GENERAL CIGAR TO CELEBRATE ITS 50^TH ANNIVERSARY

National Cigar Event Series to Kick Off in July

Richmond, VA—General Cigar will commemorate its golden anniversary with a ten-city tour that will hit chic, cigar-friendly venues across the U.S. beginning on July 27 at Chicago’s swanky Vertigo Lounge in the Dana Hotel, and ending on November 11 at the legendary Foundation Room in Las Vegas. The complete event schedule appears on the General Cigar 50^th anniversary website www.cigarcelebration.com.

At each event, General Cigar will welcome tenured cigar enthusiasts and fellow connoisseurs drawn to the lure of handcrafted cigars to celebrate the company’s past 50 years of artistry in cultivating venerable brands such as Macanudo®, Punch®, Partagas®, Hoyo de Monterrey® and La Gloria Cubana®.

Benji Menendez, the legendary cigar master who recently celebrated his 58^th year in the premium cigar business will be on hand to regale event attendees with glorious stories spanning five decades of tobacco cultivation across Latin America, South America, the Caribbean and the U.S. Emerging cigar masters Michael Giannini and Rick Rodriguez and other key General Cigar staff will also be present to pair a selection of the company’s new and critically-acclaimed cigars with fine wines, spirits and hors d’oeuvres.

Debo Mukherjee, vice president of marketing for General Cigar comments, “At General Cigar, we take great pride in our heritage and our unparalleled tobacco expertise. We developed this event series to celebrate the people whose passion and mastery have made General Cigar one of the world’s foremost producers of premium cigars. Invited guests will not only have a chance to experience the premium cigar lifestyle in a connoisseur’s setting, but will also have a rare opportunity to learn about tobacco cultivation and blending from Benji Menendez, our cigar sage, and from the emerging cigar masters who will take our company into the next half century.”

General Cigar Co. Inc. manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo, Cohiba®, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

®  Macanudo, Punch, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana, Cohiba, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.

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Jerry responded to our conversation by meeting me outside and gifting me a La Palina 1896.  I asked him if I should smoke it then or if I should let it rest for a while, to which he responded, “smoke it now and see how it goes.”  The cigar has a nice oily wrapper that sports some veins and rough texture.  The pre-light aroma consisted nice sweet tobacco, a little spice, and cocoa.  The pre-light draw was a little loose and offered up notes of sweet tobacco followed by a lite cocoa note.  At this point I obliged Jerry’s kind gesture and sparked this beauty with my trusty Lamborghini Forza.

When I actually got into the cigar things only got better.  The cigar produced loads of creamy smoke that coated the palate with a wonderful sweetness.  I actually made the comment to several people that the first few draws reminded me of dessert.  I picked up lots of caramel notes, so much so that it reminded me of a bread pudding I ate once in Louisiana.  As the cigar progressed I started to pick up some of the cocoa that was present pre-light and a little black coffee.  The flavors were incredible and progressed nicely from start to finish.  I did have a few burn issues with my only sample, but I tend to place the blame on the terrible Tennessee heat and humidity that plagued us on Saturday.  This little issue is why I smoke multiple cigars for a full review, but in this case I’m excited because I’ll have to smoke a few more samples of a cigar I thoroughly enjoyed to produce a true review.

I’m not sure when I’ll be able to pick a few more of these up, but as soon as I do you can count on a full review to be posted.  The La Palina 1896 was really enjoyable and I loved the flavors that it produced.  If I had to give a bad mark at all it would be the price (MSRP of $19.00).  This one happened to be a gift courtesy of a kind BOTL so I can’t complain, but they are a little pricey.  But at the end of the day we all have different budgets so I would not hesitate to recommend this cigar, but for me it would be a special occasion purchase.  Stay tuned for a full review and thanks again to Jerry for sharing this beauty.

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For those not familiar with the project the bike was built for CAO by Sucker Punch Sallys of Scottsdale, Arizona.  For the past year the “lady” has travelled the country, stopping at various cigar outlets along the way as part of CAO’s Lady Liberty tour.  Along the way a few lucky folks won entry into the sweepstakes at these events, and you also had the opportunity to get in on the action by entering online.

