|
 RTDA 2004 Las Vegas Report
By Gary Korb
(Please note that conversations I had with some of the manufacturers will be published in an expanded form in the Famous Smoke Shop monthly newsletter, Shop Talk.)
“It’s hard not to find a decent cigar today.”
- Brad Weinfeld (Director of Marketing, SAG Imports)
Smarter Consumers, Better Cigars
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
A quick reflection on RDTA 2004
AS LAST YEAR, many of the new cigars that debuted at the RTDA show this year were in the "full-flavored" category. But the real story, in which everyone I spoke to was in agreement, is that cigars as a whole have improved significantly. That means there are now plenty of good cigars out there to choose from, and from just about every manufacturer. Of course, not every cigar I smoked was eye-opening, but it was hard to find a cigar you couldn't at least call "decent."
RTDA 2004 Diary - July 25 (Eve of Day 1)
Arthur, Hal, Humberto and I departed for Las Vegas out of Newark-Liberty on Sunday, July 25. Paranoid that the TVA would confiscate a torch lighter, I purposely didn't take one with me. Good thing, because although I didn't get searched, Hal got busted. Even with no fuel, they still 86'd the Colibri he packed in his carry-on. Cutters were no problem, but "religious knives" are, so remember that. Since Humberto was smart enough to pack his torch in his suitcase, he was the only one who had a decent lighter. The rest of us were resigned to using wooden matches. (I recommend the Davidoff cedar matches, since they're 4 1/2" inches long, giving you plenty of time to properly light up.) OK, enough of the minutiae.
Sunday night we met Rocky Patel and his posse at Del Frisco's, one of Las Vegas's finer steakhouses. Joined by Rocky's partner, Nimesh, brother, Nish Patel, and the lovely Terri Runnels (formerly of the WFE), Nish handed out the new Sun Grown by Rocky Patel cigars. Rocky is HOT this year, riding the crest of success with his Vintage by Rocky Patel 1990 & 1992 cigars. The Sun Grown cigars sport a 5-year-aged sun-grown Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper and will be available in 4 sizes. The sample I had, the Petite Corona, hit on all cylinders. It was smooth and oily in appearance. As a test, I purposely lit only half of it and in just a few minutes it was burning perfectly. The cigar started out spicy and soon rounded out into a "sweet," full-flavored cigar with a long finish that kept a smooth, even keel to the end and was never overpowering. More on Rocky's new selections later in this report.
RTDA 2004 Diary - July 26 (Day 1)
"It's show time!" We make our decent down two separate elevators to The Venetian lobby and head to the RTDA registration booth. Credentials now in hand, we're still a little early. As we wait for the opening announcement, Hal and Humberto do a meet 'n greet with some of the other attendees. Humberto recognizes Allan Arguello-Hupre, a soft--spoken gentleman who operates Tabacalera Estanzuela in Esteli, Nicaragua, where Famous Exclusives Tucos Oscuros cigars are made. Next up comes the affable Raymond Scheuer from Davidoff cigars. Mr. Scheuer is Davidoff's "Goodwill Ambassador" to all Davidoff Appointed Merchants and spent a few minutes reminiscing with Hal about Hal and Arthur's recent visit to the Davidoff factory in the Dominican Republic, which he hosted. More about him and Davidoff's latest debut later.
It's become a tradition for me to make the General Cigar booth my first RTDA stop. Once the show got underway, as usual, General looked like an airport terminal during a blizzard. Every table was filled with retailers stocking up on the new cigars. This year, General's sample pack included the new Excalibur "Royal Sterling," Partagas "Cifuentes," Sancho Panza "Extra Fuerte," and the exciting new Diablo cigars, slated for release at the end of October.
Although I was already starting to feel the effects of an oncoming sinus condition, I couldn't resist trying the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte. This line extension will be available in 4 box-pressed sizes and despite it's strong-sounding name, was more medium-bodied and incredibly smooth with a wonderful aroma that comes from a beautiful, reddish-hued, sun-grown Havana wrapper grown in Honduras. The taste was complex and spicy, but not in a peppery way, more like cinnamon and other sweet spices. The filler is all 100% Honduran, giving the cigar a pleasant earthy bouquet and I feel this cigar will compliment the Sancho Panza and Sancho Panza Double Maduro cigars well.
