CigarCyclopedia.com: News Feed

Davidoff Belicoso Supremo White Edition 2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:35:12 GMT

I think Davidoff makes amazing cigars. The quality of tobacco and level of craftmanship is always outstanding. I really enjoy Davidoff's fuller bodied cigars such as the new Puro d'Oro and I especially like the Davidoff Seleccion 702 Limited Edition 2009. Both of these cigars have more of the deeper, richer flavors that I look for in a cigar and the newest Limited Edition from Davidoff has just those qualities.

The Davidoff Belicoso Supremo White Edition 2011 is medium to full-bodied with notes of coffee and leather, but the best aspect of the cigar is the amazing spice rack notes that are tasted when retro-nasally exhaled. The cigar hits every part of the tongue making it a well balanced mouth watering experience. I would have to say this cigar ties the Seleccion 702 for my favorite Davidoff cigar. Both cigars are an amazing experience.

To buy Davidoff Belicoso Supremo <---Click Here.

Undercrown by Drew Estate

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:44:40 GMT

The long awaited, much anticipated Undercrown is finally here making it a fantastic smoking week at Corona Cigar Co.

The story behind the Undercrown is very interesting. The cigar rollers were smoking too many of the Liga Privada T52's, and who can blame them. This was restricting production, so the rollers were allowed to create cigars for personal consumption from the leaves of the plant the T52 comes from, but are not used in the T52. What the rollers created was something quite impressive and with a few tweaks from Jonathan, Steve, and Marvin the Undercrown was born.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Undercrown. It uses different leaves than the T52 and I was expecting something medium bodied and not quite as good as a T52. I was wrong on both counts. The Undercrown is full bodied (awesome) and every bit as good, if not different, than the T52. The cigar is creamy with a very subtle spice and earthy, and just about the most delicious thing I have had all year. The Undercrown is my new favorite cigar.

Call Corona Cigar Co. at 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

My Father Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:44:19 GMT

I am a huge fan of the My Father and My Father Le Bijou lines as are many cigar smokers. In fact many of the dedicated My Father smokers were requesting a box press cigar from Pepin. The Garcia's obliged by creating their first ever box pressed cigar, The Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo.

The cigar was released soon after IPCPR this year using the same blend as the Le Bijou line, Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro, with Nicaraguan binder and filler, however, I swear this cigar is stronger. Maybe it's my palate right now. This is a full bodied cigar with deep flavors of earth just like the non box pressed Le Bijou but it has a lot more nasal spice when it is retrohaled. Whatever the reason for its extra bit of strength, I'm loving it.

The My Father Le Bijou Box Press Torpedo is another excellent offering from the Garcia's factory. Call Corona Cigar Co. for availability 1-888-70-CIGAR.

EPC Maduro

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:06:18 GMT

One of my new favorite cigars released this year is the EP Carillo Maduro. Since re-entering the industry after parting ways with General, Erenesto has made hit after hit. In my opinion every blend he has released has been excellent and the EPC Maduro is exceptionally good.

The EPC Maduro is medium to full bodied and very complex. The cigar has loads of flavor with notes of coffee and semi-sweet chocolate that coat the palate along with a very nice, subtle cedar spiciness. This is a classic cigar in every aspect, from its flavor to its rustic looking wrapper, and hands down one of the best cigars released at the IPCPR. Enjoy EPC Maduro today, you won't regret it.

Illusione MJ12

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:49:20 GMT

Corona Cigar Co. received an Illusione shipment last week chock full of MKULTRA's and new Illusione maduros as well as my favorite Illusione cigar, the MJ12. The ULTRA is fantastic and I can't wait for the other sizes that will be released. However, I have been smoking a lot of the MJ12 because it is just so good.

MJ12 references Majestic 12 which conspiracy theorists say are a group of individuals in the government formed to investigate and cover up the Roswell space ship crash in 1947. The cigar is wrapped in foil to replicate a spaceship hull and shows what a great sense of humor Dion has.

The cigar itself is amazing. Medium to full bodied with overtones of coffee and leather. There is an undertone of cream that mixes nicely with the coffee flavors, it reminds me of a latte, a perfect mixture of strong espresso and cream. The MJ12 is a fantastic cigar not to be missed. Call 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

Fonseca 120th Anniversary Rarissimus

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:53:00 GMT

I promised in an earlier blog of the Domus Magnus to report on the Fonseca 120th Anniversary. This cigar commemorates the rich history of the Quesada family and their contribution to the production and art form of the cigar. The cigar blend was created to honor the family's Cuban heritage and has Cuban seed tobacco grown in Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The wrapper is a special sun grown Habano Vuelta Ariba that gives the cigar and intense but balanced kick.

