Feb 27th 2012 - An Interview with Oliver Hyams of Gurkha

Today I'm continuing the running series of 1 interview a week with a handful of people in the cigar industry who have been very supportive of me and my blog. These are in no particular order. Today brings us Oliver Hyams of Gurkha and I'll be featuring their new release the Royal Challenge.

DCB Question 1:
What was it that you made you decide you wanted to be a part of the cigar industry and how did you start?

OH: Well, I have been fortunate to be around cigars my whole life as my father Gary has been in the cigar industry for 35 years. He had his own company in the United Kingdom and then worked for many years with Henri Winterman's cigars, which later went on to become part of the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG). I used to help out in the warehouse in my school holidays and just enjoyed learning about the different products and how they were manufactured, marketed and sold. Then in 2007 my father was appointed Chairman of CAO cigars in Nashville, TN which is when I really got the bug on the premium side of the cigar business. They had a really cool image and marketing strategy and was always intrigued by the cigar blending process and how each brand was unique. By this time, I was just finishing college and got to go to my first IPCPR show in 2008 to help out on the CAO booth and quickly realized that I wanted to do this as a career. In 2010, I had the opportunity and pleasure of working with the Torano Family Cigar company where I gained a wealth of experience. My father then started working with Gurkha and our Chairman, Kaizad Hansotia in June 2011 and I was approached later that summer to join the Gurkha team to assist with their marketing, PR and communication efforts. I have always wanted the opportunity to work with my father and I am learning a lot from him and Kaizad. For me, one of the biggest draws to the cigar business is the fact that this industry is very people orientated and relationship driven and cigars are associated with the good times in life.

DCB Question 2:
Gurkha is well known for having a large variety of blends but not many boutique exclusive ones. What made you decide it was time to start making some B&M exclusive cigars in the Royal Challenge, Seduction and Cellar Reserve?

OH: It's true, we have a large variety of blends but this decision was made to show that we are making an even stronger effort to support the retail stores. Gurkha is a family owned business and we believe that it's important to support retailers and provide them with products just for them. Obviously, the internet is a strong and important part of our business and indeed the industry as a whole, but there is something unique and special about smoking a cigar at your local cigar store and chatting with the owners, managers and customers. The Cellar Reserve, Royal Challenge and Seduction are all very different blends that can appeal to a wide variety of cigar smokers. The Cellar Reserve is a medium to full bodied blend which uses rare 15- year aged Dominican tobacco and is very complex and has a price point ranging from $7.99-$12.95. The Royal Challenge is a mild-medium cigar that is creamy and smooth with an abundance of flavor, which has a price point ranging from $5.98-$8.50, and is actually my personal favorite. The Seduction is a medium bodied cigar that has nice combination of Domincian, Nicaraguan and Colombian Corojo tobaccos and ranges from $6.80-$9.50.


DCB Question 3:
I've seen your tweets about the new blends that you guys are testing. What if any info about them can you give me?

OH: Yes, we have been testing quite a number of different blends as part of our new product development for 2012 and beyond. I can't give too much away at this point, but one of the projects we are working on is the blend for our 125th Anniversary cigar which we plan to launch later this year. The Gurkha brand actually dates back to the British rule in 1887, where Colonial soldiers began to make their own cigars from local tobacco and imports from the Caribbean. The respect of the British for these courageous and legendary Nepales fighters inspired them in 1887 to name their cigars 'Gurkhas'. We are therefore taking our time to create the best cigar we can for this special launch and are sampling blends from different factories to come up with a worthy and dignified anniversary cigar.

DCB Question 4:
What is your favorite part of creating a cigar from scratch?

OH: I think the best part of creating a cigar from scratch is the many different blend combinations that can be created using a variety of tobaccos. On top of that, there are the unique processes that have to take place that can change the characteristics of the cigar such as the fermentation and aging of the tobacco, as well as the natural environmental factors. There is something special about manufacturing a hand-made product and I am always intrigued by other industries that have certain similarities with the manufacturing process of cigars such as wine, whiskey and coffee. Since joining Gurkha, I have also got to learn a lot from Kaizad the importance of matching the cigar blends with innovative and unique packaging, which the company is renowned for.


DCB Question 5:
What are you most excited about for Gurkha in 2012?

