“Many of our customers have been wondering why our websites have been slow or inaccessible for the past five days,” wrote Famous Smoke Shop president Arthur Zaretzky in an e-mail message to his customers sent last night. “The problem was due to a targeted Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, similar to what has recently been happening to some large government websites, financial institutions, and e-commerce sites in the U.S. and abroad.

“These attacks occur when a flood of traffic is deliberately sent to a particular website in an effort to overwhelm the site and prevent legitimate users from getting through. This is exactly what occurred over the last five days to famous-smoke.com and to some of our competitors in the premium cigar industry. WE ARE NOW BACK, and I have taken steps to ensure that this cyber terrorism will never happen to Famous Smoke Shop again.”

The rest of the story is HERE

Between the first RTDA show held there in 1999 and the 2008 edition, Las Vegas was the host city five times in ten years and there was considerable talk about making it the permanent site for the cigar industry’s annual meeting. Then came the voter-adopted Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006.

That initiative banned smoking in most public indoor venues, including convention spaces such as the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Exposition Center, where the IPCPR show was held in 2008 (thanks to its being contracted prior to the 2006 vote).

But that might be changing.

Facing considerable losses in the bar and restaurant trade as well as the loss of the IPCPR and the Tobacco Plus Expo conventions, Senate Bill 372 was introduced on March 23 with the aim of narrowing the smoking ban act to allow smoking in essentially adults-only venues.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “If legislators pass the bill, then adults could smoke in bars and restaurants and other public places, as long as people under 21 cannot enter the smoking areas. The smoking areas in those businesses would be closed off from other parts of the business that would be open to children as well as those who prefer not to smoke.”

During testimony in front of the Nevada Senate Judiciary Committee, witnesses stated that the ban has been responsible for the closure of 47 bars in Clark County (where Las Vegas is located) and that the customer base at other locations is off by 25% and profits have been reduced by 15-50%.

In addition, Terry Jicinsky, senior vice president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the panel that the loss of the IPCPR and Tobacco Plus Expos had cost the city about $41 million in business. But he also noted, according to the article, that “he has a commitment from the trade shows to return to Las Vegas if legislators pass Senate Bill 372.” Both shows will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana this year because, as one Tobacco Plus Expo executive put it, “you can smoke [in the exhibit hall] there.”

The bill itself faces a deadline of passage out of committee this week to remain alive on the 2009 legislative calendar, but is up for an exemption which would help it continue. As the bill would modify a voter-adopted measure, it cannot become effective for three years following the imposition of the voter-passed law. Thus, if passed, SB 372 would not come into force earlier than December of this year.

Story found HERE.

Appearance & Construction

The Delirium from J. Fuego features a Brazilian Maduro wrapper with a Costa Rican Corojo binder and filler consisting of Honduran and Nicaraguan Corojo. The wrapper on this Lancero is a nice deep brown with a slightly rough look. The band on the cigar was nice, nothing real flashy. There were no construction issues to speak of really. The cigar was capped off with a nice pigtail and was pretty solid with just a slight give during the squeeze test. This was consistent with all three of the cigars I smoked.

Nose & Taste

This cigar puts off alot of nice sweet tobacco and chocolate smells with a hint of coop. The pre-light draw allowed my taste buds to instantly pickup the cocoa flavors. After lighting the cigar I was again hit the chocolate that rather quickly shared the driver seat with a pleasant nutty flavor. For a lancero, this cigar was putting out a nice amount of smoke. Once I was into the second third I was thinking that this was going to be it. Just a nice, but one dimensional smoke. Luckily, I was wrong. A little ways into the second third the nuttiness and cocoa was joined by a nice spice that also brought another flavor with it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The cigar really began to pick up some strength during the final third. The first two thirds were medium but by the final third it was entering the full bodied department. The sweetness had faded out during the final third and left the cocoa, nuts and spice that complimented each other very nicely.