I am highly impressed with the The Fonseca 120th Anniversary. It is an outstanding cigar and a perfect tribute to the years of cigar craftsmanship. The cigar is medium to full bodied, leathery, nutty and spicy. As an anniversary cigar, it could have easily been given a $10 plus price tag but instead runs in the $7 to $8 range making it available to more smokers and not just the big spenders. I love that, because I have been smoking a lot of these.

I highly recommend the Fonseca 120th Anniversary Rarissimus. <---Click here to buy.

Fausto: This Cigar Really Does Go to 11

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:35:23 GMT

The advertisement for Fausto shows an amplifier dial going past the normal 10 to 11. My first thought when seeing this ad was the opening scene of Back to the Future when Michael J. Fox blows out the amplifier by cranking it up all the way. The Fausto blew me away just as the amp did to Michael J.

I was highly anticipating the Fausto as I heard it was the T110 blend. I never got a chance to smoke a T110, but what I can say is the Fausto is probably the best cigar Pete has produced to date. And I loved, LOVED, the OR 2003 Cojonu so that is saying a lot. It is a very strong cigar but never sacrifices strength for flavor. Full bodied and very spicy on the retro-hale, the Fausto's predominate flavors are coffee and cedar with a subtle sweetness and undertones of dark chocolate.

A brief summation of the Fausto: Pure Awesomeness. Buy yours today at CoronaCigar.

Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limitada

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:39:18 GMT

IPCPR is over and with its end comes many wonderful beginnings as new cigars start to roll into the shop. Today was an amazing day for me as two new cigars hit Corona Cigar Co. shelves. Both cigars were from Quesada, best known as the creator of Fonseca. They have been releasing cigars under the family name, starting with the Quesada 35th, and these cigars were fantastic.

The two new releases we received today were the Fonseca Rarissimus CXX Anniversary and the Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limitada. I promise there will be a blog on the Rarissimus, done by either Cigar Alex or me, but in this blog I wanted to highlight my newest favorite cigar, the Casa Magna Domus Magnus.

It comes in two sizes; the Optimus, a 5 1/2 x 52, and the Primus, a 6 1/2 x 55. My first thought was, "Who is the Transformer fan in the Quesada family?" I like to think Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, is probably a cigar smoker, but I can't say for sure. I will say this cigar will definately transform your cigar smoking experience. (Sorry for the bad pun.)

The Domus Magnus is different from any cigar I have smoked before. It has loads of rich coffee and nuts. It is full bodied and sweet, but just the right amount of sweetness and is one of the more savory cigars I have smoked in a long time. They blended the Domus Magnus around a Sun Grown Jalapa wrapper. This is a must try cigar and unfortunately, like so many cigars I like, it is limited, so that means get as many as you can before they disappear.

Call 1-888-70-CIGAR for availability.

2011 Annual IPCPR Convention Recap - Part 1 by Jeff Borysiewicz

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:39:32 GMT

2011 Annual IPCPR Convention Recap - Part 1 by Jeff Borysiewicz

Each year the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association holds an annual trade show and convention. This is the largest premium cigar trade show on the planet with every non-Cuban cigar manufacturer represented. After being held in New Orleans for the past two years, this year's show was held in Las Vegas thanks to the pro-business State Legislature that passed an exemption to the indoor smoking ban, allowing tobacco conventions and their revenue (and tax dollars) to return to the state of Nevada.

At the opening breakfast, the IPCPR introduced William S. Spann as its new Chief Executive Officer. Spann seems to be just the kind of leader the IPCPR needs considering the local, state and federal legislative/regulatory threats facing America's historical cigar industry.

Spann had served as chief of staff of the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and, before that, as president and chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida. He served as part of Governor Jeb Bush’s executive leadership team first as communications director and then chief of staff at the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Spann earned the rank of Commander during a 20 year-career with the U.S. Navy. His final duty station was as Director of Communications for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis where he also taught Ethics and Moral Decision Making for the Junior Officers. (Spann replaces Joe Rowe who retired as Executive Director after ten years at the helm of the IPCPR.)