OH: As mentioned, probably the most exciting part of 2012 is the 125th Anniversary of the Gurkha brand. Another exciting milestone this year will be the relocation to our new headquarters, which we will probably move to in the spring. I had the pleasure of seeing the new offices and warehouse a few weeks ago and it is going to look amazing once finished. We also look forward to the new product launches as well as pursuing a new advertising campaign that showcases our new contract brands, Cellar Reserve and Royal Challenge. We have also formulated a strong events program for 2012, where our regional sales managers and other members of the Gurkha team look forward to visiting many stores across the country, where we will be featuring and sampling our different brands, with the chance for consumers to get their hands on some cool Gurkha merch and raffle prizes. This year will also be the commencement of our International launch that will see Gurkha products in europe and the far east, with the goal of expanding into other markets to ultimately make Gurkha a truly global brand.


DCB: Thanks for your time and support of the blog Oliver! It's been an honor to have this interview with you.

OH: I appreciate the opportunity of speaking with you Elijah. It's been fun to communicate with the online cigar community and want to thankyou for your service to the industry.I look forward to grabbing a smoke with you soon.
Cheers.
Oli

Today’s brings us the Gurkha Royal Challenge in a 5x55 Robusto vitola. The Royal Challenge was a 2011 new release from Gurkha. The Royal Challenge has fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic with a Honduran Habano binder and a Connecticut shade wrapper. I can honestly say this has to be one of the most beautiful bands I’ve ever seen on a cigar. With flavors of pepper and cedar wood that help enhance the creamy buttery tones that are the core of this cigar.

Feb 26th 2012 - Alec Bradley Sun Grown

Today brings us the Alec Bradley Sun Grown in a 7x48 Churchill vitola. The Sun Grown is created exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop by Alec Bradley. It has a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, a Honduran binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Columbia. As with anything produced by Alan Rubin and his people the Sun Grown is a great cigar. You'll get flavors of rich natural tobacco, spice, coffee, earth, mint and a sweetness that brings us all together nicely. I chose this as today's cigar because today is the start of the 2012 NASCAR season with the Daytona 500. I have many great memories of long days in the sun going to races with my family growing up in TN by Bristol Motor Speedway. Hoping all the racing fans out there enjoy the race today and for the whole season!

Feb 25th 2012 - Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure Especial

Today brings us the Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure Especial in a 5.5x50 vitola. Introduced in 2008 to be the top of the Epicure line the Epicure Especial is a follow up to the extremely successful and popular HDM Edition Limitada 2004. This is a very well constructed Cuban puro. The HDM Epicure Especial has medium bodied flavors of earth, cocoa, classic tobacco, grass, spice herbs and competing sweet and salty notes. I chose this to be today's cigar to pay homage to the 28 US Army Reservists lost and the other more than 100 service members injured on this day in 1991 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This occurred on the same day that the ground assault of the Gulf War started. This was considered to be the greatest tactical achievement of the Al Hussein missile as the US Army's 14th Quartermaster Detachment lost 81% of their unit. You may be gone but your sacrifices will never be forgotten...

Feb 24th 2012 - Hammer and Sickle Moscow City

Today brings us the Hammer and Sickle Moscow City in a 6x54 Toro vitola. The Hammer and Sickle line started as a life style brand in 2005 and their vodka hit the market in 2007. Their Tradicion Serie line hit the cigar market in 2009. The Moscow City is a limited production cigar that they brought out I believe in 2010. I'm finding some conflicting information on the blend. On the H&S site it says that it is a 100% Connecticut Broadleaf blend but everywhere else I'm reading that it has a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, with a Dominican binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican. Regardless of the blend it was done by legendary master blender Henke Kelner of Davidoff so you know it will be something special. You'll get a spicy, chocolately, peppery, earthty and woody cigar with coffee notes throughout. I chose this today to celebrate what would have been the 44th birthday of one of my favorite comedians Mitch Hedberg. Mitch was very unique in how he delivered his jokes and his great one liners. Thanks for all the great laughs Mitch.

