Please be our guest…The 2011 Pork n Puff is set!!! Saturday September 10^th we will be hosting Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars for our yearly pig blowout. There is no greater celebrity in the cigar industry than Pete and we are extremely lucky to have him. This year we will be roasting 2 pigs since we are expecting a very large crowd. Both Walt and Rich will be crafting beer for the occasion, so get ready to party.

Sincerely,

Hal Rubin

More information will be out soon and I will update this as we learn of the time.

As is the tradition at the Pork n Puff, all box purchases will earn you a ticket into the drawing for a 42″ flat screen TV, an IPad 2 and my 2000 Millennium Opus X Humidor ($5,000 value). Pete is sure to bring lots of cool swag as well as some great smokes you can only get at his events.

Join us afterwards! – Following the Pork n Puff pig roasting, we will be having an after party with our new friend and partner at Amra’s downtown. For those of you who haven’t been there, you’re in for a treat. Dave Mellin is a great guy and really knows how to host a party.

Lots more details will follow (time, deals, etc) but I wanted to give you lots of advance notice so you can save the date.

Save the Date
September 10, 2011
Time – Noon – 5pm

After Party at Amras

5-Until

Dion and Jonathan were supposed to be there, but Jonathan ended up at another shop for a similar event (?).  This was  ok, because I was very interested in picking the brain of one of the cigar industry’s biggest up-and-comers, Dion Giolito.  This guy is known for his palate and cigar flavor memory, and like me is a true cigar geek.

I walk in a little before 4 and Dion is already there chatting with Hal Rubin, the owner of Empire Cigars.  I introduce myself and shake hands say a quick hello to some of my buddies before checking out the sticks.  Four sizes were available that night – the Corona Larga, Robusto, Corona and Churchill.  Dion told me the Toros and the 660s will be in by the end of the month.

I’m in line waiting to get a box (the Corona Largas) and Dion is standing near/above (he’s like 9 feet tall), so I start talking to him.  He asks which size I picked, I show him the CLs, and he tells me that they are 60 days from the table and suggested I try one or two now and put the rest away for at least a month.  You gotta love a guy that up front and open about his product.

Dion Giolito

I ask him if he is glad that the cigar is finally out and he agrees, but he was less concerned about the delay (they were initially going to be released in 2009) and more concerned about getting out a product that is ready to be smoked and it tastes like he wants it to taste.

I pay for my box and get me freebies (4 ~mk~‘s!) and sit up front with Dion.  My buddy Matt (Matt’s Cigar Journal) joins me, and we start with the questions.  I ask him about the blend and he tells me what makes this blend special is the Oliva ASP Viso tobacco in the filler.  This has been a leaf he’s been trying to find for quite a while.  He talks about having to use to ASP Viso leaves for the different sizes.  The smaller sizes get the ASP Viso while the bigger ring gauge sizes needed a little extra punch of flavor so they get the ASP Viso Pequeno, which is actually a smaller leaf but a higher priming, so it gets more sun/time and therefore more flavor.

I light up a Corona Larga from my box and note right away, this is not like any Illusione, or Drew Estate cigar for the matter, I’ve ever had before.  I’ll go in more depth in my review which will follow, so stay tuned!

I ask him about the move to Drew Estate rather than having Arsenio Ramos at the Raices Cubanas factory (Casa Fernandez) make the Nosotros.  He delved into the reasons for having someone else make his product.  He had always wanted to have more than one person make his cigars.  He didn’t want the “same” taste in all of his cigars, and he also didn’t want to put all of his eggs in one basket.  He originally was going to have the Cruzado made by Joya de Nicaragua, but when Drew Estate took over distribution of JdN, the were unable at that time to make a cigar for him.  Dion understood and went back to Raices Cubanas.  When the time was right, the folks at Drew Estate and Dion got together and Dion went through their inventory of tobacco and put together a blend based on the individual flavors of each leaf (pretty amazing when you think about it).  More incredible, is that the first blend became the final blend used in the Nosotros!