According to White Beebe, Marketing Director for all brands made in the Hoyo De Monterrey factory in Corfradia, Honduras, the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte was blended to take advantage of the trend to more full-bodied cigars. By monitoring the habits of cigars smokers on the internet and other marketing resources, it was clear that most consumers move from mild to more full-bodied cigars.
"The original idea here was to make a really, REALLY strong cigar," said Beebe. "Unfortunately the cigars were too rough and harsh, so we said, let's back off a bit. Let's still make it full-bodied but get some more flavor in there."
I found it pretty smooth, myself.
"Yes, it's very smooth, but it's still a very robust cigar. It doesn't give you that headache that some full-bodied cigars will give you and doesn't have that after bite either. It's also the fullest bodied of the three Sancho blends. A little bit more so than the Double Maduro and a lot more than the regular Sancho."
What's inside?
"It's blended with a sun-grown Havana seed Honduran-grown wrapper [from the same family as the wrapper used on the Punch Gran Puro and Partagas Spanish Rosado cigars] with a Honduran binder and filler, so it's an all-Honduran-made cigar."
The customers responded well to the original Sancho and in many cases went gaga for the Sancho Double Maduro and who knows with this?
"Oh, I think we're going to have a real winner with this, too. We tested earlier this month with our five star customers and they've already had quite a bit of success with it, which is why we're reintroducing here at the show. We'll be doing the same promotion in which retailers will display a 3 cigar sampler that offers all three cigars as a buy two, get one free offer. This way they can sample all three Sancho lines, since there are many out there who still haven't tried them. And we're very happy so far with the feedback and the reviews.
Next, we moved on to the Excalibur Royal Sterling. This is a limited edition cigar wrapped in what they call a "Honduran" Claro wrapper.
"Most Honduran tobaccos are quite dark," said Beebe. "This is a very light wrapper for a Honduran wrapper. It's taken from 1st & 2nd primings [the lowest priming leaves] and is shade grown. It's also why this is a limited edition cigar, since there are fewer low priming leaves."
So would you say this wrapper is a little sweeter and milder?
"It's a little sweeter, but it still has that robust Honduran tobacco flavor to it. The cigar itself is medium to full-bodied, leaning toward the full-bodied end, so it's heartier than the regular Excalibur selection."
The packaging looks very up-market.
"I'd say it's one of the nicest looking cigar packages around. All metal corners with a stamped metal sword and a shiny silver tone medallion on the inside and outside of the box. It's one of our best-sellers, so far, at the show."
Finally, Whit turned my attention to the immense box behind me. It's called "The Authentic Honduran" Factory Fresh Crate from Hoyo De Monterrey cigars. This eye-catching display is a rustic-looking factory crate complete with big stenciled letters. Each crate comes packed with 25-ct. bundles of the label's three best-selling frontmarks in natural and maduro wrappers, each wrapped in a burlap-like cloth: Rothschild (4 1/2" x 50), Double Corona ( 6 3/4" x 48) and Governor (6 1/8" x 50). According to a company press release, now consumers can get their Hoyos "straight from the crate."
More on the new cigars from Partagas Cifuentes and Diablo cigars to come later in this report.
Next, I stopped by the always lively and colorful Drew Estates booth where they were debuting the new ACID "MING" cigars. MING is a super-sized, 6" x 60 Toro blended with Nicaraguan & Dominican tobaccos and sports a flawless, dark African Cameroon wrapper. Set for release later this year, MING cigars will be presented in 8 ct. boxes.
Another new cigar at Drew Estates that caught my interest were the SAUZA "TRES GENERACIONS" TEQUILA cigars. These cigars are presented in an attractive wooden box made with dark and light woods and each cigar is over-wrapped in a cedar sleeve. Although I don't often smoke flavored cigars, I was impressed with the construction and subtleties of this cigar. At first I thought it might be on the sweet side like the Kahlúa cigars that debuted last year, but it wasn't. The wrapper is exclusive to Drew Estates, which they call "Adobe Cameroon," and it also has a light, adobe clay-like color. I couldn't find one blemish on it. The cigar I sampled was a Churchill. It smoked with a mild to medium body producing a creamy, tobacco-rich smoke and solid ash. The tequila flavor was nary a trace. Just enough to get the nuances of the liqueur, not overbearing.
