Sunday, December 21, 2014

History Punch Cigars and Its Popular Brands



Learning about Punch cigars is a great thing one should do since they are the leading cigars produced in Cuba by Habanos SA. This is a Cuban owned company that specializes in manufacturing top quality cigars. The punch brand cigars have a great history.

 They were first registered in 1840 and named after one of the character featured in the European puppet show. The brand soon became a household name and also did well in countries such as Great Britain where it was sold in great numbers. 1874 witnessed the first change of ownership of Punch brand Cigars. The brand was purchased by Luis Corujo . 10 years later, the brand was sold again. This time round, it was purchased by Fernades Lopez Manuel.

Up to this date the boxes bands of the punch cigar still bears the name of Fernandez Manuel. Lopez retired in 1924 but died after a short while. Before he died, he had passed ownership of the brand to Comas Esperanza Valle who held it for a few years before the crash of the stock market in 1929. It should be noted that the punch cigar brand experienced losses way back in 1930 when the cigar industry in Cuba faced financial hardships.

During this time, the brand was purchased by Palicio y Cia who made sure that it become one of the companies that dominated the cigar industry by specializing in cigar margues. The company manufactured other brands such as Hoyo de Monterrey, La Escepcion and Belinda. This made the company retain its popularity in Britain and it became very popular with British smokers. The embargo set on Cuba by the United States made things difficult for Fernando Palicio and as a result he fled from Cuba and settled in Florida. While in Florida, he sold his cigar lines to Dan Blumenthal of Villazon Co. and Frank Llaneza . The duo have continued to manufacture Punch, Belinda Cigars as well as Hoyo de Monterrey.

Meanwhile the production aimed for the American market was being undertaken by Honduran tobacco. When Cuba nationalized the tobacco industry, Punch continued to produce its brand. Up to now, it is still popular and produces Cuba cigar line. Some of the brands that are associated and produced by the company include Churchil, Double corona, eponymous Punch , Connoisseurs, and super selection no. 2.

In addition, Punch produces two machine made cigarillos that includes Cigarritos Reserva and the Cigarritos. Although Punch has not been selected for any edicion Limitada, it is a popular brand for the edicion Regional series of cigar manufactured by Habanos and which are meant for the local markets. When you learn more about Punch Cigars, you will understand why its brand are valued and loved by smokers ever since they were introduced in 1969. The reason for the popularity of the cigars can be attributed to the fact that Punch cigars are classic and the fact that the brands are known to live to their name.

The full flavored taste associated with the punch cigars was derived from Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominician tobaccos Nicaraguan tobacco, and a rich blend of Honduran tobaccos. Cigar insider, Cigar aficionado have particularly praised the brands with Champion front marks and the large –ring Magnum being awarded 91 and 90 ratings respectively. Cigar Cyclopedia has also recognized the collection and has awarded them A rating. In fact the two are often referred to as the pride of the Punch cigar lines and are thought to be the best of Hondurans. The smooth smoking qualities that the punch Cigars have results from Connecticut shade wrapper not forgetting the blend it receives from the premium Honduran tobacco.

The cigars are not strong and chances of overpowering new smoker are not there. The Punch Gran puro is a top brand made from proprietary tobacco selected from San Agustin Valley in Honduran. It is a big cigar loved by the smokers because of its size. It has a satisfying taste, spicy flavors and is sweet.

The cigar has received praises and A rating from cigar cyclopedia. In the street, it is referred to as a best buy cigar On the other hand the Pura Rare Corojo is not only a rich tasting, but is a cigar of distinction. It is reddish brown with shades of lustrous. It is medium in size, round and has a rich finish.

 The cigar is delicious and has received an eye rating of 92 from Cigar Aficionado. It has a rich flavor and was developed according to taste and preferences of smokers. It contains the rich Nicaraguan Ometepa tobacco cultivated for upper cut. Punch Grand Cru is another brand that is tenured by smokers. It is bold; full flavored and is a top selling cigar. It is one of the brands that is thought to bring more revenue to the company.

