Where do you begin with a cigar like the Montague Corona No. 1? I think that to do this cigar justice we have to begin with its origins. This cigar comes from a country that after the Second World War finally gained it’s independence after nearly three and a half centuries of Dutch colonial rule. Traditionally this country has traded with the world in spices and tobacco.
The Capital of Indonesia is Jakarta and is a country that consists of 17508 separate islands each with their own dialect and has an estimated population of around 237 million and the country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia.
At first they found it very hard to launch their tobacco on to the market. Although the history is there, there isn’t the worldwide reputation that countries like Cuba or the Dominican republic have.
People said that it either tasted good but didn’t look nice or it looked nice but the taste wasn’t quite right.
Read More »
|
|
|
One of the most awaited announcement during this year's Habanos Festival was the introduction of a new series in the original Montecristo family. Although there has been a number of new sizes in the Montecristo brand, it has been 74 years since the last new line came out.
The new cigars, called Open, will be easy to recognize as they're all equipped with a second green band under the usual Montecristo band. The second band has two golden strokes, the golden Open label and white name printed on it. The cigars are targeted mainly at the occasional smokers, who are only smoking cigars during special events like celebrations or other freetime activities. Habanos would like to get them more involved in the cigar culture.
Read More »
|
|
|
After a half-year long development period, CigarTower.com, the independent social networking site for cigar smokers and businesses has been launched at the industry standard IPCPR 2008 show in Las Vegas. The reception among cigar retailers and related businesses was outstanding!
Registering with us gave the opportunity for cigar business owners to create their special profile on CigarTower.com, placing their introduction in the middle of an interactive community of cigar smokers. After their profile is ready, all the businesses will be available to browse in our Business & Media section. Their profile acts like an average cigar smoker's profile in terms of social networking features, which means you can make friendships with cigar stores and accessory makers just as they were real-life persons.
Read More »
|
|
|
After years of securing the worldwide patent for his grandfather's name, the now 67 year old non-smoking grandson, also called Winston Churchill has finally started cooperating with one of the most quality-focused non-Cuban cigar manufacturer, Davidoff. The cigar line is finally available in the US, and it will come to Europe later this year.
The cigars will be available in four sizes, each named in relation to the famous politician:
- Blenheim: Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace in 1874.
- Chequers: Chequers is the British prime minister's official country seat
- No. 10: 10 Downing Street has been the official residence of the prime minister for more than 275 years
- Marrakesh: Many of Winston Churchill's paintings were inspired by the landscape around Marrakesh
Read More »
|
|
|
This year the ceremony took place on the 24th of September during the Inter-tabac trade show in Dortmund.
A total of 13 winners were selected in four categories: Best Brand (4 winners), Best Cigar (5 winners), Best Value (3 winners) and Lifetime Achievement (1 winner). Each winner received a guillotine cutter shaped statuette from European Cigar Cult Journal founder Dr. Helmut Romé and editor in chief Reinhold C. Widmayer. "Every cigar Trophy is homage to the knowladge, hard work and constant striving for quality of all who work in the cigar business - the tobacco farmers, the master blenders, the torcedores and thousands of other people." - states Mr. Romé. "We want to create an awareness for the differentiation between enjoyment and addiction, in the same way as a difference is (rightly) made between the wine connoisseur and the drinker."
The selection of the winners for the Best Cigars category is based on the magazine's Test Panel results. These results also have an important role in the Best Brand and Best Value categories, but in these cases several other factors are included: innovation, market presence, fame and price/performance ratio.
Read More »
|