Kyle, Chris, & the Don, the owners of Ezra Zion Cigar Company and CigarFederation.com, and Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, announced today that they have entered into a nationwide distribution agreement. To satisfy the rapidly expanding demand for the super-boutique Ezra Zion product line the Emilio sales staff will service new and existing accounts.
“When we launched Ezra Zion Cigar Company at IPCPR in August, we were overwhelmed by the positive response and volume of orders.” said Chris, “Keeping up with the demand for our cigars and delivering a supreme, quality smoking experience is paramount to our company. Joining forces with Gary Griffith and the House of Emilio will allow us to do that even better!”
“We started Ezra Zion with the idea of making cigars that you and your buddies would make if you made a cigar. To us, smoking is a celebration and an experience to be had, not just a hobby. Partnering with Gary and his staff will bring that celebration to a shop near you.
The Inception and the Reagan lines have arrived at the Emilio Cigars warehouse in Vineland, NJ and will begin shipping immediately.
“I am delighted to be able to help this outstanding boutique manufacturer benefit from our existing shipping and billing facilities, and even more happy that we were able to make this arrangement with such passionate new cigar makers” said Griffith.
“Through videos and social media, we want to continue to bring innovation and insight into our cigar journey. Whether we are at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Ca. for a Reagan/Two If By Tea cigar pairing…in Nicaragua creating new blends…or on our ranch in Texas shooting an M-14 with a cigar burning, we want to bring cigar lovers everywhere into our world and take the journey with us.” added Chris.
Keep up with the Ezra Zion Cigar Company on EzraZion.com. Follow on Twitter @EzraZionCigars
Cigar Inn announced via email today plans for the “Big Smoke After Party at Cigar Inn.” Big smoke is coming up on Thursday the 29th (tomorrow). Don’t miss it.
Here is the text from the email:
Big Smoke After Party at Cigar aficionado’s Lounge
Dear Cigar Inn Members:
Come meet the stars of the Cigar Industry @ Cigar aficionado’s Lounge.
The party starts at 9:30p.m. Till close. Free Drinks. Music by D.J. Don Cerati Don_Cerati. Thursday 29th 2012
Cigar Inn 1016 2nd Ave NY. NY. 10022. Bet.54th and 53rd street. 212.750.0809.
Thank you
Cigar Inn
JOHNNIE WALKER today unveiled the first of a portfolio of whiskies that take their inspiration from the travelling heritage of John Walker & Sons. Available only in duty free stores, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD pays a unique homage to the global travellers of today.
The whisky of intriguing complexity, rich flavour and exceptional smoothness takes the John Walker & Sons tradition of blending for big, bold flavour inspired by influences from all over the world, into the 21st Century.
From the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world, JOHNNIE WALKER has always pushed boundaries to discover new horizons.
From 1820, the Walker family and their agents travelled the world, navigating their way down the famous trade routes: the Spice Road of Europe and Asia; the Royal Route from Europe to Persia; and the Gold Route of the Americas and the Caribbean, in pursuit of adventures bringing both new business and rich experiences.
Their efforts ensured that, by the 1920s, JOHNNIE WALKER had arrived in 120 countries and was being enjoyed on the great railways, luxury ocean liners and early transatlantic flights. Meanwhile, the striking image of the JOHNNIE WALKER Striding Man was becoming an icon all over the world.
Back in London, close to the shipping houses and docks from which the JOHNNIE WALKER agents travelled the world, Alexander Walker established the Travellers’ Room where his agents would convene to rest, talk strategy and exchange stories and samples from their travels. These colourful tales of exploration influenced the JOHNNIE WALKER Master Blenders, who began to create different styles of whisky to reflect these exotic stories
Today, this tradition continues as JOHNNIE WALKER launches a range of whiskies made exclusively for travellers – the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION™.
The first three blends in the collection collectively known as the Trade Routes Series are inspired by the richness that could be found along the great trade routes.
The first release, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD is an evocative expression of the vibrancy, aromas and spices that the JOHNNIE WALKER agents would have discovered in the thriving markets around Asia.
It is a bold blend of intriguing complexity, rich flavour and exceptional smoothness. A spicy zestiness on the nose is balanced by fresh citrus. The smooth, rich and honeyed flavours on the palate – warmed by cloves, ginger and vanilla sweetness – give way to a smouldering finish of the JOHNNIE WALKER signature smoke.
“To create the intense spicy flavour profile of JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD, we used well-matured single malts and grains, presenting all their fresh vibrant distillery characters, aged in carefully selected, high quality American oak casks; and of course there is a trace of West Coast smoke in the background – revealing the classic JOHNNIE WALKER signature,” commented Master Blender Jim Beveridge.
