If you don’t know of Benjiman, he is the last of a dying breed – a Cuban-born cigar maker who fled the island when Castro’s troops raped the family business, forcing them to flee in exile with dad having $7 left to his name. It’s the classic story and Benji has literally seen it all. I asked him how he felt the tone of the industry was at the cigar show in Vegas and the answer was much inline with my thinking.

“The economy isn’t doing well and the taxes and laws on cigars are getting worse by the day,” he said, “But all that means is that it’s time to affix the bayonets and charge! We mustn’t sit back – but instead move forward in an almost defiant manner letting the world know that cigar smokers will not be stopped!”

Even though he takes it a lot easier these days, there’s still a lot of fire in the belly as the man’s passion for cigars and the United States runs deeper than the Atlantic. “I believe in this country and it always bounces back from adversity. I have seen a lot worse before and to me it’s a bump in the road. Americans are tough will only be pushed around so much before we make a stand.”

On the Smoke Nazi’s and draconian smoking laws… “This is a legal product, enjoyed the world over for hundreds of years. No one is taking that away from us. They will try, but the passion is too great for cigars.”

The passion was great in the room!

“Many of the the people who are making the smoking laws don’t understand what smoking a cigar means to us, and frankly they don’t care, either. And they may also be destroying the economy of several tobacco producing nations. This is not like having a cigarette where you must light up every ten minutes. Although I do know men who claim to smoke ten or more cigars a day and I think that is crazy. Why not just smoke cigarettes then? Smoking cigars is a sensual experience and meant for you to sit back, relax, and be enjoyed by all of the senses.”

Benji’s first day in the tobacco business was July 7, 1952 when he was only 15 years of age. He remembers the worst day of his life as his family left their homeland, but he also vividly remembers all of the new cigar companies who set up in Tampa, and he literally got all teary eyed reminiscing about the people and the rebirth for the cigar makers. “That was a special time and we’ll never have anything like that again,” he says. “Everyone was like family in those days as we all had a common goal.”

So, what about Cuba, Raul, and the new regime?

“Nothing has changed,” he says emphatically. “Allowing the people to have laptops and DVD players is just window dressing by the government. How can the people afford a $2,000 item when they earn $17 a week? The economy is bad there – tourism is down, and nickel is down and that is not good at all for the people. It will eventually come to a breaking point where the Cuban government will “have to” speak with the American government. They will have to give in. I can’t predict when that will be, but it “has to” happen.

Does that mean the cigars will finally arrive here?

“Yes, but the pricing will be quite high and they will have to take some lessons from the Dominican’s, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans on quality control. No one will buy a Montecristo for $25 if you cannot suck the smoke from it because of a poor role. The problem there is that the workers get paid for production and not quality. They will have to work with the other nations in order to assure any possible kind of success in the United States.”

THAT my friends, is amazing and most phenomenally ironic. The teacher will have to take lessons from the student. That bizarre and most ironic revelation certainly made my new friend Benji smile for a little while.

Nice.

But now there’s the new media darling – and god help us cuz she ain’t going away any time soon. She’s Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, and at only 15 years of age is becoming one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world and the over exposure is spiraling out of control. Like Brtiney, yeah she can sing somewhat and dance a little and probably spin plates on sticks, but also like Spears, Miley Cyrus is a full fledge media creation, a product of the mega-ton, modo-corporate Disney machine. She stars on the Mickey Channel’s Hannah Montana kid’s show, and is now traveling the hemisphere, filling arenas with screaming teens and tweens whose parents missed a mortgage payment because of the ticket price. The youngin’ has two albums that have gone double-platinum, and Condé Nast Portfolio magazine estimated that Cyrus is “on track” to be worth $1 billion by the time she’s 18.

Yeah, holy Shineola, is right.