Feb 23rd 2012 - Man O' War Ruination

Today brings us the Man O' War Ruination in a 5x42 Corona vitola. Man O' War is one of the most popular and highly regarded blends by AJ Fernandez. The Ruination was introduced as a full bodied edition to the line. It has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras. You'll get a woody, leathery, earthy and spicy experience with the Ruination. I chose this for today's cigar for 2 reasons. 1. My buddy Carl hooked me up with it the other night when we hung out, thanks again brother! 2. Today marks the 67th anniversary of the iconic flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima. One of the most pivotal and bloody battles during World War II happened on Iwo Jima. 5 Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman performed the second flag raising on the mountain which resulted in the photo that helped inspire Americans to support the war efforts. The battle lasted 36 days and resulted in 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead. The Japanese had 22,060 soldiers stationed on the island. 21,844 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide. This marked the only US Marine battle that resulted in more American casualties than the enemy. Even in the face of all this they fought on and captured the island which provided a huge strategic advantage to the US war effort. The nations highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, was awarded to 22 Marines and 5 Navy personnel for their actions during the battle. For retrospect only 82 Medal of Honor were awarded to Marines in WWII, 28% of them were for Iwo Jima. Also my grandfather, a Army Field Medic, was attached to a Marine unit for the Pacific Island Hopping Campaign and fought on Iwo Jima. He was lucky enough to make it through unharmed. I miss you papaw and thanks for all you and the men you fought beside did for this country.

Flag Raising:


MOW Ruination:

Feb 22nd 2012 - Punch Gran Puro

Today brings us the Punch Gran Puro Pico Bonito in a 6x50 vitola. Punch has a rich history in the cigar industry. Established in 1840 Punch is one of the oldest brands in the industry. Punch still produces Cuban cigars but also debuted their Honduran line in 1969. The Gran Puro has Honduran Sun Grown tobaccos that make up it's wrapper, binder, filler combination. You will get flavors of coffee, pepper, earth, spice, wood and old world tobacco for a med-full bodied experience. I chose this today as a blind grab out of the humidor as I didn't have anything to tie into today.

Feb 21st 2012 - An Interview with Jon Huber of Crowned Heads

Today I'm starting a running series of 1 interview a week with a handful of people in the cigar industry who have been very supportive of me and my blog. These are in no particular order. Today brings us Jon Huber of Crowned Heads and I'll be featuring Four Kicks.

DCB Question 1:
What was it that you made you decide you wanted to be a part of the cigar industry and how did you start?

JH: Back in 1994-95, I was at a point in my life where I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't accept a "job" any longer; I wanted to do something every day that I was genuinely passionate about. Up to that point, I'd had my share of 'jobs'--everything ranging from being a personal trainer to selling commercial real estate to telemarketing dog shampoo and indoor sun tanning products. I knew what it was like to struggle and I knew what it was like to dread getting out of bed each day. I decided to do some 'soul-searching' to determine exactly what it was that would make me tick and what I wanted to devote every day to. At that time, I was becoming interested in wine and cigars. I found a copy of 'Cigar Aficionado' (was the George Burns cover) and began educating myself about cigars. The more I got into it, the more it got into my blood.

From that point forward, I used that copy of CA to reach out to every cigar company I could write a letter to. Most didn't reply--some took the time to send me a rejection letter (I pride myself to this day on receiving a rejection letter from Gordon Mott at Cigar Aficionado). It got to the point where I couldn't even get a $7/hour retail clerk job at my local tobacconist (today, that same store is Crowned Heads #1 account in the country). Anyway, longer story somewhat shorter, the last ad in the magazine was a CAO ad. I wrote a letter to Cano Ozgener (Founder) and got a call from him 4 months later. The rest is history, I suppose.

DCB Question2:
Crowned Heads took the cigar world by storm last year. What was it that drove you and a handful of the other people from CAO to start a new cigar company after the sale and relocation of CAO? Also what made you keep it in TN? As a TN native I love the fact that you stayed there with Crowned Heads.

JH: At that point, I knew cigars were in my blood and I had no interest in doing anything else; it's what I love and what I do. What fueled me was equal parts passion, determination, and vengeance. Staying in Tennessee was the only choice--my love and my heart are in this city (literally). My wife is here, my son is here, and the people who brought me to the dance are here. I believe in loyalty, honesty, and integrity; there was no check you could've written n to me that would've prompted me moving to another city.

DCB Question 3:
I have seen your interaction on twitter and your site with your fans and it's fantastic. On that same path I've noticed you talking about testing some new blends and stuff out. What if any info can you give me on that?

