones I bought sit in the humidor for a little bit too. Maybe the wrapper overpowered the filler on this one, I don’t know, I just felt like the toro version suited me better. Not that I didn’t enjoy the heck out of it, I certainly did!

Monday evening I pulled one of the other Epicurean cigars that Gary had sent me, the AG Azul Vintage 2008 in the toro size. This is a nicely presented cigar with a shiny foil band and a cedar sleeve hiding a flawless sun-grown Ecuador Habano wrapper. This has a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Esteli and Jalapa . I found this cigar to be on the low end of medium, but full of flavor and a perfect burn. I love it when a cigar burns flat and even, I find that miraculous considering that the various tobaccos in the blend may burn at different rates. When everything combusts completely and at the same time it just makes the cigar experience that much more special for me. I know, I’m weird. I’m full of regret once again, because I was going to grab a couple of the AG Armando Gutierrez Vintage 2007 too and I decided to wait and see what this 2008 was like. I’ll have to try that one when I go looking for more of the Gonzo! Another great cigar from Steve Ysidron and Epicurean Cigars.

Here’s the final video from the 2013 IPCPR show. As it turns out, it’s Steve Ysidron talking about his Epicurean Cigar line! What a happy coincidence!

http://youtu.be/jMZ-R-7r-hQ

As it works out, last night I couldn’t help but take another of the Gonzo Vintage 2007 Lanceros out for a walk and it was perfect again. Loads of dark, rich flavor and a perfect burn. My only regret was that it wasn’t larger as the lancero only lasted just under and hour. It reaffirms my desire to try these in a larger ring gauge. Yum.

That’s it for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under IPCPR, Review, Stores, Video

Tagged as AG, cigar, cigars, Emilio, Epicurean, Gonzo, IPCPR

by CigarCraig | October 27, 2013 · 10:05 am

IPCPR 2013 – Emilio Cigars and House Of Emilio, an AF2 and a La Musa

I’m getting down to the last couple videos from the IPCPR show, and I had, up until recently, no cigars to pair with them. That’s not entirely true, I have a selection of cigars from Gary Griffith’s Emilio line and various brands he distributes, but nothing new and exciting. That is until a box arrived in the mail last week with some new samples! Thanks Gary! Perfect timing! The House of Emilio handles a bunch of great boutique brands which all seem to fall in line with my tastes. Please watch the video with Gary and Nate as they explain both the Emilio line and the brands they distribute.

The cigar which immediately caught my eye, and looked like it would best fit into the time I had available was the Emilio AF 2 in the corona size. I’ve enjoyed plenty of this blend made, by AJ Fernandez, in the toro size, its a little brighter in flavor than the AF 1 which is also a terrific smoke. The corona size really made the flavor pop, it was so good, I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a solid, enjoyable cigar that most fans of medium to full bodies cigars can enjoy, I think. Can we look forward to the AF 1 in this size, or would that be too much of a good thing? Highly recommended if you enjoy exceptional cigars.

Yesterday, after enjoying a 1502 Black Gold toro (also a House of Emilio brand, and excellent!) I selected a cigar that I actually received at the end of last year, the La Musa Melete robusto. If the Emilio AF 2 is a brighter version of the AF 1, the La Musa Melete is the darker version of the original La Musa. The wrapper is visually darker, but I’m talking about flavor and the flavors are lush, deep and decadent. It starts with a nice spice and takes off from there. It smooths out and finishes off with the espresso flavors i find so enjoyable. The construction was perfect. The Grimalkin was an exceptional cigar, the La Musa (same cigar, different name) is exceptional, but the Melete is something very special. Kudos to Gary and the super secret factory that makes this (is it still a secret?)

That’s it for today. I may find myself at one of Gary’s stores in Delaware this afternoon, looking for more Meletes and coronas! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

4 Comments

Filed under IPCPR, Review, Video

Tagged as 1502, cigar, cigars, delaware cigars, Emilio, IPCPR, La Musa

by CigarCraig | October 20, 2013 · 11:11 am

Gurkha Cellar Reserve, East India Trading Co. and a Contest!

