Tag Archives: Montecristo

by | December 4, 2018 · 10:35 am

News: Montecristo Hosting Art Basel Event in Miami

More Tuesday news!  It looks like Altadis has stepped into the vacancy left by Davidoff in the cigar sponsorship of Art Basel in Miami.  Here’s the details on their involvement in this year’s event.  

MONTECRISTO CIGARS TO HOST ART BASEL EVENT AT THE WHARF MIAMI

Montecristo Cigars to auction one of a kind Art Basel-inspired humidor designed by artist, Ruben Trespalacios

 

Montecristo, maker of world-renowned premium cigars, will host an exclusive Montecristo Art Basel event in South Florida’s most popular pop-up event space: The Wharf Miami. The event “Montecristo Marina” hosted by the Montecristo Social Club will combine live art, fine spirits, music, networking and Montecristo cigars while overlooking the Miami River. The event takes place on Saturday December 8, 2018 at 7PM. The Wharf Miami is located at 114 SW North River Drive. Miami, Fl. 33130.

 

Montecristo Marina will serve as a celebration of art and its relationship to the artisanal virtues of the handmade premium cigar. The Montecristo Epic cigar will serve as the subject. This highly rated super-premium cigar is valued for its artisanal quality; each box is inspected and signed by the artisan to ensure its quality. The centerpiece of the event will be the auction of a one-of-a-kind Montecristo Icon humidor, which will be hand-painted on site during the event by acclaimed artist Ruben Trespalacios.

 

Trespalacios, who will be visiting the festivities from his home country of Colombia, is known for his flair and use of vibrant colors. His abstract style projects energy, positivity and happiness which catapulted his career beginning in 2014. He was chosen specifically by the Montecristo team for this special live art event.

 

“The art of handmade premium cigar making, says Rob Norris, President of Altadis U.S.A. Premium Cigar Division, maker of Montecristo, “is a time-honored tradition that dates back many generations. We are excited to celebrate this art form during Art Basel, which has become the epicenter of the Arts in the Americas. Along with Tabacalera USA’s CEO Javier Estades, Head of Product Capability Rafael Nodal,  and the rest of the Montecristo team, we look forward to attending and celebrating this special event.”

 

About Altadis U.S.A.

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

 

 

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by | August 20, 2017 · 9:24 am

Diner en Blanc, Veritas 412 and Camacho Nicaraguan Barrel Aged Cigars

DEB1While not a cigar event, Dîner en Blanc is an annual event held in 70 cities around the world. People wear all white, pack a picnic dinner, and go to a secret location which isn’t revealed until you arrive en masse at the place. This year the Philadelphia version was the largest ever, with 5300 people meeting at various places around the city in groups, toting tables, chairs and coolers, again, all wearing white. I wasn’t able to accompany my wife last year, so this was my first time experiencing this sort of thing. We met at the Convention Center and walked to Franklin Square, one of Philadelphia’s five original squares, which became a park in 1838. It has a fountain, merry-go-round, miniature golf course and a playground. 5300 people lined up their tables, many with elaborate place DEBCigarssettings, and shared a meal, then partook in dancing and general fun. I’m told security was heightened, but it wasn’t overly apparent, and I suppose it was helpful that the park is in the shadow of the Philadelphia Police headquarters   It was pretty darned cool. All these different people, just hanging out having a good time. Of course, I took event appropriate cigars along and the Traveling Tobacconist was there with his 30 foot Airstream “CigaRV” mobile cigar lounge. I smoked a Montecristo White Series robusto and a Fratello Bianco, while my wife had a Leccia White. The Fratello Bianco was the corona, sadly my last one, I think this was a special event only size, and it was exceptional. There were a surprising number of people hanging out smoking cigars, many of whom you could tell were first timers. It was a great party, and I was happy to have been a part of it.

 

Veritas_The412_ToroFriday I was looking for something new and exciting to end a busy week, so I rummaged through the IPCPR samples and came upon a cigar from a reasonably local company that I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with until the show. Veritas Cigar Co. is based in Newark, DE, not far from me, and I wanna say I encountered this brand in 2011 at the Delaware Cigar Festival, but they’ve changed some things since then.  I selected The 412 in a toro size. This is a unique and powerful blend! It has a Pennsylvania wrapper, Mexican binder and fillers including more Pennsylvania and ligeros from Condega & Esteli. It had a lot of pepper and cocoa and was very enjoyable, although quite heavy. This was one of the few cigars I had to put down with a bit under two inches to go. I have a couple more samples, and I think I have a large Connecticut shade wrapped Solomon from them going back to 2011 someplace. I am looking forward to sampling more and catching up with them at a local event.

