Now I know since I haven’t given any information on this stick people are going to assume I’m somewhat of an idiot because the title and the plain-jane band read 2008. But in reality that information is just in reference to the crop year and creation date of this limited edition, only 20,000 rolled, cigar by Tatuaje. I’m not going to get into the fancy details about why he did this project or what he was trying to mimic (wine) but the official release date was in 2010.

This stogie runs about $20 in a B&M shop and Tatuaje required the retailer to purchase an amount that isn’t too easy on the pocket books. That means not too many retailers picked it up even if they could. Lucky for me one of my local hang outs is Big Sticks Fine Cigars in Mesa, Arizona and they carry just about every cigar on the market.

I have to be honest and let everyone know upfront that I don’t know if this cigar is really that amazing or if I think it’s amazing because it happens to be my celebration cigar. But who really cares right? I mean it’s the smoking experience and our mood that makes a cigar great or not so good. You just might read this cigar review to make sure $20 isn’t going down the drain and regardless of what I say you will make your own opinions anyways.

But smoking this cigar is creating a smile across my face. It is very different when compared to all of the other Pepin stuff on the shelves because it’s not as strong. L’esprit de Verite Vintage 2008 is firmly a medium body cigar with just a little hint of spice as the smoke trails into your nose from your puff. The only other thing I really care about happens to be the draw because I work 8 long hours a day with my hands I don’t want to sit down and smoke a cigar that requires more work. And the L’esprit de Verite Vintage 2008 is a stick that doesn’t require any extra attention and I can see myself smoking this any time of the day.

So if you’re willing to part with the $20 it takes to enjoy this beauty I don’t think anyone will be disappointed. If you happen to be an Arizona smoker you can pick this up at Big Sticks.

And this will conclude my first post and instruction on puffingcigars.com. You still might be confused about what this cigar “taste” likes but to me in one way or another they all taste like tobacco. I decided to use this to give all the readers out there a little more information about me and my thought process. Stay tuned for the next postings and I look forward to interacting with all the visitors of the site.

My name is Walt and I’m just your average hard working cigar smoker enjoying life one puff at a time.

Stinky ashtrays were born as a stainless steel bowl, typical of a kitchen mixing dish, that has oval shaped “cigar stirrups” spot welded on the edge to hold the cigar firmly in place. It would be deep enough to hold hours of smoking ash, wrappers, cedar and anything else a small group would discard during a standard HERF session. And that is it. The Stinky is very simple, functional and the ashtray finally became beautiful.

So how did all of this come about? According to the StinkyCigar.com website “I developed this ashtray out of a need at our weekly herf. We need bigger ashtrays! The first Stinky Cigar Ashtray was a second hand silver bowl that I had for years. In January of 2004, I took three souvenir coins to a radiator shop and had them soldered to the rim. The guys loved it and wanted me to make some for them. It was a lot of work, so I said no. Each week they would repeat their desire to have a large bowl ashtray.”

I guess it’s safe to say the rest was history. Today I can say that the Stinky ashtray is the standard for cigar companies presenting at shows (IPCPR) and just about every cigar lounge around the country. It also comes to no surprise that Stinky has also implemented some great changes to help evolve his product even further.

Consumers now have the ability to purchase various sizes (HERF Edition holds 3 gallons of ash), floor stand models, handles for easy carrying/dumping and my personal favorite the Powder Coated models. The Powder Coated ashtrays are the new “smaller-taller” editions that stand 6.5 inches tall and 7 inches in diameter that still hold the same amount of ash as the original design.  Powder Coating helps keep the bowl in pristine shape for the wet environments and cool to the touch in the hot climates. Each of the black and brown color combination’s are still capped with the stainless stirrups that creates a brilliant and eye-catching contrast.  You can acquire one of these new ashtrays for a small investment of about $35 and is well worth the “investment” because it is one of the few smoking accessories your wife (or non-smoking other half) won’t mind keeping on display.

As a quick side note, and story I think everyone can relate to, this is how Stinky got his name: “Stinky got his name from his wife when he started smoking cigars and came into the house with that familiar odor.”

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Bryan White is the founder of 13^th Floor Cigars based out of Gilbert, Arizona. He has taken some time out of his busy schedule to sit down with puffingcigars.com and gives us a little more insight to the man behind the brand.