After receiving a wonderful package from the folks at Gurkha last week, I decided to dig into some of the samples from the last IPCPR show. As always, the folks at Gurkha have an enormous booth and always have some exciting offerings. I’m the first to admit that I’m intimidated by the huge array of products in the Gurkha portfolio. I haven’t smoked a tenth of the lines they produce, but the ones I have smoked have been pretty darned good! One of my recent favorites was my Friday, end of the week treat smokes, the new Cellar Reserve Maduro. This cigar replaces the Criollo 98 wrapper with Brazilian Arapiraca, and it’s a terrific smoke loaded with black coffee and cocoa. I was hoping to watch the lunar eclipse while smoking this, however I either missed it or it was far too subtle for my eye. The cigar, however, wasn’t a disappointment. I was sorry when it was finished. I’ll have to get my hands on more. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of the Gurkha Seduction (and one I had last week didn’t wow me like before, maybe they’ve aged out after only 2 years?), this Cellar Reserve Maduro (or it may be called the Limitada) may pass the Seduction as my favorite in the line.

Saturday I decided to plunge into Gurkha’s East India Trading Company‘s new offerings, first off, the Rogue Ruthless, which is a box pressed 6″ x 54 cigar with an Ecuador Habano wrapper. This was a loosely rolled cigar, and burned faster than I would have expected. It had some rich and peppery flavors and certainly held my attention. My biggest complaint is that the bands were so hard to get off! Other than that, the bands are fine and are quite eye catching. Nice cigar, I’d smoke it again for sure.

After dinner I selected the final cigar of the day, the Prize Fighter, also from Gurkha’s East India Trading Company. This is a budget offering packaged in Fresh-lock pouches. The cigar had a Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and was loosely rolled like it’s Rouge sibling. This is a mixed filler cigar as evidenced by the scraps of tobacco I had to keep picking out of my mouth. This, to me, is forgivable in a cigar that retails under $2. For a cigar in that price range, it was very tasty and mild. It had the grassyness you’d expect but pleasantly smooth. My example did have a significant tunnel at the midway point, but after it burned passed the void it was fine. I’ve definitely smoked more expensive cigars that I enjoyed less!

Here’s a few pictures of the booth from last July’s IPCPR show:

Contest!

On an related note, I’ve got some goodies laying around that I want to share with a lucky reader. This will probably be the last contest before things get crazy in December. Here’s the story: last week I received a very nice package from the folks at Gurkha. The package contained this really cool “can” containing one of their leatherette roll up pouches with five cigars, and a folding cigar scissors. This was a gift to me, but I have been the beneficiary of their generosity on too many occasions and I want to share this with my readers. I’d gladly smoke the cigars, trust me! If this wasn’t enough, I happen to have another of the roll up pouches from last summer’s trade show, as well as one from the 2012 show, both of which have been resting in my humidors. So there’s 15 very nice Gurkha cigars, and the really cool scissors (I’ve been really digging the Xikar MTX I got recently, this is a handy tool!). Just leave a comment here and I’ll select a winner at random on Wednesday. Usual contest rules apply. Thanks to Bianca at Gurkha for the gift and for allowing me to share it with my readers!

That’s it for today! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

193 Comments

Filed under Contest, IPCPR, Review

Tagged as Cellar Reserve, cigar, cigars, East India Trading Co., Gurkha, IPCPR, Prize Fighter, Rogue

by CigarCraig | October 16, 2013 · 8:25 pm

IPCPR 2013 – 262 Cigars, a Paradigm and an Ideology

I still have a couple videos left over from last July’s IPCPR show so tonight I’ll feature a couple cigars from 262 Cigars. These crazy guys are making some great cigars. Sunday evening my eldest son and I took a walk, he with an Oliva O Robusto and me with the 262 Paradigm Short Robusto. At 4”x 52, this is a nice sized cigar for a one mile walk. It’s a tasty smoke, it made me wish it was longer. I’ve smoked this cigar before, actually a little over a year ago, when I posted the video of my talk with Clint Aaron at the 2012 show. Have I had this cigar for that long? I seem to remember picking this up at an event at Ned’s in Newtown, PA last winter where I hung out with Clint and smoked a lancero. Wherever this one came from, I liked it. The size is handy and fun and the smoke is tasty. Smooth and sweet.

Monday I finally smoked the 262 Ideology Corona that was a sample from the 2012 show. This 5½”x 42 corona is the perfect size. It’s on the mild side, but I think the smaller format ratchets up the intensity of the flavor so it doesn’t seem so mild. Super smooth flavor with a sweetness similar to the Paradigm. While I enjoyed the heck out of this on my evening walk, this would be a great cigar in the morning with a hot mug of coffee. Both this and the Paradigm smoked well with a V-cut, burned straight and drew perfectly. If you haven’t tried the 262 line, give them a look.

Here’s the video from July:

http://youtu.be/DB0tvDAI1C8

I think I still have a 262 Paradigm Lancero floating around someplace, I just didn’t have the time to smoke that one this week. I look forward to getting a hold of the 262 Revere Lancero, as well as the 262 Paradigm Corona. Great stuff coming from Clint and the 262 Cigars gang!

