Rocky Patel Edge Habano

The Edge Habano from Rocky Patel has just arrived. This is the first Edge that is made in Rocky’s new factory in Nicuragua. This medium to full bodied cigar fits nicely in to the Edge line up between the Corojo and the Maduro. To celebrate the fourth version of Rocky’s Edge all of the Edge Cigars are 4 for $20. Come on in and try the new Habano or pick up one of each to try them all!!!

The 1929 is a cigar made by Rocky Patel for our owner Rich Castiano and his father, Sal Castiano.  On a trip to Nicaragua Rich and his father Sal, along with our friend Rocky Patel, personally selected the fine tobaccos that ultimately became the cigar that proudly bears the Castiano family name.  The 1929 is a great cigar to start the day as well as being the perfect smoke to offer a friend.  This is a special blend that we hope becomes your everyday smoke.

The 1929 is a blend of Nicaraguan fillers, a Nicaraguan Jalapa binder with an exquisite Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.  After seeing his father, Sal Castiano, savor this amazing blend Rich made the decision to produce the 1929 as a tribute to the year he was born.

The 1929 is manufactured in the Tabacalera Cilla Cuba (Tavicusa) factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.  The Tavicusa factory is owned by Rocky Patel in a partnership with Amilicar Perez, a maestro tobaqueros who has been in the cigar industry since 1991.  Some of the cigars to Perez’s credit include the Rocky Patel 1961 and 15th Anniversary which are both also made at the Tavicusa factory.

The 1929 is a cigar that can be enjoyed by the most seasoned aficionado to the occasional smoker.  It delivers a very mild medium bodied balance with the undeniable Rocky Patel quality.  The exceptional draw induces a smoothness that combines a toasty, creamy flavor with subtle hints of cocoa, and its uniques box press is as memorable as its silky finish.

The 1929 is available in four sizes, Robusto, Lonsdale, Toro and Torpedo.

On April 27th at the Gulf Coast Town Center location we will be featuring the 1929 at our Cigar of the Month Party.  Come to meet Rich and Sal Castiano and take advantage of the great deals on this cigar line!

Johnnie Walker Swing

At the party we will also be pairing the 1929 with a great Scotch blend from one of Rich’s favorite companies, Johnnie Walker.  Swing is a Scotch originally blended by Sir Alexander Walker, Master Blender par excellence and grandson of John Walker.  There are up to thirty-five individual whiskies used in the creation of swing, each carefully selected by the Master Blender, whose task is to consistently reproduce the original character of the blend devised by Sir Alexander Walker.  The result of these blends is a luxurious flavor that’s light in the foreground, with sweet mouth-watering depth developing on the palate.

This month we are featuring a new addition to the Alec Bradley line of cigars – The MAXX Connecticut.

Alan Rubin, the founder of Alec Bradley, began in the cigar industry in 1997 after previously being an importer of screws and bolts from China – not the background you would expect for a big name in the cigar industry.  Having had success with that business it allowed him to do something he loves. The company bears the names of his sons, Alec & Bradley.

Alec Bradley has several popular lines including the 94 rated Tempus, Prensado, Family Blends and the 90 rated MAXX, but recently has added a great new cigar to their line – the MAXX Connecticut.

Rubin says that the new cigar came from consumer requests to put a Connecticut wrapper on the original MAXX cigar and make it in larger ring gauges.  The new addition is blended with the same Nicaraguan, Colombian, Mexican, and Honduran longfiller tobaccos, and Costa Rican binder but has a beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, which has produced a silky smooth and rich tasting cigar.

With mild cigars being a big seller in our humidors it is always exciting for us to get a great new Connecticut wrap cigar.  If you like big mild cigars then the MAXX is the one for you!

Gurkha founder Kaisad Hansotia started in his family’s luxury watch business then transitioned to the cigar industry after a trip to the Far East.  While in Goa, India on vacation Kaizad came across some Portuguese men making cigars.  After spending some time with them, he purchased their business for $143.  His intention was not to be a cigar producer but to provide cigars to friends and business associates as gifts. Soon, the requests from those friends and associates to purchase his cigars grew and Gurkha Cigars was born.

The latest additions to the Gurkha line, the Ninja and Viper, continue their tradition of exceptional cigars with a more affordable price. Cigar Aficionado recently rated the Ninja a 91 and gave the Viper an 88 (out of a possible 100).  The Ninja is a smooth and creamy medium-bodied smoke with hints of cocoa, cedar and coffee.  The Viper is a mild to medium box pressed cigar with notes of pepper and spice.

In addition to Gurkha offering these great affordable cigars, they also have the distinction of producing the world’s most expensive cigar ever made, the His Majesty’s Reserve (HMR), at $750 per cigar.  The HMR is made with premium tobaccos and infused with a shot of Louis XIII Cognac!

So no matter what you are looking for, a great affordable smoke or the ultimate in indulgence, Gurkha Cigars fit the bill!

