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Portland, OR Cigar Shop Goes up in Smoke

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Fox 12 Portland reports that a fire ripped through “Roll Your Own” cigar shop in my home state of Oregon. Now, I understand this is “Roll Your Own” cigar shop, which doesn’t exactly speak volumes for quality as far as cigars go. But still, the idea of a shop so close to home going up in smoke… well, it’s just depressing. The article from Fox 12 is below. Click here to watch video coverage:

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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – A fire broke out Tuesday morning at a building that houses Roll Your Own cigar shop in southeast Portland, and firefighters rushed to the scene to stamp out the flames.

FOX 12’s helicopter showed the flames ripping through the shop around 7 a.m.

The fire-damaged building is home to Roll Your Own Cigars, Smokes and Accessories, as well as other businesses, and is located at the intersection of 158th Avenue and Division Street.

Portland firefighters attacked the fire from outside the building and quickly gained control. It appears a storage area on the back side of the building sustained most of the damage.

The Roll Your Own shop was closed at the time the fire broke out, and there were no injuries reported. It’s unknown how the fire started, but investigators are looking for the cause.

The fire investigation shut down Southeast Division Street between 157th and 160th avenues to allow for firefighters to work. Morning commuters were told to expect delays.

Quick Review: Hoja De Flores

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Author: David Alicea (FTNYC Event Coordinator)

The first time I got one of these in my hand was from Tim a young man I met at the IPCPR who kept talking about this brand he was working with based out of NJ. The whole time I’m like blah blah, whatever man, because you hear this speech from everybody. I smoke everything it doesn’t have to be a full bodied powerhouse with loads of spice, leather, coffee, etc . to be a good cigar. Case in point Hoja de Flores! So here I am at the Miami cigar after party (thanks to Nestor, and Renee) With my 2 younger brothers having some rum, and Tim comes over and says what’s up!? “I need a cigar right now man” I said promptly. “ I got you Dave” Tim reaches into his bag and pulls out 3 Toros. I cut it light and from the first puff I knew I was smoking something good, very good actually. Here is the blend:

Review Hoja De Flores
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: Criollo 98
Binder: DR
Filler: DR

With hints of spice, earth, but the overall character is smooth with vanilla undertones. Damn it was good! The aroma had a lot to do with that as well, this cigar along with the Turei by Hispaniola and a few others are what I see the future of cigar smoking becoming. Quality, flavor, aroma, construction are more important than strength, power, every time. So check out Hoja de Flores you will not be disappointed.

Overall rating: A

Cigar Wars: Missouri Seeks to Dramatically Hike Tobacco Tax, IPCPR Opposes

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September 27, 2012 (Jefferson, MO) – Proposition B, a proposed 150% tax increase on cigars and pipe tobacco, in addition to a 760% tax increase on cigarettes, is causing quite a stir in Missouri. Politicians claim the tax hike will help fund education and health care, while small business owners are criticizing the open attack on their businesses.

Opponents of the initiative, including the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), point out that none of the tax revenue raised by Prop. B is required to be spent on tobacco-related illnesses, but rather that a board of bureaucrats directs where the money is spent, even going so far as being able to fund their own special-interest groups.

“We elected these men and women to protect our businesses, not tax them into the ground. One group of business shouldn’t be continually attacked simply because some bureaucrats need to fund a project or initiative. All Missourians should pay their fair share in taxes, rather than one group being endlessly attacked,” said Curt Diebel, owner of Diebel’s Sportsmens Gallery in Kansas City, MO.

The IPCPR also fears that this tax increase will result in “border bleed,” the movement of tobacco sales to neighboring states with lower taxes, ultimately harming local businesses and forfeiting the tax revenue that the Missouri state government sought in the first place.

“Most small tobacconists throughout this country are mom-and-pop operations dotting the American Main Street. In an already tumultuous economy, the government should be focused on preserving jobs, not destroying them,” said Bill Spann, CEO of the IPCPR.

The initiative will be up for vote in November.

Duke of Montrose Scotch Whiskey Bar to Open in Brooklyn

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New York City Whiskey lovers are in for a treat this winter. Duke of Montrose, a new Scotch Whiskey bar, is scheduled to open on Fifth Avenue and Bergen Street, near Barclays Center.