JH: Mike (Conder) and I just got home last night from spending the week with Ernesto (Perez-Carrillo) at the factory. What I can tell you right now is that we finalized the blend for the new size extension to Four Kicks ("Seleccion No. 5"). I'm very excited about this new size; I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that we didn't necessarily go with a size based solely upon how it would sell. Rather, we went with a size that we feel is true to the brand. We also continued tweaking a blend we began working on last November. The blend is for a 2013 brand; however, we will be releasing one size of the brand this summer at the IPCPR show in Orlando. It will be somewhat of a sneak-preview of 2013 and will be limited to 25,000 cigars of one shape this year. I think it's important to get across that this is not a "Limited Edition." This will be a full brand release in 2013. The blending, branding, packaging, etc., will all be 'in the can' for the entire 2013 line before this year's IPCPR.

DCB Question 4:
What is your favorite part of creating a cigar from scratch?

JH: My favorite part has always been bringing what's in your mind/heart to actual fruition and on to the shelf for people to smoke. When someone says they enjoy what you're doing, it's really icing on the cake. But the 'cake' is really the creative process. The journey along the way, i.e., trying different tobaccos, regions, primings, etc., in order to nail what you originally had in mind is what keeps me going. I've been in the business for almost 16 years now and I am still a student. I'm constantly learning something new each day; when you stop learning and discovering, you stop growing, and you're dead.

DCB Question 5:
What are you most excited about for Crowned Heads in 2012?

JH: I'm excited about gradually expanding our distribution base so that more people can actually find and try Four Kicks this year. From the beginning, we always said the tobacco would dictate our growth. We're not interested in opening 500 accounts and sacrificing the quality of the product. Right now, we're at just about 80 locations across the country. We have priority backorders from our existing retail partners that will account for more than half of the first shipment of 2012; what's left will allow us to open some new accounts and, in turn, give access to more consumers. Focusing on the quality of the cigars and not the number of accounts or dollars coming in will give us longevity in this industry; we want to be here for a long time.

DCB: Thanks for your time and support of the blog Jon! It's been an honor to have this interview with you.


Today brings us the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Robusto in a 5x50 vitola. Crowned Heads is a new cigar company created by Jon Huber, Nancy Heathman, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing and company after the sale of CAO Cigars last year. Their first release is the Four Kicks. Hailing from Tabacalera LaAlianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic it features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with it's binder and fillers coming from Nicaragua. You get an earthy and woody core that is complemented by sweet spicy flavor notes that is well balanced and complex.

Feb 20th 2012 - Camacho 10th Anniversary

Today brings us the Camacho 10th Anniversary in a 6x60 vitola. Christian Eiroa developed this for Camacho's 10th Anniversary. It is a soft box pressed cigar with nice smooth lines. It hails from the Honduras with all Corojo tobaccos that make it up. You'll get a nutty, spicy, with leather and hints of coffee throughout. I chose this to be today's cigar to pay homage to Kurt Cobain. Today would have been his 45th anniversary. Thanks for all the great music Kurt...

Feb 19th 2012 - Tatuaje La Verite Vintage 2009

Ok so TheDailyCigar needs everybody's help! Pete Johnson, one of the top manufacturers in the industry and a HUGE supporter of my blog, is competing to win the Crushpad Club Challenge. It's Pete's opportunity to make a 10+ year dream of getting into the wine industry come true. Please go here, http://www.facebook.com/crushpad?sk=app_301784786521549#!/crushpad?sk=app_301784786521549, and vote for TATOUAGE. Thanks!

Today brings us the Tatuaje La Verite Vintage 2009 L’Espirit de Verite Robusto in a 5x50 vitola. Pete Johnson is known for his limited release cigars. The Verite, truth in French, is one that he takes immense pride in. Pete applies a vintners approach to the process by using tobaccos all grown on the same farm. The La Verite Vintage 2009 gets it's tobaccos from part of the 2007 growing season at the Garcia family's La Estrella farm in Nicaragua. The La Verite Vintage 2009 L’Espirit de Verite consists of 50% Habano Criollo, 40% Criollo 98 and 10% Pelo de Oro tobaccos. You'll get great flavors of cocoa, wood, spice and pepper. I chose this to be today's as it relates to what I'm trying to help Pete accomplish with this post with his approach to the La Verite Vintage line. Thanks for the help guys!

