nicaraguan cigars

Featured Cigar Lounge: Uptown Cigar

Filed under: Cigars

If you're heading up to Kingston, New York, around 90 miles up from the city, stop by Uptown Cigar to light up a stick and relax for a while. I had the opportunity to catch up with Israel Markevitz, the store's manager, on a trip to Esteli, Nicaragua to tour Pepin Garcia's cigar factory, as well as the Drew Estate factory, which makes Acid, T59 and others. Israel is clearly plugged into the cigar business, as everyone from Jonathan Drew to Eddie Ortega to Pepin Garcia greeted him as a familiar face.

Israel explains that his shop is home to a great group of around a dozen regulars who are more than happy to welcome new guests into the shop. You can relax in his spacious lounge while puffing away and sipping a coffee, or you can time your visits to coincide with the various events he holds, including tastings, rolling events and book signings. Chess and backgammon boards are kept on hand, and you can always kick back and watch the game on one of Uptown's big-screen televisions.

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Eddie Ortega: No New Cigars (for a reason)

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

When I asked Eddie Ortega what new cigars he has coming out this year, I wasn't surprised by his response. The man behind the 601 line doesn't have anything new hitting the shelves this year, and I'm pretty happy about that. So is he. Eddie – and Ron Melendi of De La Concha and Israel Markevitz of Uptown Cigar, with whom I spoke about this issue – believes that there isn't much need for new brands right now. Retailers have plenty of product in their stores, and consumers have no shortage of choices.

The cigar market is jammed right now. Every year, more than a handful of people get the brilliant idea that retailers need another line of cigars to pitch to cash-strapped consumers, and the established players tend to bring a steady stream of new concepts, exacerbating the situation. Of course, we need this: we can't let the cigar market go stale. But, we have to cope with a lot of bad ideas to get the good ones (I'm pretty excited about the Tatuaje vintage, for example).

The decision not to venture back into the market with a new line can be intimidating: it's a break from convention, which can always be unsettling. So, it's a bit gutsy not to follow the herd, but Eddie's air of confidence is hard to ignore ... as is the fact that he's right.

Through 2010, Eddie will focus on the cigars he already has on the market and ensure that as many people as possible realize that they should puff on a 601 at least occasionally (his personal preference is for the blue label). Even without a new product this year, Eddie has enough on his plate – and we have plenty to enjoy.

Gallery: Eddie Ortega at Pepin Garcia's Farm

Pepin Garcia and Eddie Ortega Viewing Tobacco Leaves

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Tatuaje Limited Edition Follows in the Footsteps of Wine

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

I met with Pete Johnson, the man behind the Tatuaje cigar line, after he and I met at Jose "Pepin" Garcia's cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. His right arm, sleeved with ink, made Pete easy to pick out of a crowd. Since Tatuajes are among my favorites when I'm away from home, I was excited to learn what's on tap for 2010. Unsurprisingly, Pete has something in mind that's a bit different form the norm in the cigar industry.

Tobacco manufacturers strive for consistency above all else. They want the cigar you smoke next year to taste like the one you're smoking today. This is a sentiment I've heard from Pepin's operation and across the cigar industry. And, this makes sense. If you manufactured a high-quality product of any kind and sought repeat business, wouldn't you strive for consistency?

Tags: cigar, cigars, nicaragua, nicaraguan cigars, NicaraguanCigars, tatuaje, tatuajes, tobacco, tobacco industry, TobaccoIndustry

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Cigar Review: The De La Concha Grand Reserve

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

I have a soft spot for the De La Concha Grand Reserve. Manufactured by Pepin Garcia, it came out in 2003, within roughly a month of the master roller's other creation, the Tatuaje, hit the streets. Both sticks are similar in taste and construction, though the Grand Reserve, which is the house cigar for the tobacconist with which it shares a name, isn't quite as heavy as its cousin. This is my regular, daily cigar and has been since I discovered it, at about the time it came to market.

The Grand Reserve is the first private label cigar created by Pepin Garcia. It is fully Nicaraguan – binder, wrapper and filler – and consequently delivers a bold experience. Momentum gathers through the first third of the Grand Reserve, giving way to a middle third that is a bit peppery with some hefty earth tones. The cigar ends strong but leaves little aftertaste. It generally burns evenly and holds up well against the elements (I smoked one in the snowstorm that hit New York over the weekend).

When you smoke the Grand Reserve, there's no doubt that it's a Pepin product. When I'm away from home (you can only get this cigar in New York), I usually smoke a Tatuaje, as it's quite close.

[Photo by Brian Sayler]

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Bada Bing Cigars

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

We've already seen Sopranos cigars from CAO. Now rapper Jadakiss is working with Cutting Edge LLC to create Bada Bing Cigars (I'm not certain if the cigars take the name from the club on the Sopranos). The cigars, which are now in stores in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, are manufactured in Nicaragua. They are described as being smooth and slow burning. Given that Jadakiss is quoted in the press release as saying " just because a cigar may not be the most expensive doesn't mean you have to suffer" don't look for these new cigars to break your budget.

Source

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