Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars - GIVING THE GIFT OF MONTECRISTO . . . COFFEE?

GIVING THE GIFT OF MONTECRISTO . . . COFFEE?

GIVING THE GIFT OF MONTECRISTO . . . COFFEE?

Plus: More Women Sailing into Port!

Los Angeles, December 2 – One of the major trends in marketing over the past decade has been the explosion in "brand extensions."

You've seen them everywhere: a familiar brand name extended to new products, some of which have an obvious relationship to the original — like Bran Chex added to the famed cereal line — or some which don't initially make much sense . . . like when Cadillac introduced a luxury . . . truck!

So it is with Montecristo, the most famous name in cigars around the world. Although barely 70 years old, it is the name which even non-smokers will recognize as one of the world's top cigar brands.

In Cuba, the Montecristo brand has been logically extended to cigarettes, often made with the leftovers from the production of the famed cigars. And there is a Cuban-made Montecristo Rum that has been well received in some countries.

For the U.S. market, Altadis U.S.A. has also been busy with Montecristo brands. Of course, there are the cigars, introduced in 1994. But today, there is Montecristo, Montecristo Chairman's Reserve, Montecristo Habana 2000, Montecristo Peruvian Square Pressed, Montecristo Serie V, Montecristo Serie VI, Montecristo Serie VII, Montecristo Platinum and Montecristo White, among others.

Plus, of course, Montecristo humidors of various types. One of the most prized is a pyramid- style box in a lively blue or red finish, now discontinued, but often sold on eBay for hammer prices of between $225-325.

And now there is a charming Montecristo cologne, featured in 3-oz. bottles whose cap is shaped like three cigars!

But one of the most logical extensions is into coffee, given the rich tradition of coffee and cigars as complementary tastes for more than a century. There are several blends: 1935 Havana Blend, American Breakfast Blend, African Ngorogoro and Jamaican Blue Mountain, all offered by J-R Cigars.

Now, Altadis U.S.A. has formalized the relationship even more strongly by offering a holiday gift for the coffee and cigar fanatic: the Montecristo White Coffee Set.

This is a fabulous gift, which we saw in the holiday edition of the Holt's Cigar Company catalog. The package is impressive at about 17 pounds and starts a pack of 25 Montecristo White cigars in your choice of Churchill (7 inches by 54 ring), Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52) or Rothchilde (5 x 52).

Then comes the fun: a porcelain Montecristo White triangular ashtray, a pound of Montecristo White Havana Espresso Blend, a jar for keeping the coffee and a set of four espresso-sized cups and saucers!

Can you hear the infomercial announcer now? "Get this 36-piece set for less than you'd pay for these great cigars alone! Call now if you want to take advantage of this limited-production offer!"

Happily, there's some truth in the boast. Holt's is offering the set for the same price as a box of 25 of each of the cigars would go for: $270.00 for the Belicosos, $225.00 for the Churchills and $191.25 for the Rothchildes. And the quantities are actually rather limited.

What's next? I'm hoping for a clothing line, so I can get my very own "Cape de Montecristo"!

More Fine China:
The celebrated St. Regis Hotel in Beijing has opened the first Cigar Shop of Beijing dedicated to the sales of Cuban cigars.

A ceremony was held on Monday to mark the opening, projected to be the first of a chain of stores in Beijing and in other major Chinese cities. The inaugural store has high-profile space in the lobby of the St. Regis with space for sales and a special area for customer humidors.

So if you're going to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games, now you know where to get your Havanas!

Turning to Port:
Britain's Daily Telegraph is reporting that another all-male tradition — the after-dinner ritual of port and cigars — is now being joined by women.

"The arrival of port used to be the signal for women to retire to the drawing room for more ladylike pursuits while men and their cigars go on with the serious drinking" wrote Telegraph Consumer Affairs Editor David Derbyshire in Tuesday's editions.

Seems that those who track consumption of think like port now find that women make up 46% of all port drinkers. Moreover, most take it straight, rather than cut with lemon.

Melissa Draycott, the buyer for port for Sainbury's noted "The old tradition of women leaving men to their post-dinner port and cigars is well and truly over. These days, if women leave the dining room, they take the bottle of port with them."

Port is also finding a younger audience, although it has often been saddled with a reputation for being the favorite of the older generation. The article states that the Sainbury's survey found that a quarter of all port consumed in Great Britain is by folks aged 35 and younger.

Now if the same were true of cigars, we'll have a trend worth saluting . . . with port and more!
~ Rich Perelman

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