Steve White, Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, said: “Travel is in the DNA of JOHNNIE WALKER and it is these credentials that we feel will resonate with today’s travellers who are undertaking bold journeys of their own.
“This travel heritage and pioneering spirit of adventure makes JOHNNIE WALKER the perfect companion for today’s travellers.”
With a recommended retail price of $43 / €36.90 / £26, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD will be available in duty free stores in Europe, the Middle East and Australia in December. It will be available in duty free stores globally from January 2013.
The second and third releases in the Trade Routes Series – JOHNNIE WALKER THE GOLD ROUTE™ and JOHNNIE WALKER THE ROYAL ROUTE™ will be available in duty free stores in 2013.
ABOUT DIAGEO
DIAGEO is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include JOHNNIE WALKER, GUINNESS, SMIRNOFF, J&B, BAILEYS, CUERVO, TANQUERAY, CAPTAIN MORGAN, CROWN ROYAL, BEAULIEU VINEYARD and STERLING VINEYARDS wines.
DIAGEO is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
The Truth? You Should Insure Your High-Value Cigar Collection
You’ve probably heard the story about the lawyer who insured his cigar collection. According to the tale, he then filed a claim with his carrier because the cigars had all been destroyed by separate fires. A judge, upon hearing the case, ruled that fire was a covered peril in the policy and ordered the carrier to pay up. The kicker: When the lawyer accepted payment for the claim, he was promptly arrested for arson because he had “set the fires” himself when he smoked them.
Great story, right? Problem is, it’s a hoax.
So is there a connection between your cigar collection and your home insurance? The answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” In fact, there could be more than one.
First the bad news
One way your cigar collection might affect your home insurance policy is a definite negative. Unless you don’t actually smoke the cigars, you’ll lose access to a major home insurance discount available in some states. It’s called the nonsmokers discount, and it can save you up to 20% on your premium. It’s restricted to households in which no members smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products, and it’s in place because it lessens the chance of fire.
Now the good news
The good news is that your cigar collection is covered against fire, wind and other perils specified in your homeowners policy. The collection falls under your personal property coverage, which gives you help if the contents of your home are damaged by a covered peril. Coverage limits for your stuff generally are set as a percentage of the amount of dwelling coverage for your home. That’s the amount it would take to rebuild your home in case it is damaged by a covered event. Standard home insurance policies generally set personal property coverage limits at 50% to 70% of the amount of your dwelling coverage.
Make sure you have enough coverage
However, there can be a catch as your policy relates to your cigar collection. High-value items, including jewelry, furs and collectibles, are only insured up to a specified amount. If you just have a random selection of cigars you picked up at the corner shop, you’re probably in good shape. But if your collection includes a box of Gurkha’s original Black Dragon cigars, which sells for $115,000, or even a large number of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas – at $32 a cigar – you could exceed the limit fairly quickly. The solution is to schedule an endorsement. That’s extra coverage for your high value items.
Regardless of whether you take the endorsement route or you’re comfortable with the limit as it is, you’ll need to list what’s in your collection on a home inventory. That’s a glorified listing, with receipts and photos when possible, of everything you have in the home. It will help you get your claim paid quicker. Keep several copies of the inventory, and make sure you have at least one offsite in case your home is damaged.
Make sure you have the right coverage
There is one other potential problem as well. Standard home insurance policies typically don’t cover damage from floods. You’ll need a separate policy for that. If you survived Superstorm Sandy, for example, but your cigar collection didn’t, you’d only received help for your smokes if you had flood insurance. Premiums vary according to the potential risk, but if you live in a lower risk area, you could pay less than $150 for coverage.
Is flood insurance right for your collection? Consider that it would also cover the rest of your home as well. If your collection means a lot to you, you might want to click here to find a licensed agent about how much protection you have for it and how much you need.
S Prime Steakhouse announces a new cigar and dinner event with Rocky Patel. For those of you not familiar with S Prime/Studio Sq. cigar events, they are huge, and in a word, awesome. I was at the last event (previous invite here) and it was everything you would expect from one of the most prestigious and well-known nightlife spots in New York City.
This event will feature a 4 course dinner from S Prime. This alone you won’t want to miss, as the steakhouse is known for creating truly memorable dining experiences. I had a chance to experience S Prime with Nish Patel and others a few months back, so I can vouch. Other details include a four hour open bar and a sampler of 6 limited run Rocky Patel Cigars.