Some of the Guys

Other regulars joined in, and Dion educated us on Nicaragua and its tobacco, how he creates his blends and also the scoop on his new project the yearly Limited Edition – the Singulare.  Dion shared a lot of interesting stuff about this blend off the record, so all I can tell you is that each year will feature a different blend in one size.  Based on what he shared with us, I cannot wait for this cigar to come out!

We talk about other cigars he likes.  We discuss Pete Johnson and his cigars (Tatuaje), Don Pepin, the Fuentes, La Flor Dominicana, Davidoffs and even Habanos.  Like me, Dion loves to smoke all different types of cigars, and not just his own!

Talk moves away from cigars and into music and movies.  Matt breaks out an Illusione Culebra to share, the ~23~, and Dion notes that this is the only size made in Miami by one roller.  It also features just one type of leaf from the blend.  It really sets it apart from the other sizes in the line.

I ask Dion what is his dream leaf that he wanted to work with, and he says it’s the one in the Nosotros, the ASP Viso.  I asked him if he planned on any new lines this year.  He said no, he didn’t want to have a glut of lines and wanted to focus on making good cigars and his yearly Singulare LEs.

Through the night Dion smoked a Nosotros and a Cruzado Marios, which he said are really “on” right now.  Another one of his favorites is the ~mk~.  I had a Nosotros Corona Larga, an Epernay La Petite, an Illusione ~23~ and a ~mk~.  Whew!  One thing that’s great about Dion’s smokes is that though they pack tons of flavor, they’re not so strong to kill the palate, so I was able to enjoy multiple cigars that night (as well as a few glasses of home-brewed beer from our buddy Rich).

Dion & Hal (late in the night)

The night goes by quickly and I can tell you I learned more about the industry in a few hours with Dion than I have through all of my research prior.  He is a great guy, a gracious host and really stands behind and is very proud of his product.  It was a great night, and hopefully we can get him to stop in again!

I’d also like to thank Hal and Dave at Empire Cigars for throwing an awesome party!

Oh and before I left I had Dion sign my box, check out the picture below (will post pic tonight).  ;)

Be there or be square!

Pepin showed up promptly at 3pm and the festivities began with Empanadas and Mojitos.  Our pal Hal Rubin, the owner, also splurged on a few bottles of Zaya, a 12-year old rum from Trinidad which was absolutely fantastic.

Dave preparing for the fun

There were great promotions that night, discount on boxes of DPG cigars and a free 5-pack with every box purchase.  Box purchases earned a ticket for the raffle which included a few pipe and baseball cigars and a few ashtrays as well.

Of course I got a picture with the Don and was able to spend some time chatting with him.  He speaks very little English so most of my questions went through his interpreter and international sales manager, John Gonzales.

I thanked him for his product and contributions to the cigar industry and began peppering him with questions in between Pepin signing boxes and taking pictures with other patrons.

Dave's signed Tat Black jar & El Triunfador box

I asked him what his favorite of the cigars he makes, he quickly replied his favorite is the My Father, blended by his son Jamie.  This clearly was a special cigar for him as he smoked two during the event.  He also said he really liked the Tabacos Baez which have just recently made an in line wrapper change from an Ecuadorian Connecticut to an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper which gives it a darker color and richer flavor.  He also said they will be making a slight tweak to the blend in the near future.

At one point, Dave gave Pepin a LFD Cheroot and he said he liked it but did not smoke all of it.

I asked him what wrapper leaf he really wanted to get his hands on, he smiles and tells me he has some really neat stuff in the works.  Pepin told me he has gotten his hands on the new Havana seed from Cuba as well as (wait for it) Pelo de Oro.  Pelo de Oro, the Golden Hair, is the father of modern day Corojo wrapper.  Pelo de Oro was THE wrapper in Cuba decades ago, but was very susceptible to blue mold.  In fact growing it is outlawed in Cuba.  The Pelo de Oro is lighter in color than Corojo and has a little more natural sweetness.  El Corojo was created from a cross between Pelo de Oro and Sumatran, which is much more mold resistant.  I’ve heard rumblings this Pelo de Oro wrapped cigar will be called the 1922 or soemthing like that, more details will be released at the IRCPR.  I have also heard of a sandwhich blend he is working on from the Tabacos Baez blend, called the Tabacos Baez SF.

