Some Kind of Monster

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CigarOCTOBER 11, 2011 n VOL. 16,Insider NO. 19 n FROM THE PUBLISHER OF CIGAR AFICIONADO MAGAZINE

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE IN THIS ISSUE: FEATURED CIGAR TASTING REPORT: AGING ROOM SMALL BATCH M356 PRESTO VERTICAL BRAND TASTINGS: DOM. REP. n PRICE: $7.25 n BODY: MEDIUM 94 POINTS n Aging Room Small Batch M356 [page 2] For a full tasting, see page two. n Thunder By Nimish [page 2] n Quesada Oktoberfest [page 3]

NEW SIZES: BEST CIGARS THIS ISSUE n La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Digger [page 3] Aging Room Small Batch M356 Presto Dom. Rep. 94 n Ramon Allones Especiales Exclusivo Suiza [page 3] Ramon Allones Especiales Exclusivo Suiza Cuba 92 n Romeo y Julieta Julietas [page 3] Aging Room Small Batch M356 Rondo Dom. Rep 91 Aging Room Small Batch M356 Mezzo Dom. Rep 90 CIGAR NEWS Romeo y Julieta Julieta Cuba 90 n Lawsuit Over—Peace Between Pepin Garcia’s Thunder By Nimish Torpedo Nicaragua 90 Family and Eduardo Fernandez [page 4] Thunder By Nimish Toro Nicaragua 89 n Cuban Report—Status Update on Cuba’s 2011 Regional Edition Cigars [page 4]

n Tatuaje’s Wolfman Smoke [page 5] n Padrón Family Reserve 85 Ships [page 6] SOME KIND OF MONSTER n Keeping the FDA Away from Cigars [page 6] THE WOLFMAN is the latest incarnation n Fuente and Newman Charity Smokes [page 7] of the Tatuaje Monster Series of cigars. These limited- n Dominican Cigar Festival Returns [page 7] edition smokes, presented in numbered boxes and sold only at 13 brick-and-mortar retailers, have been n Steven Ysidron Leaves Savinelli [page 8] a huge hit with collectors but have caused some grief for their creator, Pete Johnson. The full story about the n Big Smoke [page 8] spooky smokes begins on page five.

CUBA’S 2011 REGIONAL EDITION UPDATE WHILE SOME COUNTRIES HAVE RECEIVED THEIR 2011 REGIONALS, MANY HAVE NOT. Countries such as Switzerland, Germany and Canada have at least one of their scheduled 2011 Regional Edition Cuban cigars, special smokes made only for sale in a country or region of the world. But the United Kingdom, Italy and the Middle East have yet to receive a shipment. To see who has what and who doesn’t, turn to page four.