Independent Scotch whisky producer, Isle of Arran Distillers, has teamed up with the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, to produce a dramatic new single malt whisky made with Scotland’s oldest cultivated barley.
Thought to have been brought to the UK by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago, Bere barley is notoriously hard to grow, but for those willing to persevere it can produce a very fine quality of spirit.
Until the 19th century Bere was one of the most important Scottish crops and was widely grown by farmers and used by millers, brewers and distillers. Despite being a fundamental part of Scotland’s agricultural heritage, the crop is now only commercially grown on islands off Scotland’s North and West coasts as it has been replaced by higher yielding modern varieties.
To challenge this, the Agronomy Institute and Arran Distillers have worked together to revive the spirit of this barley which generates a unique taste of whisky as it used to be, a flavour which can be found in the new Arran Malt Orkney Bere.
Due to hit stores at the beginning of December, Orkney Bere has been matured for eight years in ex-bourbon barrels and the spirit developed quicker than anticipated. Just 5,800 bottles will be available for sale.
Euan Mitchell, managing director of Isle of Arran Distillers, said: “As an independent distillery we have the freedom to try different things and we’re constantly looking for new ways to interest and excite people who enjoy excellent malt whiskies.
“Due largely to lack of availability and difficulties with its cultivation, there are only a few distilleries which use Bere, but it can produce fantastic results and is part of Scotland’s heritage. We’ve worked with Orkney College to help raise the profile of this forgotten crop and offer our customers a taste of pure history with this limited edition malt.”
Peter Martin, Director of the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, commented: “Working with Arran Distillers on this Orkney Bere whisky has been very exciting and I hope its release will help to awaken interest in this historically important Scottish crop. Bere is an under-utilised Scottish food and drink resource – there are not many other ancient cereals still in cultivation which can be used for making whisky, beer and a wide range of bakery products!”
The Arran Malt Orkney Bere has a flavour of ripe apples, oak and rich spices. The spirit has an ABV of 46% and has developed in American oak barrels with no artificial colours and non-chill filtered. A true collector’s edition, you can buy the whisky online at www.arranwhisky.com and specialist whisky shops.
Notes:
The Arran Malt – Orkney Bere is released early in December and will be available in the UK, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. RRP is £47.99 for 70cl.
* Current accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)
Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.)
More information on the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI:
The Agronomy Institute is a research centre of the University of the Highlands and Islands and is based at Orkney College UHI which is an academic partner in the University. The Institute specialises in crop-based research and development activities aimed at promoting sustainable development within the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland. For more information visit www.agronomy.uhi.ac.uk
Our third edition of Sunday Cigar Shots via the #FineTobaccoNYC Instagram hashtag is below. As you can tell, this edition was somehow swept entirely by Drew Estate cigars. Should we be surprised? Anyway, during the contest, users submit their creative photos to the hashtag (you can view the photos here), and three or four are chosen as the top shots all around. Below those are listed some other shots – some from me and my smoky adventures, some from other users who had good shots but weren’t selected.
And now a gallery (click to enlarge) of all the top submissions this week. If you want to rank in the top three, make your pictures sharp and creative!
NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – Nov 21, 2012) – Panache Beverage, Inc. (OTCQB: WDKA), an alcoholic beverage company specializing in the development, global sales and marketing of spirits brands, has announced the launch of Alibi American Whiskey, now debuting at a suggested retail price of $23.99 per 750ml bottle. A counterpoint to current mainstream bourbon market trends, Alibi has set out to demystify the category by offering a more accessible product as a return to the true American whiskey-drinking tradition, free of pretension.
“This is not for the aficionado that adds a dropper of mineral water to his whiskey glass and swirls. Alibi is a blended whiskey that does not require elaborate tasting notes or a half-day tasting seminar on its production,” noted Stephen W. Yorsz, Blend Master for Alibi. “This is more in the spirit of how whiskey was originally served in this country — in a shot glass or flask.”
Alibi is a corn-based whiskey that contains elements of rye and malted barley aged in first-fill American oak casks, distilled in Indiana and bottled and blended in Florida.
Advertising creative notes, “Alibi is an elixir for the flawed human spirit in all of us… Alibi is for real people, real drinkers and believes that at one time or another, everybody needs an alibi.”
Alibi American Whiskey will be available in New York, Florida and New Jersey by the Thanksgiving holiday and will be widely available nationally in 2013, including at retail and on-premise in Georgia, Illinois, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Arizona and Nevada.
