Gorilla Fingers - Cool Smoke !

The idea of the Gorilla Finger Cigars was born in the summer of 1998 somewhere in Elgin, Illinois. In the beginning these cigars where 5 X 65 dark black maduros which looked like gorilla fingers. A nice binder, good filler and a quality wrapper which then was flavored with cognac. The process used producing these early Gorilla Fingers with quality tobacco and superior cognac was unlike the competition who would spray cheep cognac onto inferior tobacco. But only after crazy-man Lars Tetens got involved with this product and introduced it to a superior conditioning process, super premium tobacco and aged Courvoisier, a flawless blend with an out-of-this-world draw came together. Easily the winner for most unappealing cigar name every time, the Gorilla Fingers come with an Cameroon wrapper, an aged Ecuadorian binder and Dominican-grown filler leaves that are infused with Courvoisier Cognac. The tobaccos are all aged three to eight years. The cigars are five inches and a massive 60 ring gauge. Each Gorilla Finger comes in a resealable humidor bag with a humidification sponge and protective insert. This cigar comes at a reasonable value, considering the high-end quality of is ingredients and the process involved. Crazy-man Lars Tetens describes his own cigars as "mystical--they cannot be described by words--they must be experienced. It is the evolved essence. It gives without taking". Let's be crazy then and try one of these!

Elie Bleu Tabletier - Che Guevara Humidor Collectible !

Amongst cigar aficionados Elie Bleu's products have been consistently ranked as the best in the world. And the collectors seem to agree with that. Big money is now being paid for older Elie Bleu humidors. The boutique Parisian humidor-maker, under founder Alain Berda has come up again with an exceptional piece and future collectible. Inlaid with dyed sycamore by the famous ‘Ecole Boule’-trained Elie Bleu cabinet-makers juxtaposes Alberto Korda’s iconic image of the “Guerillero Heroïco” combine with the English national flag of St. George. Only 20 pieces of this humidor will ever be made. I'm personally not a great admirer of Che or anything to do with Che, but I guess given the historic circumstances on Cuba now and in the past and the fact that this really is a piece of art in the world of humidors, as a true aficionado I cannot ignore this piece and therefore had no choice but to share it with you.

Elie Bleu Tabletier - Some Of The Worlds Finest Humidors !

Sporting your cigars is one thing, but sporting your best cigars in the worlds finest humidor is another. For the man who really knows prestigious quality when he sees it, the Elie Bleu Humidor is just for him. Handcrafted in Paris, France from natural or tinted sycamore and mahogany, this is a man’s ultimate treasure chest for housing his beloved cigars. Elie Bleu has build famous humidors in the past - like the "Alba" and the "Che". Also they are featuring new models all the time. Right now Elie has his latest creation up - the "Vegas". Elie Bleu offers a wide range of incredible accessories for the cigar aficionado. You need to check them out. You will be impressed.

The New Havana Club Of Miami - High Above The City !

By the time Miami’s brand-new Havana Club opened a few months ago, 700 of its 800 membership slots already had been filled. The renovated space at the Miami City Club on the 55th floor of the Wachovia Financial Center provides an elegant venue for entertaining or conducting business while enjoying a real smoke. Members pay an initiation fee of $5,000 and monthly dues of $300. In full view of Biscayne Bay, less than 200 miles from the heart of Havana itself and towering high above the city, Miami's leaders come together in one of the most recognized spaces in town - the top floor of the 55-story Wachovia Financial Center. But the Havana Club at the Miami City Club is more than a social club; it is an intimate meeting ground for corporate and community leaders and a place where business is conducted in style. The atmosphere is the result of over five million dollars in renovations and improvements. Noteworthy advances for the Club’s space includes a brand new, state-of-the-art induction kitchen, high-speed wireless Internet access, and a state-of-the-art air purification system. The entire interior has been newly designed to reflect the sophisticated, comfortable Miami lifestyle with exquisite woods, fabrics, furnishings and fixtures. Like nowhere else in Miami – the Havana Club has taken dining to its highest level. Savory breakfast, lunch and dinner menus will be created by internationally renowned culinary personality, Chef Douglas Sisk. Known for the delectable selections at the Sardine Factory in Monterey, California, Chef Sisk is infusing the Havana Club menu with local flavors and irresistible tastes. Then, while you dine, breathtaking 55th-floor views of the ocean, Biscayne Bay, the Everglades and downtown Miami, will satisfy your hunger for Miami’s most exceptional dining experience. And they feature the best non-Cuban cigar menu that I have ever seen! They are worth your visit.