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no-seed ligero grown in the La Canela region of the Dominican TASTING REPORT Republic, the M356 signifies the day of the blend’s creation— Monday, the 356th day of the year. The line seems to improve as Aging Room Small Batch M356 the sizes get smaller. The smallest scored 94 points. Average Rating: 90.8. points new release—vertical brand tasting Country: Dominican Republic Maker: Tabacalera La Palma thunder by nimish Distributor: Habana Cuba Cigar Co. NEW RELEASE—vertical brand tasting Filler: Dom. Rep. Country: Nicaragua Binder: Dom. Rep. Maker: Tabacalera Tavicusa Sociedad Wrapper: Dom. Rep. Distributor: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars Release Date: June 2011 Filler: N/A presto Binder: Nicaragua 94 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 48 n $7.25 n Humidor Selection Wrapper: Ecuador An attractive little robusto that has hints of roast- Release Date: September 2011 ed nuts, baked fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg. Very flavorful and complex. Torpedo Body: Medium 90 POINTS n 6 1/4" x 54 n $5.95 A strong and intensely peppery smoke with a notably rondo firm draw. Black and red pepper flavors give way to a 91 POINTS n 5" x 50 n $7.69 n Humidor Selection black tea finish. The uneven burn on this smoke eventually corrects Body: Full itself. The draw is substantial, imparting earthy, peppery smoke complemented by coffee and orange peel. Toro Body: Medium to Full 89 POINTS n 6" x 52 n $5.75 Dark and oily with an uneven burn but full draw. It’s Mezzo meaty and spicy with strong pepper notes and a bit of 90 POINTS n 6" x 54 n $8.06 oiliness on the palate. This starts out as a considerably powerful cigar, full of Body: Full earthy flavors, but mellows to show dark coffee notes and a touch of cinammon. Robusto Body: Medium to Full 88 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 54 n $5.50 Topped with a pigtail cap, this dark, oily cigar starts major herbal and woody, gaining intensity with pepper, licorice 88 POINTS n 6 1/2" x 60 n $8.50 notes and a tarry finish. Covered in a spotty wrapper, this big cigar smokes well Body: Medium to Full with a creamy flavor plus hints of meat and wood. The finish could be longer. BRAND SUMMARY: Blended with help by Rocky Patel’s cousin Body: Medium Nimish Desai, Thunder is meant to be full bodied. It lived up to its mission, showing a very strong, peppery profile that was the BRAND SUMMARY: Small Batch, according to brand owner most intense in the Torpedo size, which received 90 points. While Rafael Nodal, is a blend that he previously approved, but delayed the most powerful, it was also the most balanced of the line. due to the scarcity of the required tobaccos. Made with Haba- Average Rating: 89.0 points

95-100: Classic n 90-94: Outstanding n 80-89: Very good to excellent n 70-79: Average to good commercial quality Below 70: Don’t waste your money n N/A: Not Available Note: Prices are manufacturers’ suggested retail, before taxes.

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la flor dominicana double ligero BRAND SUMMARY: Intended to be a match for the hearty Märzen-style beers produced for the German holiday of Okto- NEW SIZE berfest, the new Quesada Oktoberfest is a Dominican puro using Country: Dominican Republic a dark wrapper the Quesadas have dubbed “Dominican Cibao.” The smokes come in boxes of 20. Maker: Tabacalera La Flor S.A. Average Rating: 87.5 points Distributor: Premium Imports Inc. Filler: Dom. Rep. Binder: Dom. Rep. ramon allones Wrapper: Ecuador NEW SIZE August 2011 Release Date: Country: Cuba Maker: N/A digger Distributor: Habanos S.A. via Intertabak AG 88 POINTS n 8 1/2" x 60 n $10.00 Dark, oily and the size of a mini-baseball bat, this behemoth Filler: Cuba could use a fuller draw. It starts with some spice and Binder: Cuba minerality, leaving the palate a bit grassy. Wrapper: Cuba Body: Medium Box Date: June 2011

Especiales exclusivo suiza quesada oktoberfest 92 POINTS n 4 1/2" x 52 n 16.00 Sw. Fr. n Humidor Selection A good-looking cigar with a well-crafted head and fairly NEW RELEASE—vertical brand tasting easy draw. Its core of woody flavors are balanced by coffee, Country: Dominican Republic leather and orange peel notes. Complex and tasty. Maker: Manufactura de Tabacos S.A. (MATASA) Body: Medium Distributor: S.A.G. Imports Inc. Filler: Dom. Rep. Binder: Dom. Rep. romeo y julieta Wrapper: Dom. Rep. NEW SIZE Release Date: September 2011 Country: Cuba Maker: N/A Bavarian Distributor: Habanos S.A. 88 POINTS n 5 1/2" x 52 n $7.95 Filler: Cuba There is a distinct licorice taste to this dark, bumpy cigar, Binder: Cuba which draws and burns evenly. Charred meat flavors are also quite prominent. Wrapper: Cuba Body: Medium to Full Box Date: March 2011

