The people in the affected communities are currently being relocated to shelters around the country with little more than the clothes on their back. It is unknown when the communities will be able to rebuild as heavy rains are expected to continue in the upcoming months.

We are doing everything in our power to aid not only our Gran Habano families but the State as a whole. As a single company we will be limited to the number of families that will receive assistance – however as a cigar community we will have the opportunity to provide major relief to a greater number of people.

George Rico will be collecting toiletries, clothing and any other donations the good-natured people of the cigar community are able to provide. We will be accepting dropped off aid items at our Miami office or you can ship them directly to Gran Habano. All collected items will be personally flown to Honduras and distributed directly to those most in need.

Shipping Address:
Gran Habano Cigars
C/O George Rico
3261 NW 82nd Avenue
Doral, FL 33122

After hitting every single cigar booth in the hectic 2010 IPCPR week I came to a few quick conclusions: 1. The show seemed smaller and more relaxed that the previous years.  2: It looked like the manufactures were playing it a little safe for this year by releasing an extension of a current line or showcasing something that had already been made public. If I had to pin any type of trend for the show it would have to be that everyone was either lowering prices or creating a cigar that was affordable to smoke. The magic price point everyone was staying around was $7 or less. 2010 was not the year of crazy surprises but there was still plenty at the show to discuss and drool over.

First and foremost we need to start with the biggest of all show stoppers, literally, with the Gran Habano El Gigante. George Rico was on hand displaying the 19 foot, 1620 ring gauge cigar. AZTECA was in full display with the bright orange boxes that mimic ancient pyramids. G.A.R lovers will be happy to hear that the prices will be lowering and you can expect some new extensions on both lines (Gran Habano and G.A.R) but nothing was officially mentioned.

Drew Estate went home with the best large booth award from the IPCPR and created quite a buzz with hundreds of custom airbrushed Drew Estates high-tops. On the cigar side of things the Dirty Rat will now be regular production for everyone to enjoy. They will come in boxes of 12 and carry a retail price of $12. All of the T-52 lovers will be happy to hear that a 3,000 box run will hit the country to make it a little easier for everyone to find that smoke.

J Feugo introduced us to his new product for the show, the 777 Zero. This Ecuadorian Connecticut is Fuego’s solution for the people wanting a “mild” cigar. The 777 Zero is the same blend of the standard 777 line, the only thing that has changed is the wrapper. The retail price point will sit between $5.20 – $5.70 depending on the size and 4 different sizes will be available.  Mr. Fuego also gave me the biggest disappointment for the show because I thought they would release their new, top secrete, no one knows, I can’t repeat it cigar project. At least we will have something to look forward to at the end of the year.

Ashton released a new extension for the La Aroma de Cuba line called Mi Amor. Teaming up with their new best friend, Don Pepin, they have created a box-pressed Magnifico measuring 6 x 52. Mi Amor has a tasty looking Mexican wrapper and a blend that delivers great flavors for a price of about $7.

Illusione brought some excitement to the show with the ~hl~ cigars candela and maduro. Second cigar was the first limited edition Illusione called Singulare. This years size is the Phantom (6 x 50) made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, the blend is 100% Nicaraguan tobacco. Production was limited to 1,000 boxes of 15 with an MSRP of $12 per cigar.

And now I saved what I heard the most buzz about for last – 7-20-4 by Kurt Kendall. The cigars are made in Honduras with a Brazilian mata fina wrapper, Costa Rican binder, and a filler blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran, Mexican, and Colombian tobaccos. 7-20-4 introduced two new sizes of  Londres and the “Dog Walker” which is almost a petit corona. Kurt, and the company, has a cool story about finding the brand and how it was brought back to life from the dead. On display were even some original marketing items from when the company was first in production.  I am intentionally leaving the description of the cigar and the 7-20-4 company vague as this will be a feature piece in one of the upcoming articles.

So there is my take on some of the cool things of the 2010 IPCPR and I am already looking forward to the 2011 in Vegas.

When most of us hear of a cigar that is coming out of Hawaii we all immediately think of one word – gimmick. But this time a company called Kauai Cigar Company is producing a “real” premium cigar with tobacco grown in Kapaa, HI. Even though I was still a bit skeptical of the cigar, I knew I had to give this a chance and see exactly what was being offered to the cigar community.

It’s amazing how closely you will analyze something that is foreign and new just looking for that one inconsistency so you can run to all your friends and say ‘I TOLD YOU it was a gimmick”. But alas I wasn’t able to do this around my group of friends. The Construction on the cigar was absolutely perfect in every way. The wrapper was very dark with a slight tint of red and the tobacco was stuffed enough to just allow little resistance during the pinch test. A couple of medium sized veins decorated the toothy wrapper but nothing out of the ordinary from a raw natural product.

Any time a cigar passes the pinch test I automatically go for a punch on the top of the cigar. The cold draw had a bit of a resistance to it that had me a bit worried. But once the flame hit the foot and an even light was created – my dry draw was a thing of the past. The resistance is perfectly in the middle and a good amount of unique tasting, and creamy, smoke will coat your palate.