The owners of the new bar are no strangers to Whiskey or to managing a high-quality establishment. The owners currently own another bar on the Upper East Side called Caledonia.

Below are a few selected quotes from this dnainfo.com article about the new location:

“Caledonia owner Steven Owen says the new bar, to be called Duke of Montrose — a title that’s linked to his ancestral Graham clan — will serve high-quality single malt whiskeys and a full menu of food. He hopes to open in December.”

“We’re really trying to bring something fairly sophisticated to the neighborhood with a Scottish flair to it,” Owen said.

Owen said Duke of Montrose will serve arena crowds, but the bar will be focused on neighborhood customers.

“Obviously we’ll cater [to the arena] but also to the local community,” Owen said. “Our establishment on the Upper East Side has been voted one of the best bars. We’re very intent on the community.”

Some photos, also from DNAInfo are below.

Owners anticipate the bar opening in December, pending license review
Caledonia Scottish Pub, UES
Caledonia Scottish Pub, UES

Press Release: Habanos S.A. Announces Romeo Y Julieta Petit Churchills

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September 20, 2012 — Romeo y Julieta was created as a Habanos brand in 1875. Its roots lie in the literary tragedy of the same name by the British playwright William Shakespeare.
The brand rose to international fame during the early years of the twentieth century, after Don ‘Pepín’ Rodríguez was one of the first to recognize the importance of the bands as a success factor. During his hey day no less than 20.000 distinct bands were used in production.

Winston Churchill was one of the most devoted smokers of the Romeo y Julieta brand. Ever since his visit to Havana in 1946, his name has not only widely been used on Habanos bands, but also came to represent the best-known vitola within the brand: the Churchills by Romeo y Julieta.
Its balanced and aromatic blend, with filler and binder leaves selected from plantations in the Vuelta Abajo* (D.O.P.) zone, makes Romeo y Julieta the classic medium bodied Habano.

Today, Romeo y Julieta enjoys considerable prestige worldwide and offers one of the broadest size ranges among Habanos brands, all made totally by hand with long filler.
The new Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills vitola was designed to complement the current Romeo y Julieta range by adding a format that is highly appreciated in recent years by Habanos enthusiasts.

The Petit Robustos Factory Name (ring gauge 50 x 102 mm in length) allows the balanced and aromatic flavor of Romeo y Julieta to be enjoyed in just 20 minutes. Its wide ring gauge and moderate length give the cigar excellent combustibility and provides in a short period of time a complete series of flavor nuances of the brands blend, made with filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo* (D.O.P.) zone in Pinar del Río, Cuba.

The new Petit Churchills vitola will be available in the classic Romeo y Julieta labeled Box containing 25 units.
They will also be available in aluminum tubes sold in cases containing 3 units in the following months.
Brand: Romeo y Julieta
Commercial name: Petit Churchills
Factory name: Petit Robustos
Measures: 50 ring gauge (19,84 mm) x 102 mm in length
Presentations: Labeled Box of 25 units

Zino Platinum Tenth Anniversary Event at Davidoff Madison

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Davidoff Madison Ave. is having a special event this Thursday that you probably don’t want to miss. As per our announcement a few weeks ago, the Zino Platinum Ten Year Anniversary was celebrated (in part) with some new, artistically inspired boxes. Well, now is your chance to experience the artistic side of tobacco, and try one of Davidoff’s newest cigars.

We should have an FTNYC representative on the scene reporting, so we’ll get back to you with some photos and a recap of the event.

Cigar Wars: IPCPR Opposes Omaha City Council Tax Plan

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September 25, 2012 (Omaha, NE) — A recently proposed occupation tax in Omaha, Nebraska threatens to levy a 7% tax on sales of all tobacco products. The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) strongly opposes this “specialty tax” as it will be detrimental to area premium cigar and pipe retailers.

The tax is designed to raise funds for a University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) expansion. UNMC has $1.2 billion dollars available, which is more than enough to pay for the project. Taxpayers are wondering why they are being forced to fund the university’s expansion.

The IPCPR fears the tax can lead to “border bleed:” the movement of sales from local businesses to neighboring shops as well as to online and mail-­order retailers in order to avoid onerous taxation. Small businesses, including premium tobacco shops, are extremely sensitive to swings in economy and taxation. Adding on yet another tax only compounds the problem in an abysmal economy and increases stress on businesses by driving sales out of  the city.

