Ora Vivo Armand Assante Just prior to the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, a cigar was announced that was a collaboration between Victor Vitale of Legacy Brands, Gary Macchione of Boutique Cigar Brands, and film actor Armand Assante. The cigar is called the Ora Vivo Armand Assante, and as the name indicates it carries Assante’s name. […]
Cigar Review: Monte by Montecristo (Altadis USA)
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized 1 Comment 3.0 - The Fiver, 88-90, Altadis, Montecristo, Review
Monte by Montecristo (Jacopa No. 2) As we have been discussing over the past two years, Altadis USA has working on making their existing lines more contemporary – not just in terms of the packaging, but also in terms of the blends. This has been seen across the company’s portfolio in terms of blends such […]
Cigar Review: La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized 1 Comment 3.0 - The Fiver, 88-90, General, La Gloria Cubana, Review
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Since the release of 2011’s La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale, General Cigar’s La Gloria Cubana brand has been focused more on limited editions and regional exclusives. In 2013, La Gloria Cubana went started to refocus back on their core line. This time they turned their attention to the […]
Cigar Review: Lou Rodriguez La Mano Negra
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments 4.5 - Fight Chuck Norris for Them, 94-96, Lou Rodriguez, Review
Lou Rodriguez La Mano Negra The Lou Rodriguez La Mano Negra is a limited edition cigar that was released by Lou Rodriguez Cigars in 2013. La Mano Negra marks the second limited edition cigar by the company. A couple of years ago, the company quietly released its first limited edition cigar, the Lou Rodriguez MF. […]
Cigar Review: Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 Gearhead Gary Crankshaft
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments 3.0 - The Fiver, 88-90, Ortega, Ortega Wild Bunch 2013, Review
Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 – Gearhead Gary Crankshaft The Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 Gearhead Gary Crankshaft is the ninth installment in a monthly series of cigars developed by Ortega Premium Cigars. The Ortega Wild Bunch 2013 series is a unique limited production cigar concept that was introduced by Ortega Premium Cigars. The idea behind the Ortega Wild Bunch is to dedicate […]
Cigar Review: CRAFT 2013 – La Campaña de Panamá Soberana by RoMa Craft Tobac
William Cooper Reviews No Comments 3.5 - Box Split, 91-93, Review, RoMa Craft Tobac
The CRAFT 2013 – La Campana de Panama Soberana represents the first release of RoMa Craft Tobac’s CRAFT line. This marks RoMa Craft Tobac’s launch into the limited edition game. Since it’s formation in 2012, RoMa Craft Tobac has focused on building its core lines – CroMagnon, Aquitaine, Intemperance BA XXI and Intemperance EC XVIII. 2013 has […]
Cigar Review: Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare
William Cooper Reviews 1 Comment 4.0 - Box Worthy, 91-93, Review, Viva Republica
Viva Republica Guerrilla Warfare The Guerrilla Warfare was a new cigar line showcased by Viva Republica at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas. Viva Republica was founded by Jason Holly, who owns the El Humidor retail store in Northeast Pennsylvania. The company launched its first blend, the Rapture at the 2012 IPCPR Trade […]
Cigar Review: Davidoff of Geneva 25th Anniversary
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments 3.0 - The Fiver, 91-93, Davidoff, Review
Davidoff of Geneva 25th Anniversary At the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show, Davidoff showcased a cigar to commemorate the company’s 25th anniversary in the United States. The cigar is appropriately titled, “Davidoff of Geneva 25th Anniversary”. Prior to the trade show, we noted an appearance by Davidoff North America President Jim Young on Kiss My Ash […]
Cigar Review: Robusto by Valentia
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments 3.5 - Box Split, 91-93, Review, Valentia
Robusto by Valentia In 2013, a new cigar company was launched called Valentia. The company makes their cigars in the Dominican Republic. Valentia is a new cigar company that also has an interesting giveback story. The company has established a program called “Valentia Assistance for Law Enforcement” (VALE). Under the VALE program, when a tobacconist […]
Cigar Review: AKA Solace
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments 3.5 - Box Split, 91-93, AKA Cigars, Review
AKA Solace The AKA Solace was the third core line blend released by Texas-based cigar manufacturer AKA Cigars. AKA Cigars stands for “American Kick Ass” Cigars. The company is run by Jay Lundy and Tom Poehler. Back in 2010, the company connected with Christian Eiroa who started working with them on their initial blend […]