On the first few puffs of the Momona I was taken back by a very unique and interesting earthly flavor that I have never experienced in any other cigar. It actually had me puffing continually so I could try and pinpoint what I was tasting. The smoke being generated, as stated earlier, is creamy and will leave that particular earthy taste with just a lingering of tart.

During the middle segment of my Island Prince “Dark” cigar I would have to note that the unique earthy flavor has subdued into a more typical earthy taste. The body has started to increase into the full range while the smoke and creaminess has increased. Yet for some reason there is something I still can’t put my finger on that makes the overall smoking experience very different from the other cigars I have ever tried.

As I start to wrap things up on the Dark Momona from Kauai Cigar Company I have noticed the body increases again into the full range. Your earthy flavor is now being complimented with a hint of something I can only describe as “toasty” with a hint of spice. The smoke is no longer creamy but turned into something very smooth and enjoyable. However the transition on the Island Prince is very welcomed as it is keeping my palate on its toes and making me anxious to smoke another.

Pick up a sampler of this cigar and give it a shot for yourself. It would be a great addition to any humidor, especially a smoker that likes to step outside of their comfort box. This is a real quality cigar coming out of Hawaii, not another gimmick, that I can totally see some people falling in love with. At this current time you might find it difficult to find a retailer who carries this cigar due to the limited production and high taxes coming out of Hawaii. On average the Dark Momona from Kauai Cigar Company will set you back about $10 a smoke.

If you are located in Arizona you can pick up this unique smoke at Big Sticks Fine Cigars in Mesa, Arizona. They are the ones who were willing to suggest something to help me expand my palate and interest in cigars that are created outside of the “normal” regions.

The cigar and wine industry has exploded with rumors and theories as reports that James Suckling has “retired” from both Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado magazine. News of these events shocked the public from what appears to be an impromptu press release from both organizations.

Wine Spectator Statements
Cigar Aficionado Statements

“James Suckling was a key contributor to the success of Cigar Aficionado,” said editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken. “He will be missed, but we are fortunate to have a capable and knowledgeable staff regarding all aspects of the world of Cuban cigars.”

To further indicate that the departure of Suckling was not planned all assignments from both publications will simply be reassigned to already contributing editors.

“We are very fortunate to have significant depth in our editorial team. In fact, moving these tastings to New York, where we have a larger staff and better logistical control, will allow us to strengthen our coverage of these important wine regions.”

Cigar Aficionado simply stated “His assignments will be shared by the magazine’s senior staff…“.

No official word has been released by the man who has put in decades of hard work for Shanken and his publications. However he did indicate that his retirement is just a stepping stone into other projects via Twitter: “The reports of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated. Stay tuned for exciting things to come.”

While the departure may have been unplanned we must wish Mr. Suckling the best of luck on all of his future endeavors.  We expect a man of his reputation, status, following, knowledge and passion to reemerge on top of the world with his  next projects.

The details of the situation may never be fully revealed but we have to ask, and this is directly to you Mr. James Suckling – Did Marv at least give you the gold departure watch that you so deserved after years of dedication?

Pictures for this article were obtained from the public Twitter profile of James Suckling (http://twitter.com/jamessuckling).

The long awaited Nosotros by Illusione, in conjunction with Drew Estate, is finally on the shelves of your local retailer. Nosotros was introduced at the 2009 IPCPR but was delayed in shipment for various reasons. So in the middle of the 2010 years Dion was finally able to grace up with his new creation.

I found this brief piece of information floating around the internet that I think best describes the cigar I am smoking today:
“The Illusione Nosotros Cigars are rolled by Drew Estates in Nicaragua and are the latest creation from Illusione. Unlike most cigars made by Drew Estates, these cigars are not infused cigars but rather a blend of fine tobaccos from Nicaragua with a Corojo ’99 wrapper, Nicaraguan fillers, and Connecticut Habano binder. Because “Nosotros” means “us” this is symbolic of Illusione and Drew Estates joining forces to produce another fantastic cigar. Dion Giolito of Illusione says that these cigars are best described as. “Spicy and clean on the palate with richness and power that really sneaks up on you. The blend is well out of my comfort zone and very nonpareil to my other lines. As it turned out, the first combination of tobaccos that we experimented with wound up being the final blend.”

And with that lets being the smoking process!

Construction: I have to give credit to Drew Estate, the creators of this cigar, because there is not a single cigar in any of their lines that has any type of construction issues. It has a beautiful wrapper with minimal to no veins, its packed full of tobacco and most importantly it will make you feel like you are spending your hard earned money on something with value and quality.

Draw: Punch it, cut it, bite it, v-cut, use a golf tee – the Nosotros will not care. You will get a perfect draw with medium resistance and plenty of mouth coating smoke.

Burn: You can’t ask for anything more from any cigar. The burn is straight and never requires any sort of touch-ups. I was even able to sit my cigar down for a good 10 minute phone conversation and it picked up right where I left off.

