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TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR CO. ANNOUNCES WINNER OF GRAND PRIZE TRIP TO ARRINGTON VINEYARDS

peter — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:20:49 +0000

(Miami, FL) February 6, 2012—Toraño Family Cigar Co. is happy to announce Timothy Hudson as the grand prize winner of the month-long Toraño-Arrington wine fridge contest. This contest saw 25 lucky winners walk away with a Toraño branded stainless steel wine fridge and the grand prize winner being awarded a weekend trip to Nashville, Tennessee to visit Arrington Vineyards.

Timothy Hudson of Allentown, Michigan, who is an avid fan of Toraño brands, heard about the Toraño-Arrington contest and decided to make a trip with his brother to the nearest participating cigar store, Jenuwine Cigar Factory Outlet in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Hudson was originally introduced to smoking cigars while playing cards with friends. He quickly moved up to premium handmade cigars and notes that one of his favorites is the highly rated Toraño Exodus1959. While at Jenuwine and having a smoke and sampling the Arrington Vineyards-Toraño Antebellum Private Barrel Reserve wine, Timothy entered the contest by purchasing a box of Exodus. Timothy was later excited to hear that he won the raffle for the stainless steel wine fridge and was about to get a bigger surprise after he was automatically entered to win the grand prize.

A few weeks later at Toraño headquarters in Miami, Florida, Toraño Family Cigar Co. President, Charlie Toraño, reached his hand into a drawing box and pulled out the winning entry awarding the grand prize trip to Timothy Hudson. Timothy said that he was floored when he received a call from Jack Toraño. After gathering his thoughts he could only laugh out loud as he remembered that he promised to take his brother on the trip if he were to win. Timothy stated with a grin that he would envision taking his girlfriend to Arrington Vineyards for a romantic getaway, and then jokingly said that he spoke too soon by inviting his brother. Jokes aside, he said that spending a weekend with his brother while smoking cigars and drinking award winning wines is more than he could ask for.

The grand prize trip to Nashville, Tennessee will be an all-expense paid weekend experience with the highlight being a VIP visit to Arrington Vineyards complete with a tasting of their exquisite wines. Kip Summers, the winemaker and one of Arrington Vineyards’ partners with Kix Brooks (of Brooks and Dunn fame), will lead the tour and wine tasting. Also on the agenda will be a gourmet lunch on the outdoor bistro tables overlooking 75 acres of sheer beauty. Timothy will enjoy some of Toraño’s finest cigars as they are joined by Charlie Toraño himself. The experience of smoking some of the finest cigars, while sipping on award winning wines, will surely be a treat for any true cigar & wine enthusiast.

A leader in the cigar industry, Toraño Family Cigar Company is a four generation company currently based in Miami, FL. It enjoys a rich heritage and history in tobacco growing and manufacturing. For more information: www.Toraño.com. Please also follow Toraño on Face book: Toraño A family Cigar Company or on Twitter: @TORAÑO FAMCIGARS.

Also, for more information on Arrington Vineyards, please go to www.Arringtonvineyards.com

Ortega Serie “D” in stores soon!

Kevin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:18:05 +0000

Eddie Ortega is hitting the ground running and applications have been sent to the top retailers in the US for upcoming shipments. Orders are being restricted until production is at a sustainable level and more retailers are added. The Serie D will be followed up with other blends this year and showcased at the upcoming IPCPR show in Orlando in August.

The Serie D line by Ortega comes in both 10 and 20 count boxes in five sizes and is hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua using Jalapa and Esteli fillers and binder with a Mexican San Andreas Maduro Wrapper.

We just spoke with Eddie this morning and he is only expecting to be able to open 70 stores with the first shipment. This will be the only group of stores for the near future. Keep your eyes out Brothers and Sisters of the Leaf!

Follow Eddie Ortega on Twitter @eddieor

Join the Ortega Facebook Page Here

Be sure to check out the website where you can locate the retailers that will be carrying the Ortega Brand. www.ortegacigars.com

Macanudo Goes Big!

peter — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:47:21 +0000

General Cigar is bringing out the big guns. They are releasing two of your old favorites with a new twist. The Macanudo Café and Maduro are becoming the 3rd and 4th Macanudo cigars in the “Gigante” size (along with the Macanudo 1968, and Cru Royale). You will now be able to enjoy America’s best-selling cigar in the larger size, 6″ by 60 vitolas, and these will be available in stores February 2012. Packed in 25-count boxes, The Gigante will retail for $7.99.

