Life Goes On

Griffin’s is launching the Special Edition Griffin’s Club Series III,  the ideal cigar to enjoy a night out Basel, March 2015.  This Special Edition Griffin’s Club Series III is the last version and completes the Series of three Club Editions. It is created for those who are constantly in search of a modern and entertaining cigar, for those celebrating exciting night outs. With the creation of this popular Robusto format, suited for a memorable nightlife, Griffin’s the brand also represents 31 years of tobacco know-how combined with a modern zeitgeist. Its design keeps building on the success of the two privious Club Editions bringing to life the famous spirit of Griffin’s clubbing. The Griffin’s Special Edition Club Series lll is very exclusive and therefore limited to 25’000 cigars worldwide. It comes in a gorgeous looking Ecuadorian Habano wrapper which provides its special creaminess. The Honduran tobacco in the filler is responsible for the typical spiciness. T

ROBERTO P. DURAN PREMIUM CIGARS & AZAN TOBACCO GROUP ANNOUNCES ITS PARTNERSHIP WTH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL ERIC PIRAS (Miami, Florida) March 17, 2015— Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars & Azan Tobacco Group proudly announces its partnership with Eric Piras. Roberto Pelayo Duran continues to make aggressive moves to further expand Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars. Eric Piras has a high public profile, significant management experience in the tobacco trade and a strong global expertise in sales and marketing for premium cigars. Based in Hong Kong, Eric has almost 20 years’ experience in the cigar industry in Asia-Pacific, and is one of the highest profiles in this sector. Prior to him partnering with Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars & Azan Tobacco Group, Eric Piras, a French national, joined Altadis (later acquired by Imperial Tobacco Group) in 1999. He then travelled the globe setting up, and strengthening distribution channels for the world’s number one cigar maker.

The flavors and aromas that come from a Cameroon wrapper have made them one of my favorite wrappers for years now. With the combination of a Cameroon wrapper and binder this CX2 Robusto from CAO Cigars was a real treat to smoke.   Looking at the Colorado Claro colored wrapper we see it's oily, nearly vein free and rolled on with seamless care. The 5 x 52 Robusto is packed well full length and finished off with a triple cap. From the cold cigar there are notes of sweet fermented tobacco to the nose, while the free draw contains nuances of spicy fruit. Once the cigar is burning the first draws provide an ample amount of medium bodied smoke with rich flavors of toasty, sweet and spicy fermented tobacco. Further up the body more flavors join in. We find oak, more spice, hints of coffee and cocoa plus a bit of brown sugar. While the flavor mix isn't super complex, it is pretty darn tasty. The CX2 wraps up its fifty-five minute burn with a sweet, spicy and toasty finish.

While the Belvedere™ E-cigar from Smart Smoke® has the appearance of "just another e-cigar" it's far from it. Inside the Belvedere™ there are soft and subtle features that make it rise above the rest. Read on and find what makes the Belvedere™ the cream of the crop. First, let's talk about the overall construction. Like I said, on the outside it looks just like many of the other e-cigars on the market. It weighs in at a slightly foot heavy 1.7 ounces and it measures about 6" x 46 ring--It's a bit heavier than comparable products, but that comes into play a bit later.  The durable wrapper is printed with a tobacco leaf pattern and it's rolled on tightly full length, (the picture was taken after four days of on and off usage). However the key difference in the Belvedere™ is the bite area.  If you've read my other reviews, you know that I love to chew on e-cigars while I write. The head of this e-cigar looks like all the others, but it'

Davidoff launches its Golf Limited Masters Edition 2015: the ideal cigars to enjoy and share with friends on a golf course or at the clubhouse Basel/Switzerland, March 2015: The Davidoff Golf Masters Edition 2015 has been created with moments of shared golf pleasure in mind. "Aficionados who enjoy a round of golf with friends while contemplating the perfect scenery of the course, and find pleasure in the great camaraderie and celebration at the clubhouse after their game, will fill their time beautifully with these exceptionally crafted cigars,” explains Charles Awad, Senior Vice President Global Marketing & Innovation at Oettinger Davidoff AG. For these new cigars, the Davidoff Master Blenders decided to play the long game, taking adventurous, great shots. They have focused on delivering rich aromas by mixing exclusive and specially matured tobaccos. The Davidoff Golf Limited Masters Edition 2015 comprises two formats - Toro and Robusto - that are specifica