In addition to the video interview Mr.White puffingcigars.com took the time to do a quick Q&A session:

What’s the story behind the 13^th Floor?

The 13^th floor is something I’ve always being intrigued with and the superstition that surrounds it. Additionally there was a place my family (Dad, Mom, Brothers, and Grandfather) and I would visit and it was the roof of a hotel. This is where I was able to bond with my brothers, my family, and share great experiences. This is the spot where we would always talk about “What we wanted to do when we grow up” And in the back of my mind  – the answer was always create a great cigar

What do you plan on coming out with next?

Maduro. A lot of people have connected with me directly asking for a unique Maduro smoking experience. I am working on releasing a Maduro by the end of this year.

Why choose Willy?

There was a personal connection and we both saw eye to eye in the direction we can take the brand. ETB has a great reputation for the quality of cigars and they are produced in the USA (Miami). They were just so welcoming and open to my idea that I knew the partnership would work.

What’s favorite part about the whole process? Or like most?

I love the friendship and bonds that are made – the people that I have met and relationships I have been able to build are just incredible. It’s amazing how the people in this community are so passionate about the products and lifestyle.

If you were a cigar what size would you be?

Churchill, because I resemble more of a double robusto.

If you would like to connect with Brian directly:
Website: 13thFloorCigars.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/smokinonthe13th

In no way is the next part of my analysis trying to single out any specific cigar maker or company but rather the top three companies I, and I think everyone else, thought would never face a “do or die” type of scenario (If the conclusion is drawn that such a scenario exists).

Padron, Fuente & General

Padron & Fuente Cigars – The creator of a few cigars that all happen to rank very highly each year in Cigar Aficionado.  Padron and Fuente have done a fabulous job of introducing a cigar that is great to smoke for everyone in every price range. They like to keep their options very simple and even introduce a new limited edition, high priced, cigar every so often to keep the fan base (and I suspect Cigar Aficionado) very happy. However, considering these things, has the Padron and Fuente company structure been too inflexible in working with retailers or becoming personable with the smokers in our community?

From a retailers aspect they have always stood behind their “quality” and refused to offer any great discounts or specials that can be passed on to their patrons through the B&M. The excuse was always made that the true smoker would always be willing to pay their inflated prices for the special cigars like the Anniversary or the Opus X cigar. Furthermore, they tend to abstain from doing live events on a regular basis with the presumption that their name is a known quantity, and no further live promotion need happen .

All advertising campaigns were also primarily reliant on the ratings given to the cigars via Cigar Aficionado and other small magazine publications. Occasionally both companies will publish some full page ads through these same sources. But they have yet to reach out to any alternative methods of advertising – online magazines, blogs or cigar radio programs.  On the same note Padron feels no need to interact through social networking whereas Fuente does run its own cigar forum/community but has shied away from all other mainstream social media applications.

General Cigar Company – Now this behemoth of a cigar company operates in a slightly different manner. They tend to produce multiple cigars, multiple times a year, in multiple sizes, under multiple famous names – and yet always seem to lack in quality and flavor. Their distribution is huge, but seems to rest solely on the established name of their cigars, rather than the quality of their cigars.

It does not take great explanation as to why this is unsupportive of the local Brick and Mortar establishments. General will offer some slight discounts and incentives to purchasing and carrying their products, but it never allows the retailer to price at the same level as most websites or even Generals own online retail website. However, retailers have always been stuck in a corner, almost forced to carry the products, because of the famous names behind the brand. These are the most asked for cigars by the newbie smoker or holiday shopper.

This is a direct indication as to how General Cigar Company has chosen to spend their advertising dollars. Most of the ads that are being placed cannot focus on ratings, because they don’t get any, and are forced to emphasize the “famous” names. General does this by placing most of their ads in men’s magazines or any other publication that is read by the mainstream population who might opt for a cigar during a frequent occasion. It appears as if they haven’t cared about the cigar blogs, review websites, magazines or any medium that a frequent cigar smoker would choose to follow, but rather instead bank on their “famous” name instead. This means that they have also opted out of all social media (Is this a way of hiding from the criticism?).