Miley is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, the ex-mullet-headed, Achey-Breaky Heart attack country boy that bombarded us a few years back with his retard song and god-awful conformist mindless dance. Now I give the guy props as one damned smart dude, the driving force behind the money machine he has created. But that’s as far as my props will go because as a responsible parent, this guy is out of touch. The girl was born in 1992 for crissakes – she’s just a child yet she’s painted up all sexy and hot and has already been involved in several controversies like the semi-steamy photos she did in Vanity Fair. She travels first class everywhere with an entourage and bevy of special peeps fawning over her every word and move. She primped and primed to be America’s super sweetie – but god damnit dude – she’s 15.

And make no mistake about it – she IS a media creation. Sure she can sing and perform – millions of kids can. But is this 15 year old really much of a phenom? The answer is no. My kids watch that dreck enough for me to form an opinion and I say she’s average at best. She severely overacts like any of those kids on Disney and Nickelodeon, and you would truly think her voice was just anyone else’s  – if it weren’t for her famous daddy and a 100 billion dollar mouse behind her every waking move. My point for the article wasn’t to cut down or belittle Miley Cyrus. The kid works hard and is doing what she loves (and becoming a million times bigger than her daddy could have ever been – “you seen any of them bank deposit slips, around, darlin’?”) It’s just amazing how the Hollywood, TV, and record industry media machine works. They can make a whole lotta something out of a whole little something. A modicum of talent, a gargantuan amount of money, the right spin, and the proper amount of grotesque over-exposure seems to be the recipe for success. Nice.

And now it gets a whole lot crazier as Life Styles Condoms corporation has offered her a million dollars to be their spokesperson for kids to protect themselves from disease and pregnancy during sex. “Mommy, I wanna use the rubber Hannah Montana uses! Is it ribbed for her pleasure? Gosh, I hope so!” People, this is out of control. If her father agrees to this (which I can’t believe that he will) that would be the clincher to be crowned as dad-whore of the century. I was in the advertising and brand business a long time, and people want to believe that a spokesperson “really” uses the product they endorse, and this would blow the lid off a media circus like we’ve never seen.

Hey Billy Ray, use what little f@#king brains God gave you and JUST SAY NO! She’s 15 for crissakes.

I was just reading that some photographer started snapping photos of actor Steve Guttenberg who was walking along in Manhattan, eating a banana and minding his own business. Of course the stalker a-hole papparazzi loser gets in Steve’s face and the actor throws the banana at the guy and now there’s stories about Guttenberg’s uncontrollable rage, his hate for the world in general, yada, yada, yada. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an Enquierer headline: “Actor needs bananas to stay alive for rare potassium disorder.”

The latest horse-cocky is where some photog a-hole took a candid snapshot of one of Briteny Spears kids picking up her pack of cigarettes. The next day the NY Post headlines reads: “Britney Kid’s Smoke Bomb!”  From that same retard level article… Her hopes to win Mother of the Year have gone up in smoke. It’s bad enough that Britney Spears can’t even keep a lid on her nasty cigarette habit long enough to avoid lighting up in front of one of her young sons, Sean Preston, 2 1/2. But then to leave her dirty cancer sticks and lighter within easy reach of the toddler? The curious youngster went to pick them up from a table ashtray at her Beverly Hills home Sunday, as his bikini-clad, part-time mother took a long drag on her Marlboro.

As I said, a major New York newspaper turns a total non-issue into front-page headlines as yellow journalism gets a little more jaundice. First off, if the goddamned spineless creatures would stop writing about Spears, the spoiled little skank might slip away into oblivion. (Then why are YOU writing about her, Zman? – I’m trying to prove a point, shut up and let me do my thing.)

But then there’s the attack on the smoking thing here. First, these leeches shouldn’t be taking pictures of people in their private homes. And if Brits wants to smoke in the privacy of her 20 billion dollar dwelling, well then it’s her own f@#king business and nobody else’s – especially from some hack celeb gossip clown. Jesus, the kid picks up a pack of Luckys and the next thing he’s in re-hab with Steve Guttenberg’s daughter.

