Big Weekend by Frank Seltzer
This past weekend was Cigar Aficionado’s 17th annual Big Smoke in Las Vegas. The event is a big deal and CA has reported on the events. But I can do something they cannot…congratulate them. The Big Smoke is a huge event, drawing thousands for a weekend of smoking, seminars, food and beverages. (4,000 attendees this year, and with about 40 cigar companies handing out a total of about 160,000 cigars! The cigars ranged from Fuente to San Lotano to CAO Concert to Casa Magna to Rocky Patel’s 500 Home run club made for Gary Sheffield—who was in attendance as well.) The event sold out once again and normally, it comes off like clockwork. But this year it was a bit different.
The reason was Sandy. We at JR, like many in the Northeast, were without power for week. The Whippany mother ship was dark. But we were lucky because our North Carolina operations were still functioning and here in Dallas everything was ok.
At Cigar Aficionado, they were shut down for a week from October 29 until November 3, just a few days before they had to fly to Vegas to set up the Big Smoke. In its 20 years of operation, CA’s office never has been closed this long. Many of the people at CA, not only were out of the office, but also struggling with a lack of power at home. Greg Mottola said he just got electricity back just before he left for Vegas. Dave Savona who also lost power for days says some deliveries and shipments were missed because of the closure. (Remember New York airports were also closed for a time which impacted shipping. And after Sandy came the Nor’easter blizzard.) And logistics for a show like the Big Smoke are huge.
Anyway, despite being handed that challenge, the Vegas Big Smoke came off without any of the attendees realizing all the scrambling that had been done behind the scenes. I was impressed at how well everything came off considering what they CA staff had to overcome. It shows everyone at CA works like a finely tuned machine even when things go screw up. Kudos to all at CA.
New Pro Cigar Member
At the Big Smoke, I learned that Pro Cigar has a new member, within the past couple of weeks. EPC Cigar Co. –which is the company founded by Ernesto Perez Carrillo and his family—was welcomed into the Dominican cigar group known as Pro Cigar. Pro Cigar is the group that promotes Dominican cigars and it also hosts one of the best events for cigar smokers…The Pro Cigar Festival which will run from February 17th to the 22nd next year. At Pro Cigar, you get up close and personal with all the Dominican cigar makers. It is an event not to be missed.
Speaking of the Carrillos, they are finally shipping their newest blend, E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Series. The Cardinal is a rich full-bodied smoke that comes in 3 sizes and two wrappers. The wrappers are an Ecuadorian Sumatran Natural and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. The binder is Nicaraguan in the Natural and from Ecuador in the Maduro. The fillers are from three different farms in Nicaragua. The cigars are larger ring gauges with the Cardinal 52 (5”x52), the Cardinal 54 (6”x 54) and the Cardinal 56 (5.5” x 56). The prices range from $7.25 to $8.75. The Cardinal series adds to the company’s Core and New Wave Connecticut lines.
Mazel Tov
Marvin and Netta Samel
And if the Big Smoke was not enough for the past weekend, Drew Estate co-founder Marvin Samel decided it was the weekend to tie the knot. Marvin and his new bride Netta Niv were married Sunday in Coconut Grove, Florida before about 200 family and friends. (Because of the wedding, neither Marvin nor Jonathan Drew went to the Big Smoke and several other guests for the wedding who did go to the Big Smoke took off early to make it to Florida and the event.) As with anything associated with Drew Estate, the wedding was a big success. I am told the wedding party complete with great food, drink and dancing lasted into the wee hours of Monday morning. Congratulations Marvin and Netta.
New Lounge
If you are in North Carolina, specifically Burlington where we have one of our huge stores, next Tuesday (November 20th) JR is opening a brand spanking new cigar lounge. The new lounge will have comfy furniture, game boards, TVs, of course, and a nice relaxing atmosphere. The ribbon cutting is on Tuesday at 3pm but the Grand Opening party goes on all day from 8am to 9pm. There are special deals too. If you are in the area go to 2589 Eric Lane in Burlington, N.C. and join in the fun.