Flavor: Nosotros is going to start off with a big bang. There is an immediate rush of spice in the draw and exhale that will linger on your palate for sometime. Have you ever looked for a cigar to smoke that would produce the thickest amount of smoke possible to practice making smoke rings? Well if so then look no further because the Nosotros smoke is thick, spicy and coats every inch of your palate.

Moving into the second third of the Nosotros doesn’t bring about many, if any, changes to the cigar. The overall flavor profile is that of spice and the smoke is still thick and… spicy. Perhaps the strength of the spice does go down a bit to allow for more of the tobacco flavor to come through. This subtle change is enjoyable and quite welcomed.

You will start to get a subtle sweetness from the cigars finish as you come up to the final 1/3. Your palate is still going to be blasted with spice but with smooth tobacco flavor and new sweetness it becomes an amazing full body cigar. I say this because full body cigars tend to end a bit dull and just full of body, or in other words boring as the complexity dies.

Final Verdict: I’ve never told you to not pick up anything from Illusione and I’m not about to start now. This is a cigar that full body smokers and smokers who enjoy a red pepper type of spice should pick up. Oh – and the smokers who need a cigar that puts an amazing amount of thick smoke for that smoke ring practice. I will warn you to pick up a few sticks before making a purchase due to the price tag of about $12.

Pablo Enchinton, the company founder and president, has spent the last two years developing, blending, and creating his product for the market. At the company launch we at puffingcigars.com got to sit down with Pablo for a quick 1 on 1 interview to help bring some more insight to his brand and goals his company may hold.

“We started the process about two years ago but this has really been a dream of mine for the past 14years! Our main object is to create fantastic consistent cigars, to share amongst friends and to help create Moments of memories.

Our name came about while looking for a meaning of what I think a cigar symbolizes. The word PANA means friend in my Latin culture and I thought of how perfect it would be to launch a cigar company with the foundation of friendship at its core, in its name! Our mantra is to always smoke with a friend, a PANA Cigar.

Another reason for launching our company is wanting to cultivate something special for our 9week old son Andros Enchinton. The purpose is to create a family tradition for something that is so special to me, the cigar industry. It’s a heritage in the making and a growth for future generations.”

Mr. Enchinton, PANA Cigars, has tapped a cigar manufacturer in the Dominican Republic that would not only give him access to the best tobaccos but also full control of the blending process (many new cigar companies simply buy from a small profile of already made blends). There are two blends currently being produced, a Ligero Maduro and Connecticut Especial.

The Ligero Maduro is A special long filler blend of Ligero Cubano and Ligero Criollo with a Dominican binder packaged in a beautiful Maduro leaf. On the other range of the palate the Connecticut Especial is filled with a generous amount of Corojo and Piloto Dominicano, stored within an Indonesian binder, and packaged in a golden Connecticut shade wrapper. Both are topped off with a pigtail cap for easy removal and retail in the $6 price range (reviews to come shortly).

Distribution will first take place in his home state of Arizona and then move to other states along the Westcoast. PANA Cigars has decided to be a B&M supporter and has, currently, not decided to sell cigars directly or through companies that only operate online. This decision was made knowing the process to expand will be harder but was adamant that we needed to support the “backbone of the cigar industry”.

“We are definitely a boutique cigar and we wouldn’t want it any other way! I believe that this gives us a unique and personal experience to share with our cigar smoking community. Allowing us to meet face to face and share in the moments together.”

After having smoked both cigars produced by PANA Cigars we are confident that they will make quite the splash within the cigar community. Welcome to the cigar world.

In anticipation of the E.P. Carrillo launch the company has launched one of the most interesting social websites in the cigar community: EPCarrillo.com. This temporary website has mashed Google Maps and Twitter to visually display cigar talk from around the world. When someone “tweets” using the keyword “cigar” the Google map will navigate to the exact location of the person making the comment.

From the Website: “The cigar world is a vast community of passionate fans who can be found in every corner of the globe. One of its proudest members is Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. Ernesto has dedicated his life to pursuing the finest blends of tobacco. Throughout his career, he has created some of the most acclaimed and highest rated cigars in the world. Ernesto’s achievements have marked his place in cigar history and earned him the honorable title of Master Blender. Ready to make history again, Ernesto has announces his newest brand, E.P. Carrillo. This small family owned boutique is devoted to making the world’s finest cigars. To commemorate this new beginning, Ernesto has created the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Inaugural 2009, available late this year. Only a small number of these fine cigars will be created, but as you will see it is one which many fans will be talking about.”

Famous Smoke Shop Description: EP Carrillo Edicion Inaugural 2009 Natural cigars are an all-new blend from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, creator of La Gloria Cubana cigars. Only about 2,500 boxes of these limited edition cigars will be available per month from December ’09 to April 2010. 2-5 year-aged Nicaraguan and Dominican Piloto Cubano tobaccos, plus 2 binders, are deftly rolled inside an exclusive 3-year-aged Ecuadorian-grown Habano wrapper. The smoke is medium-bodied, characterized by rich, creamy flavors.