In an AOL on-line poll, 320,000 people responded to the question: Is Britney smoking in front of her kids that big of a deal?

The answer…

No, we’re too sensitive:  62%
Yes, it’s terrible                   38%

Close to 200,000 people basically said, “Get a f@#ling life.” And that IS the point. When the hell did we become so soft as a society? When did this political correctness creep and turn our nation into a fluffy mound of gelatinous goo? When did Babs Streisand and Al Goreknob become the collective voice of reason? And how long can we continue to take these oppressive smoke nazi pricks who try to save us from ourselves?

There are guys who will never make it to their 25th birthday over in that sandpit in Iraq, but as a society we’re so concerned with a talentless media creation from Louisiana whose kid picked up a pack of cigarettes. A major newspaper in the largest city in the world goes and makes it front page news. WTF?

Add me to the list – 200,001 people say loud and proud: GET A F@#KING LIFE!

Every Tom, Dick, and Julio was their peddling their cigar as the next “big” thing on the market. Dillweeds who were selling shoes and commodities just six months prior were now making the so called BEST cigar in the world – with refined Cuban rollers, crafted in the old style tradition, from pure volcanic soils and tropical rain forests, with time honored patience, blah, dee blah, blag, blah, f@#king blah. 85% of these clownhats were so full or mierde. They were buying second or third-rate tobacco from a guy in Ecuador one month, then some floor scraps from another guy just outside of Santiago. Most of the cigars were goat rockets with a fancy gold embossed band, placed in a shining velvet lined box, and selling for ten dollars plus per scat. Yeah, even farm animal shit looks good if you wrap it up all perty and nice. But I can assure you, it still tastes like burning goat loaf.

The boom made people a lot of money, but the final shake out was a damned good thing for the industry. All of these shysters went back to selling Whole Life insurance and running the family deli, while the “real” players stuck it out, like they always do. There was a time that you couldn’t buy a scrap of tobacco anywhere so the newbies were often selling severely under-aged cigars that tasted like sucking on a putting green. Plus, you could crack open any box and the smell of ammonia was enough to revive an entire football team.

That show was just so unlike what I just attended. This year, people are struggling to keep their shops as we fend off the Smoke Nazi’s and politically correct, draconian legislature. Back in ’98, it was so cool and trendy-hip to be a player in the cigar biz. You could smoke anywhere. And that certainly will be the problem with IPCPR shows going forward – will they allow smoking on the show floor. If not, it’s a HUGE problem. Next year we’re back to New Orleans. Believe it of not, Katrina hit about a week after the last RTDA show – the timing was amazing.

With a rough economy and anti-smoking sentiment at an all-time high, I was amazed at how much new product was introduced at this year’s show. Almost in defiance the industry has held high its middle finger and moved forward towards bigger and better. Bravo to all.

My favorite cigars at the show…The Mi Dominicana by Jose Seijas is sensational – oily supple wrapper and full bodied flavor. The Trinidad Habana reserve has a beautiful golden wrapper and big taste. Loved the La Aurora Lancero. The Camacho El Legend Ario was re-introduced in a beautiful new look and is an incredibly under rated smoke. J. Fuego’s new stuff just is excellent. And I swear, the new Cohiba Puro is a hell of a great new cigar – gorgeous to look at – sliky, oily – and powered with rich flavor. My Underdog Pick: A small company out of Little Havana in Miami name Cuba Tobacco Cigars not only had the nicest booth, but a surprisingly tasty Connecticut shade stick called Maximo. And my absolute Biggest Surprise of the 2008 IPCPR: The Macanudo 1968. Daniel Nunez has outdone himself with a medium to full-bodied flavor bomb.

So that’s it for the 2008 report. I’ve given you five straight days of cigarness in its fullest dose strength. Hope you enjoyed the recaps. And I still can’t believe that a smoking organization has the letters “CPR” in its name. Oofah!.