 

Camacho_NicaraguanBarrelAged_GordoYesterday I went with a new Camacho cigar, the Nicaraguan Barrel Aged in the Gordo size. I chose the gordo size because we were taking a long walk to get Powerball tickets (I wonder if we won?) and I wanted a longer smoke. The NBA follows the American Barrel Aged, which has tobacco aged in bourbon barrels, this one has tobaccos aged in rum barrels (and some outlets clam that even the rum barrels are aged, “aged in some of the world’s oldest Nicaraguan rum barrels” was one quote i found. Again, spirits are not my forté, so I have no way of knowing if the nice sweetness in this cigar is from the rum or inherent in the tobaccos, but it was a very good, smooth, enjoyable cigar. I’m looking forward to trying other sizes in this line. I’ve liked Camacho cigars since smoking my first one in 1996, and have seen quite an evolution in the brand, obviously watching as they transitioned from Christian Eiroa to Davidoff, and while they are doing a lot of different things now than they were then, the quality and interestingness (making up words here) is there.

 

That’s all I have for today. Don’t forget the contest running from Friday to Friday this week, and stay tuned for more (hey KRUK….patience!).  Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 2, 2017 · 9:59 am

A Montecristo Pilotico and a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Cigar

Yesterday was April 1, and I was tempted to post an April Fools post announcing that I was changing focus to vapes, but I wasn’t committed to the plan enough to register vanderslicevapes.com and put the web pages together. Maybe next year…wait, I’ve given it away, haven’t I?  It would have been a lot of work and I didn’t have it in me yesterday and the idea didn’t come to me until yesterday. I did see some funny ones yesterday, though. Mark Weisenberger (I hope I spelled that right), the new VP of Marketing at Rocky Patel, and former Northeast sales manager, put out a press release about Rocky adopting Hamlet Peredes which was pretty funny. Of course, Fred Rewey of Nomad Cigars is a comedian, he announced his Nomad soap on a rope, is he planning on going to prison soon? Over on Halfwheel.com, Brooks continued his April Fools tradition of seriously reviewing absurd cigars, this time the 20″ x 80 La Aurora La Stravaganza. I think he’s still waiting for the smoke to travel the 20″ from foot to head! Happy April Fools! I failed to do any pranking at all yesterday.

 

Didn’t do a lot of smoking this week, instead I went to a Flyers game Thursday, in which they beat the Islanders mostly just in the first period, scoring 5 goals with two players recording Gordy Howe Hat Tricks! I had said there was no reason for me to go to the games any more since they closed the cigar bar and made the whole building smoke free, but we got tickets real cheap and hadn’t been to a game for a while. I loved it when they had the cigar bar there, it was preferable to go after the game and have a cigar while everyone else sat in their cars in the parking lot waiting to get out. Bernie Parent was always there to having a cigar, I wonder where he goes to smoke after the games now? So I took Thursday off, Friday it rained like hell and I decided not to go to a Romeo y Julieta launch event and camped out on the porch with a Montecristo Pepe Mendez Pilotico Toro. This was a re-do for me, Last September I wrote this:

Montecristo_PiloticoPepeMendez_toroAnother IPCPR sample was a new one from Montecristo, the Montecristo Pilotico Pepe Mendez in the Toro size. This toro is a 6¼” x 52, and has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder, and both Nicaraguan and Dominican Pilotico fillers. The Pilotico varietal is an old seed that Pepe Mendez brought from Cuba in the ’60s and revitalized in the Cibao Valley in the DR. There was some of  this tobacco in the Montecristo 80th anniversary cigar that was out last year. It was hard to find anything bad to say about this cigar, it burned right, it had nice flavors along the leathery lines, with a hint of sweetness. It’s one of those cigars that is, no doubt, a very good cigar, but not in line with my preferred flavors. There are a few Montecristos I really like, most on the mild end of the spectrum. The box is cool with an old-timey suitcase motif, paying homage to Pepe Mendez’ travels in the 60s to find the right area to plant his prized seeds.

The one thing that changed this time was that I found that I enjoyed the leathery flavors more than I did previously. Perhaps some humidor time helped, or, just as likely, I ate something different this time that effected my perceptions. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the flavor of this cigar and will smoke it again without hesitation.