Davidoff is set to unveil the new masterpiece humidor collection – “Cave de Paille” – crafted by renowned French artist Lison de Caunes – at Art Basel Hong Kong (March 13 – 17) Basel/Hong Kong, March 2015. The new Davidoff humidor collection – “Cave de Paille” – has been created in collaboration with French Artist Lison de Caunes. With these masterpiece humidors, Davidoff reaches new heights by showingcasing a craft requiring exceptional thoroughness, imagination and time. A craft that reflects the key traits of Davidoff Accessories by combining Art and Craftsmanship. Time and the art of filling time beautifully are at the core of the craftsmanship for Davidoff cigars: the time it takes to grow and age the tobacco, the time it takes to perfect the right blends and the time it takes to hand roll and to enjoy the cigars. Likewise, time is at the heart of the Davidoff humidor as the cigar ages beautifully in its cocoon at the proper temperature and humidity. During the

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 12th, 2015 – Room101, the Los Angeles based luxury lifestyle brand owned by Matt Booth, is proud to announce its second release of the bespoke retailer exclusive series, the new Room101 Ichiban Roxxo. The second of the Ichiban Series, a 48 x 4, is headed to Cigar Realm in Ashland, VA and will be available for sale on April 1, 2015. The cigar is medium-bodied and comprised of tobaccos from two different countries; a Habano wrapper from Ecuador, a Criollo 98 binder along with Corojo 99 fillers both from Nicaragua. Packaging for the Ichiban is inspired from previous Room101 releases and features tissue-wrapped cigars bound in decorative outer sleeves with the distinctive Sakura brand mark and a Japanese wave pattern. Ichiban, which means “first” or “number one”, will be Room101’s most tightly distributed and exclusive release to date. Only eight hand-selected retailers across the country are able to carry the line, custom developed in an exclusive size

Newly Designed Hospitality Lounge With an Interactive Window Presenting the Davidoff Art Initiative and Unveiling the New Edition in Davidoff’s Masterpiece Humidor Collection By «Maitre d’Art» Lison de Caunes #DavidoffArts #cavedepaille @lisondecaunes Polibio Díaz. The Jungle, 2014 Basel, Switzerland/Hong Kong, March 12, 2015 - As Associate Partner of Art Basel for the third consecutive year, Oettinger Davidoff will unveil a newly designed VIP hospitality lounge in the Collectors Lounge at Art Basel’s Hong Kong show from March 15 – 17, 2015. The new lounge will feature the Davidoff Art Initiative’s global programming and artists. During the Hong Kong show, the Basel-based manufacturer of premium cigars will unveil the most recent installment in its Masterpiece Humidor Collection, a new humidor collection designed by Paris-based artist Lison de Caunes, featuring the traditional artisan technique of marqueterie de paille (straw marquetry). Newly Des

VIVA REPUBLICA TO RELEASE LIMITED EDITION CULEBRA MIAMI, FL – Viva Republica ™ is pleased to announce the release of its Limited Edition Culebra .  The Company has produced one thousand (1,000) coffins each containing a traditional three-piece culebra. The Culebra is comprised of three unique blends, featuring that of the Company’s Rapture, Rapture Maduro and Guerrilla Warfare brands. The three cigars each feature a length of 5.75,” in a 39-ring gauge. Inside the five-packs include a production memo. This identifies the three pieces by wrapper, shade and discloses the blend breakdown for each cigar. “I’ve always been intrigued by and have enjoyed culebras and wanted to use creating one as an opportunity to feature three of our core lines,” said Jason Holly, owner of Viva Republica. The official launch will be held during the DC Tweet Up on Saturday, March 14 at Tobaccology in Manassas, VA from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. This limited run carries a Ma