Oliva Series G - What A Smooth Smoke !

Every now and than you come across something really special. It just happened to me. I stumbled onto the Oliva Series G Robusto pleasure stick. What a pleasant smoke. Rarely have I had such a smooth cigar. The Series G is a medium body blend made with an authentic African-Cameroon wrapper. The unique flavor notes of this wrapper are complimented by the natural richness of Nicaraguan Habano fillers. This cigar shows notes of cedar and has a strong coffee finish. Truly beautiful. And I just found out that this cigar was recognized as one of the best cigars of 2006 by Cigar Aficionado magazine. Melanio Oliva first grew tobacco in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba in 1886. His growing operations were suspended while he fought in Cuba’s War of Independence. After returning from the war Malanio resumed his operations. In the early 1920’s Melanio’s son Hipolito Oliva took over the growing operations. Hipolito cultivated the Oliva family fields for several decades. As Cuba became over-run by communist the tobacco landscape changed. Hiplito’s son Gilberto Oliva shifted from growing to brokering tobacco. In the early 60’s the pressure became too great and Gilberto traveled from county to country in search of the distinct Cuban taste. His travels took him to Honduras, Panama, Mexico and even the Philippines. Gilberto finally found fertile ground in Nicaragua. Today Gilberto along with his family are Nicaraguas second largest grower of Cuban-seed tobacco. If you come close to an Oliva cigar, especially a Series G, please do not hesitate and give it a try. You will not be disappointed!

Blue Smoke - CAO's New Stick !

Cigar smoking is a low-tech activity. The product itself has barely changed in a century; it still comprises only a roll of leaves and a tiny smear of glue, and it is made with the simplest of tools. Some may be rattled by CAO International's - "The Vision"- the company’s latest cigar. The glossy white finish of The Vision’s box attracts attention even at a distance, especially in a walk-in humidor filled with cedar cigar boxes. The digital hygrometer allows you to monitor the air inside, to see that it remains at the 68 to 70 percent humidity level that keeps cigars in prime condition. Lift the lid and discover the blue LED lights illuminate the perimeters and the lid of the box. There’s a flat chamber under the cigars that holds a device called a Humidipak. The Humidipak looks something like a ketchup pack at the fast food joint. It contains a liquid that can add humidity to the box or take it away. The Humidipak regulates the humidity within the box to a perfect 68 to 70 percent, a level the device will be able to maintain for about three months. The cigars inside are easily the most refined from CAO ever. The smoke’s subtle, complex flavor comes from extended aging in an exceptionally fragrant Spanish cedar room—and from its Dominican heritage. The Vision is the first Dominican-made cigar from the 38-year-old company, which sources most of its products from Honduras and Nicaragua, countries known for more powerful, if less refined, cigars than those from the Dominican Republic. The Vision finally came to fruition when CAO discovered a Cuban-seed Dominican wrapper grown on the La Atravezada farm in Navarrete Combining the wrapper with Brazilian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican filler tobaccos and a Dominican binder yielded the meaty, mouth-filling experience with a trace of white pepper in the nose. CAO plans to release shipments of The Vision only a few times a year. The cigar is available in three sizes. A neoprene travel bag that protects against scratches accompanies every Vision box.
CAO International
800.237.8226

A Rare Sighting - Gurkha Black Dragon Edition !

Gurkha has become my favorite non-Cuban cigar brand ever. These guys are just so over the top and their products are beautiful and absolutely delicious. You need to try these pleasure sticks! K. Hansotia & Co./Beach Cigar Group, known as Gurkha, operates under the assumption that perfection cannot be rushed. Named after the Nepalese fighters who, after defending their country against a British invasion in 1815, became—and remain—allies of Great Britain. I have told you guys about the eminent launch of The Black Dragon Edición Especial, a cigar made with a Connecticut maduro wrapper from a vintage 1990 crop, a 15-year-old Cameroon binder, and a 12-year-old Dominican filler. Gurkha initially produced some 250,000 Black Dragon cigars (52 x 7.5 Churchills), but only 500 of them passed the final inspection. Gurkha then aged those 500 cigars for 10 years, an unusual practice for cigar makers. Normally you have a 10-year-old wrappers, not 10-year-old cigars. That aging has given the cigars a smooth, slightly spicy flavor.

