This year, we decided to give you a tour of the show through the pictures we took while we were there. Some are of new items, and some are just things we thought were interesting. These manufacturers were not sharing booth space, we just combined them into a single slideshow due to the number of pictures we had from each.
Boutique Blends
There's a new production of Puccini's famous La Bohéme, but it won't be playing in any opera house—it will be found in tobacconists. Boutique Blends president Rafael Nodal, has named his newest cigar brand in honor of his favorite opera.
Altadis U.S.A. is bringing back a line from Aging Room, Oliveros Gran Retorno. Oliveros Gran Retorno is a small batch production that undergoes a unique aging process. The blend uses extra aged tobacco that has been aging in traditional bales for 24 months, then they rested in “reposado” in the factory Cedar Room for six months, and then the cigars themselves have been aged for at least 33 months after rolling.
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsDerekDominican RepublicFeaturedIPCPRJasonMaduroMexican San AndresRafael NodalRobertRonSandeepSWAGToro
·"Excellent cigar overall. While it wasn't that interesting from the flavor change department, it delivered very enjoyable flavors from start to finish." -Jason (bigslowrock)
Aging RoomAllBlind Cigar ReviewsBoutique BlendsDominican RepublicFeaturedIPCPRJeffJeff R.KyleNaturalRafael NodalStefanSun GrownToro
·"I really enjoyed this cigar. The pepper & sweetness mix was outstanding. The body & complexity rounded each other nicely." -Jeff R. (JR)
AaronAllBlind Cigar ReviewsBrianCraigCriolloFeaturedGreggKing HavanoNaturalNicaraguaOliverosRafael NodalRonTorpedo
·"The lighter flavors of the first two thirds were just the ticket for a hot humid afternoon while the bolder flavors at the end gave the cigar a nice finish. I appreciate that this stick stayed true to it's flavor profile while adding enough variation to keep it interesting." -Gregg (McGreggor57)
JR Cigar has announced another offering in its lineup of 50th Anniversary Celebration cigars - Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua JR 50th. The company worked with Rafael Nodal, Head of Product Capability at Tabacalera USA, and AJ Fernandez, to create a new exclusive size in the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua line.
In a "strategic alliance agreement," Altadis U.S.A. will begin distributing the products from Boutique Blends Cigars, a company owned by Rafael Nodal, his wife, Alina, and partner Hank Bischoff—and Nodal has accepted a position with Altadis as well. Starting June 5, all orders for brands such as Aging Room, La Bohéme, Oliveros and other cigars by Boutique Blends will be taken and fulfilled through Altadis and its sales team.
Aging RoomAllArturo FuenteBlack Label Trading CompanyBodegaC.L.E.CamachoCAOChinnock CellarsClaudio SgroiCuban StockDrew EstateE.P. CarrilloE.P. CarrilloEdgar HoillEiroa by CLEEspinosaEzra ZionFeaturedFlor de GonzalezGran HabanoHammer + SickleIPCPRJonathan DrewJoya De NicaraguaLa Flor DominicanaMombachoMy FatherNomadO.S.O.K.OlivaOrtegaPadillaPura SoulRocky PatelStudio TobacSWAGTatuajeVentura CigarsVeritas
·Since the show, we had been publishing the various slideshows of the different booths we took pictures of. Here you can see the full list and click directly to the slideshow as the manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order.
Aging RoomAllBlind Cigar ReviewsDerekDominican RepublicEmmettFeaturedGreggHabanoIPCPRNaturalPerfectoRafael NodalRobertRon
·"Creamy cedar with light pepper joined by splashes of coffee around the halfway point. It blends really well with the nutmeg and cocoa flavors in the tobacco providing a nice balance and a pleasant smoking experience." -Ron (shuckins)