Über Julieta n n 87 POINTS 6" x 65 $8.95 90 POINTS n 4 3/4" x 33 n 31.00 Sw. Fr. (Tin of 5) A dark, unusually hefty smoke that draws and burns Small with an evenly colored wrapper, this toasty petit evenly. It is full of roasted meat flavors that leave toasty, corona is pleasant with cedar, cashew and touches of cedary notes on the palate. dried orange. A satisfying little smoke. Body: Medium to Full Body: Medium

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factory (one of the larger cigar factories in Nicaragua), accusing the Garcias of channeling business around El Rey CIGAR NEWS de Los Habanos and Tabacalera Cubana in an effort to circumvent the terms of the partnership. After the Garcias formed My Father Cigars in July 2008, they transferred trademarks to two cigar brands (My Father and Tabacos Baez) from El Rey de Los Habanos to My Father “unbe- LAWSUIT OVER: FERNANDEZ AND knownst to Fernandez,” according to the suit. By late 2010, Fernandez had filed charges against GARCIAS SETTLE OUT OF COURT the Garcias in the Southern District Court of Florida, By Gregory Mottola Miami Division, accusing them of breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, tortuous interference and civil conspiracy. he lawsuit filed more than a year ago by Eduardo The Garcia’s rebuttal in their official affirmative defense TFernandez, owner of agricultural conglomerate Agan- maintained that “Fernandez, as director and shareholder of orsa S.A., against cigarmaker José “Pepin” Garcia and his fifty percent (50 percent) ownership interest in El Rey, had family, has been settled out of court. complete access to all transactions.” The document also Fernandez, who owned 50 percent of the Miami-based described that the trademarks in question were never the El Rey de Los Habanos cigar factory, as well as half of property of El Rey de los Habanos, and therefore “cannot Tabacalera Cubana S.A. (TACUBA) in Nicaragua, has form the basis of a claim for conversion.” agreed to sell his interest in those factories to the Garcias, Cigar Insider first reported on the story in May, and who will become sole owners of the companies. the case was scheduled to go to trial this November. On Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. September 30, Cigar Insider received an email from El Rey de Los Habanos is a tiny cigar factory on Calle Dorta & Ortega (the lawyers representing the Garcias) Ocho in Miami, where Garcia first made his name. In stating that “the parties have amicably resolved all disputes addition to his Don Pepin Garcia line of cigars, this is the and have agreed to end their business relationships. José factory where the Tatuaje brand was first rolled. Brown ‘Pepin’ Garcia has acquired full ownership of El Rey de label Tatuajes are still made there, as are Cabaiguans. Los Habanos, Inc. and of Tabacalera Cubana de Garcia y Fernandez, S.A. (TACUBA).” Bilzin, Sumberg, Baena, Price & Axelrod LLP, the legal team for Fernandez, confirmed that the statement was true and that the lawsuit was over. Both parties agreed to settle, filing a joint stipulation of settlement on September 29 that was approved by Judge James Lawrence King a day later. Although the Miami court retains jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the settlement, the case is officially closed. n

CUBA’S 2011 REGIONALS: WHO HAS THEM, WHO DOESN’T Eduardo Fernandez (left) and José “Pepin” Garcia (right). By Gregory Mottola

Cigar Insider spoke to attorneys representing both the abanos S.A. releases unique, limited-production, plaintiff and defendants in the case. The dispute origi- Hmarket-specific cigars to different regions throughout nally centered around the Garcia’s ventures in Nicaragua, the world every year. The cigars are known as Regional specifically the My Father Cigars S.A. factory where My Editions, and they are created when a country’s distributor Father, Tatuaje Havana VI, San Cristobal, La Aroma of Cuban cigars works with Habanos to customize a short de Cuba, 601 and various other cigars are made. run of a certain brand in a special size blended especially Fernandez, who had been a partner with the Garcias in for its respective market. Tabacalera Cubana, the Garcia’s first cigar factory in Nica- Some of this year’s Regional Editions have already trickled ragua, was not an owner in My Father Cigars. into the market, but many countries still await their shipment. Fernandez sought to stop production at the My Father Switzerland, for example, has received an allotment of Ramon