As far as the event itself was concerned; well let’s just say the folks at CAO really know how to throw a party, and for all of you guys that missed it you truly missed a knock-out event.  Upon entering the festivities you were greeted by two lovely young ladies who handed you a nice Lady Liberty t-shirt and a bag that included a few cigars and some nice CAO swag.  From the free cigars and swag to the food, no aspect of the party was overlooked.  Bartenders served libations from an open bar (yes, open bar) and there were two kegs of locally brewed Yazoo beer freely flowing outside under the tent.  By the way, they weren’t serving your typical “well” liquors; instead they poured Jack Daniel’s, Bulleit Bourbon, Crown Royal, and Finlandia Vodka just to name a few.  All of these paired really well with the complimentary La Traviata, America, and Gold that the young ladies had handed out earlier.

Then there  was the food which came courtesy of Morton’s Steakhouse.  The chef’s kicked out some wonderful items from their outdoor kitchen that would not necessarily be considered your typical cookout fare.  At any given time you could grab a Grade A slider, Maryland crab cakes, “huge” bay scallops with apricot chutney (my personal favorite), grilled asparagus, and fresh tomatoes with mozzarella.  I personally went with a plate that included a slider, a couple of crab cakes, and few of the scallops with the amazing apricot chutney.  My food choices also paired nicely with the America I had lit while waiting in line.

As soon as I had finished my lunch I made my way back outside for the big announcement.  This was the moment that everyone had been waiting for; the “giveaway”.  After a year long tour the lovely “Lady Liberty” would finally be awarded to one lucky semi-finalist.  I finally made my way out the door when I heard Cigar Dave announce that Keith Henninger was the lucky winner of the bike.  A fitting ending to a great contest.  I say this because I remember Keith being interviewed earlier in the day by the film crew from Sucker Punch Sallys and actually tearing up a couple of times.  I didn’t have the opportunity to meet all of the semi-finalists, but after meeting Keith I can safely say that the prize was well deserved.  Congratulations Keith and thanks to everyone at CAO for a wonderful day.

Thanks to Jerry for giving some great advice to the new guy in the blog world and for the beautiful La Palina, and thanks to David for hanging throughout the day and coming out to UPtown’s with the Nashville Cigar Club crew afterwards.  It was a true pleasure hanging with you guys yesterday and I look forward to doing it again.

For David’s view point on all the festivities check out his article at Tiki Bar Online.  Some of my pictures didn’t turn out so well, but thankfully David took lots of pictures that did turn out which you can view on his Facebook page.  As for Jerry’s take, there was no post available when I published my article (I’m sure he was still on the plane) so keep checking on Stogie Review for Jerry’s video documenting the event.

Photo of “Lady Liberty” courtesy of David and Tiki Bar Online.

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 Richmond, VA—On July 14, 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of General Cigar in the latest round of litigation in the Cohiba® trademark case, affirming that General Cigar is the rightful owner of the Cohiba trademark in the U.S.  

According to Dan Carr, chief operating officer of General Cigar, “The Second Circuit court’s ruling upholds what we have always believed since we first filed a U.S. application to register the COHIBA trademark in 1978:  that General Cigar is the rightful owner of Cohiba in the U.S. We continue to remain confident that our exclusive right to the Cohiba cigar brand in the U.S. will be upheld even if Cubatabaco attempts further legal efforts to challenge these rights.”   

The appeals court concluded that Cuban-government-owned Cubatabaco’s argument that a change in a law justified re-opening this case was “without merit” and restored the U.S. Court of Appeals’ ruling in 2005 in favor of General Cigar over Cubatabaco. 

In various court opinions beginning in late 2008 and into early 2010, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that there were changes to New York State Unfair Competition law that provided Cubatabaco the basis to re-open this case. Yesterday’s Appeals Court decision overturned the lower court’s rulings.  

Cubatabaco first filed suit against General Cigar in 1997, claiming rights to the Cohiba name in the United States under U.S. law, although Cubatabaco had failed to take any legal action against General Cigar for nearly 20 years. 

About General Cigar

General Cigar Co. Inc. manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo®, Cohiba®, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com. 

®  Cohiba, Macanudo, Punch, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.