 

Yesterday I was rummaging through the humidor looking for something to smoke and I came across the tray with the Gurkha cigars. I seem to have amassed a load of cigars, not bragging or complaining, but it sometimes makes it hard to make a selection, especially when I want to smoke something and talk about it here without smoking the same rotation all the time and getting boring (which is what the FDA wants, by the way, so head to CigarRights.org and use their forms to write to your elected representatives). So I grabbed the Gurkha Cellar Reserve Platinum in their Hedonism size. Gurkha also threw out an April Fools funny yesterday:

 

GURKHA UNVIELS THE ROYAL COURTESAN

The $1,000,000 Cigar Is The Most Expensive Cigar Ever

 

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Gurkha Cigars has created the world’s most expensive cigar ever!  The handcrafted stogie retails for a cool $1,000,000 and is delivered to customers’ door by a messenger who will only handle the cigars with white (kit) gloves.  The cigar is infused with Remy Martin’s Black Pearl Louis XIII, which retails for $165,000 per bottle.

Created using Luxion Technology (luxion.com)

The cigars are rolled by a select group of hand rollers who are blindfolded throughout the process to allow their senses to guide their movements naturally and minimize distraction during this artistic process.  The cigar is made with filler from ancient lands in the Himalayas with tobacco that has been watered exclusively with Fiji water.  The wrapper is gold leaf and the band is encrusted with diamonds totaling five carats.

Created using Luxion Technology (luxion.com)

“The Gurkha clientele is use to only the best and Gurkha continuously produces only the best,” said Kaizad Hansotia, CEO of Gurkha Cigars.   “This cigar is only for those who want the most exclusive, most luxurious and most ostentatious experience a cigar can offer.”

Gurkha Cigars are known throughout the world for their premium and luxurious cigars, so it’s no surprise that they are the most sought-after cigars around the globe. Gurkha produces 12 million cigars per year that are sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. And while Gurkha is known for its exclusivity, it has an impressive array of 105 brands of flawlessly handcrafted, premium cigars created in a variety of strengths, tasting profiles, and price-points. No matter what your taste, there’s a Gurkha cigar that’s perfect for your palate. For additional information visit www.gurkhacigars.com.

 

 

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It’s a little unfortunate that it didn’t occur to me until after I read it that it was an April Fool, I mean, a one million dollar cigar from Gurkha doesn’t seem that implausible at this point, right? Anyway, back to the Cellar Reserve Platinum. I like the Hedonism size (I kind of identify with the name too), it’s a fat, pigtailed perfecto along the lines of the Feral Flying Pig from Drew Estate’s Serie Unico line, 6″ x 58. It’s got an Ecuador wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers and just a pretty straight-forward leathery/nutty profile to my palate. It was good, burned right and whatever factory makes these does a good job.  There are several cigars in the Cellar Reserve line that I like, and, for all the criticism Gurkha gets, I think their brick and mortar lines are pretty darned good.  (note: looking back it appears that I smoked this and wrote about it back in September of 2015, fortunately, I liked it then too! I smoke too many different cigars and can no longer remember them all!)

OK, both cigars were re-dos….sorry about that! I’ll work on smoking some more interesting cigars this week! That’s all I have for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by | February 19, 2017 · 9:24 am

Tabaquero, Punch and Montecristo Cigars and a Contest

tabaqueroThursday evening I ended up smoking a Tabaquero by Hamlet Paredes from Rocky Patel in the robusto format after hearing an interview with him on the Smooth Draws Radio show (I think they ripped off me website design, at least in concept!). What a fascinating story this guy has, and a very interesting cigar! For a guy who was used to blending cigars with Cuban tobacco, that is to say not a great deal of variety, he made a very interesting blend of Nicaraguan fillers, Mexican and Brazilian binders with a Mexican wrapper. If this had some Peruvian tobacco in the blend it might just be the perfect cigar for me! This isn’t the first one of these I’ve smoked, although it is the first robusto, and it’s a cigar that I should put more of in my humidors. I love the  strong, straightforward flavors of sweet earth, cocoa and coffee, which is very rich and palate coating. This is probably my favorite Rocky Patel cigar, with the Super Ligero coming in second, although there aren’t a great many RP cigars that do a lot for me.  Great cigar for me, and I’ll continue trying other sizes. I may look at the new Sungrown next time I see it in a shop, I’ve heard good things.