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Allones Especiales, 5 inch by 50 ring cigars whose dimensions HOT TATUAJE MONSTER SERIES have only been previously seen on the Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos. (The Especiales rated 92 points in a blind tasting in MAKES HEADACHES FOR CREATOR this issue; see page three for more details.) The Swiss have yet By David Savona to receive the Punch Clasicos, a 7 1/4 by 50 size known as a 109, but it’s expected to arrive soon. Both are distributed by ete Johnson, the creator of Intertabak A.G. for Switzerland and Liechtenstein. PTatuaje cigars, is continu- Germany has yet to receive its Juan Lopez Distinguidos, but ing his Halloween tradition by the first shipments of its Sancho Panza Escuderos Regional releasing the Tatuaje Monster Editions have arrived to Casas del Habano throughout the Series, a set of cigars that resemble country. The 6 1/8 by 50 cigars are the same size as the better- monsters from cinema packed in known Trinidad Robusto Extra. dynamic, individually numbered This marks the second time that the Sancho Panza brand boxes. The demand created for has been used in the Regional Edition program, but this year’s the cigars by collectors has made lineup also includes a few firsts. TheLa Escepción brand is the series a commercial success new to the Regional Edition program, and has been resur- but a “distribution nightmare” rected for Italy as a slender 6 1/2 inch by 38 ring cigar called for Johnson, who limits the sale Selectos Finos (see photo). Rome’s Casa del Habano has of the numbered boxes to 13 yet to receive them. The Quai D’Orsay brand also makes its retailers chosen by lottery. Regional Edition debut for France and the Asia Pacific This year’s creation is called the Tatuaje Monster Series region. France will get the Quai D’Orsay Robusto Embajador, Wolfman, a torpedo measuring 7 1/2 inches long by 52 which has just arrived, while Asia Pacific’s Quai D’Orsay is a ring gauge. It has a rough, uncut foot that exposes the filler robusto called the Superiores, and is already in circulation. tobacco, a first for the Tatuaje brand. Max Gutmann, president of Importada y Exportada The blend for the cigar is based on Johnson’s Tatuaje de Puros y Tabacos, confirms that shops in Mexico have Cojonu 2009. Rolled at the Garcia family’s My Father received the Edmundo Dantes Conde 54. Cigar collectors Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Wolfman is remember Mexico’s superb Edmundo Dantes Regional made with all-Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos with a Edition Conde 109 from 2007. To read more about this Sumatra Ecuador wrapper. The suggested retail price is new version, presented in a 6 1/2 by 54 Sublimes size, see $13 per cigar. Gordon Mott’s blog at cigaraficionado.com. The Tatuaje Monster Series began four years ago with One of the most anticipated Regional Edition cigars in The Frank, a 7 5/8 by 49 parejo made with a rough-look- recent memory, the United Kingdom’s Flor de ing wrapper reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein’s lumbering Cano Short Robusto, was supposed to be out in monster. The 2009 release, The Drac, featured torpedos 2010, but it didn’t arrive until June of this year. symbolizing the lengthy fangs of the most famous of vam- (It rated 90 points in the August 9 Cigar Insider.) pires. Last year’s The Face was a 6 3/8 inch by 56 cigar British distributor Hunters & Frankau still sees with a roughly-cut chunk of light Ecuador Connecticut no sign of this year’s regionals, the Punch Med- wrapper placed on a dark Mexican wrapper to signify the alla D’Oro or Bolivar Britanicas. According to human-skin mask worn by the chainsaw-wielding Leather- Hunters, the Punch will most likely be postponed face villain from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. until 2012 and dressed in gold foil to honor the Johnson started the project due to his love of monster London Olympic games. movies, and decided to limit each Monster Series release to Phoenicia T.A.A. (Cyprus) Ltd., whose 666 numbered boxes of cigars, each containing 13 smokes, vast territory covers 56 countries throughout available via 13 brick-and-mortar retailers chosen via a lot- Europe, Africa and the Middle East, has yet to tery system. The limits on the cigars and the demand for receive any of its 2011 regional cigars—the more have given Johnson headaches. Bolivar Oryx (scheduled for Qatar) and the “The Monster release is out of control,” Johnson Tweet- Ramon Allones Macedonian (set for Greece). ed on October 5. “Problem is people want the box when Havana House, the Cuban cigar distributor really the cigar is the only thing that should be of concern.” for Canada, has received the Ramon Allones Johnson said that collectors are having a hard time getting Super Allones, a pyramid that measures 7 1/8 by the cigars, resulting in complaints. Due to the demand, he 54. The size is known as a Rodolfo in Cuban now also ships additional Monster Series cigars packed in cigar factories and is one of two regionals sched- plain boxes of 10. Last year he shipped 1,300 plain boxes uled for Canada. The other is the Juan Lopez (13,000 cigars); this year he is increasing the amount of Supreme, rolled in a 5 3/8 by 52 ring Edmundo plain boxes to more than 1,500, or 15,000 cigars. size, which should arrive in Canada shortly. n Despite the grief from people who want more Monster