Drew Estates Sales Manager, Mike Cellucci, was also on-hand to talk about the Tres Generacions cigars.
"We're going to do promotions with some of the bars and lounges to show the luxury of the product," said Cellucci. "One of the reasons for this is there seems to be a misconception about drinking tequila, especially among the younger drinkers. A specially-aged [Añejo] tequila like Tres Generacions, is really more like a cognac; it's sweet, it's buttery, it's smooth, so we're going to do Sauza tequila tastings along with the cigars so we can educate people to the finer attributes of tequila."
As a tequila drinker, I like the blue agave blends, myself.
"That's what the Sauza is. Once it's aged it takes on that nice caramel color. The tequila is aged in oak barrels used for whiskey. First they char the inside of the barrel with a torch to give it that burnt oak flavor. The Tres Generacions is one of the best of the Añejos, too. It's real smooth and served only in a snifter. Then you sit back, let it sit in your hands to warm it up and thin out a little bit and sip it like cognac."
So how does all that get translated into the Sauza cigar?
"As opposed to being sweet, the cigar is much lighter; it's crisp and has a refreshing taste to it."
The wrapper's gorgeous.
"That's the Adobe wrapper. This is our wrapper. No one else has this wrapper and it's even trademarked. It's an Adobe Cameroon, not grown in Africa but in Ecuador, which is also a first. Cameroon's never been grown there. It's nice and caramelly, real oily and very clean; no veins or anything."
Later that morning, I went back to General Cigar, where I met Michael Giannini, Director of Marketing for El Credito. One of the nice things that happens sometimes at these events is you get to meet someone new and really hit it off. Michael is one of those people. I also think the fact that we're both musicians had a lot to do with it. He was also gracious enough to ask Ernesto Carrillo join us, but early on in the interview the motor in my tape recorder burned out, so we had to reschedule. Sans tape recorder, I spent the remainder of the day walking the show taking pictures while looking forward to the Davidoff's affair that evening.
Attending the Davidoff banquet is a rare treat. First of all, it's black tie, by invitation only, and you have to be an "Appointed Davidoff Merchant." Last year, Arthur and Hal attended at RTDA Nashville where it was hosted aboard a yacht. This year, I took Hal's place and the theme of the dinner was a masquerade ball held at The Venetian. My wardrobe accessories don't include a mask (at least not for this type of social encounter) but my six year-old son lent me his pair of Spy Kids 3: Game Over 3D glasses, which did get a few laughs.
The best part about attending anything Davidoff is you KNOW you're going to be served some great cigars and this night, as expected, they did not disappoint. During the cocktail hour, Arthur and I each enjoyed a Davidoff Double R, which was followed by a four-course dinner of gastronomical proportions. I've had some mighty good steaks in my lifetime, but the one they served that night was like butter.
Following the meal, Peter Bänninger President of Davidoff of Geneva U.S. spoke articulately about Davidoff's role of promoting not cigars necessarily, but "the good life." Then he read the list of the newly-appointed Davidoff merchants, which included shops in Kiev and Japan.
Then, the microphone was handed over to Raymond Sheuer, the gentleman I mentioned earlier in this report. Mr. Sheuer holds the title of Davidoff Ambassador and had the honor of presenting Davidoff's newest selection, the Limited Edition 2004 Robusto Real Especiales "7." On his cue, the cigars made their entrance roaring into the banquet hall astride a Harley-Davidson. Sheuer spoke poetically about the cigars after which everyone attending the dinner received a sample. Despite fighting off a sinus infection, this cigar, for me, defined what the Davidoff "good life" is all about. No fewer than 7 different tobaccos have gone into the blending of this cigar. I believe the tobaccos have also been aged 7 years. The wrapper is a dark, sun-grown Ecuadorian, oily and flawless and it smoked with a perfect balance. This is a very complex cigar that's hard to describe unless you've actually smoked it, so be on the lookout for the Davidoff Limited Edition 2004 Robusto Real, and if you have the means, buy a box for those very special occasions.