The Macanudo Maduro has a fermented Connecticut Broadleaf Wrapper, Dominican fillers, and a San Andres Mexican binder. The Macanudo Maduros were first introduced in several sizes in 1999. Their flavor profile tends to vary within each size of the line so it will be interesting to compare the Gigante with the previous sizes, yet the aroma of nuts, coffee, fruit, and cream tend to be standard for the Macanudo Maduro.

The Macanudo Café is made with a Connecticut Shadeleaf wrapper aged 3 years, a Dominican Pilato Cubano filler, and a San Andres Mexican binder. This blend combines to deliver a deep, smooth, rich cigar which is mild to medium bodied, with a silky feel in hand and a mild taste that only Macanudo delivers. It has a buttery aroma, and has light pepper and spices.

The Macanudo line has a long history originating in Jamaica in 1868. Macanudo was first introduced in the US in 1971 by General Cigar Company, which celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2010. Macanudo is America’s best-selling premium cigar brand. Macanudo ensures you the same smooth relaxing smoke every time by using only the finest aged tobaccos.

“Macanudo fans have told us they get more bang for the buck out of large ring cigars, so we came out with the Gigante frontmark to round out the Café and Maduro lines. With so many cigar smokers reaching for large-rings these days, the new Gigantes are sure to become top-sellers.” – Bill Chilian, director of marketing for Macanudo.

The Corona Project: Declassified

Kevin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:53:54 +0000

Made by cigar Geeks, for cigar Geeks

What happens when a master cigar blender is driven mad by two cigar geeks? Through a series of interactive (both online and in-store) events to share information about cigar making and give consumers a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at a boutique cigar factory, The Corona Project will take you deep into the world of covert blending and stealth tobacco processing techniques.

The Corona Project that comes to mind from the 1960′s was in an era of Cold War confrontations and spy programs. The US Corona project was a series of spy satellites that were able to film Soviet activities and return to Earth from 1959 to 1972 and remained classified until 1992. The Dominican version hatched by Bowersox has been in development for some time now and is being declassified before the 500 12-count box limited release in the coming months.

George Rodriguez of Rodrigo Cigars, master blender William Ventura, and veteran cigar maker Kevin Michaels are collaborating to bring The Corona Project to market for Summer 2012. The project is being underwritten by Rodrigo Cigars but is the brainchild of cigar broker extraordinaire Brett Bowersox, an independent broker in New England.

The premise is simple, develop exemplary Dominican Puros in Corona, Corona Gorda, and Corona Doble sizes. The process, however, is extensive. The first Corona Project release will be exclusively to 12 Brick & Mortar tobacconists. Customer feedback from the most passionate smokers in the cigar community will drive the future releases.

The Corona class of cigars are tried and true vitolas that have been ignored by the mainstream but remain the first choice of cigar makers when developing and sampling a blend.

Wrapper: Dominican Republic, Bonao Maduro
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Flavor: Full

Factory: Tabacalera Ventura, Dominican Republic

Vitolas: Corona, Corona Gordo, Corona Doble

Follow: www.twitter.com/coronaproject

Today starts the iPad 2 contest!

peter — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:21 +0000

Starting today, Wednesday February 1st, whenever you read and comment on one of our great posts you will be automatically entered into our contest to win an iPad 2! That’s it! You can gain one entry per comment per day. This contest will run from today till February 29th at midnight, and the winner will be announced March 1st. Just make sure to post with a valid email when commenting so we can contact you if you win. You don’t need to include the email in the body of your comment. And if you’re thinkin it, we won’t share your email. It’s just that simple!

If you have never commented on our reviews, it’s very simple. Just tell us what you think. We have thick skin here. If you like our reviews or if you don’t like our reveiws, let us know. Want us to review a different cigar, different size, or tell you different things about the cigar? Just jot it down. It lets everyone know what we already know. A ton of visitors come here to read about relevant information and cigar reviews!

No SPAM allowed and no prices mentioned. We reserve the right to delete any comments we find inappropriate or offensive but legitimate opinions and disagreements may still be posted.