Photo Credit:  Mike Oliveri via Flickr.com

Saturday, December 6, 2014

How To Combine A Cigar With Alcohol


Some people make a living by combining fine wine with all sorts of food. On the other hand, there are also people that are very interested in combining a certain drink, whether that may be beer or wine, with different cigars. Especially beer is a well loved drink that grows particularly well with cigars. It does so by affecting the flavor of the cigar in a special manner. It is not that difficult to find your favorite cigar that tastes well with different brands of beer. That being said, there are a few guidelines you should follow if you want to find perfect combination of alcohol and cigars. We will discuss these guidelines in more detail in the article below.

A particular habit that seems hard to break for many cigar lovers, is that they start to drink their favorite beer or wine simultaneously with smoking their cigars. However, a premium cigar may effect the way your taste buds experience the different flavors of both your drink and your smoke. It is a mistake to light your favorite cigar, inhale its delicious aroma that is flavored with a hint of spiciness, and then start sipping from your wine or your beer.

Something else you need to keep in mind when you are looking to combine a fine drink with your favorite smoke, is something fairly simple. It seems so logical to combine your favorite have a drink with your favorite mild cigar. However, this is a crucial mistake. The reasoning behind this is that both the cigar and the drink would be heavy, they would be too overwhelming and your taste buds would not be able to enjoy them to the fullest. However, by smoking a strong cigar, also known as a full bodied cigar, and having a light wine, the flavor of the cigar will overpower the wine. Therefore you should always aim to combine a mild smoke with a mild drink and a full-bodied smoke with a stronger brew. In fact, if you combine a full-bodied cigar with a strong beer, you may even start to notice that both of these flavors will be enhanced rather than pushed aside.


If you were so lucky that you already found a great combination between alcohol and cigars, always remember to make a note of this combination. Maybe you want to share your new findings with friends or fellow cigar fans, but whatever the case may be, you always wanted remember your newfound combination. By writing it down, you also have starting point in finding new combinations you might enjoy. On top of that, once you start sharing a beautiful combination of cigar and alcohol with your fellow friends and cigar fans, they might even be willing to share their own secrets with you, giving you new ideas on what would be a great combination. This will lead to plenty of opportunities when it comes to pairing alcohol with your favorite cigars.

If you plan to have a drink at night and are also in the mood for a nice cigar, it is always best to have a few milder cigars on hand that you enjoy smoking. You should always start with a stronger drink, because most strong or full-bodied cigars have the tendency to overpower the flavor of the drink. Therefore, this is not a good starting point. That being said, full-bodied cigar goes beautifully with a dark and rich beer. Nonetheless, it is better to always keep a pair of milder cigars at hand just for this special occasion. The perfect mild cigars are beginner cigars, as they go very well with light beers or light and flavorful wines. Some people preferred there appears to be sweet and pail, which calls for a light cigar.

Something else that might be a good idea if you want to combine drinks with your favorites stogies, if the glass of water at hand to increase your enjoyment. This is also frequently done if people enjoy coffee or espresso. The goal of drinking small sips of water in between, is to clean your palate so that it is able to taste new flavors again. Alternatively, you can also use a light sorbet or anything else that cleans your palate. Either way, you always need to find something that works for you. Whereas some people might do fine with glass of water, that does not mean that that has to be the same for you.

Photo Credit: Sybren Stuvel via Flickr.com


Friday, October 31, 2014

What To Expect From The Best Of Rocky Patel Cigars

The best of Rocky Patel cigars can be found if you know of where to look. It is always a good idea to seek out information on these kinds of things because they can cost you quite a bit of money. You need to really get a handle on how to work through this kind of purchase in a correct manner as it will allow you to know whether or not you should get this from certain companies.  Here you will get an idea of whether or not this is the kind of cigar for you.

