"This was a great cigar to smoke. It didn't have all the bells and whistles that others may have when looking at it, but boy did it do everything right. From the near perfect construction to the intriguing flavors that slowly build, this cigar felt like a well thought out project. I will be stocking up on a few of these for a later time." -Kent (Throck)
Yesterday, the big four cigar manufacturers (Davidoff, Drew Estate, Altadis, General) announced that they were pulling out of the PCA trade show for 2020. Read more about that here. Since that announcement several companies have released official statements, including PCA itself. Below are those statements.
The annual "Cosecha" release from Mombacho is being shipped to the United States, Europe, and Canada after a 7 week delay from Nicaraguan turmoil. The Coescha 2013 is the second of Mombacho Cigar's annual release which is a true vintage release, meaning the tobaco in these cigars is from the year 2013 and the cigars were actually rolled 4 years ago and have been aging.
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsDominican RepublicE.P. CarrilloE.P. CarrilloFeaturedIPCPRMexican San AndresToro
·"If you are in to earthy, spicy cigars, that perform well and don't disappoint, then this is a cigar for you. It developed from medium to the high end of medium full throughout that smoking experience on an almost linear level. No abrupt changes in strength or body, and no re-lights or touchups needed. While it did end up a little bitter and spicy at the end, novice smokers should feel no fear with this cigar, as long as it is paired with something to offset the strength at the end, like a nice aged rum. Stout beer would overrun it, as would cask strength scotch or barrel proof bourbon. All in all a great experience that I look forward to trying again!" -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Fratello Cigars, known for its name sake Fratello brand (which means "brother" in Italian) is releasing a new cigar : Fratello Bianco . It will have a soft launch at seven retailers nationwide next month before an official debut at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in July. This is the company's second cigar line.
Recluse Cigar Company announces the release of Recluse Amadeus Corojo Reserva. This blend is the fifth expansion of our very successful Recluse Amadeus series of blends. Recluse Cigars President, Scott Weeks says, "This new blend features a very special Corojo wrapper that we have been holding on to for years waiting for an equally special project to use it on and the Recluse Amadeus Corojo Reserva is worthy of it." The cigar is also comprised of a variety of Dominican, Sumatra and San Andreas fillers. The Recluse Amadeus Corojo Reserva will be showcased at the 2016 IPCPR tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV. July 25th-28th.
I liked this cigar quite a bit. While I was initially worried about that strong mesquite woodsiness overpowering any other flavors that might come my way, the cigar managed - and managed well - to balance that with some other flavor notes that made this smoking experience one that I wouldn’t mind at all revisiting." -Matt Cade (CADE)
"This was a very enjoyable cigar, and as mentioned earlier, I could easily see starting a lazy weekend morning with this cigar and a nice medium roast coffee. While this cigar was flavor filled, the lack of strength and body might turn some smokers off, so I can't say this is a cigar for "everyone". This is a cigar that I would keep a fiver on hand in the humi for those times when I want something different, and I would not hesitate to give one of these to a less experienced smoker so they can experience an complex blend of flavors, without being overly powerful and causing an unpleasant smoking experience. This is one darn good cigar" -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
July 18, 2016 – Southbury, CT – Foundation Cigar President Nick Melillo announces the completion of his newest brand, Charter Oak, set for release at the 2016 IPCPR Show in Las Vegas.
AllBlind Cigar ReviewsBrazilianDominican RepublicFeaturedGreggHabanoIPCPRLa Flor DominicanaLitto GomezMatthew T.SandeepSteveTorpedo
·"I wanted to rate this cigar higher. The beginning and middle had some really nice flavors coming through. The smoke output on each draw was plentiful. The oily wrapper and chisel tip made it easy to smoke. All that, and then the final third hit a brick wall. Relights galore and harsh flavors just made the overall rating from me fall off a cliff. I would hope this stick was an anomaly in an otherwise solid blend. If I had stopped after the second third I would be happy." -Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)