That’s it for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

2 Comments

Filed under IPCPR, Review, Video

Tagged as 262 Cigars, chateau real, cigar, Ideology, IPCPR, paradigm

by CigarCraig | October 2, 2013 · 9:15 pm

Aging Room, Alec Bradley, Debonaire, Viaje Cigars and an Upcoming Trip

We’ve had some nice weather here in southeast PA, so it’s been a pleasure taking my evening walks. I’ve managed to get some nice cigars in (so whats new?)

Sunday evening I grabbed an Aging Room Small Batch M-356 toro that Rafael Nodal gave me at the Cigarnival last June. This is a cigar that is new to me, sure I’ve heard about them over the years, but never had a chance to try one. This is a Dominican cigar with a Habano wrapper which I approached with anticipation. I found it to be enjoyable, but I had a heck of a time keeping it burning right. I had to really pay a lot of attention to it or it would go out. I smoked this while walking with the dog and my oldest son, who enjoyed a Diesel Unholy Cocktail. I would love to smoke another one to see if the burn characteristics were an anomaly. It had a really nice, sweet flavor that I enjoyed.

Monday night I grabbed an AlecBradley Tempus Maduro Robusto. I believe this cigar came from the pack that they handed out at the party Alec Bradly Cigars threw at the Palms Hotel pool at the IPCPR show in Vegas. They had three or four cigars packaged like a Wonka bar (almost appropriate since Tuesday was International Willy Wonka Day!), of which I smoked the Nica Puro while there. The Tempus Maduro has my favorite San Andrés wrapper, so I figured I was in for a treat. It was a treat, although different from what I generally expect from this wrapper. This cigar had a pretty aggressive flavor reminiscent of the Mexican tobacco of the 90s. It burned well and had a nice, long finish. This is a cigar that after you’ve smoked it, you know you smoked a cigar. I’m getting old, I prefer a smoother, creamier maduro these days, but this was an enjoyable smoke. There are so many great smokes in the Alec Bradley range.

Tuesday I, once again, dug into the IPCPR samples and pulled out a Debonaire Robusto. This is a Dominican cigar that is made by Phil Zanghi, who is the guy who originally made the Indian Tabak line in the 90s and sold it to Rocky Patel. There’s not a lot of information out there about this cigar, and I failed to make it back to the Debonaire booth at the IPCPR show to talk to Phil. In doing a little quick research, it looks like this is a pricey smoke, running in the $13 range. It was a good smoke, perfectly rolled and pleasing. Honestly, this is just me, but If I were faced with the choice of this cigar or a Liga Privada of just about any variety in the same price range, the Ligas suit my palate much more. Certainly a cigar to try.

Tonight I took my nightly walk with a recent gift I received from Will Cooper of Cigar-Coop.com. This is the first Viaje cigar I’ve smoked, and I’ve stayed away from the line largely because the selection is dizzying, there are so many small batch lines that I can’t keep them straight. This cigar was the 5″x52 Friends and Family Le Joueur, and there’s no information about this cigar on the Viaje website (there’s no information about any of the cigars on the website). Since Will gave me this cigar, see what he had to say at Cigar-Coop.com. I have to say that it was a very enjoyable smoke. The burn meandered a bit for me, but it drew perfectly with a V-cut and ended up straightening out in the last half. I thought it was pretty savory and satisfying, and I wan to thank my friend Will for sharing this with me and giving me my first glimpse into the world of Viaje. I can’t say I haven’t been curious about the line, and after smoking one, I may have to sample some more at some point.

This weekend we are driving up to New Hampshire and plan to pay a visit to the 2 Guys Smoke Shop in Nashua. While there I hope to weasel my way into their Cigar Authority radio show, so if you are bored, tune into the Cigar Authority website to watch the live video feed, or listen to it via podcast. I’ve long been a fan of the show and am looking forward to the visit. In other news, this in from my friend Barry Stein at Miami Cigar and Company:

Come celebrate National 107 Day, by smoking a La Aurora 107 on 10/7. Share with us your images on social media with the hashtag #LaAurora107 and you could win an all inclusive trip to the La Aurora Cigar factory.

That’s it for now. Sunday’s post may be a little late, or early and short, I’m not sure which yet. Either way, it’ll be the usual nonsense you’ve come to expect.

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under IPCPR, Review, Take a Cigar For a Walk

Tagged as Aging Room, Alec Bradley, cigar, cigar store, Cigar-Coop, cigars, Debonaire, IPCPR, La Aurora, Viaje