My day basically consisted of… Wake up and go to the hotel’s business center to write the blog, return emails, do a little business…then off to breakfast…then to the show…then to a private party or two – and that really is where you can meet and greet and talk in a more relaxed atmosphere… then after the party everyone wants to eat dinner at around 9pm – but that’s 12pm on my body clock. Each night we’re finishing full course dinners at 2 and 3am, my time, and damn that has screwed me up all this week.

One company that is producing terrific stuff is Miami cigars, with their awesome Preferido line. Their booth was ultra-cool and unique – behind it was a miniature, old-style, Cuban Miami yellow building with windows and shutters, and a little meeting room was actually behind the door. Very stylish. They introduced the new Preferido Lancero, a 6 and 7/8 x 40 cigar that is rolled impeccably and its Cameroon wrapper is just so damned flavorful. Very nice people over at that group.

One company that has become like family is Camacho. They let me rest my weary bones at their booth for days and I hope sleeping on their couch with no pants on didn’t bother anyone. Sometimes my leather thong is a bit much for those easily frightened. Now, Christian Eiroa has put together one hell of a team down in Miami and across the country. Dylan Austin is making a lot happen on the marketing side, not letting the economy or the smoke Nazi’s get in the company’s way. And then there’s Carlos Escalona – a certifiable a loco man, but one hell of a personable sales dude! He struts his shiny dome about, doing his hysterical Sean Connery impressions, with a Hispanic accent – “Tommy, there’s just too much pappa-rot-she’s around.” And if there’s one person to meet in the cigar business, it’s the incomparable, Sal Fontana. Sal is 83 years old and his mind is more lucid and razor-sharp that almost anyone I’ve ever met. This man can spin a story and make you laugh until it hurts. Sal has seen absolutely EVERYTHING come and go in this industry and he goes waaaay back with Lew Rothman and talks about him with such fond regard – as Lew does about Sal. Hearing some of the industry war stories is just priceless.

It only took three days, but Christian finally succumbed to yakking with yours truly, the Jersey Polack. Yesterday on the blog I talked about passion, and Eiroa is a living, breathing example of passion personified. When he speaks of cigars, his eyes light up and his words pour from his heart instead of his mouth. This company all started many years ago with his grandfather, then his dad, and now he runs the U.S. operations. The man is only 35 but with the wisdom of someone twice his age. The work ethic of people who are born in places like Honduras – then come to the States – is nothing we Americans can truly understand.

Christian is a joker, a big kid, and loves to have fun. I had a grand old time making the dude laugh his cojones off. But when the discussion switches to cigar making, his mood changes and his roots speak for themselves. “I’m telling you right now, Tommy, this company does not sell cigars. I DO NOT sell cigars. I sell a way of life, a passion, a love affair for people. A lot of people don’t quite get what I mean, but I know you understand.”

I certainly do.

“This is personal what I do. Very personal. When someone holds one of my cigars, looks at it, then decides to cut and light, I am overwhelmed with pride. My family, all the people here, and thousands of workers down in Central America have given their all for that one very smoke. That’s what it’s all about.”

Now you know why I love this business.

Tomorrow we wrap it all up,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

The one company that ceases to amaze me is Altadis. They just keep coming up with new cigars that impress the hell out of me and they definitely went bonkers for this year’s show. Monday night they threw an elegant party for the retailers and guests – and we’re talking swank here – great food and libations and a beautiful cigar sampler – that I didn’t get because there were guys walking out of the ball room with eight of them in their arms. What a bunch of dirtbag mooches. None the less, I will say that the people at Altadis know how to throw one hell of a party. A class act all the way. And, how I got in, I’ll never know.

On show day I visited with the always lovely, Ms. Janelle Rosenfeld, VP of Marketing at Altadis in Miami. She was very excited about the new crop of products being introduced at the show, and the reaction from customers was equally enthusiastic.

