The Gurkha Beauty in Action While with recent releases Gurkha has moved to simpler packaging, make no bones about it – packaging is still a big part of the Gurkha marketing plan. One cigar that is been a part of this plan is the Gurkha Beauty. This cigar is the milder fraternal-twin to the Gurkha […]
The La Reloba Sumatra Toro The theme of producing a quality value-priced cigar in the $5.00 – $7.00 range is appealing to both the consumer and the retailer. For the consumer, it’s a terrific opportunity to enjoy a premium stick in today’s tough economy. For the retailer, it means that the cigar isn’t going to […]
As mentioned in Part 11 of Tales from the IPCPR, one key thing I look for in an Indie Cigar maker is to find a cigar that is going to standout and bring something different to the table. For those who follow the Indie Cigar market and have encountered Craig Cunningham’s Esteban Carreras line, they […]
Today I pulled out a cigar I haven’t had in about a year. Once I pulled this one out, I realized how much I missed this one. This one was the Gurkha Vintage Shaggy Maduro. With all of the focus around the new IPCPR 2010 releases, I think its good once in a while to […]
The Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Serie – Toro Double wrapper cigars are nothing new to the cigar business. There have been many successful barber-pole (i.e. Camacho Liberty 2007) and pinstripe (CAO Cigars) cigars that provide a terrific level of complexity. However, 2010 seems to be the year of the combining two different wrappers creating “segments” […]
The Old School Original – The Duke The key to a good Indie (i.e boutique) cigar is getting a memorable smoke. Once such cigar that fits the bill is the “Duke” – part of the Old School Cigars Originals line. This helped immediately make it memorable by name. While it wasn’t a perfect smoke for […]
Stating this very bluntly – 2009 was not a great year for the Rocky Patel line. Rocky released two sticks – the 1961 and the Patel Brothers. I will be the first to admit, I did not care for these two sticks. But when I visit many cigar shops around the country, I notice that […]
I very much looked forward to the visit to the Oliveros booth. Over the past 18 months, I really feel that Oliveros has really shown their muscle as a player in the cigar industry. Led by President Rafael Nodal, Oliveros has produced some terrific cigars at very competitive price points – $5 – $8.00. My […]
In 2008, Manuel Quesada revolutionized the cigar industry by creating a premium value-priced cigar in the $5.00 to $7.00 range. That cigar was called the Casa Magna. The cigar was well-received by many and earned Cigar Aficionado’s prestigious “Cigar of the Year” for 2008. In a tight economy, this was good business sense. Since then […]
When it comes to the true innovators and gentlemen of the Cigar industry, Manuel Quesada is truly in the upper echelon. I’ve met Manuel on several occasions and truly have seen his passion and knowledge in action. That is why when the kind folks at Quesada Cigars reached out to me and asked me to […]