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Series, Johnson is sticking to his original plan. And he co-sponsors for H.R. 1639 (a bill introduced by Rep. Bill already has some ideas for next year’s version. It will be Posey of Florida in May) dubbed the “Traditional Cigar based on the horror monster classic The Mummy, and be Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act,” a relatively long and thin smoke with some type of tissue- which aims to remove the FDA’s jurisdiction over the paper packing. premium cigar industry by amending the Federal Food, The 2011 Monster Series cigars will be launched at a Drug, and Cosmetic Act. party tomorrow night at the Casa de Montecristo cigar In 2009, President Obama granted the FDA complete store in Countryside, Illinois. n regulatory control of tobacco products, such as cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco, when he signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law. The FDA had an immediate impact on the cigarette industry—banning all flavored cigarettes save PADRóN 85 SHIPPING THIS WEEK for menthol, limiting the release of new products, limiting By David Savona advertising and placing restrictions on the use of words such as “light.” The cigar industry, however, remained largely he somewhat-delayed Padrón Family Blend No. 85 is unaffected by the FDA. Tleaving Miami yesterday and heading to cigar stores. Last year, though, the FDA publicly declared its The cigar, initially expected to launch last month, was held intent to regulate cigars. That means it could conceivably up because of packaging. impose limits on cigar marketing and advertising, elimi- Jorge Padrón, president of Padrón Cigars nate free samples given out at events, or Inc., stressed there would be “limited” even ask that new cigar blends be submit- amounts of the cigars, and that they would ted to the FDA for market approval. be shipping slowly, in batches. “We’re Retailers also worry that the FDA could going to start shipping today but it’s going take after Ontario, Canada, and ban walk-in to take us awhile to get them out there. They humidors. That province’s Tobacco Display will go out little by little.” He said most of Ban prohibits businesses from displaying the cigars are maduros, with some naturals tobacco products within retail stores, and as well. The cigars are made in Nicaragua any shop not registered as a tobacconist by two bunchers and two rollers, who will with Canada’s Ministry of Health Promotion continue rolling 85s. must frost the glass of their walk-in humi- The cigars are pressed parejos measuring 5 dors to obscure the view from the outside. 1/4 inches by 50 ring, with a suggested retail Customers aren’t allowed to handle a cigar price of $20 each. They come in boxes of 10. before buying one. Previous incarnations of the Family Reserve (No. 44, No. 45 Rather than wait for potentially industry-threaten- and last year’s No. 46) have been named for the anniversary ing legislation to occur, though, the Cigar Rights of year of Padrón Cigars, but this new size is named after the America and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe 85th birthday of José Orlando Padrón, who created Padrón Retailers association drew up H.R. 1639, as well as a Cigars in 1964. Senate companion bill, S. 1461. Both lobbying groups have Look for a review soon in Cigar Insider. n been meeting with lawmakers, educating them on the cigar industry and why it remains unique from cigarettes. The CRA and IPCPR have also conducted National Fly-In days in which retailers, distributors and cigarmakers travel to the nation’s capital to help communicate that message. KANSAS BACKS BILL TO KEEP FDA “This shows [the cigar industry] is collectively getting our message across,” said Glynn Loope, executive director AWAY FROM CIGARS of the CRA. By Andrew Nagy Cigar enthusiasts can continue to help by responding to the petition at the CRA’s website, www.cigarrights.org. n he fight to prevent the U.S. Food & Drug - Adminis T tration from regulating the cigar industry recently received more good news as Kansas became the first state to For the latest from Cigar Aficionado, have its entire U.S. House membership pledge their support for bill H.R. 1639. follow us on Twitter: Reps. Tim Huelskamp, Lynn Jenkins, Kevin Yoder and twitter.com/CigarAficMag Mike Pompeo (all Republicans) have joined the other 76