“The response to our new introductions at the show was overwhelmingly positive,” exclaimed Janelle. “Retailers are excited about our many new introductions including of course our new Mi Dominicana and the new Trinidad Habana Reserve and also our new line of Montecristo Signature accessories!"

I first tried the new Trinidad and that little 4 1/2 x 44 bomb really took me by surprise. A smaller smoke with so much depth and flavor is such a treat. This beauty has a very tasty, golden brown,  Equadorian Habano wrapper and comes out of the La Flor de Copan factory in Honduras.

Without any question, the cigar that blew my doors off was their Mi Dominicana, created by none other than the master himself, Mr. Jose Seijas. It doesn’t have a fancy box or sparkling band, but god damn has this man outdone himself this time. It is a pure Dominican Puro full bodied and definitely for the smoker who enjoys a richer smoking experience. I had the toro size and it is a brawny stick with some real weight to it. The wrapper is simply amazing – a deep brown color, supple and shining with natural oils. What an absolutely beautifully hand-crafted piece of art.

“Everything that is beautiful about the Dominican Republic has gone into this puro,” the world renown Seijas proudly claims. “Superior tobaccos and the pride and artistry of our most experienced roller have created what I believe to be the perfect smoke.”

What’s so cool is the pride that these cigar makers display when they talk about their smokes. These guys (the likes of Seijas, Nunez, Eiroa) almost get all misty eyed because these cigars are truly their babies and they continue to nurture them as time goes by just like growing children. Their hearts pour into their work and hearing the public’s feedback makes them stand with their chests out, bursting with great pride. It’s just wonderful being around these people and having them open up. I’m very fortunate to have met some of the finest people in the business today.

Another great new smoke with a gorgeous looking wrapper is the A. Turrent Six Generations.  They’re calling it an ultra-premium smoke, and if you have one, you’ll know why. The wrapper is a rare Golden San Andres Corojo, and is one of those cigars you literally stare at a while before lighting up. It’s on the medium to full bodied side and just another masterpiece Altadis has brought to market. The effort these good people are putting into bringing the cigar lover new choices that overwhelm is – well, just overwhelming.  Damn, they’ve even got some great new mini’s out as well.

You can see how much I’ve said about this massive show over the past three days, and I’ve really only talked about a handful of people, companies and cigars – and I’ve still given you a lot of great information. Can you imagine only having three days to try to see everyone? It’s almost impossible. You kind of have to set your sights and hit your goals. Tomorrow I’ll give a little insight from Christian Eiroa of Camacho – a man whose passion runs deep when he talks about the vocation he loves. This company is growing and rocking and with the dedication this man has, you’ll easily understand why.

Until Tomorrow My Cigar Loving Junkies,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

I personally thought the show was great. There’s always mixed feelings and differences of opinions, but I felt the enthusiasm was very high for both the manufacturers and the retailers. The attitude is that we’re all in this together and we can’t let the bureaucrats and the smoke Nazis tear us apart. NOBODY is taking away our precious smokes.

Face it, there were just too many companies with too many cigars for me to even talk about half of them. This blog would go to ten thousand words. But there were some companies and individuals I was very interested in speaking with and I’m glad I got the chance to. Early on I hung with Steve Saka of Drew Estates for a little bit, and talk about a guy who stands out. They’ve got this crazy urban looking booth complete with the Rastafarian guy on the motorcycle, and there’s Steve, a huge dude with a shiny dome and expensive button down suit. He seemed happy with the show – man, the guy is a talker and was definitely in his element. That brother knows his stuff when it comes to tobacco. He was excited about his new coffee infused cigar, the Tabak Especial and the Chateau Real Maduro. Drew definitely tries to stake their claim in being different while appealing to a defined audience. I’m admittedly not a fan of ACID cigars, but you’ve got to give them credit for carving out a niche in a very tough business climate.

