A few months back we were informed of the latest and greatest from George Rico and Gran Habano Cigars.  The Gran Habano Gran Reserva #3 is set to ship in the next few weeks…  Pictures are beginning to surface and I absolutely love the look.  Very classy, clean and appealing to the eye.  I love the cedar wrapped cigar with the brown and gold accents.  Lets hope the cigar has the safe affect on me as its look. More to come!

Miami, Fl., October 18, 2010 – Time has finally come for the limited production Gran Reserva #3 cigar by Gran Habano to be released into the public. Medium to full bodied in strength the Gran Reserva #3 was blended by George A. Rico using aged Nicaraguan and Columbian tobaccos from the Gran Habano farms.

Composition of the Gran Reserva #3 consists of an 8 year old wrapper and a 7 year old binder from our Nicaraguan farm “La Santa Cruz”. The filler is a mixture of 7 year old Nicaraguan from “La Santa Cruz” and 8 year old Columbian from our “La Joya del Valle” farm. The cigars were rolled in early 2008 and have been aging for the previous two years making the overall components about a decade old.

George A. Rico explains that “Being able to age the leaf and rolled cigars for such a long period of time has created a very rich, smooth, yet complex smoke.”

Gran Habano will release the new Gran Reserva #3 with a Churchill(7×50), Pyramid (6 1/8×52) and a Gran Robusto (6×54). Due to the long aging process and special tobaccos used only 1,200 boxes of each size will be released across the country. New packaging will also accompany the Gran Reserva #3 to help distinguish it from our original #3 release.

Pricing will remain affordable at $6.80 (Churchill), $6.90 (Gran Robusto), and $7.10 (Pyramid) – not including local taxes. Shipments are scheduled to reach retailers during the first week in November.

NAPLES, Fla., Nov. 23 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — DomRey Cigar, Inc. is proud to announce it has been awarded by Heavenly Cigar Company, Inc. the exclusive U.S. distribution of its Heaven and Red Lion brands of premium cigars. The transition is scheduled to take effect December 1, 2010.

DomRey Cigar, Inc. currently distributes their own brands Cuvee, and Cusano (cusanocigars.com), as well as the U.S. distribution for Panter and Mehari’s brand from Royal Agio Cigar.

Heavenly Cigar has been at the forefront of the flavored cigar market with their “HEAVEN” brand of premium flavored cigars. The recent success of their highly rated “Red Lion” brand has seen the company expand into the premium cigar market.

DomRey Cigar, Inc. is excited about the opportunity to represent both Heaven and Red Lion brands to retailers across the country.

We look forward to continuing our high level of service to all of our valued customers.

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.

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).

Using long fillers and staying true to the Corojo #5 blend the El Gigante is intended to be smoked. A device has been designed and implemented that will attach to the end of the cap allowing for up to 200 people to smoke the El Gigante at one time. A full sized band will finish off the cigar making the appearance identical to the other sizes in the line. Everything will be shipped in self-contained wooden tube mimicking the design of the Corojo #5 boxes.

A special team of personnel has been dedicated to making this special cigar for anyone who places an order.  All orders must be placed through Gran Habano directly and the suggested MSRP is set at $200,000.  Anyone who places an order will be flown to the factory to oversee and take part in the El Gigante experience.

The Corojo #5 El Gigante will make its debut appearance June 25^th at the Famous Smoke Shop Cigar Expo in Easton, PA. It will also journey around the country making appearances at official Gran Habano AZTECA events and at the annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) convention.

About Gran Habano Cigars
Gran Habano Cigars was founded in 1995 by Guillermo Rico and his son George Rico. Using only the best raw materials on earth, Gran Habano begins the growing process with Habano and Corojo seeds which are grown on company-owned farms in Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The process comes to fruition at our boutique factory, which focuses on quality control and high-end productivity making it one of the top cigar companies in the world. http://GHCigars.com

This is the official press release from Gran Habano Cigars.

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It started with Jose Blanco, the affable head of sales for La Aurora, discoursing on the state of the cigar tax in the industry.  At first I scratched my head and thought “what does the cigar tax have to do with immigration?” but soon all would be revealed.  When the rumoring of a ten dollar cigar tax started floating about the industry, a study of the cigar industry was quickly executed by Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca of Joya De Nicaragua and Jose Blanco of La Aurora.

In the study they found that close to a quarter of a million individuals who worked in the factories would be affected by the increase in taxes.  As Jose Blanco posited it,  if those factory workers all belong to typical family units, then up to a million individuals throughout the Central and South American regions would be adversely affected and most likely be in search of new economic opportunities.  In short , this would be where immigration comes into play.

Displaced workers would work their way towards the US borders in droves, in hopes of better economic opportunities.  Meanwhile, the small brick and mortar tobacconists in the states would be shutting down due to their overtaxed establishments.  These economic and immigration woes would all be a result of the overtaxation of the cigar industry.

As Jose stated, immigration should be done through the proper channels, and those who go about it the right way should be rewarded, but an increase in taxes will continue to pummel an industry that is a major supporter of the economies of the Americas.  Point in case, La Aurora pays about ten percent of their countries national budget.  To put that in further focus, they are about 2.8% of their countries Gross Domestic Product!  Numbers like that illustrate quite handily the scope and size of these cigar producers.  If one takes away the industry by overtaxation, then many individuals will be displaced.

George Washington, one of our founding fathers, once said “If you can’t send money, send tobacco.”  Our proud country was founded on the major economic movement of tobacco, to take away this cultural heritage through continual taxing invites illegal immigration to increase, and the job market of the cigar industry in the states to diminish.  Jose Blanco and Guillermo Leon, the president of La Aurora had a vision for inviting the blogging  community down to their factory in the Dominican Republic, and that was to help create a community of informed writers.  Their heart is for the industry and their message is clear an informed reader is the best cigar buyer.  Being informed about the evils of cigar taxes is an important first step for our industry.  Thomas Jefferson in one of his treatises about government and religion stated that the day people gave up on caring and being informed, is the day that our government will fall apart and collapse into a corrupt machine.  So if you want to limit illegal immigration, keep small businesses in the USA, then take up the local and national fight against the cigar taxes in areas near you!

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.

“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.