Feb 18th 2012 - Gurkha Fuerte

Today brings us the Gurkha Fuerte in a 6x52 Torpedo vitola. Gurkha is known for their vast portfolio and one of the stronger ones in their line. The Fuerte has a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper with it's fillers coming from Nicaragua and the Honduras. You get a full bodied sweet, earthy, spicy, cedary and peppery flavor experience. I chose this as a Dale Earnhardt memorial. It was 11 years ago today that he passed away doing what he loved, racing. Love him or hate him Dale brought a lot of excitement to the sport and will forever be remembered and missed.

Feb 17th 2012 - Cohiba Siglo III

Today brings us the Cohiba Siglo III in a 6.1x42 vitola. Cohiba is one of the oldest and most respected cigar manufacturers in the world. They are known for their solid construction, great flavors and top quality. The Cohiba Siglo III is a Cuban puro cigar. It has elegant flavors of coffee, leather, spice with a sweetness that rounds it out nicely. I chose this to be today's cigar as today is Michael Jordan's birthday. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game he wowed people the world around with his talent, athleticism and passion for the game. MJ is also a huge cigar enthusiast. His fav cigar is the Cohiba Limited Edition Double Corona and while I don't have that I have heard nothing but amazing this about the Siglo II and thought it fit the occasion nicely.

Feb 16th 2012 - Viaje Skull and Bones

Today brings us the Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB Torpedo in a 4.25x54 vitola. Viaje is a boutique cigar company that is known for their limited release cigars. The Skull and Bones is an annual release that they do. MOAB stands for Massive Ordinance Air Blast. It may be small but it packs a serious punch. It is a Nicaraguan puro with a Sun Grown Criollo wrapper. It is a very powerful and flavorful cigar with flavors of pepper, spice, earth, leather and chocolate. Had nothing to tie into today for a cigar and did a blind grab out of the humidor and this is what I came up with.

Feb 15th 2012 - Arturo Fuente Hemingway Shorty Story

Today brings us the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro in a 4x46/49 perfecto vitola. Carlos Fuente Jr. created the Shorty Story perfecto vitola to pay homage to what his grandfather was doing back in the 1920's, 30's and 40's with perfecto shaped cigars. The maduro version of the Short Story is a little harder to find as it was a limited release. The Short Story Maduro features a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper with it's binder and fillers coming from the Dominican. You'll get full flavors of coffee, chocolate, leather and earth. I didn't have anything to tie into today and have been wanting to feature this cigar.

Feb 14th 2012 - Cohiba Siglo VI

Today's cigar is the Cohiba Siglo VI in a 5.9x52 vitola. The Cohiba Siglo VI is a Cuban puro. The Siglo VI has great flavors of cedar, sweet grass, earth with a light spice in the background that is very full flavored. I was gifted this cigar last year as a congratulatory cigar after I got engaged. Which brings me to why this is today's daily cigar. I will be getting married this Oct and wanted to dedicate today's Valentines Edition of the blog to my beautiful fiance. This is the cigar I am going to be smoking the day we get married. She is an amazing woman who I don't know what I'd do without. Thank you for everything babe. Happy Valentines Day and I love you!

Feb 13th 2012 - EP Carrillo Short Run

Today brings us the EP Carrillo Short Run 2011 Canonazos in a 5.8x52 vitola. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is a legend in the cigar industry. After starting in Cuba the Ernesto and his family fled Cuba in the 1960's and set up in Miami and created El Credito Cigar Company which produced the still popular La Gloria Cubana Cigar line. In 2008 Ernesto left La Gloria Cubana and shortly there after started up the EPC Cigar Company with his son and daughter. Starting in 2010 they have been producing a yearly Short Run Cigar. It is featured in 3 vitolas and only 1500 boxes of each vitola was made. The 2011 features a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with Nicaraguan and Dominican long fillers. It has great elegant flavors of coffee, chocolate, tobacco, spice, roasted nuts and a very light pepper. I chose this to be today's cigar to pay homage to a good friend of mine who gave his life in Afghanistan on 14 Feb 2009. SSgt Daniel Hansen was one of the best Marines I ever had the pleasure to serve with and call my friend. You are still missed and will always be. Thank you for being such a great friend and giving it all brother. You will never be forgotten!