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• Cigar – Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series
• Filler – Dominican, Nicaraguan
• Binder – Connecticut Habano
• Wrapper – Cameroon
• Price – $9.95
• Shape – Majestuoso/Corona Gorda (6 x 46)

So I know it’s been a while since we’ve posted any new content and for that I apologize.  Today I’m posting a long overdue review of the Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series Majestuoso.  When this cigar debuted I was a little hesitant to give it a try based on previous experiences I’d had with other Dominican Partagas cigars.  However, after much persuasion from a fellow BOTL I decided to give in and give them a go, and man am I glad I did.

In 2009 Benji Menendez celebrated his 57th year in the cigar industry.  In the same year he introduced the eponymous, Master Series which he crafted to pay homage to the Cifuentes family.  This is a limited edition offering of only 5,000 boxes of 20 cigars.  For those that aren’t aware, Mr. Menendez has worked with some of the largest names in the cigar business and has blended and/or been responsible for some true gems and this cigar is certainly no exception.

The cigar has a beautiful chocolate brown Cameroon wrapper that sports a few fine veins and a some tooth.  It’s a little rough to the touch which I find a lot with Cameroon wrapper tobacco.  The seams on the wrapper and cap are nearly invisible.  It’s firm to the touch and is very well packed with no soft spots.  Honestly, the four cigars I sampled for this review were near perfect on the construction checklist.

Prelight the cigar offered up a variety of aromas consisting of earth, cocoa, cedar, and a slight spice at the foot.  The prelight draw was effortless and offered up the same peppery spice along with cedar and cocoa.  To be honest the amount of spice caught me a little off guard at first as it was completely unexpected, but it was really nice along side the cocoa notes.

After lighting the cigar produced large amounts of smoke that coated the palate with a wide array of flavors.  The first third offered up a lot of peppery spice, especially on the retrohale.  Following the pepper were notes of cedar mingled with the cocoa and coffee, finishing with a nice woodsy tone.  Even with all of these flavors swirling around the cigar maintained a very nice balance.  The burn was absolutely spot on perfect with a very nice gray ash.  The ash only held for an inch or so before I noticed it leaning ever so slightly, so I quickly tapped it off to avoid a lap full of hot ash.

The peppery spice continued into the second third along with the cedar and cocoa notes.  I did pick up some coffee notes midway into the second third, which melded nicely with the cocoa and cedar.  The cigar did maintain the same nice balance and was still burning perfectly with a nice gray ash that held on for a little longer than it did at first.

Into the final third the cigar was still burning perfectly, it was cool throughout, never once hot.  The peppery spice was there until the final puff along with coffee and slight cocoa notes that took a backseat to the predominant woodsy/cedar notes.  The finish was still very smooth and the flavor maintained the same great balance all the way to the nub.

Overall, I really enjoy this cigar and would recommend it to anyone without hesitation.  I’ve actually purchased close to two boxes of these cigars to date and will continue to do so until they are long gone from my local B&M.  To borrow a quote from Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of the Year edition, “this just might be the best Dominican Partagas I’ve ever smoked.”  Based on the balance of flavors and the box worthiness the cigar earns a whopping 9.5 out of 10.

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While enjoying some time off I was able to get out with friends several times for a few nice herfs. At one such herf, Tom and I started discussing the possibility of doing our first contest to give away a nice lighter courtesy of our friend Les Mann at Colibri. Once we’ve racked our tiny brains and come up with a fool proof idea/contest we’ll get it posted and let everyone know the ground rules.

Be sure to keep an eye out, because our newest review will be posted very soon. If you follow my tweets (lacking lately as well) you have the unfair advantage of knowing what cigar review will be next. The next review is on a Cameroon wrapped cigar that has been a staple in my humidor since debuting last year. It’s a cigar that I smoke quite a bit, and as a matter of fact actually smoked last night. I smoked the first one and simply had to have more! I knew I wasn’t the only one who shared the same opinion when I saw the cigar garner high praise in Cigar Aficionado’s top cigars of the year. You may (or may not)have guessed by now that the cigar I’m going on and on about is the Partagas Benji Menendez Master Series Majestuoso. So if you’re a fan of this stick keep your eyes on the site over the next couple of days for the review.