Also if there is something that you are interested in learning about tell us! We would be happy to put together an article for you! If there is a cigar you want a review about or anything else about cigars you want to know you can email me at peter.g@acigarsmoker.com and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Happy posting, and good luck!

Press Release: EDDIE ORTEGA RESIGNS FROM EOBRANDS CIGARS

peter — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:38:48 +0000

Effective immediately, Eddie Ortega has stepped down as president of EOBrands Cigars. His former duties will be taken over by his partner Erik Espinosa. Espinosa will officially take over operations on February 1.
EOBrands cigars are produced in Nicaragua and include the 601, Cubao and Murcielago brands.
Ortega has formed a new cigar company called Ortega Cigars and will manufacture and distribute cigars under the Ortega name. Ortega Cigars will be headquartered in Sunrise, FL.
“I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time and now is the right time,” said Eddie, who also said “Ortega will focus on developing long lasting brands at affordable prices. I have no interest in the so called limited release market, plenty of those are around. I’d much rather build solid brands that consumers enjoy and will be around for years to come,” said Eddie.
Ortega has been working with the Garcia Family, owners of the My Father Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua developing the blend for the first Ortega line the “Ortega Serie D”. Ortega plans to officially launch the line by March of this year.
Eddie has already met with various tobacco brokers who have expressed interest in distributing the company’s brands. “The brands will only be available to 300 authorized retailers nationwide. This will allow me to better serve and support those retailers who support my products, I don’t want to be the next cigar mogul, I just want to make great cigars that are reasonably priced and consumers enjoy,” said Eddie.
Look for the Ortega product lines at your local Tobacconist or visit the Ortega Cigar company website for more information on their products at http://www.ortegacigars.com.

If you’d like more information about this topic, please call Eddie Ortega at 888-358-1265 or e-mail Eddie at eddie@ortegacigars.com

My Father Federal Cigar 91st Anniversary Release 1/31/12

peter — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:08:43 +0000

Today, Federal Cigars of New Hampshire, as part of their 91st anniversary, releases My Father Le Bijou 1922 Federal Cigar 91st Cervantes. This is just one of the cigars they have planned for their 91st anniversary. It has a modified Le Bijou blend, and there will only be 200 boxes available to mail order customers. Exclusively at any of the Federal Cigar or Top Shelf locations in New Hampshire, there will be 50 boxes with a special Ecuador-Connecticut wrapper. Last year for their 90th anniversary they released the Tatuaje Federal Cigar 109 (reviewed by Cigar in Hand here), E.P. Carrillo Short Run 2010 No.4 (reviewed by Cigar Coop here), and Arturo Fuente Federal Queen B (Product page from Federal Cigar here).

Orders being taken NOW! You can read more from Federal Cigar’s page here.

About Federal Cigar:

Federal Cigar began its rich history in 1921 – when it opened the doors in downtown Portsmouth as United Tobacco. The United Tobacco location was run successfully for nearly 20 years by Melvin Goodman, when in the 1930′s United Tobacco began closing location across the country.

Having become a staple of the Portsmouth NH area, Mr. Goodman purchased the location in the late 1930′s. It was then that he officially changed the store name to Federal Cigar. Mr. Goodman owned and operated the store until his retirement, when in 1960 he sold to Harold Silverman.

During Mr Silverman’s ownership,Federal Cigar became a place of congregation in bustling downtown Portsmouth. Becoming a center for politics, current events, town business and more.

In 1981 the company was passed on to Leonard Segrin. The company was in the right hands, and continued its long history of quality, community, and service in Portsmouth NH.

The new age of Federal Cigar came to life in July 2008, when the company was purchased by Rick and Meghan Gadway. In less than three years the company has been expanded to four locations serving all of South East New Hampshire.

Our company has a long and rich history in the local community as experienced, knowledgeable, and professional tobacconists. Now with the most advanced online technologies and dedicated customer support team, we have brought our experience, industry connections, and quality products online for the world to experience.

Peter Glad Joins the A Cigar Smoker Team

peter — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:38 +0000

My name is Peter Glad and I’m the new content manager for A Cigar Smoker’s Journal. I’ve had a refined sense of taste since I was a child, likely the only 10 year old you’d ever find putting nutmeg into coffee. You won’t find me drinking the quarter beers or the cheapest vodkas, when I go for a night out a gin and tonic or an after five is more appealing to me, and in the summer nothing pleases me more than to sit pool side with a good Mojito.