Gurkha is selling these 500 Black Dragons in quantities of 100, each package placed in a humidor made of camel bone. Six years ago, more than midway through the Black Dragon Edición Especial’s aging process, Gurkha began considering how to package the cigars. The company wanted a humidor that was as exclusive as the cigar. In the year 2000 Gurkha found 5 antique camel bone boxes in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan, that would become the Black Dragon humidors. Gurkha replaced the interiors with Indian teak. As for the exterior, camel bone is even rarer than mammoth ivory. These humidors are a first, not only for the company but for the cigar industry as a whole. Each box—which is 10 inches tall, 21.5 inches wide, and 12.25 inches deep—is unique and can never be replaced. I'm proud to bring you a first visual on this humidor. Only 5 in the whole world will ever exist. Chances that you will ever see one of them are small, but at least now you will know how they look like!

K. Hansotia & Co./Beach Cigar Group
305.593.2254

Finally - The Mens Shirt For Cigar Aficionados !

I always liked the London-based clothier Thomas Pink. It is a cool label for men. Always great shirts in every style you can possibly want but also a great place for cool men accessories. If the ladies need a place to buy some nice little somethings for him - that's where you can find it! Pink's latest design is a men’s formal shirt to hold a size 6 or smaller cigar. The two-fold Egyptian button-down, which the company has dubbed the Mogul, bears a breast pocket divided into two sections. The smaller section is box-pleated to accommodate smokes of varying ring gauges and lies flat when empty, while the larger section is roomy enough to contain a cigar cutter or lighter. The shirt is available in either white or pink. By the way - the ladies will find some need stuff too! And as always; You heard it here first!

Gurkha Cigars - The Best Of 2006 !

My heart beats for Cuban Cigars and everybody knows that. The Hoyo's De Monterrey's are my all time personal favorites. But this year I have no choice but to introduce you to a non-cuban cigar as my top pick brand for 2006. Although the Cuban Cohiba Behike has been touted as the world's priciest current-production cigar, it is my duty to report that Gurkha's His Majesty's Reserve is currently the worlds top expensive cigar with a suggested retail price of $750.00 per cigar. Gurkha is making some of the world's most premium cigars. Lately I have tasted some of their incredible sticks and I have to tell you that these cigars rock! Recently the President of Gurkha, Kaizad Hansotia announced that they are releasing the next most expensive cigar in the world, the Gurkha Black Dragon Special Edition. Gurkha cigars are of unparalleled quality and they also are one of the most creative cigar brands out there coming up with new and exciting cigars, packages and accessories all the time. As I mentioned; They are currently producing the world’s most expensive cigar, which is His Majesty's Reserve. The HMR retails for $15,000.00 per box of 20. Less than 100 boxes are produced each year. I had the pleasure to smoke this cigar, which is aged and infused with Louis XIII cognac. At first I was skeptical about the idea to infuse cigars with cognac which separately happen to be two of my favorite vices. I wont lie to you - this cigar is simply spectacular! The cost is justified since the infusion process involves an entire bottle of Louis XIII cognac. But now I'm looking forward to lay my eyes and hopefully my hands too, on one of these new and elusive Gurkha Black Dragon Edicion Especial cigars. They come at 100 pieces in a unique antique camel-bone humidor from Northern India. Priced at $115,000, this latest limited edition offering from Gurkha is made with a Connecticut maduro wrapper from a vintage 1990 crop, a 15-year-old Cameroon binder, and a 12-year-old Dominican filler. Only 500 cigars passed the final inspection, and those 500 were then aged for 10 years to give them a smooth, slightly spicy flavor. That makes only 5 boxes of these so far! Lets hope that some of us will get the privilege to smoke one of these treasures and lives to tell us about it. As always; You heard it here first!

Byblos Des Neiges - Your Ultimate Last Minute Ski Trip!

