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...
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...
The Big “4 0”
I am a fan of larger cigars with the 6 X 60 my favorite size and mild to medium body my favorite strength. I have also tried and liked 7 X 70’s and after I get a neck brace I will try the new 8 X 80’s, perhaps at the 2014 IPCPR. At the 2013 IPCPR I spent time at the CLE booth eying their 6 X 60’s. CLE turns out to be the initials of Christian Luis Eiora, past ownerof the Camacho brands...
A “Truthful” Cigar
A relatively new cigar company, called Veritas Cigars, is in the market. For those like me not holding a college degree in Classical literature, Veritas was the Roman goddess of truth. It is not clear how this goddess relates to the company or its cigars, but the band for the Torch series by Veritas does have a hand holding up a cigar apparently in protest – often a symbol for supporting a...
A Crazy Cigar From Ventura
Ventrua Cigars appears to be new on the cigar scene but the truth is that its parent, Kretek International, has been selling to thousands of cigar stores and tobacco outlets for decades. Kretek’s main product is clove cigarettes and Ventura is their official branching into premium label cigars. You may also know Kretek for their Djeep lighters. The Ventura moniker comes from the name of the...
This Prize fighter is Worth a Bet
Gurkha has a number of well-known brands and often releases new products under other recently established trade names. In this instance, Gurkha used its East India Trading Company to launch its Prize Fighter brand of cigars. The Prize Fighter is targeted as a “budget” medium bodied cigar with a blend of Connecticut shade Ecuadorian wrapper, around an Ecuadorian/Indonesian binder and a 3-year...