I’m quite the beer aficionado having toured several breweries including Dogfish head’s brewery in Delaware, Yuengling‘s brewery in Pennsylvania, and I’ve actually brewed a few batches of beer myself. It is becoming more of a passion than a hobby for me. I love to learn about old brewing techniques, and the history behind different brews.

I’m working with Kevin Paige, who took over A Cigar Smoker’s Journal from Barry Stein, and entered into the world of cigars. Just like the world of craft brews, I love learning about the history of the companies and the process of cigar manufacturing. Every time I try a cigar from a new company I visit their site and find out everything I can about the company; where they are today, their process, what makes them different, and how they fit into our industry. I also love to talk with the Reps from the different companies that I’ve met, and learning as much as I can from them.

Some of the cigars that I’ve enjoyed most recently are:

The Liga Privada Feral Flying Pig by Drew Estate, this one packs a bit of a punch.
The San Lotano Connecticut by AJ Fernandez.
The Rocky Patel Winter Series 2012, my favorite cigar so far.
The Ale c Bradley Prensado Churchill, Cigar Aficionado‘s pick for best cigar of 2011.
The Pura Sangre and Estilo Cubano by Ventura Cigars.
The Casa Magna Colorado and Quesada Tributo from Sag Imports.

I live close to NYC and go down so often to visit family or go to music events I’m looking forward to visiting lounges and shops in the city in the near future. I also hope to visit and review shops and lounges across the country in the future. If you want to meet me, come find me at the IPCPR in Orlando, Florida this year.

If you have any questions for me, want a review of a certain cigar, want to talk about craft brews or just can’t afford a real therapist you can email me at peter.g@acigarsmoker.com

You can also contact Kevin Paige at Kevin@acigarsmoker.com

FDA Begins Issuing Fines up to $5,000

Kevin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:14:54 +0000

By Thomas A. Briant

Tobacco E-News | January 24, 2012

The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products has begun issuing “civil money penalty complaints,” which are used to begin the agency’s legal action against a retailer for alleged violations of federal tobacco regulations and can result in the assessment of a fine. The FDA’s website lists 20 retailers that have been sent civil money penalty complaints for various alleged violations, including selling tobacco products to a minor; failing to verify the age of customers that are 27 years old or younger by requesting photo identification; having self-service displays of cigarettes, roll-your-own or smokeless tobacco products; failing to remove self-service displays from the store; and, for adult-only tobacco stores, failing to sell cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products in a direct face-to-face exchange, without ensuring that a minor is not present or permitted to enter the store at any time.

Of the 20 retailers cited in the FDA complaints, the agency is seeking to assess a $250 fine on six retailers, a $500 fine on 11 retailers and a $5,000 fine on three retailers. The retailers being cited with a $250 fine have been inspected by the FDA at least twice, and have two to three alleged tobacco regulation violations listed in the complaint. The retailers being cited with a $500 fine have been inspected at least twice, and have three to four alleged violations in the complaint. The three retailers being cited for a $5,000 fine have been inspected at least twice, and have six alleged violations in the complaint. The penalty structure being used by the FDA is as follows:

Number of Violations Civil Money Penalty

1 violation $0

2 violations within 12 months $250

3 violations within 24 months $500

4 violations within 24 months $2,000

5 violations within 36 months $5,000

6 violations within 48 months $10,000

Out of the 20 retailers cited with a complaint, 11 retailers responded to the FDA’s warning letters that alleged retail violations while the other nine retailers did not respond in any manner to the FDA warning letters.

Source: Tobacco E-News
Related Terms: Tobacco, Cigarettes

About the Author

Thomas A. Briant

Executive Director

National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO)

info@natocentral.com

Win an iPad 2 from A Cigar Smoker’s Journal!

Kevin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:05:41 +0000

Beginning February 1, 2012, enter daily for a chance to win an iPad 2 from acigarsmoker.com! To enter, simply comment on any post on our site. Be sure to include your email so we can contact you if you win! Contest will end February 29, 2012 at midnight eastern time. Drawing to be held on March 1, 2012.

No SPAM allowed and no prices mentioned. We reserve the right to delete any comments we find inappropriate or offensive but legitimate opinions and disagreements may still be posted. Check back here for information next week. Until then, read on and enjoy our news and reviews!

Kevin Paige