There are quite a few options when it comes to Rocky Patel cigars, and each type is good for a different situation. You need to make sure that you are able to get one that is going to go well with whatever you wish to have it for. If you're drinking alcohol, for instance, depending on the type a certain cigar from this line will pair better than others with what you're drinking on. You have to make sure that you are able to use the options you have available to you to look up what each cigar is like before spending any money.

When you order your cigars it's always a good plan to seek out varying options that allow you to know whether or not you're getting the best service. You need to make sure that since you're spending a lot of money in a lot of cases, that you're getting a good product. Don't skip any expense to get this delivered to you in a safe and easy way. Then you are going to be able to know whether or not this is something you can benefit from when you smoke it because it can meet your needs when you get what you enjoy.

Select only the retailers out there that you can find information on. You must make sure that they are sound and that they aren't going to charge you far too much for your product to get to you. Think about the costs of shipping and things of that nature so that you can have an idea of whether or not this is going to be a good service to use. You'll want to be very clear to them that you expect the best in service so they know that you're a customer to be respected.

Try to order more than you'll need so that you can store some cigars away to age them in a humidor. A lot of the time after storage and some aging you can get a totally different product that you may enjoy that much more than when it came directly from the manufacturer. Just be aware of how to store the cigar properly so that you have an idea as to whether or not the quality will be good. When you work with the retailer to make sure you get your cigars fresh and then you store them in a proper humidor, it could enhance your experience.

Learn what you can about the Rocky Patel cigar line so you know if you support how the company was founded and what it does to provide customers with great service. There are far too many people out there that don't do their research just to find out later that they really don't like a company overall. However, Rocky Patel is a respected name and most of their products are well reviewed. It's just a matter of what you like in a company and so it could help to read a little about them to learn more.

Once you have read through this information on the best of Rocky Patel cigars you can determine if they are going to meet your needs the most. There are quite a few options you can go through, so make sure that you are aware of what works for you. When you are able to come up with a plan on how to get what you need it becomes that much more simple. There are options you can select from and that means that you can get to where you're getting the right product every time you try.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Ashton VSG Cigars Review

Ashton VSG Cigars came to the market as far back as 1999 and is one of the leading cigar brands on the market since then. VSG stands for Virgin Sun Grown which is the process the wrapper of the cigar is grown. The product is manufactured using 4-5 years aged premium Dominican tobacco derived from the finest fertile plants. The wrapper is grown in a private estate in Ecuador which is owned by the Oliva family. This is where the distinct flavor of VSG comes from. This rich intoxicating wrapper has made Ashton VSG one of the most in demand cigars on the market right now. This article will provide a comprehensive review of the Ashton VSG cigar brand. You can view so virgin sun grown Ashton cigars here.

The appearance of the Ashton VSG looks inviting with a prominent vein running on the backside of the wrapper. Even though the wrapper seems to be mottled with colors, this vein is quite visible to the naked eye. The wrapper is similar to a dark chocolate in color. The seamless triple cap makes the cigar extremely toothy. The overall color pattern of the cigar is due to the various shades of the wrapper of the cigar.

The burn is a bit fast during the beginning while it will slow down to a more manageable pace. On average, the cigar would last for about one hour and thirty five minutes with a fine dense of smoke. The ash would last for at least one inch. The aroma of the wrapper gives a distinct cedar and cocoa mix while the foot of the cigar gives a chocolaty flavor. The initial draws of the cigar would taste like nutmeg, pepper and espresso. The rest of the draws taste similar to cinnamon and apple spice. There were also some cocoa and woody tastes while drawing several puffs of the cigar. These are some of the flavors that would keep on rotating with every puff of Ashton VSG.
A single cigar of this brand may cost you approximately $10 per stick. But you can order a box of 24-cigars for approximately $200 from many online e-commerce stores. This will bring the price down to less than $8 per stick. This is a very low price to pay for one of the best cigars in the industry. Ashton VSG is really a quality cigar which will last for nearly 2-hours of smoking pleasure. The smoke production of the cigar is pretty good throughout the drawing, which is why most avid cigar lovers are attracted to this quality brand.