Pepin rep Tavin Weeks and the Goods

He also spoke at length about his time in Cuba, where he was in charge of QC at a factory outside of Havana.  Interestingly he said at the time when he worked there (years ago), all of the cigars made in that factory were the “same” except for wrapper color and band.  He said they made Montecristos and Romeos there as well as some smaller labels.   He also said that, and I have heard this from many others, that Cuba is getting tobacco from the DR and Nicaragua as they do not have nearly enough tobacco to supply the demand.  This is really no surprise as Altadis owns a controlling stake in Habanos, SA and certainly has access to hoards of tobacco.

I asked him if he still rolls cigars, referring to the Salomones he used to roll for the JJ line and the Tatuaje RC series.  He said he is now too busy to roll, but he has trained one girl to roll all of the Salomones in his Miami factory.

I thanked him for helping to bring back the lancero, and he smiled and said that they key to the lancero is in the art of the roll.  I had always thought lanceros could not be booked, but he said that in his factory, the only way to get a good draw with a lancero is the book, which he called the accordion fold.  Only the best rollers in his factories are allowed to roll the lancero, so if you want the DPG cigar made from the best rollers, seek the lanceros!

He was also very excited about his new factory, that will be fully operational in October and will be the largest factory in Nicaragua.  If my memory is correct, he said he will be capable of producing 70,000 cigars a day!

One thing clear from the start, was that Pepin loves his work and takes great pride in what he makes.  Even more so is the work of his son, Jamie, who blended the My Father for Pepin.  With every puff he took of a My Father, you could see him brimming with pride from his son’s work.  He was also very grateful of the help folks like Pete Johnson and Ernesto Padilla in making Don Pepin Garcia a household name in the cigar community.

Pepin was extremely gracious and friendly, the event was a huge success and I feel privileged to have spent some time chatting with one of the “Masters”.  Many thanks to Hal, Derek & Dave for throwing such a great party!

Hal & the Don

June 5th @ 5pm!!  This should be an awesome event!  I’ll be there taking pictures and trying to shmooze with the man behind Tatuaje, DPG, San Cristobal, Cabaiguan, Tabacos Baez, La Riqueza, La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial and many others!  Be there or miss out on an oppurtunity to speak with a legend in the biz!  Check out the Empire Cigars website for maps and contact information.

Avo Uvezian

I arrived at 6pm sharp at Sullivan’s and was escorted to the back room where I was greeted by my buddies Hal, Dave and Oscar of Empire Cigars (poor Derek was stuck minding the store).  They shook my hand and gave me a bag with an Avo XO Intermezzo, and AVO 787 Toro and an AVO Signature Double Corona.

I lit the XO first as it was the mildest of the three and I wanted to start off slow.  The XO was a great starter cigar, it was creamy and woody and it got my palate ready for the night ahead!  The Final Four began, so everyone had something to do while waiting for the birthday boy to arrive.

As soon as Avo showed up, unmistakable in his signature straw hat, I realized I forgot my camera.  I looked at my pal Matt of Matt’s Cigar Journal, and he too forgot his camera!  So needless to say that bummed us out, but there were plenty of pictures taken that night.  Luckily many others did:

The Birthday Boy

Shortly after Avo’s arrival we were served our appetizers of crab dip with toast points and fried calamari.  I can’t eat shellfish, but the calamari was perfectly cooked.

After the calamari, I lit the AVO 787 Toro and was greeted with slightly richer flavors than the XO, loaded with coffee and cocoa.  This never has been my favorite as it was modeled after the Avo 22 LE but has not come close to tasting as good as it’s predecessor.

We were then served a wedge of iceberg lettuce (a steakhouse tradition) with blue cheese or balsamic dressing.  We were then told by Hal that the Companero will be served soon after Avo spoke  about the cigar.