 

I would have been talking about another cigar here, one that a co-worker gifted me a few weeks ago, but something weird and stupid happened about a third of the way into the cigar while I was taking my evening walk. For some reason I stumbled and did a face plant on the street, smashing the cigar, scraping my chin and nose, among other scrapes and bruises. Macha was there to lick my face and see if I was OK, which I really didn’t know if I was or not yet. This whole thing surprised me because I’ve been walking for a long time, and thought I had it down pretty good. So I came home, cleaned myself up, and grabbed a Punch London Club Maduro to try to wrap my head around this turn of events, it freaked me out!  Ironically, it was on this exact date in 2012 I wrote about the London Club, it what I like to think was a pretty good article comparing the Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey lines. Give it a read and let me know what you think. I still have a few of both the Hoyo Sabrosos and Punch London Clubs, they are great little 5″ x 40 cigars, is it a thin corona or a fat panatela?  The Punch has maintained it’s richness and full flavor over the five years they’ve been in my humidors. The Broadleaf wrapper is oily and flavorful and the burn was perfect. This was a great choice to ponder the evening’s events.

 

MontecristoYesterday was a beautiful day for mid-February, temperatures in the 60s, which is a good 50 degrees over what it could be. Still feeling out of sorts, I napped a bit, and hung out in the yard with Macha and a Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut No. 2 torpedo. This is a 6″x 50 torpedo with the taper such that it feels like a smaller cigar than that. This cigar is made in the Dominican Republichas a vintage 2008 Connecticut Shade (Grown in U.S.A.), Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru. I do like cigars with Peruvian tobacco, and I like this cigar, although I think I like the Double Corona (really a Toro, but OK) a bit better. It’s a milder cigar, with that grassyness you’ll get from the US Connecticut Shade wrapper, and a nice little spice. Certainly a quality cigar, and a good mid-afternoon choice.

 

Contest!

ContestIt’s been a while, so let’s give some goodies away!  Since I had Punch on my mind, I have a Punch Bobblehead, along with a Macanudo branded rubberized Colibri cutter and a pair of La Gloria Cubana Branded scissors. It’s always possible some cigars might fall into the box when I pack it up too, I get sloppy that way sometimes. Leave a comment here to enter, I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday! Usual rules apply, one entry per person and only comments here on this post will qualify.  Must be of legal smoking age to win.  Thanks to Victoria at General Cigar Co. for the giveaway goodies!

 

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

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 24, 2016 · 9:16 am

Cigar News featuring Diamond Crown, Big Papi, Psyko Seven and Montecristo

Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. readers! Today will be filled with food and family here in a few hours, so I’m going to be real lazy and put out a post with a bunch of news items that have recently come across my desk (and I slacked off last night and didn’t get a post out). I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Diamond Crown

Diamond Crown Black Diamond Box Open Emerald

First up is the long-awaited release from J.C. Newman, the Diamond Crown Black Diamond. This has been in the works for years, I’ve heard stories of how they settled on a blend, then tweaked it again, and finally have it ready for release tomorrow, Black Friday.  What a coincidence to be releasing the Black Diamond on Black Friday! Something tells me there was some thought put into that.  Anyway, I’m anxious to get my hands on this, I’ve got two Diamond Crown Lounges within about a ten-mile radius so I should be able to find one. I fondly remember smoking my first Diamond Crown in Las Vegas in 1998, good stuff, I can’t wait to try this one.

 

Big Papi

Next we have news from El Artista about the launch of the Big Papi, a cigar that I have on hand and will be smoking in the very near future, along with some other goodies from the company.

 

DAVID ORTIZ MAKES HIS FIRST “BIG PAPI” CIGAR EVENT APPEARANCE

(New York City) – El Artista Cigars hosted the first event featuring David “Big Papi” Ortiz at Central Bar & Lounge in New York City on November 3, 2016. Over 200 were in attendance including pitcher Cici Sabathia, premium cigar shop owners from all over the country, as well as fans, friends, and family of David Ortiz and El Artista. “This is a celebration to recognize the hard work everyone has put into the launch of this new line,” says Radhames Rodriguez, President of El Artista Cigars, “and we are very happy to see everyone enjoying the cigar.”