Every two years the IPCPR swears in a new President who is elected from it's Board of Directors. I have had the honor of serving on the IPCPR's Board for the past three years and have had the pleasure of working extensively with outgoing President Gary Pesh, owner of Old Virginia Tobacco. Gary was perhaps the most dedicated, pro-active and engaged President that the IPCPR has ever had. Gary and a team of fellow cigar retailers including myself will continue to serve on the IPCPR's Legislative Committee to protect America's premium cigar retailers, manufacturers and consumers from unfair cigar taxes and anti-cigar legislation.

The new President of the IPCPR is Curt Diebel from Diebel's Sportsman's Gallery in Kansas City, MO. Curt is an "old school" second generation tobacco retailer and has some big shoes to fill. Hopefully he will build upon the amazing progress that the IPCPR has made in the past four years. We will keep you informed on his performance.

There were some great new products at this year's show. I'm writing this as I sit on a plane on the flight home so forgive me for only highlighting a few.

During the show, the Drew Estate booth was packed every day and they introduced two new cigars that have a lot of buzz surrounding them. Liga Privada is getting a line extension with a classy looking cigar called "Undercrown". Hopefully they will be able to keep up with demand as our Liga Privada shipments are never large enough to keep up with our orders. The other new cigar is called "My Uzi Weighs a Ton" which is blended by Jonathan Drew and made in the Joya de Nicaragua factory. We had a few pre-release Uzis for sale and they quickly sold out in our retail stores as they were a hit with our customers. I'll have "Big Guns" Neal and Cigar Alex write a review on all the new cigars when they arrive in our stores.

Dion Giolitto with Illusione Cigars has a beautiful box-pressed version of his cigar coming out and this cigar has a gorgeous wrapper. (It uses Aganorsa Nicaraguan tobacco so I'm not surprised.) Since I can't light up on the plane, I'll have to get back to you about how the cigar smokes. Can you believe that you use to be able to smoke a cigar on a plane? Oh how I could go for a cigar right now...

I smoked the new, limited edition box-pressed Casa Magna from Manolo Quesada and Nestor Placensia. This cigar is great, with a nice balance of flavors. I'm looking forward to smoking more of these.

Pepin Garcia and his son Jamie had some great looking new cigars. There is a limited edition humidor filled with My Father cigars that is pretty cool and I look forward to smoking these when they are ready. Speaking of ready, some one keeps farting on the plane and I'm ready to light up my cigar to help kill the smell in here...good grief.

There are a bunch more new cigars to write about in "Part 2" of my blog including a cigar packed inside a 50 cal bullet and an awesome "art" cigar from Puros Indios. Wait until you see these...absolutely incredible!

Next year the IPCPR convention returns to Orlando after a 15 year hiatus. Hopefully the trade show will alternate between La Vegas and Orlando giving cigar retailers on both coasts two great entertaining cities to visit.

Regards,

Jeff Borysiewicz
President & Founder
Corona Cigar Company

About IPCPR

With more than 2,000 members throughout the U.S. and 31 foreign countries, the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association is the leading non-profit industry organization representing retailers, manufacturers and distributors of hand-made cigars, pipes and accessories. Stores displaying the IPCPR logo are recognized as premier purveyors of premium tobacco products. Members of IPCPR have access to IPCPR market research, trade shows, services, publications, and participation in community, constitutional and legislative action programs.

Quesada 35th Anniversary

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:20:01 GMT

Quesada isn't a new brand in the cigar world; in actuality it comes from one of the most established cigar families, but normally they are represented under the Fonseca brand. This is the first time the Quesada Family has used their last name for a cigar, but 35th Anniversary is an important milestone. The 35th Anniversary marks when the Quesada Family became the first cigar company to setup in the Dominican Republic's free zone.

Manuel Quesada, head of the Fonseca Cigar Co., played a very little role in the creation of he cigar; his daughters secretly were creating the cigar to surprise their father. A rare Arapiraca grown in Ecuador was selected for the wrapper for its oily, chocolate complexion. The filler is comprised of 3 tobaccos: Dominican Cuban Criollo from 2008, Dominican Vuelta Arriba ligero and Nicaraguan Esteli ligero.

The Quesada 35th Anniversary is a medium to full bodied journey through a complex array of flavors. The beginning boasts impressive strength married with espresso and cedar. Those flavors hang through the entire smoke, but every so often notes of hay, white pepper and anise dance across the palate. These won't be around forever, visit at http://www.coronacigar.com/ or call us at 1-888-70-CIGAR and snag up what you can!