If you are a regular or even a subscriber of VONCIGARS, this is your last minute destination. Lets say you had a real good year and business went well. Lets say you love traveling to Europe, specifically France. Lets say you want some winter wonderland and you do not mind some winter sport. And last but not least; lets say you love food, wine, spirits and specifically the great smokes of this world - well than this is the trip you need to give to yourself! The original Hotel Byblos in St. Tropez has been one of the destinations on the French Riviera for decades. One of the true original hangouts of the jetset. Superlative hotel and always at least 2 stars Guide Michelin to accommodate the hungry. What fewer people know, is that Antione Chevanne has put up a second Byblos in the French Alps to accommodate your winter holidays in style. The Hotel Byblos Des Neiges in Courchevel. This place will blow your mind. The hotel offers an in-house ski rental service, immediate proximity to two lifts, and access to the seemingly inexhaustible terrain of Les Trois Valles, a region that includes Courchevel and three other major ski areas, all linked by lifts and trails. Off course the hotel features an astounding restaurant, that accommodates your highest expectations and it also features a Spa that will lead your lady to happiness. But what will set this trip apart from any other ski trip is the Cigar Lounge that expects you at the Byblos. Here, Antoine Chevanne invites you to truly explore new flavors and smoking experiences. There are 85 cigars on the lounge's menu. Chevanne chose not only what is considered the best brands, but only the best frontmarks within each brand. And the man has great taste. Not surprisingly, the menu comprises of mostly Cuban masterpieces, including Cohibas in seven sizes. The assortment offers something for everyone: tastes ranging from dainty to forceful, in shapes from petit lonsdales to pyramids to churchills. The lounge even proffers hookahs filled with exotic tobaccos from the Middle East - an option especially popular with female guests, who tend to enjoy the light, cool smoke. Each cigar is prepared by a Byblos staff member, who clips and lights it and then provides a selection of chocolates that Chevanne has chosen to complement it. Chevanne designed the cigar lounge with a decor that blends comfort and elegance with the rustic feel one expects to encounter in a tiny alpine town. For practical purposes, he divided the cigar lounge from the rest of the bar with glass doors, enabling smokers to remain within sight of their companions who prefer less smoky surroundings. A DJ spins cool, contemporary music for both the bar and the lounge. You combine a world class Spa, with a world class cigar lounge and you add a world class restaurant with world class wine and spirits and you put that arrangement into a world class ski resort in the French Alps - well my friends, what can I say - this is our place!

Diademas - The Smoke Of The Century!

Zino Davidoff no doubt would have enjoyed smoking this cigar that is made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth. The limited-edition Diademas Finas and the even more exclusive Diademas 100, will be officially introduced on July 18 in Las Vegas at its St. Mark’s Square store in the Venetian hotel. The aged Dominican Republic tobaccos for this rarity were blended to emulate the strength of the pre-Castro Havana Punch—a brand that represented Cuba’s cigar-making heyday.

Davidoff, who died in 1994, was the first non-Cuban permitted to export private-label Havana cigars, but that relationship ended in 1989, when he declared that Cuba was no longer capable of producing the quality he demanded. He underscored his proclamation by publicly burning a reported $3 million worth of Havana-rolled Davidoffs. Since then, the brand, which is owned by Switzerland’s Oettinger Imex AG, has been making Davidoff cigars in the Dominican Republic.

The Diademas Finas and the Diademas 100 both were created by Davidoff's master blender Hendrik “Henke” Kelner. At the size of 63¼4 x 50 unbanded perfecto, they appear similar to the first Cuban Diademas that Davidoff introduced in 1948. Davidoff will sell the cigar in boxes of 10 priced at $ 220. The cigars will only be produced to the end of this year - after that no mas!

The Diademas 100 is a 91¼8 x 55 version of the Diademas Finas. Although it has the same perfecto shape as the Finas, the larger size of the 100 requires an entire half of an unblemished tobacco leaf for each wrapper. This is the most difficult, old-style shape to make. Davidoff can only roll 100 of these a day, and even then, they can be made by only the most skilled torcedors.

The Diademas 100 will be sold in 50-cigar bundles (called wheels), tied with a silk ribbon, and packaged in a cedar cabinet box. Unlike the Finas, the 100 is available only at Davidoff shops, of which there are seven in the United States (two in Manhattan and five in Las Vegas). Davidoff is allocating only 100 boxes of the Diademas 100, priced at $ 2,300 each, for this country.

The binder of the Diademas 100 is made from 1992 and 1993 vintage Dominican, two of the best harvests on record. This tobacco may have a sentimental value, because maybe Zino actually touched some of the leafs with his hands. But the real difference between the Diademas Finas and the Diademas 100 is the age of the tobacco crop used. The Diademas Finas tobaccos are aged from three to four years, but with the Diademas 100, the tobacco has from seven to 13 years of aging.

The wrapper on this cigar is silky smooth, oily, and deeply tanned from years of aging. This is a special, secret wrapper that has been saved and aged, to now be used for Zino’s cigar.