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he Cigar Family Charitable Foundation’s ninth annual TToast Across America fundraiser tour is now under way, and it’s packing some serious heat in the form of two special cigars. About 8,000 “Toast Packs” containing special sizes of Fuente Fuente OpusX and Diamond Crown Julius Caeser cigars have been readied for the events, which will be occur- REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 2012 ring in more than 300 fine tobacco stores across the nation. Both cigars—which are commercially unavailable—are PROCIGAR FESTIVAL double-tapered figurados that measure 6 inches by 46 By David Savona ring gauge in the middle and 64 ring gauge at the fattest point, near the foot. The only way for consumers to get f you’re a fan of Dominican cigars and you’re interested their hands on them is to spend $50 at one of the Toast Iin seeing how they are made, the ProCigar Festival is for Across America events. you. The week-long event, now in its fifth year, will take The Fuente Fuente OpusX brand was the first successful place February 19 through 24. Registration is open now. premium cigar brand made with shade-grown wrapper from ProCigar consists of seven companies in the Dominican the Dominican Republic. It has scored in the 90s on several Republic that make cigars, and all of the member com- occasions and once was named Cigar of the Year by Cigar panies take part in the festival. There is General Cigar Aficionado magazine. The Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Dominicana, the factory that produces such cigars as line was blended to honor the 135th birthday of company Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana and Partagas; Tabacalera de founder J.C. Newman, and features a Havana-seed wrap- Garcia Ltd., the makers of Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta and per grown in Ecuador combined with tobacco from Central H. Upmann; Tabadom Holding Inc., the company that pro- America. It averaged 90 points in a Cigar Insider vertical duces Davidoff and Avo cigars; Manufactura de Tabacos S.A. tasting, with the Pyramid scoring the highest at 93 points. (MATASA), which makes the Quesada and Fonseca brands; Both cigars are rolled by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., one of La Aurora S.A., maker of Guillermo León and Aurora the largest cigar companies in the Dominican Republic. cigars; Tabaquisa S.A., where Juan Clemente cigars are made The Toast Across America events, which can range and new member Corporacion Cigar Export, the maker of from private dinners to simple in-store tastings, began on Augusto Reyes and other cigars. Each day features lunches September 15 at Frank McKone Cigar Co. in Fargo, North and dinners, and there are cigars for every activity, as well as Dakota, and will conclude in mid-December. plenty of venues in which to smoke them. Like last year, in addition to the normal Toast event, The Dominican Republic is the world’s leading producer retailers are also selling tobacco “leaves” for $1 apiece. A of premium, handrolled cigars, and nearly all of the cigars customer buying a leaf gets to write his or her name on it made in that country are rolled either in La Romana, a tour- and then display it in the tobacco shop for all to see. ist destination in the east of the country, or Santiago de los All proceeds from the Toast tour goes to support the Caballeros, an ever-growing city in the north of the Domini- Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organiza- can Republic located in the very fertile Cibao Valley. The Pro tion underwritten by the Fuente and Newman cigar families Cigar Festival begins in La Romana, and moves to Santiago. with the goal of creating meaningful change to the commu- The festival begins on Sunday, February 19 in La Romana nities of the Dominican Republic at the Casa de Campo Resort with a welcome dinner and through education, health care cocktails. The following day, guests have a variety of choices: and the development of eco- a golf tournament at Dye Fore Golf Course, an eco-walk friendly business ventures. through the forest, a trip on a catamaran or simply relaxing For a full listing of Toast at the hotel. Across America events, check One of the improvements made to the festival over the years out http://www.cf-cf.org. n has been an increase in the amount of free time given to visitors. The first festival, while well organized, took visitors from one activity immediately to the next, with no down time, and left few options for going off the beaten path or simply lying by the pool to enjoy a bit of tropical sunshine. A fourth option for Monday is simply spending time at the hotel, which has