One of the salient features about the Ashton VSG is the continuous maintenance of the original rich taste of the product. In fact, the 2014 VSG release continue to taste identical to the VSG's released in 2000. This is a very rare feature when it comes to quality cigars. This is why Ashton VSG is considered one of the best cigars on the market currently.

The aforementioned Ashton VSG review will help you to make an informed decision when
purchasing the product.

photo credit: fixedgear via photopin cc

A Look At Some Of The Best Boutique Cigars Available Today

The question on many people’s minds is what is a boutique cigar? While trying to define what the term “boutique” in relation to cigars actually means may be a pain staking process, the truth of the matter is that it defines the quality of the cigar in relation to the tobacco used and the flavor created through the artful execution of its blending, rolling and its size. With different cigar makers in the market, it is therefore safe to say that boutique cigars will greatly vary depending on how they were created by their maker.

When it comes to boutique cigars, it usually is never about how large scale they were made. While macro producers do create outstanding cigars, it is how uniquely made the cigar is made that will actually give it the right to be called a boutique cigar. As such, the best of these cigars are those created by micro-producers; people who have a passion of artistically creating unique, one-of-a-kind cigars. Such uniquely made cigars earn the right to be called boutiques.

With that in mind, it becomes much easier to consider some of the best boutique cigar brands in the market. This piece looks at some of the most unique of these. So, if you are looking to buy a pack of these unique cigars, then this list will give you a rough idea of what to look or go for. You can also read about some more awesome boutique cigars here.

262 Cigars

262 cigars are some of the best boutique cigars in the market. Introduced in 2009, the brand has considerably grown, making it one of the most trusted brands when it comes to these types of cigars. 262 cigars are revered some of the most bold and complex cigars around. With a line of four cigars, namely Manifesto, Revere, Ideology and Paradigm, 262 cigars make cigar smoking an entirely new experience. If you have never tried one of these tasty cigars, then you really need to today because once they have caught fire, getting your hands on one of them will be hard in time.

90 Miles Cigars

90 miles cigars are boutique cigars made by Cigar maker Flor De Gonzalez and are many cigar smokers personal favorites. 90 miles cigars are available in 3 lines. These are 90 miles Reserva Selecta, 90 Miles 1980 and 90 Miles. The great thing about each of these is that they all offer a wildly different taste from the other. However, for that hit, the 1980 is the most preferable. 90 Miles cigars however are not so widespread and are usually found within the Miami area. As such, getting your hands one of these unique boutique cigars would require making an order. The good thing though is that they are fast becoming famous and will therefore start becoming widely available.

Aging Room Cigars

Aging room cigars are perhaps the most renowned and are amongst the top 10 recommended boutique cigars in the market. Because of this brands quality and uniqueness, it featured as one of the best in the U.S fighting a tight contention with major cigar makers. As such, Aging Room Cigars made a mark in the world of boutique cigars as it quite literally, single handedly opened up the boutique cigar and small batch cigars market. With such a profound statement, it is without a doubt that quality is no compromise with these cigars. If therefore you are looking for a top quality, top-brand boutique cigar to enjoy, then Aging Room Cigars are what you need to get.

Ortega Cigars

Created by Cigar master Eddie Ortega, these cigars are a uniquely blended masterpiece that will leave you thoroughly satisfied. Some of the best boutique cigar brands like Murcielago Cigars, the 601 and the Cubao are also part of his rich collection. However, the Ortega Serie D is the cigar maestro’s main cigar line. The beauty of Ortega Cigars is that the owner actually takes time to listen to and consider what his customers want. This has led to the creation of some of the best uniquely rare, wildly popular but limited edition cigars ever. If you want something that will leave your palate thoroughly appeased, then Ortega Cigars are definitely the cigars for you.

The above are just but a few of some of the many boutique cigars available today. As this cigar niche grows by the day, exhausting all the different unique options available might be impossible. To find something that may suite you, browsing through the Internet will give you the chance to check out different boutique cigar options available, where you can find them and how to purchase them.

photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photopin cc