Final Notes

Overall, the J. Fuego Delirium Lancero was very enjoyable. If you give this cigar some time and take it slow, it will reward you with a great smoke. The finish on the cigar was very smooth and the cigar was in no way harsh. The burn wavered just a bit but never required me to look after it and the ash held on for a good 3/4 to an inch before appearing to need to be tapped off. The draw was perfect and put out TONS of smoke for such a little guy. I would definitely recommend you give the J. Fuego Delirium a try in any size. If you like Maduro cigars then there’s a good chance you’ll like this one.

Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall smoking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

“Let’s just say the wrapper is going to be a Sumatra from Rocky’s special stash.”

That’s about all the information available from Sam Phillips, the director of marketing for Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, about the fourth Rocky Patel seasonal cigar, the Spring Collection, due out in six to eight weeks.

“We’re looking at a little over 4,000 boxes (of 20) in three different sizes,” Phillips noted. “It’s medium-bodied and well balanced.” The sizes will be a robusto, a toro and torpedo, with something more than 80,000 cigars produced in total.

Although a limited-production program, the seasonal cigars – which started with the “Summer Collection” in 2008 – “have exceeded all expectations” according to Phillips. “The Summer and Autumn Collections were very nice and sold well,” he said, “but the Winter Collection was just explosive.

“People just fell in love with; it was a serious powerhouse and it was gone real fast.” A maduro wrapper was promised for the Winter Collection, but the finished cigar actually featured a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, combined with Nicaraguan-grown binder and filler leaves.

Could it become a part of the regular Rocky Patel line, as the ultra-popular Avo 75 limited-edition was turned into the standard-production Avo Signature Series? “You never know,” said Phillips. “With Rocky, the wheels are always turning.”

The British outfitter Burberry doesn’t have much to do with cigars.

Famous for its trench coat – introduced in 1914 – the venerable firm dates back to 1856 and created its iconic (and trademarked) Burberry Check pattern as a trench-coat lining in 1920. But now a pattern pretty close to the Burberry style is on a cigar!

The “Burberry Perfecto” is a special version of the popular Padilla Habano line made in Nicaragua that’s being manufactured for mega-retailer Cigars International of Bath, Pennsylvania. According to Cigars International president Keith Meier: “This started in our retail store, during a Padilla store event. Our guys asked Ernesto [Padilla] to make something unique to give away during events and something for promotions online from time to time. We got the first shipment recently.”

The normal Padilla Habano line features an all-Nicaraguan blend, with a rich Habano wrapper, offered in three sizes. But the Burberry Perfecto is a wild variation at 5 3/4 inches long by 54 ring gauge shaped like a small Salomon-style cigar, offered only (so far) in packs of five for $35.00. There are actually three different wrappers on the cigar, arranged in a criss-cross pattern to create the astounding Burberry-like effect. Meier reports it burns well, despite the unique construction.

Talk about unusual! It’s a sure conversation starter, but don’t smoke one in a Burberry showroom; it’s not a licensed product, but a nickname for an unbelievable work of the cigar maker’s art.

Article found can be found here.

My Father Lancero #4

Size: 7.5 x 38

Appearance & Construction

This is a great looking Lancero.  It has some veins that run up and down the entire length of the cigar and it has a nice triple cap with a pig tail to top it off. You can really see the oils on this cigar as well.  The cigar felt a bit spongy when I gave it the squeeze test, but not to the point that I was worried about it causing any issues for me.  Finally, I really liked the band on the Lancero, it gave it a nice elegant appearance and seemed to fit it nicely.

Nose & Taste

During the pre-light draw I picked up a nice chocolate like flavor right away.  The aroma the cigar put off was a nice barnyard smell that I really enjoy getting from cigars for some reason.  I lit the cigar with my trusty Blazer and clipped the head with my Palio.  The first third offered up some of the chocolate flavor I picked up during the pre-light and gave a bit of spice and a little sweetness was thrown in there.  During the second third the flavor profile remained fairly consistent although the chocolate had disappeared and a touch of leather was picked up.  The final third brought some pepper along with the spice and sweetness. Some notes of chocolate came back for a second and disappeared rather quickly.