7 To Subscribe Go To www.cigarinsider.com October 11, 2011 Cigar Insider CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE tennis, horseback riding, and several other things to do. 2011 CIGAR AFICIONADO Tuesday features a tour of Tabacalera de García, one of the world’s largest cigar factories. In addition to tens “BIG SMOKE” LINEUP of millions of cigars that are made by hand each year, the factory also produces an even greater number of machine- October 28–30 made cigars. In the afternoon, a bus departs for the four- LAS VEGAS • THE VENETIAN hour trek across the island to Santiago. Santiago is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and the home of most of the country’s cigar SEMINARS SOLD OUT—BIG SMOKE EVENING factories, as well as lush fields of cigar tobacco. While it’s TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE not a tourist destination as is La Romana, there are many things to do, and fine restaurants in which to dine. November 30 The ProCigar schedule for Wednesday, Thursday and NEW YORK CITY • PIER 92 Friday features a combination of cigar factory tours of some of the ProCigar member companies (you can choose your own schedule), tours of tobacco fields owned by Davidoff Tickets ARE NOW on sale at and General Cigar or a visit to Inetab-Kaubeck S.R.L. to CigarAficionado.com see how tobacco is processed. For those who wish to mix in some non-cigar activities, there is a snorkeling trip, a beach tour, rafting, visits to rum distilleries or a tour of the city. Attending the Festival is $850, not including hotel and air- fare. For more information, visit http://procigar.org. n IN THE NEXT CIGAR INSIDER Be the first to see the best cigar ratings from the December issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine. Plus STEVEN YSIDRON LEAVES Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s new Limitada, a Q&A with SAVINELLI INC. Colibri’s Les Mann and much more. By David Savona

teven J. Ysidron, who had taken on a high-profile role Sat cigar and pipe company Savinelli Inc., is no longer Your Next Cigar Insider Arrives on Tuesday, Oct. 25. with the company. His last day with Savinelli, according to Ysidron, was yesterday. Ysidron said he was staying in the cigar business, and had formed his own cigar company, called Del Fuego S.A. He declined to discuss the particulars of his departure at this time. Editor and Publisher Marvin R. Shanken Steven’s father, Ruben Ysidron, who has been with Savinelli Executive Editor Gordon Mott for nearly 40 years and has long been in charge of the company’s U.S. operations, declined to comment. Managing Editor David Savona Savinelli, originally a maker of pipes, has been selling Director of Research Frank C. Walters cigars under its name for many years. Recently the com- Tasting Coordinator Gregory Mottola pany vastly expanded its selection of smokes, launching four major brands at the summer cigar trade show. See the Editorial Assistant Andrew Nagy September 27 Cigar Insider for more details. n Art Director Chandra Hira Senior Designer Jackelyn Navarro

he September 27 Cigar Insider had an incorrect rating Questions about your subscription? Tfor the Casa Magna Domus Magnus Primus cigar. The cigar has previously scored 90 points, not 88 points. n Email: [email protected].

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