Normally, General Cigar wouldn’t really raise too many eyebrows when it comes to new product. (A lot of the cigar fiends find it fashionable to turn their attention to many of the new boutique releases.) General’s cigars are some of the staples of the industry and the company isn’t known for coming out with new product lines at the drop of a hat. But they have introduced three new cigars that had the floor buzzing. I had the pleasure of sitting with the person many consider the Godfather of Dominican Tobacco, General’s president & CEO, Mr. Daniel Nunez. The last time we talked was in Honduras when Lew and I had the guy in stitches with one joke after another at a place actually called Pat’s Steakhouse, in San Pedro Sula. The food and the ambiance was terrific and the goons out front with the sawed off shotguns made me feel like I was right at home, back in Jersey.

Daniel was beaming with pride while telling me about his three new babies (as he referred to them) – three cigars that have been his personal pet projects for the last few years and were kept very quiet until the show. I asked him why I didn’t see anything about them while I was in the General manufacturing facility in Santa Domingo just a couple of months ago, and he admitted that it was pretty top secret and they wanted a grand entrance while in Vegas.

Now the first, which spun all heads, is the new Macanudo 1968, marking the 30th anniversary since this cigar was first made in Jamaica. Now I know what you might think when you hear “Macanudo”- mild and more for the casual smoker – but bro, on this one you’re dead wrong. Daniel has created a cigar that blew me away and you won’t believe it yourself. The tobaccos are grown exclusively for General under Mr. Nunez’s strict supervision. From their press release: Harvested one sun-ripened leaf at a time, aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to further enrich its flavor, the blend marries proprietary Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco to a tobacco cultivated solely for General Cigar in the remote Nicaraguan island of Ometepe. These tobaccos were developed expressly to complement the hearty Connecticut Habano binder and flawless, lustrous Honduran San Agustin wrapper.  The flavor and profile of this cigar is wonderful. It actually starts off medium bodied, with a lot of coffees notes and gets bolder and fuller bodied as an anisette flavor kinds of sinks in. Guys – try it – you’ll be as surprised as I was. This is a truly great cigar, one that will become a new favorite very fast.

There’s also the exquisite new Cohiba Puro that has The President of general Cigar, beaming. It is a super, high quality cigar that will redefine people’s thoughts about the Dominican Cohiba. This baby is a hand-picked puro bursting with complex flavors and I couldn’t put the damned thing down until it literally burnt my fingers! In Daniel’s own words, “For me, Cohiba Puro Dominicana is a dream come true, for this collection showcases the extraordinary range of flavor that can be achieved through Dominican tobacco.  In allowing these natural seeds to soak in an extraordinary flavor and richness from the soil, I believe that Cohiba Puro Dominicana will bring increased prominence to Dominican tobacco. This, our first collection of Dominican puro cigars is just the beginning, because I believe that there are infinite possibilities for Dominican tobacco.”

Last in the line is the full bodied Excaliber Legend, out of Honduras. Spicy Nicaraguan tobacco is paired with a proprietary tobacco from Nicaragua’s volcanic island of Ometepe (I swear) and blended with a power-packed Dominican ligero.  Bound with a bold Connecticut Havana Seed leaf, it’s the same oily and supple leaf that is made famous by the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Dark Knight.  Bottom line: This cigar has loads of flavor and kicks major league butt!

Hey, I told you guys I could go on forever. Altadis has some amazing new smokes and Christain Eiroa had some very interesting things to say about how he views tobacco and the cigars he makes. But, I’ll save that for PART 3, tomorrow.

And, how did I know they were transvestite hookers. you ask? Well, they sure as hell weren’t Elvis impersonators.

First off, I think it’s going to get harder and harder each year to find a venue for this show that is smoking friendly. Only the Casino floor in the Venetian allows smoking, but exception was made for the show. But a guard stood outside the showroom doors and the second anyone walked out with a lit stogie, the long arm of the hotel law extinguished the fun.