RDTA 2004 Diary - Tuesday, July 27 (Day 2)
Tuesday was hustle day. I had to make up for lost interview time on Monday. After braving the 100+ degree temperature (at 10:00 A.M.!) to buy a new tape recorder at a local mall a few blocks away, I was soon back in business enjoying the air-conditioned temps of the convention hall. I got to try out my new digital recorder on none other than Avo Uvezian. At 78 years old, Avo looks like a man who's enjoyed a charmed life and he still has the spring in his step of an 18 year-old.
Please tell me what's happened in your life since last year's RTDA?
"Everything keeps on going at the same speed, maybe even faster. Much more travel. I've been commuting a lot between Puerto Rico and Orlando where I bought a house last year. I did a lot of traveling in the Far East; Hong Kong, Taipei, Korea, Malaysia and I made a special trip on my own to Shanghai where I saw the opening of the first Davidoff shop in China."
What was that like?
"It was incredible. I think there's a whole new cigar boom happening there."
So what do they like to smoke in China?
"In China, everything is booming. They are very interested in the whole cigar lifestyle. Of course, based on their population, if there is a growth of just one percent there, it's like 100% somewhere else [laughs]. It is incredible. The whole attitude of the people, too, was wonderful. They are the nicest people and based on my observations, I think the Chinese word for the United States is 'beautiful country.' I see a big future there."
Since you debuted your Legacy cigar earlier this year, how is it doing and have you been doing anything special to promote it?
"The Legacy cigars were a way for me to promote my cigars and my music. Of course, you know there are 12 cigars in the box, plus my CD and the music is oriented toward cigar smokers of every country. You have 12 songs each of different styles, from Latin to German to Jazz to Brazilian, so whoever smokes cigars and listens to the music, they will find something to their own liking. Each cigar has a second band with the name of the song on it. In fact, it's sold out already.
Have you been promoting the music on the CD with a musical tour as well?
"Of course. Wherever I went, I brought my trio. Asia and everywhere else. We did 15 cities in Switzerland alone. 'Thinking Of You,' which my daughter, Karyn sang on the Legacy CD [track 8] was so well-received it led to her own Jazz oriented CD. In fact, we just got CDs in yesterday, so I want to take this opportunity to promote her new Karyn Uvezian CD."
So what's on the horizon for next year?
"Since my 75th birthday, we began doing these anniversary cigars, the last one being the Legacy. We do have something slated for next year, but I'm also very excited about preparing the cigars we'll be doing for my 80th birthday."
Do you ever think, "Well, I'm getting near 80, maybe I should slow down a little?"
"The day I stop working - I hope that day never comes. God has given me energy and I take care of my health. I weigh less than I ever have in 50 years! I feel excellent."
So what's your secret?
Enjoying life and avoiding stress. It comes down to your lifestyle, what you eat, how you work, etc. Each person has to find their own best way to deal with stress.
Can you say anything at this time about the "79" cigar we'll see next year?
No, because we are still preparing and it takes time. But once it's ready, I guarantee you it's going to be even better than those that have come before. I think that next year's cigar, from what I've already heard, will be a VERY special cigar. Then of course, if it's that good, I'm wondering what the heck am I going to do for my 80th birthday? [laughs].
Can I make a suggestion? How about a box of 80 cigars in a special Avo Uvezian humidor?
"We do have something in the works and it will be presented during a two to three day period, worldwide. For my 80th I'm going to make a cigar that's very expensive and very limited with the profit to go to music scholarships and similar charities."
What kind of vibe have you been getting from this year's RTDA?
I think that things are starting to boom again. People now look for quality, plus and the recognition of the cigar lifestyle has become so important to cigar smokers. I have very good vibes. Plus the reaction I've gotten from people who've been coming to hear Karyn and me play here has been incredible.' [Avo and his trio, along with his daughter Karyn performed every day at the Venetian's V Lounge during Happy Hour.]
