IPCPR Day 2

July 20, 2015

Another fantastic day here at the IPCPR trade show.  Some of these booths are absolutely phenomenal and the cigars I’ve tried have been great!  Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt Booth of Room 101 for a few minutes, which is always a pleasure.  I then was invited to attend a special presentation by Rafael Nodal and his great Aging Room line.  You’ll be able to see portions of the presentation and my interviews later on, but I know what you want to know…what did we buy today?  Well today was all about Altadis, so lets see what we got!

 

Montecristo Estoque– One of the many anticipated releases this year from Altadis U.S.A, they have taken their highly successful Espada and taken it to the next level.  The Estoque, named after the sword of the Spanish matadors, is bold and delicious.  It uses special upper priming Nicaraguan Cuban Seed Viso Jalapa wrapper.  Its binder and filler are select vintage Nicaraguan tobaccos, some dating back to 2002.  It’s smooth, but with a great spice to it.  It is available in one size, the 6 x 50 and will MSRP for around $14.50.

Montecristo White Vintage Connecticut– If you think of the Montecristo White as the BMW of mild cigars… well it’s time to meet the Bentley.  The White Vintage Connecticut is a superb mild to medium smoke.  Each box is hand painted with a very artistic rendering of a Connecticut tobacco barn.   It uses a 7-year-old Connecticut shade wrapper, along with a terrific blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos for the binder and filler.  It’s smooth and creamy with a hint of hazelnut and vanilla.  It will be available in 3 sizes: No.3(5 ½ x 44), the No.2 Belicoso(6 x 50), and the Double Corona(6 ¼ x 50).   The MSRP will be $10.50, $14.50, and $12.50, respectively.

 

Henry Clay Tattoo- This is probably the cigar I was most excited for from Altadis.  Long time Henry Clay admirer Pete Johnson (yes from Tatuaje), has worked closely with the Grupo de Maestros to reinvent the brand. Enter, The Henry Clay Tattoo.  It’s a rich and dark smoke that uses a limited 2010 vintage Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  Its binder and filler use vintage Dominican tobacco with a dash of 2-year-old Nicaraguan Criollo.  Even though the blend has changed, Pete has kept the tradition of the original Henry Clay alive.  It is available in 1 size; a 6 x 54 with a pigtail and the MSRP is around $9.50 a cigar.

 

H. Upmann Banker- It’s time to make it rain, with the new and improved H. Upmann Banker.  After its release last year, this reinvigorated brand has spread across brick and mortar stores around the country.  What’s new about it this year is the addition of a new size, the Basis Point.  It’s the only Belicoso in the Banker line and is 6 x 52.  It uses the same great Ecuadorian Habano wrapper as the rest of the line as well as a terrific blend of vintage Dominican and Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos.   The MSRP will be around $8.30.  This is one banker that won’t hurt your wallet!

 

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