Don Julio’s Paca.
Corporation Cigar Export (CCE) used the 2013 event to launch their new Dominican Puro, Don Julio Punta Espada (sword point). All of the tobacco used in this brand is grown in the Reyes family’s fields in the Cibao Valley of the Dominican Republic and they named the cigar after the leader of third generation of the Reyes family, Don Julio. The current generation is the sixth and represents a...
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...
A Good Cigar Commemorating the 1980 Boatlift
In 1979- 1980 the Cuban economy entered a severe downturn and through a small series of reactionary events, 10,000 Cubans crammed themselves into the Peruvian Embassy grounds in Havana seeking diplomatic asylum. Castro eventually responded by opening the port of Mariel to anyone wishing to leave the country who also could get a ride. 125,000 people left Cuba for Miami in the 6 months the...
Straight From Jamaica
Jamaica is not well known for exporting cigars. This wasn’t always the case. During WW II many cigar makers left Cuba for the British colony of Jamaica as the Brits would not expend currency outside of the “Empire”. Jamaican cigar production took off. At the end of the war the Cubans left Jamaica but the quality cigar making infrastructure remained. The US embargo of Cuba invigorated...