Feb 12th 2012 - Tatuaje The Face

Today brings us the Tatuaje The Face in it's only size a 6 3/8x56 vitola. The Face is #3 in the famed Tatuaje Monster Series and pays homage to Leather Face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Every year Pete Johnson releases a limited edition addition to the Monster Series and it has developed quite the cult following. The Face features a Mexican San Andreas wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The Face has a very intriguing cap, a closed foot and a piece of tobacco in place of the band. You'll get full flavors of nuts, earth, coffee, spice, pepper, cocoa, wood and a sweetness that rounds it out nicely. I chose this for today's cigar because it was on this day in 1914 that the first stone was laid for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Abraham Lincoln is widely recognized as one of the greatest Presidents in US history. He was the face of change in the US and we wouldn't be where we are without him.

Feb 11th 2012 - AJ Fernandez Fresh Rolled

Today brings us the AJ Fernandez Fresh Rolled Toro in a 6x50 vitola. I had some trouble finding info on the AJ Fernandez Fresh Rolled but did dig up the following from Alex Svenson the chief merchant at cigar.com: "No bells and whistles but a great value. He had some off color habano ecuador wrapper and excess fillers he needed to use so we came up with this little brand. Good value day in and day out. It dawned on me that we really didn't have a bundle item as even his inexpensive stuff is boxed like Nica Libre etc. If you like the value line stuff out of his camp you will like this. Just a solid everyday smoke." I'm very excited to smoke this and will report back on how it was after I get a chance to. I wanted to feature this and get everybody's thoughts on it.

Feb 10th 2012 - My Father Special S

Today brings us the My Father Special S Robusto in a 5x50 vitola. The My Father Special S is a hard cigar to find much info on. What I do know is that it is normally given out at My Father events with a box purchase and can be found at a few places in a 3 pack sampler that can be purchased by itself. The My Father Special S is a only available in the Robusto Vitola and is a Nicaraguan Puro. The My Father Special S has great flavors of pepper, nuts, earth and spice. I chose this to be today's cigar to commemorate Jim Varney who died 12 years ago today. Jim was a very special actor who touched the lives of million with his Ernest character. I know I personally really loved his movies growing up in the 90's. Thanks for all the great memories Jim...

Feb 9th 2012 - La Aurora Preferido

Today brings us the La Aurora Preferido Maduro Red No. 2 in a 5x54 vitola. La Aurora has the distinction as being the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. Est in 1903 the original shape they rolled the cigars in was the Preferido. Which is fat in the middle and tapers at both ends. The release is limited to 200,000 cigars per year. The Maduro has a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, a Dominican binder and fillers from Brazil and the Dominican. Today I'll be utilizing another review from RobbyRasReviews which can be found here, http://robbyrasreviews.com/la-aurora-preferido-maduro-no-2/. The first third gives flavors of spice, coffee and a classic maduro sweetness. The second third has very brilliant subtle flavors of a savory salty spice, coffee and cream. The final third has flavors of bitter coffee and a sweetness with a little bit of cinnamon. Thanks for the awesome review brother! I chose this to be today's cigar to pay homage to the brave warriors who fought on Guadalcanal. It was on this day 69 years ago that the 6 month long battle ended. More than 7,000 allied service members gave their lives. Thanks to the bravery of the more than 60,000 allied troops we were able to secure a key island in the Pacific campaign. Thank you to those who are still living and to those we have lost. We will never forget you...

Feb 8th 2012 - Nub Plus Habano

Today brings us the Nub Plus Habano in a 5x60 vitola. Studio Tobac is doing a run of limited release cigars and one of those was the Nub Plus Habano. Sticking with the traditional blend they extended the length by 1 inch and really made something great. The Nub Plus Habano is a Nicaraguan Puro with a Habano wrapper. It has flavors of spice, wood, earth and roasted coffee. I didn't have anything for today to tie into a cigar and wanted to feature a limited run cigar.

Feb 7th 2012 - Camacho Triple Maduro

Today brings us the Camacho Triple Maduro Robusto in a 4.5x50 vitola. Camacho did something very unique when blending the Triple Maduro, they used all maduro tobaccos in it. This was the first time that this was ever done. Typically maduro cigars only have a maduro wrapper on them. They utilized all Honduran tobacco for it as well. With the Triple Maduro you'll get a well rounded full bodied cigar with flavors of chocolate, leather, wood, earth, spice and coffee. I chose this to be today's cigar to wish a Happy Birthday to Sully Erna. Sully is the lead singer of Godsmack. If you haven't seen them live and get the chance to, do it. They put on a great show. Thanks for all the great music Sully

Feb 6th 2012 - Gurkha G5 Avenger

Today brings us the Gurkha G5 Avenger Torpedo in a 6x52 vitola. The G5 Avenger is a very dark and med-full bodied offering from Gurkha. The G5 is a box pressed cigar that looks like a candy bar. It hails from the Dominican Republic and is a true Nicaraguan Puro with all it's tobaccos coming from Nicaragua. You'll get a peppery, chocolaty, earthy, spicy cigar with great coffee flavors throughout that brings it all together. I chose the G5 to congratulate the Giants and all their fans for the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI for their 4th Super Bowl title!