Davidoff Art Initiative Inaugurates New Art Studios at Altos de Chavón School of Design in La Romana February 11 – 16, 2015 #DavidoffArts   Left: The Davidoff Art Initiative Studios in Altos de Chavón, Dominican Republic. Right: Eduardo Lima-Martinez, Central Romana Vice President of Administration; Leo Matos, Administrative Vice President of Central Romana Corporation; Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO and Member of the Board, Oettinger Davidoff AG; Dominique Bluhdorn, Founder of Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation; and Claudio Silvestri, Chairman and CEO of Premier Resorts & Hotels. Davidoff Art Weekend 2015. Photo by Alfredo Esteban. Basel, Switzerland, February 26, 2015 – On February 11-16, 2015, the Davidoff Art Initiative hosted the second Davidoff Art Weekend in collaboration with Altos de Chavón School of Design and Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. The culminating event of the weekend was the visit to the new artist studio facilities for the

Basel/Altos de Chavón (D.R.), March 2015. The first Ladies‘ Masterclass in the Caribbean was held by Oettinger Davidoff AG and Casa de Campo, Premier Resorts & Hotels, on 23 February 2015 in Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic. During the champagne reception, the Dominican Trio “Grupo Bien”, sang the most popular rancheros of the island and welcomed the ladies who wanted to learn more about cigars at first hand. In the light of a magnificent sunset, the 40 invited señoras gathered on the terrace of the Café Marietta in the pituresque Altos de Chavón for the pleasant and content-rich master class, which was held under the motto "Time Beautifully Filled". Vincent Krembel, International Brand Ambassador of Oettinger Davidoff AG, demonstrated the dos and don'ts of cigar enjoyment during the sensory soirée - from selecting the cigar, lighting and cutting it and to how to enjoy it. The programme also included a brief introduction of the process of

I'm really a fan of the cigars produced by the Foundry Tobacco Company and this Elements, Calcium is another nice one. There were issues with the wrapper and the burn on this stick, but the fantastic flavor mix more than made up for those small problems.  Even though I'm running a bit behind on reviews, I like Foundry cigars so much that I couldn't resist plucking this cigar out of its cool looking box on my last visit to Cigar Train .  The Calcium Robusto is box-pressed and covered by another of Foundry's great looking bands. Under the band there's a seamless, oily, maduro colored wrapper that only has a few smaller veins. I have to mention I was a bit disappointed because this wrapper had three, pencil eraser sized holes. Two were covered by the foot band, and the third was just below the triple cap. I'm happy to report that the holes didn't become an issue as the cigar burned they were only a cosmetic flaw.  From the cold foot there were f

Smoking the Mia Dora Corona you'll find a complex flavor mix ranging from spicy and sweet to earthy. Couple complex flavors with top notch construction and you have one nice smoke.  My first opportunity to smoke the Mia Dora was last year as a pre-release toro and it was an impressive cigar. The Mia Dora Corona from Emilio Cigars starts with a seamless Colorado Claro colored Habano Rosado wrapper covering a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Visually inspecting the cigar there only small veins visible in the wrapper, the wrapper has a nice oily gloss and it's finished with a triple cap. Checking the cold cigar for aromas and flavors there are notes of spicy sweet tea from the foot and the free draw tastes like spicy tea mixed with fruit. After toasting the foot the first flavors were a mix of medium/full bodied spice mixed with fruit. The spice quickly mellowed, as did the body, when flavors of black tea and fermented tobacco moved in. Soon to follow were notes of b

Silky smooth with notes of sweet caramel and mandarin orange up front, this El Salvador Malacara-B from Roast House Coffee produces an exciting, complex and decadent brew. Roast House Coffee El Salvador Malacara-B Location:  Spokane, WA Reigon:  El Salvador Roast:  City +  Brewing method:  Pour-over Once the bag's seal is cracked it's apparent these beans have been roasted to unlock their full potential as an aroma of toasty cocoa rises from the bag to greet the nose. After the beans are ground the aroma changes to a sweet mix of Mandarin orange and creamy caramel. During the pour-over the same sweet aromas swell drifting several feet into the room. From the hot cup the aroma shifts a bit with sweet, nutty, nuances of pecans and caramel. The first sips are light, smooth and slightly creamy leaving behind a soft, lingering palate wash with flavors of Mandarin orange and pecans coming to the forefront. As the cupped coffee cools soft notes of earthiness develop