Final Notes

I was not overly impressed by the cigar.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked the cigar, but I expected just a little bit more.  I didn’t find it to be very complex and changed only slightly throughout the 7.5 inch smoke, but what it did offer was quite good.  The ash was a bit flaky and held on for about a half inch or so before it looked like I would ash on myself.  The draw was a little too loose for me which may be related to the sponginess I felt during the squeeze test.  I would recommend picking up the Belicoso or one of the other sizes over the Lancero if you run across these cigars.

Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Overall Smoking Time:  1 hour 30 minutes

The company has gone into receivership status, a form of bankruptcy in which a third-party is legally appointed to run the company in an effort to recoup as much debt as possible. The move was prompted by Colibri’s major shareholder, Founders Equity, which petitioned the Providence Superior Court for receivership.

“The Colibri Group is simply out of money,” Timothy P. Gallogly, the company’s general counsel, told The Providence Journal. According to Allan M. Shine, Colibri’s appointed receiver, the company owes about $14 million to HSBC Bank and almost as much to Sovereign Bank.

Gallogly attributed the company’s decision to close to the recent economic downturn coupled with a declining demand for cigar accessories.

“It’s an easy purchase to defer when you’re tightening your belt,” he told the Journal. “We tried our best. We just weren’t able to get through this.”

This comes a short period after the Colibri factory closed it’s doors in Providence, Rhode Island back in January.

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero 452

Size: 4×52

 Appearance & Construction

 This is a very nice looking cigar.  This is the first band that I noticed from La Flor Dominicana that used a band similar to Lito Gomez’s line.  The construction is great.  The wrapper is a nice deep brown and the cigar feels nice and firm with just a slight resistance, no soft or hard spots anywhere.  I used my Palio cutter and was rewarded with a nice clean cut. 

 Nose & Taste

 I placed the cigar to my nose and the aroma I picked up was a mixture of pepper and coffee.  The prelight draw confirmed my thoughts on the pepper – it was a little sweet with some spiciness on my lips.  I lit the cigar and right away I was hit with tons of full flavor. This cigar was not lacking in the strength department either.  The initial flavors during the first third were that of espresso, hints of nuts and white pepper.  Once the second third began, the strength of the flavors dropped down a notch and the spice began to disappear.  The sweetness from the maduro wrapper began to finally surface now that the intensity from the flavors settled a bit.  
The final third wrapped up the cigar nicely with the sweet maduro flavor dominating at the very end with the espresso flavors remaining in the background.

 Final Notes

The DL-452 cigar was a great cigar.  The burn was almost flawless, only requiring a minor touch up that may have been my fault due to a BIC lighter I was forced to use from a co-worker.  The draw was perfect and produced tons of smoke.  I really enjoyed this smoke, and will be picking up a few more the next chance I get. It kept its strength throughout the cigar and I had a nice buzz going a little after the half way point.  This cigar would easily get 4 stars the first go around, but I found that the some of the flavors and their intensity seemed to be because they were a little young.  Once these settle and age for a bit longer this will be another great cigar from Lito Gomez!

Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall Smoking Time: ~45 Minutes during lunch

‘Ricoro is the pleasantest prescription a doctor ever ordered.’

Also, George Burns at the age of 14 used a 7 cent Ricoro cigar as his main prop.  Sorry about the quality but I had to use my phone since it was an accident I came across the ad at all.  Enjoy!

One theory on the term herf started around 1996 in the cigar news groups.  Someone thought it was a good term to use for when you “draw” on the cigar, instead of the term “sucking.” This is the most common definition often used to describe a social gathering where others can share their love of cigars with a group of friends. 

If you happen to be a member of a cigar fourm, which you definitely should be (check out Cigar Asylum), you may come across a post announcing a herf.  This would be several people getting together to smoke cigars at a restaurant, club, smoke shop or even another member’s house.  Think of it as a “cigar party.”

So now you know, a herf is a cigar gathering, a smoking event or cigar tasting. If you’ve sat down with a group of friends smoking cigars, then you’ve already experienced a herf and didn’t even know it until now.

The next time someone asks you if you want to go to a herf and you haven’t yet experienced this, give it a try.  It’s more than likely if you’re with others that share the same passion, you’ll enjoy it.