This is the first foray into the brown spirits category for Panache, which markets and distributes Wódka Vodka. Considered a game-changer in the spirits industry, Wódka became the first super-premium vodka offered at a fraction of the cost of so-called “luxury” brand vodkas that have kept prices in the category artificially high through packaging, celebrity-oriented marketing and imposing triple-markup price tags.
About Panache Beverage, Inc.
Panache Beverage, Inc. (OTCQB: WDKA) based in New York, NY is an alcoholic beverage company specializing in the development, global sales and marketing of spirits brands. The Company’s expertise lies in the strategic development and aggressive early growth of its brands establishing its assets as viable and attractive acquisition candidates for the major global spirits companies. Panache intends to build its brands as individual acquisition candidates while continuing to develop its pipeline of new brands in to the Panache portfolio. Panache’s existing portfolio contains three brands: Wódka Vodka (www.welovewodka.com), Alchemia Infused Vodka (www.alchemiainfused.com) and Alibi American Whiskey (www.alibiamerica.com).
Smoking locations are on the decline in most western countries. Public smoking is now criminal in many U.S. states, and the FDA is now considering even more involvement in how and where smokers can get cigars. Don’t even get started with Canada, with its regulations and sometimes more importantly its freezing weather.
The popularity of private cigar smoking is increasing – more are willing to smoke in their apartments or homes (given the right ventilation), since they often cannot smoke in parks, beaches, and other public spaces. It has also led to a rise in social cigar events at home.
How can those without public places to smoke have better smoking experiences? A handful of Canadian readers here have asked what to do since smoking is near impossible to do indoors, and outdoors is cold. So here are a few suggestions for having good HERFs at home.
Invite the right people: nothing will kill a great night of conversation and fun like having a large group of strangers stuck at a table. If you do invite total strangers, be a good host and introduce others. Even worse is when a total ass shows up.
Use the right location: Sure, you can do a poker and cigar night in your backyard in the sub-zero Canadian tundra in the middle of the winter. Technically. But a space heater and big garage might be a better solution. If you’re smoking the summer, a back patio works great. In areas where there are no good places to smoke, compensate by throwing even better HERFs when the weather is right. Organize a month or more in advance, get some sponsors, and have a great time.
Set the right atmosphere: large fluorescent lights don’t set a relaxed mood. Loud, ear-piercing music doesn’t either. Whether you’re smoking indoors or out, there are plenty of things you can do to make people relaxed. Jazz and latin music are both generally excellent for smoking. Throw on some soft lighting, and if you are inside, be sure to account for ventilation – it is never fun to hate hanging out with friends because you can’t breath.
Bring extra cigars: every now and again, people will come and either forget cigars, or the game will go long past the single cigar they brought. If you are hosting, grab a few cheap sticks to keep the smoking going.
Those considerations are important for anyone wanting to host some cigar smokers for some relaxation. But what about the smokers in locations where social smoking isn’t allowed? Other readers have actually commented that they don’t have anywhere to smoke with others. That has meant they’ve had to get creative. Some have held hangouts on Google+, others through Social Cigar. And there are many other options, including anything from sharing photos on Instagram to playing party bingo online.
What do you do while hanging out and smoking with friends? If you have a unique suggestion or idea, drop it in the comments section below, or tweet us @finetobacconyc.
November 19, 2012 (Fort Lauderdale, FL) — After much anticipation, the Gurkha 125th Anniversary Edition cigar is shipping to cigar stores nationwide! This special cigar is particularly significant as 2012 commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the Gurkha cigar, where it was this year back in 1887 at the height of the British rule that Nepalese soldiers first began to smoke and enjoy their own cigars from local tobacco, which they named: ‘Gurkhas’.
The 125th Anniversary is already an award winner, having received the company’s highest ever rating of 96 points by Cigar Journal and is the recent recipient of the prestigious Golden Label Award for the printing, design, innovation and technical execution of the 125th Anniversary cigar band.
The unique blend features an oily Brazilian Cubra wrapper, accompanied by an Ecuadorian, Habano binder and a complex combination of Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Dominican fillers. This intriguing medium bodied cigar encompasses a very smooth and complex taste profile, with flavorful notes of rich tobacco and subtle hints of sweet spice, vanilla and chestnut. The Gurkha 125th Anniversary is available in 20 count boxes featuring four vitolas: 5 x 52 Robusto, 6 x 54 Rothchild, 61/2 x 54 Torpedo and a 6 x 60 XO with an MSRP ranging from $8.39-$10.99. Each box is hand-carved using the finest mango wood and finished with exquisite brass fittings, specially designed by Gurkha Chairman Mr. K. Hansotia.