Thanks for being patient with us over the last couple of weeks and be sure to keep the comments coming!

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When I toured the humidor there was one new cigar that caught my eye; the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial.  I’ve been looking forward to sampling these cigars since first hearing they were being released.  I had also heard several good things about them a few nights before from several trusted sources.  I was a little disappointed that the Toro Gordo was the only size available because it’s not normally my first choice of vitola.  I was really looking forward to sampling the petite robusto which has been a favorite vitola of mine as of late thanks to the My Father Le Bijou 1922 offering of the same size.

The cigar was very well constructed, but I noticed it was a little wet which made it a little difficult to light.  However, once the cigar got going it produced loads of smoke and held a nice ash with very little flaking.  I picked up a nice sweetness right away which I’m sure was due to the wonderful dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  The predominant flavors were cocoa and cinnamon along with a slight peppery spice.  The cigar almost seemed to flaten out a little toward the start of the final third, almost like it lost it’s oomph.  I still picked up a lot of the same flavors into the last third, but it never quite graduated to that “next level”.  I did purchase a few additional sticks so I could give this offering another try.  The flavors were nice and I think the cigar deserves a second chance, but I think I’ll dry box the next one for a day to prevent the same issue I experienced today.

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• Cigar – Serafin de Cuba
• Filler – Dominican/Nicaraguan?
• Binder – Dominican/Nicaraguan?
• Wrapper – Ecuadorian
• Price – $100 for Bundle of 25
• Shape – Churchill (7 x 48)

A Couple of weeks ago I contacted Arnold Serafin about possibly reviewing some of his cigars for the Nashville Cigar Club podcast and this site.  Arnold was most gracious and agreed to send us some samples for review.  The fact that the cigars came to us for review does not sway our opinion in the slightest.  We at cigarblog.net remain completely subjective, and regardless of price we can share a true opinion based on the smoking experience.

Serafin’s website has this to say about his creation. “Our Serafin de Cuba Cigars are entirely handmade in our factory in Florida in small batches by skilled Cuban Master rollers. Our cigars are all made from authentic Cuban seed tobacco imported from Nicaragua and The Dominican Republic and beautifully finished with Ecuadorian wrapper, one of the world’s best. This is a blend that can be enjoyed by all.”

Serafin de Cuba cigars are sold in Arnold’s stores in Tarpon Springs and Spring Hill, FL as well as through his website.  I think as any cigar lover would attest, it’s always nice to find something new and a house blend crafted by a Cuban Master Roller definitely fits the bill.  I was extremely excited to light the first of these beauties and see if they smoked as good as they looked and smelled.  The cigar itself is well packed with no soft spots.  The slightly oily caramel colored wrapper maintains a consistent color and does have a few small veins, but overall nothing to get in the way.

After clipping the cap I began my pre-light walkthrough.  The foot emitted aromas of sweet tobacco, hay, and earth.  The pre-light draw gave a little resistance which is always nice and offered up the same flavors with hay being predominant.  The first third of the cigar continued to offer the same notes of hay with the occasional hint of wood and roasted nut on the retrohale, while finishing with a nice creaminess.  The cigar produced loads of nice creamy white smoke and burned wonderfully, with the ash holding well over an inch with no flaking.

The flavor began to pick up a little into the second third.  I was still getting the same notes of hay, wood, and nuts with an occasional touch of black coffee.  The burn was great and the ash was still holding very well.  The cigar was still producing large amounts of smooth smoke which offered the same creamy finish as the first third.

Black coffee became the predominant flavor toward the end, followed still by notes of wood and roasted nuts.  The cigar did develop a little bitter “bite”toward the end, but if you like a nice strong cup of black coffee it was a nice bitter flavor.  I know that will make sense to those of you that enjoy a strong cup of coffee or espresso.  In spite of the bitter notes it still maintained the smooth creamy texture to the nub.  The cigar offered some nice changes from start to finish and is definitely a stick that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.  I truly enjoyed these cigars and would safely rate the Serafin de Cuba Churchill a 9 out of 10.