If the embargo to Cuba were lifted soon, do you think it would create another boom here?
"It really doesn't matter to me. When you make a good quality product, people will buy it. I'm not that worried because the last 20 years since I've been in business the American taste has been built on Dominican and other Central American cigars. Of course when Cuba does open, there'll be lots of excitement, but so many cigar smokers are already used to the quality, taste and strength of Dominican cigars. All I can do is wish them good luck because good cigars are so much the better for everybody."
Do you have any parting words of wisdom to our readers from someone who has led such a full life?
"When you have quality in your lifestyle and your product, don't worry."
Next, it was on to the Miami Cigar booth, distributor for La Aurora and Don Lino cigars, to see La Aurora Marketing Director, Jose Blanco.
So, what's been happening at La Aurora over the past year?
"We have been releasing the Cien Anos cigars we debuted last year, little by little," said Blanco. "It's very limited as you know, with an all Dominican-grown filler, binder and wrapper, plus each cigar has its own number. So, we're going to honor our commitment to making only 400,000 and when it's gone, it's gone. This year, we're extending the Preferido tubes by debuting the new Sapphire edition."
What makes the Sapphire unique?
"It's got a seven-year-aged Connecticut wrapper."
How did you decide what wrapper to use for the Sapphire?
"We use tobacco every three years. In 2000 when we started looking at the Connecticut tobacco from the year 1998-1999, it was too dark, so we didn't use it. Instead, we let it sit. As the years went on and the tobacco continued to ferment and age, it became even darker. Now we had something special, so we decided to use it on the Sapphire. It's a genuine U.S. Connecticut wrapper, but when they taste it, many people won't recognize it as Connecticut. That little hint of bitterness Connecticut wrapper often has, has been eliminated due to the long aging.
What about the filler and binder?
"The filler and binder are the same long-aged Dominican found in all the Preferidos including the Maduros and Corojos."
I noticed the display of the Don Lino Africa cigars across the aisle.
"This cigar is from the Miami Group. It's made by Carlos Toraño. This is a medium-bodied cigar, very complex, very rich, for those who like a cigar with a lot of flavor and body to it."
Anything new in small cigars?
"Yes, the Corojitos, handmade with Dominican long filler and a Dominican-grown Corojo wrapper packaged in a small tube. It's a fifteen to eighteen minute quick smoke for those who want a rich, medium bodied cigar but don't always have the time for a large cigar. Try one of these and you'll be set for the day." [laughs] We also came out with Café Dominicano Petites in Petite Corona and Corona sizes. They're made with Dominican tobacco and a Connecticut wrapper enhanced with genuine Dominican coffee."
What are your thoughts on this year's show?
The industry seems to be moving more this year. I've seen everything; great packaging, etc, but I believe everybody in the industry is making a better cigar. And a lot of people have learned how to smoke, too. When I go to a store to do a promotion, or I go to a dinner or do a talk show, the people attending are eager to learn about cigars. They want to know about the blends, the binders, the wrappers; they want to know more about fermentation and curing; they want to know how to age cigars. So, now you've got a group of people 30, 35 and 40 years-old that are willing to spend the money for a good cigar, but they also want the knowledge. That's why I tell a lot of store owners, unless you're the only game in town, if you have a lot of competitors you have to better educate your customers with better customer service. That's what keeps them loyal. For every dollar people spend a dollar on a cigar, they want a dollar value even if it's only a dollar cigar. They will spend $25 dollars on a cigar, but you have to show them the construction, the blend, packaging, the whole nine yards in order for them to justify that amount. So, the more you know, the better."
So it would be fair to say that the more educated the consumer becomes, the better you, the manufacturers, have to be at what you do, too.
"In all fairness, the cigars that have come out in the last two and half years, whether it's from Nicaragua, Honduras or the Dominican Republic, everybody's doing a better job."
From there I moved on to the Caribe booth, distributors of Camacho and Baccarat cigars, where I found Christian Eiroa was having a typically hectic day:
Let's start with a quick recap of some things that happened during the past year.