The Changes Across the Board

During these times of hardship the smoker has to be more specific on his choice and the retailer can be more specific in choosing cigars for his clientele. I can provide some information that the “boutique” cigar market is taking a big piece of the pie both financially and in loyalty of smokers from the large juggernauts who are resting on their laurels. Each company has displayed a change in operation as they have now realized what side of the table they are really sitting on.  While none of these companies will admit that the times are harder for them – I think it is.

Padron has come to the realization that the cigar, despite how great it may be, will not be sold unless the regular consumer feels some sort of bond with the manufacturer. They have now reversed the policy on events and will start doing appearances at local B&M’s across the country.

Fuente used to have the policy of shipping whatever cigars they choose for the specific account to receive whenever Fuente felt the B&M should receive it. This has also been reversed and is starting to ship cigars/orders, even the Opus X, to accounts as they request them.

General Cigar Company tried to appeal to the “boutique” market at the 2009 IPCPR by releasing a cigar that was “not associated” with the General line of cigars. Additionally, anyone who ordered this stick would also be required to place it in the boutique section of the humidor and make a promise to retailers that it would not be sold online. The only downfall was that they again, produced a cigar for the numbers and not for taste or quality. Now General cigars is connecting with bloggers by allowing them to preview and release information on certain products to help connect General back in the cigar community.

While these changes are being made everyone of these three have yet to jump into the social media realm (In Fuente’s case any further).

Are these first steps a sign that changes will be underway on how the companies interact/market/operate? Will they, or do they even have to, transition into the social media environment? Will the big guys really be able to compete with the boutique manufacturers (moving forward)?  And specifically to General Cigar Company – will they stop relying on the “famous” name and start dedicating resources into creating a truly great cigar?  As we have seen there are some like Gran Habano , La Aurora, CAO, Illusione, and Tatuaje (just to name a few), who are doing this already.  These companies are sizable outfits, yet dedicated to utilizing the web and word of mouth for the advancement of their product. Or to put it simply – they are transitioning into the new world of cigar smokers and enjoying sitting on the good side of the table.

So until the big three aforementioned companies decide to hop on the modern technological bandwagon, they are doomed to see diminishing funds and market share.  As many articles have pointed out this year, this will be the first time in history that print media will be eclipsed by online media advertising, shouldn’t the large companies come down off of their high horses and embrace the people and online market which is the cultural nexuses of this age? Or maybe they can keep relying in their name, tradition and … well whatever it is they are banking on.

Editors Note: We here at Puffing Cigars want to assure our readership that we are fully aware that there are indeed many cigar companies on both sides of the good and bad spectrum.  The companies we chose for this article are not a definitive list, but rather a few choice examples in the industry that handily illustrate our point.  You can fully expect in the days to come more articles that look at specific companies in the light of these current issues.  As always we appreciate your commentary, and always look forward to spirited debate when it comes to hot-button topics like this.

Allow me to introduce you to what I think will be one of the next hits of the cigar industry: 13th Floor Cigars. This is a new cigar company started by a long time, passionate, cigar smoker named Bryan White.  Early in 2009 Mr. White had set out to create a “unique smoking experience“  knowing cigar smokers currently have a plethora of options. After many meetings and months of talking to various blenders he felt that his vision could be met by having his cigar produced by Willy Herrera of El Titan de Bronze.

After a year of relentless work with blending, re-blending, choosing sizes, artwork and securing distribution 13th Floor Cigars is now ready to enter the cigar world with their very first blend. As usual with most new cigar companies I have included some verbiage from the 13th Floor Cigars website.

From the 13th Floor Cigars Website:
“In 2009 the idea and concept for 13th Floor Cigars was born. Driven by an unrelenting passion to create and deliver a unique and satisfying smoking experience to cigar lovers, we sought out the best factory, most experienced rollers, and one of the most talented up and coming Master Blenders in the industry. All of our cigars are hand crafted in the USA on the famed “Calle Ocho” in Little Havana, Miami by “Level 9″ rollers all of whom have worked for world-renowned factories such as Romeo y JulietaR, CoronaR, and PartagasR. Each cigar is made in the traditional Cuban style of tubing the filler (entubado) and then finished off with a beautiful triple cap. Each “tarea” (days work) is then inspected by another Master Roller/Blender, boxed and dated to ensure the cigar is of the highest standard for the aficionado. Due to the high standards placed upon our rollers our cigars are made in small quantities to ensure quality and consistency that only a boutique manufacturer can produce.”

