09th Oct2012

Benji Menendez in Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame

by GoodFellasCigars

Date: October 09, 2012      

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Gabriel Pineres   786.541.7411  gpineres@creativasgroup.com

 

(Miami, Florida) October 09, 2012— The Menendez family is beaming with pride due to a recent induction in the Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame. The Menendez family has a long and storied history in cigar lore which has continued on to spread post-communist Cuba.

Alonso Menendez, Cuban citizen and master of the tobacco trades in Cuba would be proud of where his offspring has taken the Menendez last name. His son Benjamin “Benji” Menendez who is current Senior Vice President of General Cigars was recently inducted into the Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame. His other son Felix Menendez (currently in Brazil) is one of the founders of Brazilian cigar giant Menendez Amerino who’s best selling brand is the Dona Flor line.

Benji and Felix Menendez both learned their craft in Cuba as they were heavily involved in the family business which created the Montecristo brand and was majority owner of the H Upmann factory in Pre-Castro era Cuba. Post-Castro the brothers left Cuba with father Alonso and opened up shop in Spain. After sourcing Brazilian tobacco from the Amerino family they were hooked on the now famed Mata Fina tobacco. Later in the early 1970’s Benji and Felix settled in Brazil and formed Menendez Amerino with the Amerino family.  In Brazil during 1970 the brothers together with the Amerino’s, partnered with Arturo Torano and created the Alonso Menendez and Dona Flor brand.

The Alonso Menendez brand quickly became Brazil’s best-selling brand and exploded in the European Colonies. Known for its rich, robust and uniquely Brazilian flavor which is unmatched by any other tobacco in the world, it is a corner piece of Menendez Amerino. The Dona Flor brand was created after a friendship was struck between the author of the bestselling book, Dona Flor and her Two Husbands and Mario Amerino. Mario’s name was mentioned in the book so to return the favor they named a cigar brand after the book and the Dona Flor brand was born. Dona Flor is now Brazil’s most popular brand.

In the early 80’s Benji left Brazil to later work with General Cigars and was responsible for creating the award-winning Benjamin Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso. Benji continues to make his family proud has he can now claim to be one of only 15 members in the Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place last month at the Grand Havana Room in New York City.

As for younger sibling Felix Menendez, he stayed in Brazil, and oversaw Menendez Amerino which grew into a giant with strong sales in Europe and in South America. The Alonso Menendez and Dona Flor brands continue to be the most popular and are now making a push to create greater awareness of Brazilian tobacco in the U.S.

Dona Flor cigars are currently available in the US to premium cigar retailers. The Alonso Menendez cigars are being released in the first quarter of 2013 along with a special Limited Edition 35th Anniversary blend which Menendez Amerino states will be their finest cigar to date. These two top selling cigar brands in Brazil are true 100% original Brazilian Puros—using only Brazilian grown Mata Fina and Mata Norte Tobacco for 35 years—and while 99% of all cigars produced today are Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran, these cigars hold a unique niche on the world market today.

Dona Flor USA/Double Edge Inc. is also proud of this unique legacy, and WAS chosen to be the exclusive DISTRIBUTOR and IMPORTER of the Menendez Amerino premium cigar lines. For more information on where to Find Your Dona Flor and for news of the Alonso Menendez re-launch, contact Dona Flor USA by phone or by email.  877.321.5569 | sales@donaflorusa.com

Dona Flor USA/ donaflorusa.com / 877.321.5569 / sales@donaflorusa.com

Twitter: Dona Flor USA

 

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Category : Cigar News
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09th Oct2012

Quickie: San Miguel Churchill

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Shape: Churchill

Size: 7 x 48

Country/Factory: Nicaragua

Strength: Medium

Price Range: $6.50

For this review I decided to go with something I got out of a sample pack for a change. The cigar I chose was the San Miguel Churchill. The brand San Miguel first came into the cigar scene during the 2010 IPCPR trade show. It is Nicaraguan based and claims to offer a complex, satisfying, and smooth taste. The band is what really stood out to me. It is a depiction of an angel stomping/standing on the devil. As for the build of this stick it is a box-pressed Churchill with small veins that run the length of a cigar and overall feels great while holding in the hand. The pack has a little bit of give that slowly snaps back after pressing into it which is gives the impression this will be a smokey cigar. It’s also double capped and has a very clean wrap. The first third was of a mild black pepper that had a little bit of a salt flavor to counter balance it along with a creamy roasted peanut. The other notes I picked up on that were not as prevalent were a light amount of leather and milk chocolate. I also gave a quick retro-haul that revealed a mild spice.

Going into the second third I noticed a transition into the more earthy flavors. Along with a light hay flavor of a barn and some nutmeg. The spice begins to build up more noticeably, but the creamy sweetness of the mild chocolate is still prevalent making for a really good balance to the flavor profile. It is very smooth in the second section of this stick and I’m really enjoying it. The last third revolves around the earth and hay mixture with leather being the second most prominent. A sweet and spice mix lingering in the background. So, overall very different from the first third.