Feb 5th 2012 - Morro Castle

Today brings us the Morro Castle Toro in a 6x52 vitola. Morro Castle was an old Cuban brand that fell to the wayside but was recently resurrected by AJ Fernandez. The Morro Castle line is named in honor of the Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro in Havana Bay, Cuba which was built in 1589. The Morro Castle features a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. You'll get a creamy medium bodied experience with flavors of wood, nuts, earth with hints of spice on the finish. I chose this as today's cigar as I was recently gifted it by a great BOTL on the cigar.com forum.

Feb 4th 2012 - Perdomo2 Limited Edition 2008

Today brings us the Perdomo2, Perdomo Squared, Limited Edition 2008 Torpedo in a 6.2x54 vitola. Perdomo2 was originally released and discontinued due to a lack of popularity. In 2008 they decided to release it again with an all new blend. The Perdomo2 came in 2 different wrappers a Maduro wrapper which featured a yellow band and a Habano wrapper and a red band. The Perdomo2 is a Nicaraguan Puro with all Nicaraguan tobaccos used to make up it's wrapper, binder and filler combination. You'll get a nutty, sweet cigar with a slight spice in the background. I chose this for today's cigar to wish Nick Perdomo a Happy Birthday! Nick is hands down one of the best people in the industry and wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday by featuring one of his great cigars on the blog. Hope you had a great day Nick.

Feb 3rd 2012 - Tatuaje El Triunfador

Today brings us the Tatuaje El Triunfador No. 2 in a 5.5x52 vitola. El Triunfador has been released more than once by Pete Johnson. Originally released as a Lancero with a Maduro wrapper the mass produced El Triunfador now comes with a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. To note Pete is now producing El Triunfador The Old Man and The C, but that's a story for another time. El Triunfador has a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It is medium in body but full flavors of sweet tobacco, wood, spice, and cocoa with hints of pepper and coffee. I chose this to be today's cigar as Pete Johnson is in town doing a few events with W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist. I can't attend but wanted to give a shout out. Hope everybody has a great time at the events!

Feb 2nd 2012 - Diamond Crown

Today brings us the Diamond Crown Robusto No. 4 in a 5.5x54 vitola. A product of the JC Newman Cigar Company the Diamond Crown is a super premium mild-medium bodied cigar. It was the brainchild of Stanford Newman for the 100th anniversary of JC Newman Cigar Company in 1995. Stanford wanted nothing but the best so he approached Carlos Fuente Sr. to accomplish this. The Diamond Crown features a double fermented Connecticut wrapper with Dominican long fillers. It has rich flavors of cedar and nuts with an underlying spice and earth that really ties together the elegance of this cigar. I chose this as today's cigar as today is Groundhog Day. Puxatony Phil is like the king of the groundhogs and with the crown on the label I figured no cigar was a better fit for today.

Feb 1st 2012 - Alec Bradley Black Market

Today brings us the Alec Bradley Black Market Robusto in a 5.2x52 vitola. Alec Bradley has been revered as a top manufacturer in the cigar industry. The Black Market was Alec Bradley's 2011 new release. Alec Bradley yet again hit another home run with the Black Market. The Black Market sports a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper, a Sumatran binder and has long fillers from Panama and the Honduras. Today I'll be providing a review from my good buddy Robby over at, http://robbyrasreviews.com/alec-bradley-black-market/. Right off the bat you are hit with big coffee flavors and a sweet citrusy note with a dry sweetness provided by the wrapper. Then the big coffee gets hints of earth and nuts as it develops into the middle of the stick. In the last part the coffee subsides and competing flavors of creamy sweetness and tangy bitterness battle it out but balance each other well to keep the flavors from being too sweet or too bitter. Thanks for the great review Robby! Chose this for today's cigar as I just got it and it's not gonna last long in my humidor!