Construction: The 13th Floor Cigar is very raw and pure looking. It has a light brown color that is very consistent throughout the roll and has very minimal veins. However, you might find 1-2 medium sized veins that can barley be felt with the fingers – this does not cause any concern. 13th Floor Cigars packs in quite a bit of tobacco ensuring the smokers get their money worth; so have confidence that you will not find any soft-spots (or any other imperfections).

Draw: Anytime there is a boutique cigar that likes to brag about limited production, USA (Miami) made, level 9 rollers I like to hold them to a higher standard in the construction and draw categories. 13th Floor Cigars not only meets the standards but exceeds them on all levels. You will have the option to cut, v-cut, punch or bite this Churchill and it will draw with perfection. Each draw will have a slight resistance making sure that you never burn too fast or too hot.

Burn: When you have great construction and draw qualities it’s almost always a given that the burn should be (not always the case) good. So I hope it comes as no surprise that I say the burn on the 13th Floor Cigar is pretty damn good. My 13th Floor Cigars in the Churchill size have always burned slightly jagged but never require any touch-ups. The ash is a bright white and seems like it will never fall off unless you give it a good knock.

Flavor: The 13th Floor Cigars Churchill has a very consistent grouping of flavors that you will enjoy as you smoke this cigar.

Upon first light you will be introduced to a combination of cedar, spice and straight forward tobacco that will defiantly please the palate.  The cedar and spice are very light and intriguing and perfectly compliment the creamy smoke you will get on both the draw and the exhale. It’s just enough of everything that you won’t want to set this stogie down.At this point in the long Churchill I would say the cigar sits in the medium body range.

At the middle you will see a larger introduction of the spice that seems to hit the front of the palate. You still get some hints of cedar that swirl around the smoke with a mixture of chewy leather. You will pick up some hints of what I can best describe as floral – it’s a very unique flavor combination. The smoke is still extremely creamy and delightful on both the draw and the exhale. The body has slightly increased but still remains in the middle of the road (medium).

Finishing this 13th Floor Cigar has got to be my favorite portion of the smoke. This is due to the body slightly increasing to the more fuller range while all the flavors seems to stay consistent and dance around my palate. The smoke from the draw and exhale is still very, very creamy, and it’d been a pure joy from start to finish.

I would like to put a little disclaimer in this flavor section of the 13th Floor Cigar review. While I have described what seems to be a consistent grouping of flavors do not take this as one dimensional and boring. It is actually the complete opposite.  The Churchill is very complex and it is hard to pinpoint what will be thrown at your palate. Just know that once you finish the smoke you will reach for another.

Final Verdict: 13th Floor Cigars retail in the $8 range and will only be available for purchase through a B&M establishment.  I have to urge everyone to pick up a box or two before these creamy, spicy, delightful sticks go on backorder (because they will sell fast). The cigar lingers in the medium body range so it will be delightful for the new smoker yet complex enough for the most seasoned of palates. Plus I am always a fan of supporting new brands that take the time and effort to create a cigar correctly and back the local B&M smoking community/industry.

STK (Black Label) has long been in development and will initially be available to 50 retailers and limited to no more than 100. In this program the lucky retailers will have the opportunity to carry many of the limited production, never released cigars that were mainly created for personal use by the Rico family. Another great benefit of this STK program is that the special cigars will all be very “price conscious” and make it affordable for everyone to enjoy. George wanted to make extra emphasis that the STK (Black Label) cigars will not be sold online.

We can find more information on this Gran Habano Black Label program via an email that was sent out directly from the company:

“In addition to the Azteca cigar Gran Habano is preparing to launch the STK (Black Label) accounts for a limited number of retailers. This program was intended to further support the brick and mortar stores of which you have spent a great deal of time and effort to grow. Our STK (Black Label) program will allow retailers to receive many of our unreleased and very limited production cigars that we have kept in our aging room over the years.  A new release will be sent out once every six (6) months with a unique presentation that will be a departure from our standard packaging.