The Oliva family started their tobacco legacy in 1886, Pinar Del Rio, Cuba.  Now 125 years later, the fourth-generation of the family has made the company the second largest producers of hand rolled cigars in Nicaragua.  The Series G cigars are smooth and Series O have a little extra spice from their all Habano seed blend.  Series V has been a flagship smoke and was awarded 94 points by Cigar Insider on its release in 2007 and “Top 25 Cigars of the Year”, by Cigar Aficionado in 2008.  If you crave a lighter bodied smoke, the Connecticut Reserve will fit the bill.  If there were ever a testament to patience its the Master Blend 3; a harmony of Ligero, Habano, and Sun Grown Broadleaf (a must try with premium Tequilas).  The two newest projects for the Oliva’s have been the NUB and Cain Series.  NUB cigars  are short and wide gauge to deliver the “best one-third of a churchill” in a variety of wrappers, while the Cain focuses on pushing the boundaries of just how much Ligero leaf can really be put into one cigar.  Oliva Cigars are not just the second largest cigar makers in Nicaragua, but also one of the most affordable brands world-wide.  Come help us celebrate our first Cigar of the Month Party of the new year on January 21st, from 8-11pm at the GulfCoastTownCenter location.

As Always,
Happy Smoking

This December 17th from 8-11pm, the “World Famous” Cigar Bar welcomes back the Don Pepin Garcia Cigar Company for our Holiday Cigar Party at the GulfCoastTownCenter.  If you have ever smoked a Nicaraguan cigar in the last decade, or a Cuban in the last 40 years for that matter, chances are you have smoke a few creations from cigar master Don Jose Pepin Garcia.   Several smokes come from the My Father Cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua while many still come from the El Rey De La Habanos factory in Little Havana – Miami, FL.  Don Pepin now has his son Jaime and daughter Janny working side-by-side with him in every aspect of tobacco cultivation and cigar production.  The innovations in their tobacco blending allows the Garcia family to create cigars ranging in flavor from classic Habano to new intriguing styles that could never have been created in Cuba.  Drink pairing recommendations are rums, cognacs, and cabernet wines.

Fillers: Nicaragua
Binders: Nicaragua, Mexico
Wrappers: Nicaragua, Mexico, Ecuador

As our summer ends and our short autumn cools down our temps, people start to get back into their “routines”. This October is a mix of familiar and unacquainted when we bring back our friend and co-owner of United Tobacco, EO Brand Cigars: Erik Espinoza with his benchmark brands 601 and Cubao. In the last year, EO Cigars has released a maduro version of the Cubao (a touch of cacao to a earthy smoke) and the highly anticipated Murcielago. Murcielago (Spanish for “bat”) has a beautiful box-press design encased in a deep, dark, maduro wrapper grown on a small private farm in the San Andreas valley of Mexico. The Mexican binder and Nicaraguan fillers make this a powerhouse of a smoke. We’ve paired many drinks to the EO line of sticks: so weather you are a Beer-Nut (Guinness with 601 Blue & Murcielago), a Rum-Pirate(spiced or sweet work great with the 601 Red), a Whiskey-man (Cubao & 601 Green carry the cask oak flavor), or a Cork-Dork(reds with most, whites with the 601 Black), we’ve got you covered.

Last month, the tobacconists of the “World Famous” Cigar Bar went back to New Orleans for the 78th annual IPCPR trade show.  Over four days, we sampled many, many cigars and picked out the best of the best for you, your humidor, and your gift-giving season.  August of last year we introduced to you the Fonseca line of cigars.  Fonseca, a highly acclaimed brand originating in Cuba over one hundred years ago, was relocated after the Cuban Revolution to the Dominican Republic in 1974, by  Fonseca’s master-blender  Manuel Quesada.  Manuel is the fourth generation of his family to drive the cigar industry forward.  With production nestled in the fertile fields of Santiago, Dom. Rep., the Quesada family blends tobaccos from only the most select crops from many countries. Smokers looking for milder smokes should try the Fonseca Classics or Vintage.  Prefer some spice in that stick?; Cubano Limitado and Viso Fuerte are easy grabs.  There is now a fifth generation of the family working shoulder-deep in leaf; creating new blends and bringing new vision to a company that has always balanced tradition with innovation.  The last year has brought the first two releases from Fonseca Cigars to bear the Quesada family name; the 35th anniversary and Tributo series.

While the tobacconist’s of the “World Famous” Cigar Bar prepare to visit New Orleans for their annual trade show this month I thought it a good time to revisit old friends.  Many of you have attended the stellar event with Alec Bradley Cigars back in January  and this visit will definitely exceed expectations.  We are showcasing the entire Alec Bradley line of cigars for this three hour event on August 27, from 8-11pm at our BEST pricing.  Weather you have sampled some of these delectable smokes in the past or are looking for some phenomenal values to stock your humidor, there is a Alec Bradley cigar for nearly every smoker.  Looking for a full bodied cigar?  The MaXX cigar has got you covered.  How about the 94 rated Tempus cigar, or a piece of history like the Family Blend only released for public sale in the last year?  No matter your tastes or palate the “World Famous” Cigar Bar’s highly revered staff can always make a recommendation of a drink & cigar pairing.

Country of origin: Nicaragua
Fillers: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Havana Subido (Nicaragua)

Brick House cigars are puro Nicaraguan cigars made for the J.C. Newman family. Julius Caesar Newman founded the J.C. Newman Cigar Company in 1895 and is today the longest running family owned cigar producer in America. One of J.C.’s earliest creations was the Brick House cigar honoring the house he lived in as a child. While this cigar delivers a medium-bodied smoke, notes of maple syrup and oak are easily found on its finish. A smooth and affordable smoke, an easy choice for stock cigars for the home humidor or grab a handful for you and friends.