IPCPR 2016 – Day 2
At first I thought there was no way that day 2 at this show could be as insane as its predecessor. Let’s just say I was dead wrong. It is great to say this industry coming out in full force to support each other. The releases keep getting bigger and bigger and our customers have a lot to look forward too. I mean a hell of a lot. Today I got to sit down with even more manufacturers to get an inside look into their releases and how the upcoming changes to the industry have affected them personally. The booths that I visited today are all extremely creative and enticing. Lets take a look at what Day 2 had to offer.
My first stop of the day was at Drew Estate. This wouldn’t be such a big event if it weren’t for the crazy geniuses over at Drew Estate. Every year their booth gets bigger and bigger. Every year they release cigars that no one can seem to get enough off. This year was on point of the Nicaraguan powerhouse, and we’ve seen some of their most anticipated releases to date. I spoke at length with master blender Willy Herrera about his new Herrera Estelí Miami line. He commented “it’s a terrific combination of all I learned working in Miami with all I have accomplished here with Drew Estate”. We then went on to discuss the much anticipated Swamp Thing, a KFC with a candela wrapper, and the release of the Flying pig size in both the Liga 9 and T52. I even got to see a gentleman hand make the Tsuge pips in front of my eyes!
My next stop was with Mike Rosales of RomaCraft. These cigars have become a immensely popular in recent years. JR has recently become very involved with RomaCraft and they have become a corner stone of our retail stores. This year saw the release of an awesome XIkar cutter and lighter set with the RomaCraft logo and some exclusive cigars. We also saw the new robusto size of the delicious Neanderthal, which is sure to be popular among their fans. Then I went off to sit with Mike Heklots of Nat Sherman. This year saw a revamp of their legendary Metropolitan line, including a brand new Metropolitan Habano, which was extremely flavorful.
I then moved on to Altadis and smoked one of the best Montecristo’s I’ve ever had. The Montecristo Pilotico was a phenomenal cigar and I know you guys are going to fall in love with it. Next I tried the spicy Romeo 505 Nicaragua. Altadis has had some luck in recent years with Nicaraguan tobacco such as the Montecristo Espada. The 505 continues that trend with great construction and a lot of flavor.
Guys, there were so many more releases that I got to try today, but il have that for my IPCPR round up next week…so keep reading and make sure to check us out on facebook and Instagram for live coverage!
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