So if you’re looking for a good cigar or just something new, look up Arnold Serafin and his Serafin de Cuba cigars and place an order.  He offers several different vitolas in both a Connecticut and Maduro wrapper that range in price from $100 to $125 for a bundle of 25 well crafted cigars.  The cigar offered great flavor and as you can see, the price is a steal for such a good cigar.

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Last night I had the pleasure of having a cigar with Mel Gonzalez, the president of Canimao cigars. I have had a Canimao Classic Natural before, but it was a little on the mild side and better suited for a morning smoke. I have only seen them at a few locations, and they are strict about allowing distributors and online retailers carrying their brand, which I respect a lot.

When I first sat down with Mel, I smoked one of the naturals they were handing out to try. He asked me what I thought about it, and I proceeded to explain that I liked the construction and burn, but that it was a little milder than I normally smoke. Then he suggested that I try the Canimao Classic Robusto Extra Dark.

I grabbed the cigar and went through my typical pre-light ritual. It had a very nice, dark wrapper, with a nice Cuban twist on the cap. A very well constructed cigar with a very nice aroma. I would have to describe it as earthy. I hit it with the torch and took my first draw and it smoked very well. Full clouds of wonderful smoke, and then it hit me. I have never tasted this before. I mean, when you smoke some cigars, they usually remind you of another cigar that you have had in the past. This one did not, which I really liked a lot, as the flavor profile stood on its own, just as a true boutique brand should.

Smoking the cigar, I never had to touch it up once. It burned even all the way to the end, and left me wanting more. It’s been a long time since I have had a cigar like this. If I had to describe it, it would be like the first time I tried a Tatjuae Unicos when they first came out. I’m not saying it has the spice/pepper, or full body of a Tat, but it did have a great flavor that I found very pleasant.
The flavor profile was noticeable at different stages, making it a nice, complex, cigar. When I said earthy, it’s more of a barn yard aroma. Some wood and chocolate from time to time, but not all at once. I would not hesitate to purchase a box of the extra darks, and it would be something I could smoke daily. It was that good.

While I was talking with Mel as I enjoyed this cigar, a funny thing I noticed was that we both said at the same time… “Passion”. He was discussing his passion for creating a good cigar, rolled in the old Cuban style. I had mentioned how much I enjoy the cigar culture and cigars. We both agreed that we shared the same passion for cigars, which I accept as a compliment.

Another thing we both agreed on was the impact that boutique brands were having on the market. He really has no desire to be a major brand, which I found refreshing. He does love his craft, history and care that goes into blending a well balanced cigar. If you get the opportunity to smoke a Canimao, and the chance to sit and meet with Mel Gonzalez, watch him smile when you tell him you like his cigars and you’ll know what I mean. He gets excited and actually throws his head back laughing while interpreting what we were talking about to his master roller, which didn’t speak English.

I really like the Canimao, and have a great deal of respect for the owner of the company. Seeing his passion about his brand made it all more enjoyable. I highly recommend that you try one of their cigars.

Color: Dark Natural   Size: 6 1/8″ x 52

Canimao cigars are made in Miami, Florida in a very small factory. The cigar is wrapped in an Ecuadorian wrapper, with fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder.

This cigar is mild to medium-bodied and has a great flavor. It comes in Double Corona (7 ½” x 50), Legendarios (5” x 50), Robusto (5” x 50), Robusto Extra (6 1/8” x 52) and Torpedo (6 1/8” x 52)

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Let me start by saying that I’ve been a huge fan of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s offerings for many years and was both sad and excited when he left General and his beloved La Gloria Cubana brand to “start over” with a new brand baring his name.  I was really excited to smoke the first offering from E.P. Carrillo (the Edicion Inagural), and have been even more excited to see how the regular production would perform.  So when I was told that a local shop had juest received their first shipment I made haste. 

The Short Run is an absolutely incredible stick, it’s very complex and full of flavor.  This medium-full beauty offers up notes of wood and a nice spice.  In my opinion one of the finest offerings I’ve seen hit shelves at the local B&M in a while.  I’ve made my first purchase of several to enjoy and I am patiently awaiting the next arrival which has a full box with my name on it!  This is definitely a must try, so if you haven’t done so, find them locally and BUY!

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