My buddy Richard getting an autograph

The 83 year-old jazz impresario strolled up to the microphone with two minutes left in the MSU/UConn game.  But all eyes (except for Dave’s brother, a Michigan State fan) were on Avo as he spoke about his favorite of all of his birthday cigars to date.

I which I brought my recorder so that i could transcribe his speech word for word, but I’ll do my best to sum up his talk.  He spoke of his master blender (not Kelner) and how he really liked his special personal cigar that he blended.  Avo was also a big fan of his blender’s personal cigar.  He asked him if he could make a similar cigar for his 83rd birthday.

"What cake?"

This is my favorite part as the blender said, “For you, I will make the exact same cigar”.  So there it was a blend of fillers from 5 different regions in the DR, including some filler aged 23 years!  There is also a bit of Peruvian tobacco in the filler, all surrounded by a Dominican binder!  The wrapper is also a departure, it is Ecuadorian, but of Habano-seed origin, not Connecticut.

He said the name “Companero” which is Spanish for companion or partner really symbolizes what he wanted to share to his companions and friends as he pointed around the room.  He said that he usually askes for 2-3 boxes of his birthday cigars to put away and enjoy over time.  He said for the Companero, he wanted fifteen!

After he speech and subsequent round of applause from the grateful cigar fans in attendance, we were served our main course which was either a choice of fillet mignon, grilled salmon with lemon buerre blanc, crab stuffed shrimp or lemon garlic chicken.  I think 90% of the guys, including me, ordered the fillet.

The Companero was also passed out at this time and I could not resist firing it up!

Zen & his "Companion"

I asked for mine to be prepared medium rare and it was and was absolutely delicious.  With the steak we had horseradish mashed potatoes, mushroom caps and creamed spinach which were all wonderful and rich.

I drank a nice oaky Cab and devoured the steak and relished the cigar.  The Companero is rich and oily, with a very dark wrapper.  The flavors change constantly giving off a rustic quality that really endeared it to Matt, who’s a huge Tatuaje fan.  I knew halfway through this cigar that this was the best cigar that has been ever made under the AVO name.  Mr. Uvezian agreed.

I got to speak with him briefly as he signed my box of Companeros.  He said it was his favorite as I told him how much I liked this compared to my favorite AVO LE before, the LE 05.  He said the AVO LE 05 was stronger, but this the Companero has more flavor and complexity.  I am a huge fan of the LE 05s as they have aged, and I can’t wait to see how the Companero ages over time!

Both Matt and I agreed that the Companero will become our sons birthday cigars, the ones we will smoke to celebrate our sons birthdays.  I can’t wait until November!

I will most likely get a few more so that I can write a full review as with all of the flavors dancing around with the steak and potatoes and wine, there was no way I could do it justice to review it from the dinner.

Just when we thought our palates were already overloaded, we were served an extraordinarily decadent key lime pie.

The night was over to quickly.  I bid goodbye to my friends and headed out the door with my hands full of cigars (and an AVO ashtray free with a box purchase) and my stomach full of food.

Thanks to everyone at Empire Cigars, Davidoff and Sullivan’s for putting together a wonderful experience!  Special thanks to Mr. Uvezian for sharing his birthday celebration with us and I wish him many more!

AVO Companero

During the night, the featured cigar was the Cheroot, but it was also a La Flor Dominicana event hosted by Empire Cigars, featuring great specils on all La Flor cigars, catered by Carrabas!

It got busy quick, and Larry, Derek and Hal were swamped all night!

Hal, Larry & Derek working hard!

The store was jam-packed with happy & hungry smokers!

 Check out the La Flor section!  Coronados, Double Ligeros, Ligeros, LG Diez, Mysterios, Limitadas, you name it!

Here’s a pic of Hal’s new baby, the Cheroot!  This one’s all Ligero, baby!

Everyone had a blast, thanks for putting on such a great event, guys!  Special thanks to Brad(?) of La Flor for spending a couple of minutes chatting it up with me. 

Hal, Larry and Derek have a great event planned.  Check out their website here for more information.