Crossfire’s Platinum Gordo Is Still Firing
I first came across Crossfire Cigars at the 2013 IPCPR and I was happy to see them again in 2014. They remain a cigar importer headquartered in Louisville, KY that selects its own blends of filler, binder and wrapper and has everything about the cigars made in the Dominican Republic, right down to the bands and boxes. The intent is to improve the employment and quality of life in the Dominican...
90 Miles From an Infamous Island Country
The Gonzalez family, owners of Flor de Gonzalez Cigars, fled Cuba in 1980 and set up a cigar making operation in Florida. In the late 1990’s they moved the business to Nicaragua and then eventually they bought their own tobacco fields in Ecuador. Presently they have about 8 brands, including “90 Miles” – the distance from Key West Florida to Cuba. I met with Flor de Gonzalez at the 2013...
Mighty Mighty’s Little Brother
J.C. Newman Cigars is the only operating cigar manufacturer left in Tampa’s Cigar City and has been there since before the Dodgers left Brooklyn. One of their brands – Brick House – had a 6.25 X 60 maduro released in 2012 that turned out to be quite successful. In fact, I frequently enjoy this large ring gauge cigar. Demand for a smaller Maduro stick lead Newman to issue in 2013 a robusto...
Azan Has Value Again With The Burgundy Robusto
Roberto Pelayo Duran has enjoyed a long career in the cigar industry, partly in production and partly with the distribution organization of Cubatabaco, the Cuban state tobacco company. This distribution organization, Habanos S.A. formed in 1994, controls the promotion, distribution, and export of Cuban cigars and other tobacco products worldwide for Cubatabaco. Roberto’s brand, Azan, has...
Invite This Torano Exodus In!
The Cuban Revolution in 1959 lead to decades of emigration, primarily into the US, including the Torano family. To commemorate this life changing event Torano created its well-known Exodus 1959 series of boutique cigars and for 2013 the Exodus 1959 was labeled the Finite. The Finites are Nicaraguan puros and to provide for flavor complexity and balance, tobaccos from 4 different regions of...
In Vegas, Bet on Vato Cigars!
Everything is special in Las Vegas and cigar smoking is no different. A husband and wife team, Paul and Sara Vato, convinced Binion’s Casino to lease them space to open their own cigar operation. The Vato’s offer 4 of their own different blends in a large variety of shapes (a baseball bat?) and sizes in addition to more traditional national brands. And, if you don’t trust your luck at the...