(Miami, Florida) March 4, 2015— Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars proudly announces the expansion of its sales force to include industry veteran Strom Farbarik and Carolee Martin. Roberto Pelayo Duran has aggressively bolstered his sales team as this news comes only months after the additions of National Sales Manager Miguel Schoedel, Jack Torano, and Frank Cuden. Carolee Martin brings along a stellar background as she served as the Department of Defense GS 15 Senior Advisor for Special Operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In Afghanistan Carolee’s passion for cigars led her to become the first female President, of the Tali-banned Cigar Aficionado Club, Camp Gibson Chapter. Carolee was recognized for her contributions, as she was the first inductee into the Xicar Hall of Fame. Carolee’s new role will be as the Southwest Regional Manager. Strom Farbarik discovered his passion for cigars in the early 90’s. As a manager for Mike Ditka’s Resta

  (Miami, Florida) February 3, 2015— A.J. Fernandez Cigars, recognized for creating some of the most acclaimed cigars in the industry proudly announces the unveiling of the AJ Fernandez Lounge at The Perfect Smoke Cigar Lounge located at 213 South Lee Street, Salisbury, NC 28144. The Perfect Smoke Cigar Lounge opened its doors under the helm of owner and operator Darren Moody on July 26, 2012. Darren revitalized a Victorian house built in the 1870’s, were the shop now thrives. Darren and The Perfect Smoke Manager, Jeff Watkins traveled to Nicaragua in December of 2013 to visit various factories which led him to strike a friendship with A.J. Fernandez. Very quickly, the talks of collaborating, to create an A.J. Fernandez Lounge within The Perfect Smoke Cigar Lounge was under way. “I came away very impressed with A.J. as a person, and his first class operation in Nicaragua. I myself, being a huge fan of his cigars, felt inspired to create the A.J. Fernandez Lounge.”  O

Top notch construction, a hearty Connecticut Broadleaf vintage 2010 wrapper, plus big medium/full bodied flavor notes of espresso and chocolate. Does this sound like great cigar to you? It does to me. Read on and see how it smoked out. On my last visit to Cigar Train I noticed a box of ROMEO Añejo Robusto by Romeo y Julieta so I plucked one from the box and brought it home. In hindsight I should have grabbed a couple more.  Construction of this cigar is just what you'd expect from RyJ. It's seamless, the thick maduro colored wrapper has a couple of medium veins, but its packed well full length and topped with a tight triple cap.  Checking the cold aromas, the foot has a nice spicy fermented tobacco aroma while the free and airy cold draw has delicious notes of fruity chocolate.  Once the foot was toasted and burning the first draws contained notes of earth and cocoa. As the slightly wavy burn moved up the body there were some fruity floral flavors, a bit o

With a toasty cocoa flavor mix, top notch construction and a nice burn time, this Prohibition, San Andreas is another winner from  Rocky Patel . Let's take a closer look and find out why.  I picked this cigar up from Cigar Train a while back and just picked up the Broadleaf the other day so I'll review it soon. This Prohibition is covered by a stout, toothy and oily maduro colored San Andreas wrapper. Checking aromas from the foot there's a nice note of cocoa, while the free draw has nuances of oak combined with spicy cedar.  Once the cigar is toasted and burning there are initial medium bodied flavors of cocoa and leather. As the burn progresses nuances of spicy cedar, toast and toasted nuts join in.  The burn's a bit wavy in the first half, but it corrects itself by the midpoint and the second half has lots and lots of chocolate in the flavor mix. The Rocky Patel Prohibition San Andreas finishes its sixty-five minute burn with my favorite flavor of

Bean Box Sample 4 Fundamental Coffee Co. Stemwinder Blend Origins: COL, GUA, PNG & NIC Roast: Dark - Full City + Brewing method: Pour-over Price:   BeanBox.co  - $14 - 12 ounce bag This last  Bean Box  sample is the Stemwinder Blend By Fundamental Coffee Company. It's a four country blend dark roast that delivers a totally unexpected bright and lively sipping experience. Let's look a bit closer and see how this roast brews up. Opening the bag your nose is rewarded with an immediate blast of rich earthy chocolate from the oily, darkly roasted beans. After grinding the the beans into coffee, the notes of chocolate are more prominent, but once hot water is introduced the aroma profile really changes.  Wet, the aroma swells as the coffee blooms and there's a nice vegetal aroma of sauteed celery, But that's just the first impression. As the pour-over progresses the coffee gives off more of a pot roast aroma. You know what I mean, that warm, mo