Our first release in the STK (Black Label) line can best be described as a variant to the ever so popular #5 cigar.  It will receive a very special wrapper, of which the details will not be revealed, and a tweak to the blend to compliment the major change. This specific cigar was created only for the Rico family (a personal family blend) to enjoy while working on the farm or in the factory. It has never been imported or shared with anyone outside of Gran Habano company. “

George Rico says that his program will launch very soon and he hopes it’s just one of many things he can do to support the local B&M. For anyone who was wondering what “STK” stands for – you will have to continue to wait. Mr. Rico said that it was something close and personal to him, much like the retailers who support the industry, and he would like to keep the meaning of “STK” to himself.

It’s quite easy for someone to sit down and review or discuss the next cigar of the year. Talking about this type of cigar has no shortage of interesting facts, unique histories, complex tobaccos and especially high price tags. Price points that not every smoker in our community has the luxury of affording, so we have decided to start profiling some of the less expensive cigars that one might find online or through the local B&M.

Many boutique cigar manufactures will create a line that can be distributed online to help bring brand awareness, please the budget conscious shopper but most importantly please the online retailer who can bring in much needed capital due to the high volume of sales. Most of the time the savings will reach the consumer by creating a “sandwich” blend, a short and medium sized filler inside a long filler, or by using a lower grade wrapper (or filler) on the cigar. Up first for review will be the J. Fuego Casa Fuego sold exclusively by Cigars International.

Construction: The J. Fuego Casa Fuego has a beautiful honey or caramel colored wrapper that seems to be slightly spongy. This would indicate to me that the cigar was created in the “sandwich” style but this information was not indicated on the retailers website (and the website is known to be vague on budget lines). You might find one large vein that can be felt with the fingers but this will not effect the way the Casa Fuego burns.

Draw: Perfection. Regardless of what price point J. Fuego is trying to hit he will always ensure his cigars draw (and burn) with absolute perfection. Feel free to punch, cut, bite or poke this cigar – you will get a perfect draw.

Burn: Again, J. Fuego prides himself on the way his cigars burn and this is evident even in the cigars that have a lower MSRP. You can see from the pictures inserted that this cigar burns very evenly, holds an ash and does not require any touch-ups.

Flavor: The J. Fuego Casa Fuego has a pretty consistent flavor from start to finish. It is slightly woody, has a nice amount of like peppery spice and delivers a smooth creamy smoke. The body always maintains in the medium range and will be easy for anyone to smoke. Throughout the Fuego you will notice instances of something sweet, almost caramel like, that keeps your palate entertained and happy.

I would like to note that these cigars are good when smoked young but turn into something … beautiful with just a few months of resting time. So if you order a box (which I will suggest you do in the “Final Verdict” section) set them aside and let the Casa Fuego cigars fully develop.

Final Verdict: You can purchase the J. Fuego Casa Fuego at Cigars International in boxes of 29 (21 + “Freebies“) for 95 dollars – $3.30 a stick. But allow me to give you a savvy shopper tip: Go to the CI auction or offer site and you can pick up a box for about $40 – so everything comes out to just under $2 a stick. So for $40 I suggest that everyone goes out and buys a box. Casa Fuego is a phenomenal budget cigar that will find their way in your regular smoking rotation. And if your still a little hesitant about buying the cigar just know that this is something you wont be ashamed to send in the good ole “cigar bomb“.

“Effective May 10th, 2010, all EO Brands (E.g., 601, Cubao, Murcielago, etc.) will only be available via the Rocky Patel Premium Cigars distribution system. That is, directly and or through our approved sales representatives. All marketing for EO Brands will also be handled by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars.”

Major changes are taking place but the EO Brands cigars are still being produced by Don Pepin Garcia at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. Ortega has also mentioned that this distribution move will enable them to lower the cost of cigars anywhere from $2 to $3 a stick.

Could this be a bad move for the EO Brands Cigars?
It’s very understandable why a cigar company, who might have felt shunned by Miami Cigar Co. (the previous distributor), had to find another outlet to operate. However Rocky Patel is primarily known for making sub-par cigars that are perhaps palatable and easy on the wallet.  Will this type of outlook now be carried over to the EO Brands?

