Fuente Fuente Opus X

The Fuente OpusX is the rarest non Cuban cigar currently in production. The supply of these cigars is extremely small and they are typically not available anywhere in the United States until the Holidays and Father’s Day. In addition to being the worlds top cigar maker, Carlito Fuente is also heavily involved in the Dominican Republic and has launched a charity campaign to raise money for schools, clothing, and medicine for the people there. To help raise funds, Carlito makes several ultra rare OpusX cigars in non traditional OpusX sizes that are thinly distributed. These cigars are the cream of the crop, the rare of rare, the best of the best

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Smokin' Up The Cigar World

Jonathan Drew Takes Drew Estate To New Levels

In the sometimes stodgy world of cigar aficionados and manufacturers, Drew Estate stands out as a forward-thinking, edgy company that has set the cigar world on its ear, and redefined the specialty cigar market.
The company, founded in 1995, manufactures ACID brand cigars. Featuring exotic tobacco blends never before seen by the industry, the cigars have quickly become a favorite among both newbies and serious cigar smokers. Next week, Drew will unveil its newest creation, ACID Five, to the world at Maxwell & Dunne's Steakhouse in Plainview (Maxwell & Dunne's is operated by the publishers of the Long Island Press). ACID Five is a special cigar rolled with an exotic 5-year- old limited blend of tobacco.
The Cigar Lounge at Maxwell & Dunne's, site of new Acid Five release.
The company is the vision of Bay Shore native Jonathan Drew, who founded Drew Estate with college friend Marvin Samel. The company has come a long way from its humble roots in a New York City apartment, where Drew and Samel began to experiment with new flavors and blends that would become the signature of the Drew Estate operation. The company now produces millions of cigars in a given year, and there is no end in sight to its growth.
That is good news, because the specialty cigar market is on a roll. "The [industry] is doing extremely well," says Tom Wallace, CEO of TNG Cigar Company. "ACID is really making a mark. Anything different is great. They have a great market, a well- made product, and the company's advertising and marketing are incredible."
Wallace, who only sells cigars he manufactures, knows Drew Estate well. He believes the company has a good bead on the market. Currently, Wallace sells seven flavored cigars, and is currently working on new offerings.
Drew Estate has several cigar lines, including ACID, Natural, Ambrosia, Subculture, Industrial Press and La Vieja Habana. The aggressive marketing approach that Drew has implemented has helped each brand reach cigar enthusiasts and leave lasting impressions.
"Drew Estate definitely holds a unique position [in the industry]," says Ted Hoyt III, editorial director of Smoke magazine. "They do not just do straight flavored cigars, but rather 'botanical infusion,' which puts them in their own category."
One of the earliest breaks for Drew Estate cigars came with the development of a signature exclusive cigar for its retail location at the World Trade Center Mall. The cigar was an instant hit, a tobacco blend unlike any other in the industry at the time. The next challenge was finding a vehicle to sell Drew Estate cigars. After beefing up the sales staff, Drew took to the road, visiting city after city, going inside cigar stores and pitching their product. The efforts paid off, and by 1997 Drew had choices to make: Either stay the same size, or move the operation to Nicaragua. Drew chose the latter, and operations are conducted out of the South American country to this day.
It wasn't easy running the company from Nicaragua. Drew worked day and night in the factory, proving his dedication to the art of cigar making and earning the respect of wary local tobacco growers.
Around this time, Drew was once again experimenting with his cigars, adding ingredients like coffee and rose petals, oils, herbs and other organics. Drew Estate began to import tobacco from all over the world to achieve the unique flavor that Drew had envisioned when he started the company. It took more than a year before ACID cigars were ready for the world, and once released they became one of the most exciting smokes on the market.
Wallace says the flavored cigars may not be for purists, but the younger crowd can't seem to get enough of them. "They love them. They appeal to more people, too, including women," says Wallace.
Many of the big companies are following the example of Drew Estate. "I see more of the manufacturers who in previous years had never gotten into the specialty biz now coming out with flavors, and those that had flavors are expanding," says Bob Olesen of Smoke and Smoke Shop magazines.
ACID Five promises to up the ante for Drew Estate. As Drew and his colleagues have shown, the company will continue to innovate. But for the moment, Drew is excited about the new release. You can be sure that he won't rest on his laurels for too long.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Flavor of a Cigar

Virtually all cigar aficionados enjoy the practice because of the rich and varied flavors one observes when smoking, although some eschew the connoisseurial qualities in favor of other factors. For those drawn by taste, each brand and type of cigar carries different qualities of taste. Generally, cigars with lighter colored wrappers are milder in flavor and have less of a smoky aftertaste. Darker wrappers are typically richer in flavor, although the specific flavors are not unique to any particular style or type of tobacco.
Unlike cigarettes, cigars taste very little of smoke, and usually very much of tobacco with overtones of other tastes. A fine cigar--especially one of Cuban origin prior to 1990--can have virtually no taste of smoke whatsoever.
Some of the more common flavors one observes while smoking a cigar include:
cherry
Spice
Cocoa / chocolate
Peat / moss / earth
Coffee
Nut
Apple
Vanilla
Honey
Peach
whiskey
Non-smokers subjected to second-hand cigar smoke typically describe the smell in far less flattering terms--one comparison being to a charnel house on fire.
The most ardent enjoyers of cigar smoking will sometimes keep personal journals of cigars they've enjoyed, complete with personal ratings, description of flavors observed, sizes, brands, etc. The qualities and characteristics of cigar tasting are very similar to those of wine, Scotch, beer, cognacs and tequila. Within a given specification, there are endless varieties. This dynamic is part of the appeal to which cigar smokers are continually drawn.

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com

Revival of interest

During the mid- to late 1990s in the United States, numerous cultural phenomena caused the popularity of cigar smoking to skyrocket. Lavish dinner events, or "smokers", were held in virtually every metropolitan area of consequence across the United States. Celebrities, radio and television talk-show hosts, politicians, blue-collar workers, and even a large number of women were drawn to the allure of the cigar. The sudden resurgence in cigar smoking created demand that was difficult to supply. Additionally, the significance of the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba – imposed some 30 years earlier, before many of the new aficionados were born – suddenly became very evident. Cigar retailers, a good number of them new establishments looking to capitalize on the craze, could name their price on virtually every type and brand of cigar. Some even refused to sell any one customer an entire box at a time, regardless of the fact that only a very few could afford to, as a courtesy to their other customers.
In the rush to meet demand, the quality of many premium cigars suffered for brief periods of time. Eventually, consumer demand so far outpaced supply that many of those who took it up had to cease the practice altogether. For many, this was mainly due to either lack of supply or overinflated prices. For others, the newness of the fad had simply worn off. By 2005, cigar prices had descended to reasonable levels, and supply of the best brands is abundant for those who continue to enjoy cigar smoking, even in the face of public scrutiny and disapproval

- Little Bro

www.schwartzbroscigars.com