Under the new pricing structure, Macanudo 1968 Churchill (7” x 49) will now be available for $7.69 per cigar or $153.80 per 20-count box (previous price was $10.00 per cigar or $200 per box). Macanudo 1968 Toro (6” x 54) will now carry an SRP of $7.49 or $149.80 per box (previous price was $9.50 per cigar, or $190.00 per box).
At 5” x 50, the Robusto frontmark (5” x 50) will now retail for $6.49 per cigar, with a box price of $129.80 (previous price was $8.50 per cigar and $170.00 per box). Rounding out the collection is Macanudo 1968 Gigante (6” x 60) which will now cost $7.99 apiece or $159.80 per box (previous price was $11.00 per cigar, or with a box price of $220.

To win, just share your best experience with Macanudo… For me my whole journey into cigar smoking started with Macanudo at a local cigar shop where I became a regular and eventually a manager. It also gave birth to one of my nicknames, “Barry Stats” due to my obsession with the New York Yankees. This contest is open until Friday, June 10th at 11:59pm. We will announce the winner on Saturday, June 11th.

Good luck!

The Winner: Jes has been notified via email

A few weeks ago we wrote how Macanudo and Excalibur teamed up with Callaway to give away 2 golf bags a week. Well this week they are teaming up with acigarsmoker.com to give away a bag to a lucky reader… Here are the details on our Handicap Contest….

• Submit a picture of yourself smoking a General Cigar product, get 1 raffle ticket.
• Submit a picture of yourself smoking a Macanudo or Excalibur get 2 raffle tickets.
• If either picture is taken on the links, we will add an additional ticket!

All pictures will be posted on acigarsmoker.com. Email entries to barry [at] acigarsmoker.com. Limit one entry per person, maximum tickets per person is 3. Deadline to enter is 5/18/2011 at 11:59pm. Winner to be announced by 5/20/11.

Sadly this contest is open only to those in the United States.

Product Information:

• Callaway Hyper-Lite 3.0
• Dimensions: 8” top opening, 3 lbs. total weight
• URL with product information: http://www.callawaygolf.com/Global/en-US/Products/Accessories/StandBags/Hyper-Lite3.0.html (black with Club Mac logo, Excalibur cigar case/cutter included)
• Includes a black Excalibur 4 finger leather cigar case with an Excalibur cutter

Good Luck!

You can learn more about 262 Cigars and learn how to become a part of the revolution at their website.

Contest Winner: Hyland, Comment #38

As I stated in another review, “These releases help retailers because the cigars being released that are specific to New York are for the retailer. It gives them something to sell that can’t be bought online. However it does nothing for the consumer because the prices don’t give us a cheaper option, it just gives us another option. Personally I do not have a problem with that, but  if you want to help the consumer come out with a good $8.00 cigar.”

Cigar: Broadway Series
Size: 5 ¾ X 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Corojo
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru
Strength: Medium
Twitter: @laauroracigars

Broadway Series by La Aurora

Appearance and Construction: The cigar has a wonderfully oily looking Ecuadorian Sumatra that has some veins present including one medium sized one that runs the sample of the cigar. This however does not take way from the overall beauty of the cigar which is well rolled with an exquisitely constructed cap. Looking at the foot of the cigar there is a dark swirl that is almost dead center of the smoke which creates an interesting contrast on this well packed stick. The wrapper is black, red, and silver with the city skyline over the words Broadway Series.

Flavor & Notes: I went with a straight cut utilizing my Xikar cigar scissors for the review stick. However, prior to cutting the foot offered up notes of sweet cherry, and spice. Once the cigar was cut the draw offered of some more sweetness, nuts and some earth notes. There is a vague familiarity about the cigar but I can’t quite place it at this time. Peruvian tobacco is my favorite tobacco and I have heard most people describe it as bitter, but for me there is a sweetness to it that makes it oh so distinct. Once the cigar is lit it is obvious that this cigar contains that tobacco. The first third serves up notes of cedar, nuts and a nice spice especially through the nose. The spice does not over power and compliments the subtle sweetness in the background of the smoke. As we enter the second third of the cigar the sweetness begins to develop into some notes of a faint chocolate and cherry, with a continued nuttiness and subtle cedar. The final third of the cigar picks up in strength and there are some notes of coffee that join the mix, with continued nuts, spices and a underlying sweetness.

Smoking Characteristics: Surrounded last night by people smoking the new Broadway Series the one thing that I really noticed was how well the cigar burned and how long the ashes held for. Even on my review stick I kept the ash for half the cigar with the stick sporting a razor sharp burn line throughout. The draw was impeccable and there was a nice nice aroma that was a little bit sweet to the nose.

Conclusion: Throughout the cigar there was a familiarity to the stick and I believe that this cigar would be the offspring of the 1495 BME and Guillermo Leon Signature. The cigar reminded me a little bit of both throughout the stick. Perhaps it was just something in my head due to the Peruvian tobacco, or really the case. The cigar provided a nice smoking experience with some good notes that is definitely worthy of a purchase.

Rating: 90
Price: $12.25

Disclaimer: I received a couple of samples of the cigar for review from my friends at Miami Cigar & Company and as always the typo’s and spelling mistakes have been left in this review for your amusement and to annoy my friend Gary Arzt.

CONTEST/RAFFLE: I know the fact I added CAPTCHA to the comments section is annoying but the amount of spam was through the roof. Anyway, leave a comment by Monday at 10am Eastern time and we will randomly select a winner to receive a 3 pack of these smokes!

Broadway Series by La Aurora

The cut off for entries is December 22nd at 9am Eastern with the winner to be announced on Christmas Eve and the list of the Top 10 published.

Good Luck!