David OrtizDavid Ortiz was the star of the party. He signed cigar boxes and hats and took photos with partygoers. Jonas Santana, Marketing Manager for El Artista Cigars states, “David will be at several events in the US in 2017, this is just the first of many to come.” El Artista expects Mr. Ortiz will make appearances in California, New York, New Hampshire, Florida, Dominican Republic, and elsewhere before IPCPR 2017. According to El Artista management, “David is all in for Big Papi events and he is committed to the brand 100%; expect big things from Big Papi in 2017.”

El Artista will hold a series of in-store tastings as well as meet & greet events featuring David Ortiz in 2017. The schedule will be posted on the El Artista website: http://elartistacigars.com/

 

Psyko Seven

Psyko Seven is a cigar I really like, in both the original natural wrapper and the maduro, which, of course, I prefer. I look forward to trying this Connecticut as I do enjoy a good Connecticut from time to time.

 

VENTURA CIGAR COMPANY INTRODUCES CONNECTICUT TO THE PSYKO SEVEN COLLECTION
November 2016 – Inviting cigar aficionados to “Reach into the Dark to Find the Light,” Ventura Cigar is pleased to reveal PSyKo Seven Connecticut, the third blend in its much-admired PSyKo Seven Collection.

 

PSyKo Seven Connecticut is expertly crafted in the Dominican Republic with an exclusive blend of premium of seven tobaccos. It sits apart from others in the PSyKo Seven collection with its lighter wrapper, serving up a more mild-bodied experience. This smooth cigar invites enthusiasts to disconnect from chaos and commotion, to take a step back from the reality of the everyday, and enjoy a rich, flavorful experience.

 

Housed in a sleek, black box, and enveloped with a white prescription form that encourages people to “medicate their mind,” there are three vitolas available: Robusto 4.75 x 50, the Toro 6.25 x 48, and the Gordo 6.00 x 60.

 

“The PSyKo Seven Collection has enjoyed a lot of attention,” says Jason Carignan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ventura Cigar Company. “It’s known for offering up high quality sticks at a great price, earning 90+ ratings from top cigar publications. It’s a favorite of both the retailer and the consumer, so we added PSyKo Seven Connecticut to round out the line, and give our enthusiasts more to explore, and more to connect with.”

 

A solid choice to pair with friends and family, PSyKo Seven Connecticut will enrich and relax holiday festivities with a post-meal smoke and a dram of whiskey. All three vitolas will be shipping to retailers in late November. Please visit venturacigar.com for additional information.

 

Montecristo

Finally we have another in a long list of collaborations with A.J. Fernandez, this time Monticristo is introducing a JR Cigars exclusive.

 

Montecristo Crafted by A. J. Fernandez

 

Burlington, NC – Santa Clara, Inc. is beginning broader distribution of the newly introduced Montecristo Crafted by A. J. Fernandez line of cigars. Montecristo Crafted by A.J. Fernandez is collaboration between the Altadis U.S.A. Montecristo brand and Tabacalera Fernandez and is being crafted exclusively for Santa Clara, Inc.

 

Made in Nicaragua from the finest Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, San Andres binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, this box-pressed, oscuro-wrapped cigar is an eye-catching masterpiece.

 

An icon, Montecristo has been the benchmark for luxury and quality since 1935. With this long tradition of excellence, the Montecristo name can only be entrusted to craftsmen capable of building on this proud legacy. A. J. Fernandez has been chosen by Altadis U.S.A. to add his name to the history of the Montecristo brand for this new, exclusive cigar.

 

A. J. Fernandez began his career creating cigars for some of the biggest names in the industry before launching his own brands. His brands developed a cult following among cigar aficionados. And his factory, which began with just 6 rollers, now produces over 9 million sticks a year.

 

The Montecristo Crafted by A. J. Fernandez is available in five sizes – Churchill 7 x 50, Figurado 4 x 52, Gordo 6 x 58, Robusto 5 x 52 and Toro 6 x 50, with MSRPs ranging from $9.95 to $12.50 and in box counts of 10 cigars – and delivers a range of bold flavors from sweet to savory with notes and nuances of dark cocoa, espresso, leather and licorice.

 

“We are extremely proud to deliver to the market this collaborative project between two exciting entities. The blend they put together really makes a statement for both companies and I can’t wait to hear the customers reaction”, said Rob Norris, President of Santa Clara.

 

Montecristo Crafted by A.J. Fernandez will be available to the public on December 1, 2016 at www.jrcigars.com.

 

That’s all for today.  I hope to enjoy something special today after the dust (and dinner) settles. Not sure what that might be yet, but I’ve got all day to think about it and thankful to have plenty to choose from!

 

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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