The finish was earthy hay and leather, so pretty dark. San Miguel’s ash was a white and black mix that stayed firm to an inch with no flakes. As for the draw it was smooth right off that bat and remained that way throughout the remainder of the cigar. Lastly the burn started off with a jagged edge that needed a correction in the beginning, but after that correction it stayed straight all the way to the end. My final thoughts on the San Miguel Churchill are that it’s good for being decently new in the cigar world with a decently complex flavor profile and great flavor and so I would recommend for people to give it a try.

Category : Cigars, San Miguel
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06th Oct2012

Quickie: Marco V CAM

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: La Canela DR
Filler:  La Canela DR
Shape: Fabuloso
Size: 54 x 6″
Strength: Medium
Production: Limited to Stogies on Grand
Price Range: MRSP $6.50

Stogies on Grand in St. Paul, Minnesota was the first retailer ever to carry Marco V Cigars. In honor of this an exclusive Marco V cigar was produced for Stogies on Grand, the Marco V CAM. An event to introduce the cigar was held on September 22  from 2 – 6 PM at Stogies on Grand which was attended by Marc Keiser the owner of Marco V Cigars who is pictured below holding a Marco V CAM in Stogies on Grand’s walk-in humidor. The Marco V CAM cigar is a medium bodied fabuloso with a Cameroon wrapper. The name presumably is derived from the word Cameroon as most of you have probably already realized. This double capped cigar’s wrapper has small to medium sized veins that are darker in color than the main lighter brown color of the wrapper. The wrapper also has irregularly shaped darker patchy areas throughout the surface of the cigar. The cigar itself is not incredibly symmetrical and is somewhat spongy. The overall look seems to me to be a kind of rustic look which complements the fall season well.

After cutting and lighting up the Marco V CAM and going into the first third a flavor profile of creamy woody spice, with subtle nut, rich tobacco, very mild black pepper and hazelnut was present. The second third contained a nice mild spice and sweetness with hazelnut and oak. Upon a retro-hale during the second third a warm mild woody spice presented itself. The final third contained caramelized sugar, toasted wood, and a lingering spice that complemented the wood flavor. There was a nice zing of spice though out the smoke of this cigar.

Overall this was a pleasant cigar. The ash was mostly darker to medium gray and was semi firm. The draw was smooth and combined with the bit of sponginess of the cigar made for a faster smoke than would be expected for this size of cigar. The burn was mostly even through the smoke. Overall this cigar was very enjoyable and complemented the fall season well and as always Marco V’s are great for the price point.

Category : Marco V
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01st Oct2012

Quickie: Marco V Vito Dom Reserve

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Connecticut, USA
Binder: La Canela DR
Filler:  La Canela DR
Shape: Figerato diadema
Size: 48 X 6”
Strength: Medium
Price Range: MRSP $6-8

Are you are looking for a very tasty and high quality cigar, but don’t want to pay a ridiculous price for it?  The Marco V Dom Vito Reserve is a perfect choice.  Marco V has been producing high quality cigars for those looking for a premium smoke but don’t want to break the bank just to have one. This cigar has a light brown body that is lightly veined and slightly rough to the touch with some give.  The wrapper is not oily but does have a little sheen to it. The Marco V Dom Vito Reserve is decorated with a band that is black with a large combination gold M and V, in the middle in reference to the cigar brand, and Marco V written on the side. There is also a secondary band an inch lower with the name of the cigar, Vito Don Reserve, on black with gold trim. It is a simple yet elegant cigar.

The cigar is a very easy to light and has a wonderful taste right from the get go. The first third starts with a nice woody base, with a hint of pepper giving it a little bite while a trace of caramel adds a nice contradiction with its bittersweet taste.  As you enter the second third of the cigar you start with that woody taste along with a more pronounced bite from the pepper, along with that slight sweetness from the caramel with a hint of almonds.  Upon a retro-hale you get a very pronounced woody flavor and a more articulated hint of almonds and pepper. When entering into the final third you get much of the same flavors throughout with a more coherent hint of pepper along with a nice woody taste that has been consistent throughout.

The Marco V Dom Vito Reserve had a nice finish to it, in keeping the base woodiness and hints of pepper throughout the whole cigar.  The cigar had a semi-hard draw that took a medium amount of effort.  The Marco V Dom Vito Reserve had a firm ash that was light gray with splotches of darker grey-black throughout the length of the cigar.  It had a very even burn that was easy to maintain. The main draw back was the draw that was a slight step back as it takes some effort but, the Marco V Dom Vito Reserve was a nice cigar that was relatively cheap with an even burn and consistent flavors.

Category : Marco V
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