"In March we launched our first cigar from the Dominican Republic, aside from the "Face-Off" cigars; it's called Baccarat Dominican. Augusto Reyes is making the cigar for us. It's a Cameroon wrapped cigar with a Piloto Cubano filler & binder. Then we stepped out with two other brands from Nicaragua. The first brand, which we are very proud to have is called Jericho. Jericho is a 100% Nicaraguan cigar."
The name Jericho sounds vaguely familiar.
"Yes, we decided to go back in history and Jericho was actually a brand that Simon Camacho owned and made back in, I'm guessing, the mid-1960's at the Joya De Nicaragua factory. In 1972 he sold out the Jericho brand but from that point on, for some reason it didn't do very well in the marketplace. Everything except for the bands is original. So when you see the presentation it's all from 1972. We've even used the same blend as the 1972 cigars."
I see you've also come out with some new small cigars.
"Yes, we have two new cigars in tins. We've got the Baccarat Connies and the Camacho Corojo Machitos. They're a 4 x 30 size in 8 count tins, which we just launched here at the show. And the other big addition we're proud of is the National Brand Nicaragua bundles, which we also introduced here."
How does the Nicaraguan differ from the Honduran version?
"It's a full body cigar with a more robust flavor that is also very unique compared to most Nicaraguan bundles."
Anything new from Baccarat?
"Not really, other than we've changed box manufacturers."
I happen to be a fan of the larger Baccarats and noticed that it's also received many positive reviews from our customers, especially on the Churchill.
"Thank you very much. It's a good cigar. The Toro and the Belicoso are also wonderful cigars. People are often surprised. Actually, Baccarat is the number one selling brand we make and it's got to be among the top 10 best-selling brands in the United States, but many people don't realize it. Baccarat is just one of those really consistent cigars."
Tell me about the Camacho Special Limited Reserve.
"The Camacho SLR cigar is a blend that when we came out with it originally, we started growing very old seed called pinareno. It's basically the seed you hear stories about Cubans bringing over in coffee cans, etc. The blend in it was 100% pinareno. Unfortunately, the wrapper was too inconsistent. So, we kept the filler and binder pinareno and added a Sumatra seed wrapper grown in Honduras. I think a lot of people were expecting the SLR to be a powerful, slugger-type cigar like the Camacho Corojo Diploma. The SLR is not a full-bodied cigar. It's a medium-body cigar and one of those things that once you get people to try it, they'll love it. For those who like a fuller-flavor, the Camacho SLR Maduro is out of this world; closer to the Camacho Corojo Monarcha Maduro. Both are fantastic."
Can you give the readers a brief history of Camacho cigars?
"Camacho cigars is a company that was started by Simon Camacho in the late 1950s. He was one of the first to begin making cigars in Central America; one of the pioneers who started originally in Cuba, then moved to Miami, then Costa Rica and eventually Nicaragua. He passed in 1993. I never had the opportunity to meet him myself, but he had established himself in Costa Rica and then Nicaragua and it was also in 1993 that we purchased his company We decided to establish Camacho as a full-bodied cigar and develop the authentic Corojo seed, which we started growing in 1995. By 1997 we had the first good crop. Later this year, you'll start to see the 2001 crop coming out, which is f***ing amazing, man. It's like nothing else. And the rest is history."
Is there anything at this year's RTDA that's impressed you?
"I think that the cigars being made today are consistently better. And business for a lot of stores is up. I think consumers are finding cigars they like better. They may not be experimenting as much because they're now trusting the brands. I see a lot less new companies [at RTDA] this year and basically it's maybe going back to what the business was in the 80s. The same guys competing for business, but most importantly, consumers can trust just about any brand they pick up."
From there I sauntered over to Indian Tabac where Rocky Patel and his crew were playing to a standing room only crowd. I also got a short interview with Rocky in which he talks about his career and the new cigars. You can read the interview in the September issue of Shop Talk, the Famous Smoke Shop newsletter, but if you'd prefer a brief re-cap, here's the 411 on the new cigars Rocky introduced a the show:
Royale by Rocky Patel is a rich, creamy-smoking cigar that sports a golden Adobe wrapper, grown by the Oliva family in Ecuador. Nicaraguan fillers add a hearty, spicy flavor to present a well-balanced and complex cigar.