“The tobacco industry is not a bottomless well for taxes, fees and the like. We are mom­‐and‐pop, Main Street businesses in an industry struggling to survive under increasing scrutiny ad attacks from our very own elected officials, who we elected to defend us. The people who work in this industry shouldn’t have to go home every night fearing that their jobs are being regulated or taxed out of existence every time the government has a project they want to complete” said Bill Spann, CEO of the IPCPR.

This city-­forced tax will certainly prove challenging as businesses struggle to regain footing  and grow in this economy.

Cigar Review: Thunder by Nimish

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Thunder by Nimish

Thunder is a blend by Rocky Patel Cigars, and particularly Nimish Patel. I had the opportunity to meet Nimish at the Rocky Patel event at Studio Sq. That event is also where I received this stick for review. As far as pairings go, I paired this stick with Jameson triple-distilled whiskey, some Esperanza Spalding jazz, and some interesting weather that developed halfway through the smoke.

Blend Specifics
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Costa Rican
Size: Toro 5×52

Construction & Appearance

The wrapper on this cigar is a rich, dark brown that is very inviting. The color of the Habano wrapper pairs incredibly well with the green, black, gold, and white label. As an Oregonian, this reminds me of a nice foresty color theme that I appreciate. The cigar is packed very well, triple capped, and has a nice layer of oiliness. The draw is a bit tight, but from what I understand this is not typical of the blend.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Off of the foot of this cigar are notes of granola, manure, cedar, and coffee. The stick kicks off with a medium to full body smoke that features spice, pepper, coffee, and caramel. At about an inch in, the cigar develops a bit and the flavors become very “Patel.” Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, a caramel texture, and something distinctively fruity. In fact, I identified the fruit later as cherry and… pears! I’m not the only reviewer to notice a fleeting fruity note.

By the second third, it’s clear that this cigar will have some consistent burn problems, which other reviewers have also noted. Then again, the burn problem could be a partial result of the literal thunder that rolled in. Sitting outside in New Jersey for the weekend smoking, a big storm rolled in, flashes of lightning everywhere, and thunder too (pictured below).

Notes in the second third of this cigar included dark chocolate & wood. The caramely texture completely dropped off, revealing a much more earthy texture. As the smoke progresses, the chocolate becomes more and more bitter, which pairs nicely with the woody notes.

The final third was, unfortunately, quite a bit hotter than the rest of the cigar, and the bitterness of the chocolate became a bit overpowering, as did the earthy texture.

Conclusion

This is a cigar to try, but be aware that you will likely have some burn issues. This is a full bodied smoke – definitely not for beginners. It certainly doesn’t showcase my favorite flavor profile, but it was a unique and enjoyable smoke.

Final Grade: B

Recap: Davidoff Presents the First Annual Golden Band Awards

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Davidoff recently celebrated their first “Golden Band” awards, recognizing the many cigar shops and business owners who help make Davidoff the brand that it is. It looks like it was a pretty lavish party, and hopefully will continue as a tradition next year.

From the website:

“The inaugural Davidoff Golden Band Award Show honored those Appointed Merchants that truly embody the Davidoff standard of excellence. The first annual awards show was part of an exclusive Davidoff event on August 4th at IPCPR in Orlando, Florida. The Golden Band Awards materialized from the brand¹s success, rooted in decades of long-standing partnerships with trusted merchants. Davidoff has a long history of working with its family of retailers to help them expand their businesses, discuss best practices and grow the Davidoff brand, hand in hand. The awards are an opportunity to officially recognize these retailers for their commitment and passion for Davidoff.”

Event Recap: CONCORD 4 – Habana Edicion

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NEW YORK, September 2012–The fourth installment of “CONCORD,” hosted by Bigeye Desyns, took place on Friday, September 7th. CONCORD 4: Habana Edicion, was a night filled with cigars, food, drinks, live music, and the beautiful view offered by The Brooklyn Terrace.

The event, originally announced on FineTobaccoNYC, ran into the night, with dozens of New York City socialites taking in a panoramic view of the city. View all photos from CONCORD 4 here.

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Bigeye Desyns plans to create more unique CONCORD events. If you are interested in attending, like the CONCORD Facebook page, and sign up for our event mailing list.

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