According to the Thirteenth Floor Website who will give away a 3 pack to a random comment,

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 experience 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.

So does the 13th floor deserve to be stopped on, or do we wish the floor was skipped… only one way to find out..

Cigar: 13th Floor Foundation Series
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Twitter: @smokinonthe13th
Facebook: 13th Floor

Photo Courtesy of toastedfoot.com

Appearance and Construction: At first glance to me the 13th floor looked a little bit rustic. There wasn’t an over abundance of oils despite being kept in optimal conditions. There were also a fair amount of veins present on this cigar that had a decent weight to it with no soft spots. The triple cap was a nice touch and perfectly centered. The band to me screamed out bling and for some odd reason I felt the band and logo would make a nice album cover for 50 cent. Does this effect the cigar, no, but I did have fun with it.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the 13th Floor offered up cedar and caramel to the nose while the cold draw was very nutty with the taste being a very defined peanut. As I sat by the beach with my cigar on a day that reached 99 degrees I people watched and got lost in my cigar. The first third of the smoke offered up a slight spice, some wood and a slight sweetness which reminded me of caramel. As the second third was breached the wood notes remained  but were joined by a nice nutty taste. The sweetness was just about gone, and in due time nuts took over in terms of taste. The final third continued to be nutty with wood in the background and a subtle cocoa/mocha finish.

Smoking Characteristics: The cigar served up a nice light color ash that held for half the cigar with no flake. In fact when I ashed the cigar it was still strong, and gave me a little bit of a hard time on the tap. I could of gone longer but I was worried about putting a hole in my shirt which I am famous for. The draw was perfect, and the stick produced a nice amount of smoke with a good aroma. When I first started smoking it I was worried I would have a canoe on my last sample, but around an inch into it the stick corrected itself and burned even throughout. One item of note is the cigar had a pretty big carbon line which is usually a sign of the tobacco not being aged long so I wonder how they will get if you let the age. I could imagine only better.

Conclusion: I am glad the elevator stopped on the 13th floor as these were an enjoyable cigar. Thankfully Byan White from 13th Floor is giving you a chance to get a 3 pack to try. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and the 12th of July. Enter as often as you like, just never leave back to back comments. We will randomly select a winner on the 13th and Mr. White will send you a 3pack.

Rating: 90
Price: $8.25 MSRP

[Contest Over waiting for response from winner]

To win all you need to do is sign up to our new forums. http://www.acigarforum.com/ Once you sign up you will be eligible to win one of the following prizes.

1st Prize: CAO Champions Pack of Cigars, CAO Palio Cutter, La Traviata Baseball Cap
2nd Prize: CAO Champions Pack of Cigars, La Traviata Baseball Cap
3rd Prize: CAO Palio Cutter, La Traviata Baseball Cap
4th Prize: La Traviata Baseball Cap, CAO Jogging Jacket (Size: 2xl)
5th Prize: La Traviata Baseball Cap

Good luck winners will be announced on February 23rd.

The Sunday Links:

• Cigar Inspector gives us a take on the Exile Rosado.
• Toasted Foot lets us know about the Cuvee Blanc.
• The Holy Trinity smokes the Zino Embassy.
• The Friday Cigars is Canadian so he gets to smoke a Cuban Montecristo #2.

And a congratulations to Stew & Family of World According To Stew who welcomed his son Liam into the world.

To win all you have to do is comment on my posts between now and December 20th, 2009 at 11:59pm om posts from today forward. No back to back comments on the same posts, but the more comments you leave the greater chance you will have to win…

Good luck and now on to the Sunday Links…

• The Aspiring Gentleman offers a review of the Carlos Torano Signature Collection Perfecto.
• Toasted Foot gives us their take on the cigar you voted cigar of the year, the La Trviata by CAO.
• Fire Up That Cigar reviews the Don Pepin Cuban Classic 1979.
• Smoke Score has a review of the Davidoff Colorado Claro.
• The Velvet Cigar has their opinion of the Oliva V Maduro 2009.

Also be sure to check out Chief Hava’s Top Cigars of 2009.

So leave those comments and good luck on winning that gift certificate

Tom M is the winner and he has been contacted by email… While none of his top 5 sticks made the Top 10 List submitted by the readers of this website I am sure he will enjoy spending his $100.00 on cigars that he loves the most…

Here is the top 10…

10. Tatuaje Noelle Reserve
09. Nestor Miranda 20th Anniversary
08. Tatuaje Boris
07. CAO LX 2
06. Oliva V
05. Room 101 by Camacho
04. My Father Le Bijou
03. Padron Family Reserve
02. Epernay

and the cigar of the year chosen by the readers of acigarsmoker.com

01. La Traviata by CAO Cigars

If it wasn’t for you the readers we wouldn’t be able to do this.. so the money earned will be given back to you in a series of give backs to people who have become friends and to those who remain lurking in the background…

So here is the deal…..

We are approaching the time of year where the top smokes of 2009 are being formulated. I will post my list around Christmas, but this year we will also post a list of what the masses think… To have the chance to WIN A $100.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE to famous-smoke.com leave a comment with your TOP 5 CIGARS of 2009. Do so in order, because they will be weighted when we tabulate the entries. 1st is worth 5pts, 2nd is worth 4pts, 3rd is worth 3pts, 4th is worth 2pts and 5th is worth 1 point.

This contest runs to 11:59 pm on Thanksgiving Day. The winner will be selected by random draw and will be announced around 12 noon on Black Friday.

Good luck!

Please Note: Only those who leave a top 5 list will be eligible to win. Multiple entries from the same person will result in each entry becoming invalid.

Some people have emailed me unsure where to leave a comment. Click Here and scroll down to leave a comment.