Hopefully Rocky Patel will take a hands-off approach to the managing of the brand to allow the current portfolio, and any future releases, to remain boutique (something that Rocky Patel has long lost). Otherwise we might just be seeing the 601, Cubao, and Murcielago sold for pennies in every online website and mail order catalog (aka – “Rocky Patel Premium Cigars distribution system”) that will shun B&M retailers from supporting the brand.

Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, had argued her bill would help combat the “threat of wildfires and second-hand smoke” in all state parks. However the cigar smoking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation this past Monday (May 3, 2010). In a letter to the Members of the California State Senate Schwarzenegger states:

“First, I believe this bill is an improper intrusion of government into people’s lives. I have supported laws in the past that tackle the problem of smoking indoors and smoking in cars with children. But, by mandating in state law that people may not smoke outdoors in certain areas, this bill crosses an important threshold between state power and command and local decision-making. There is something inherently uncomfortable about the idea of the state encroaching in such a broad manner on the people of California.

Current law already allows discretion by local governments and the Department of Parks and Recreation (Department) to ban smoking in parks and beaches under certain circumstances. The Department has exercised its authority throughout the state and has already banned smoking in several areas where fire hazards exist. Additionally, cities and counties throughout the state have appropriately exercised their authority and banned smoking in many parks under their jurisdiction. I think this is a discretionary decision that is best left with the Department and local government.

With respect to marine debris, I understand the challenge cigarette butts cause to our beaches and marine life. But, this bill applies the ban solely to those beaches and parks owned and operated by the state of California. When considering the contiguous nature of state-owned and locally-owned beaches, the purpose of the bill is undermined if the difference between legal activity and illegal activity is literally a line in the sand. As we have seen, marine debris and litter know no boundaries. I believe a more appropriate response is to increase the fines and penalties already in law for littering in our parks and on our beaches.

For these reasons I am unable to sign this bill.”

Read the letter in full here.

At this current time it appears that there is not enough votes to override Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger veto leaving the bill dead in the water. Had the Bill passed California would have been the first state to ban all smoking in all of the state park system.

So what’s behind the name of this particular cigar lounge? Let’s get that explanation directly from the website: “You are probably wondering what 21 Degrees stands for. The optimum temperature for cigars is 21 degrees Celsius, which is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the optimum humidity is 70 percent. We strive to have the best environment for our premium cigars in our spacious cedar walk in humidor so what better than 21 Degrees.”

Walking through the front door and with a quick glance you can take in the entire public section of the shop. The cash register is to the left, some accessories are located to the right and just passed that is the everyman lounge. This everyman’s lounge is done quite well with fully reclining leather seats that are perfectly situated in front of a nice T.V. However it’s important to note that the “everyman” lounge is only capable of accommodating about 4 people.

The well-stocked humidor is located at the end of the lounge next to the “everyman” section. Selection is great and you are able to find anything from the popular boutique to the … general General cigar. Prices are on par with out lounges in the area but they usually have a deals section that offers cigars at a great discount. This humidor also contains a number of lockers that are situated high above the cigars making it seem somewhat tedious to access.

Rocky Patel, love or hate his cigars, always operates in style and the cigar lounge bearing his name is no different. Walk through the vault door labeled “Members Only” and enter a world of great luxury. The RP lounge has a beautiful pool table, a great number of dark leather lounge chairs, group seating, a card table in the back, and a bar in the very back. Members get to share an area that appears to be about the same size, if not bigger, than the entire public section. 21 Degrees was built for its members and this can clearly be felt and experienced, which is not necessarily a good thing for the “everyman”.

I would like to take the time to acknowledge the great staff at 21 Degrees Cigar & Accessories. Everyone was courteous, personable and extremely knowledgeable. There was not a single tobacco fact or cigar (industry) question that we couldn’t get answered by the people who were assisting us.

21 Degrees Cigar & Accessories with the Rocky Patel Lounge is one great experience that everyone will enjoy. This is a great shop to become a member of if you’re longing to belong somewhere or just simply need a smoking haven. However the “everyman” might feel a little uncomfortable if he’s not one of the early travels to the lounge.

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21 Degrees Cigar & Accessories
(480) 551-2121
14144 N. 100th Street Suite B105
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Visit the 21 Degrees Cigar & Accessories website.