Chocolat by Drew Estate is a joint venture between Indian Tabac and Jonathan Drew. This is NOT a flavored cigar. It is a premium-quality Nicaraguan cigar infused with a light essence of gourmet mocha. The blend is well-balanced, medium-bodied and as smooth as it is aromatic. All I know is, if Jonathan's doing it, it should be something really special.
Edge is a cigar that Rocky has described as "for professionals only." This could be the cigar that finally gives the Fuente Fuente Opus X a run for its money. Rolled in two different wrapper blends, Corojo and Maduro, this is a spicy, full-bodied and full-flavored cigar that's incredibly complex, too. How he got all these flavors to balance is a cigar blending miracle. The smoke is also very smooth and leaves a long finish on the palate. I gave an extra pair of these to my friend Lenny who has smoked powerful cigars for years. He enjoyed both of them immensely, but the Corojo he said was, "The closest thing to a great Cuban cigar I have ever smoked! Tell Rocky not to change a thing. It's perfect. And, oh, by the way, can you get me some more?"
Nearby was the Carlos Toraño booth, so I went over to see what all the hubbub was about regarding the new Casa Toraño cigars. (This is a nice looking cigar, folks!) Reportedly, this cigar has been the Toraño family's private cigar for years and has been sampled at several cigar smoking events for the past three years, but it was presented without a band or name. So, in response to the positive reaction from these events, the family decided to release it and appropriately dubbed it "Casa Toraño." The cigars are made in four traditional shapes: Robusto, Corona, Torpedo and Toro with a gorgeous Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. In a press release issued by the company, vice-president, Charlie Toraño stated: "Casa Toraño is a mild cigar with bold and enticing flavor. For too long, mild cigars have represented both mild flavors and mild strength. Not anymore. Casa Toraño will appeal to all smokers who give priority to the flavor of a cigar, as opposed to its strength. The response in our cigar rolling events shows that all cigar smokers will truly enjoy this blend." The company is not saying anything yet about the filler other than it's a "complex, balanced filler blend." If was also one of the fortunate few to get my hands on one, which I smoked shortly after returning home; for me it lived up to the company line and you can read my complete review in an upcoming issue of Shop Talk.
Tuesday night, Hal, Humberto and I went to a party hosted by Drew Estates at "Seven," a popular Las Vegas nightclub & disco. It was a great party, but by now my sinuses were blazing and I had to put up with a throng of wall-to-wall cigar AND cigarette smokers, plus obnoxious techno music blaring at jet engine decibel levels. As a musician, I try to keep an open mind about just about every form of music, but I just don't get that techno stuff. It's so synthetic. Just give me a Les Paul and a Marshall stack with a REAL drummer and bass player. (Rumour had it that Drew's people asked the DJ to play tunes that were more familiar, but the dance floor was packed anyway, so it was a non-issue.) I ignored it for the most part by drowning myself in Coronas, and thankfully, the company and conversation in our booth was good. After three hours of that, I needed to get some rest. I had an interview scheduled with Tim Ozgener of CAO cigars at 8:30 the next morning.¶
More RTDA news will be coming in the days ahead, so check back to this page often. As a special treat for all you cigar smokers out there, our graphic designer, Rob Ingram, has put together a slide show of some of the pics I took while out in sunny, HOT Las Vegas.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the many people at RTDA who took time out to speak with me about thier products: Tony Borhani, Christian Eiroa, Avo Uvezian, Joline Mauer, Tom Smith, Keith Sparacio, Whit Beebe, Michael Giannini, Cooper Gardner, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Bill Chillian, Seanna Tobin, Tim Ozgener, Jose Oliva, Jose Blanco, Rene Castaneda, Rocky Patel, Brad Weinfeld, Aleli Calso, Mike Cellucci, Marielos Boltadano and the many others who made the show more enjoyable for me. (Jonathan Drew, if you're reading this, you still owe me an interview. ;-) I certainly learned a lot and hope you enjoy reading what they had to say as this report fleshes out. Enjoy the pics and stay tuned!
|
view cart