The tough thing for us east coasters is without question, the three-hour time difference. After the show, a private party or two, then dinner… I wasn’t in the sack until what was regularly 3 am for me and after a few days, it beats the hell out of you. Sunday was set up day for the vendors, and I arrived in Vegas at 11:30am, which meant I was up at 4:30 am for the five-hour flight ahead of me. So you can imagine that by the time I arrived at the Venetian, I was already tired, with 3 1/2 days of endless walking and meeting and greeting ahead of me.

The tradeshow floor was a huge space, and hundreds of vendors were setting up their booths at a frantic pace. Electricians and carpenters were everywhere, as cigar company employees were getting ready for the next day’s 10 am grand opening. People were in a good mood, but a bit tense and tired as an event like this takes a lot out of those who work the floor. You have to be mentally up, smiling and perky for days, all while hiding the fact that your feet are numb and your hamstrings and calfs throbbing. As I kept saying, nothing like a dose of four Advil to help make it better.

Sunday was a great day to check out the booths and see what the cigar world had in store for us. I was impressed by a lot of great looking, oversized spaces where a lot of thought had gone into the presentation. Tables, comfy leather couches and sitting areas were strategically placed so buyers could hang in comfort and make their orders. The most bizarre booth by far had to go to the Bahamas-mamas at Graycliff. They had these crystal 1960-esque go-go beads hanging from the ceiling and sales guys with silver shirts who looked like extras from a Lost in Space episode. The booth was downright weird as all hell. My vote for best booth visually was a little known company out of Miami, Cuba Tobacco Cigar Company. The owner is a real gentleman by the name of Pedro Bella Jr. and he worked with an artist/designer to create an amazing work of art. The four corners or the (I’d guess 20’ x 20’) space resembled cornerstones of ancient South American ruins, covered with vines and tropical foliage. As an ex- branding and marketing guy, I really appreciated the thinking and effort that went into their area.

Of course General Cigar and Altadis had huge spaces with dozens of reps meeting and taking tons of orders. Their booths were what you would expect – class acts all the way. General had a contest to win a 1968, bright Red Camaro, and I heard some lucky lady actually won it on the last day! That car was simply sheer beauty atop four mag wheels. Oliva also was giving away a cool little Mini Cooper with the Nub leaf graphic across the side. And as you might expect, the funkiest booth of the show went to Drew Estates. It resembled a kind of urban cityscape, and a big-ass low rider was parked in the middle of it all, complete with graphics induced by several days of bong hits and ACID Cigars.

As always, the folks from Fuente brought their castle, while Hispanic speaking men clad in medical school frocks, charmed the crowd. Ghurka had a nice display, as you would expect since packaging is key to them. CAO’s booth was like a friggin 3 day rock star event, and they topped it off by having Lynard Skynard play their private party on Monday night. I heard it was amazing. Although it had to be annoying hearing every yahoo yelling out “Free Bird” every time a song was done playing. Perdomo certainly had a classy set up and I had to do a triple take because Nick Perdomo must have lost well over a hundred pounds! The guy was dressed in a sharp button down suit and looked amazing. No one could believe it was him. He had this little chin goatee going and looked a lot like Robert Downey Jr. as Tony stark in Ironman!

Not surprised that Rocky had his humongous posse, Pete Johnson hung with his overly tattooed and pierced brothers at Tatuaje, Pepin had the white hat, old Miami thing going, and Frank Santos was doing his thing at the very cool Reyes booth. One of the nicest gentlemen I had the pleasure of meeting over the three days was Gene Arganese who made a point to say hello every time he saw me and was cordial to everyone. That man is working so hard to make it in a very tough business during a very rough economy and I give him all the credit in the world. Last but not least, Christian Eiroa was one busy dude as the Camacho booth was filled for three straight days from order takers and cigar fans everywhere. I can’t say enough good things about him, his staff and his cigars. I got to sit with the man for 20 minutes and I’ll share some of his insights tomorrow as well as my great discussion with Daniel Nunez of General.

Well, that was the initial tour, tomorrow is PART 2 and we’ll talk about the cigars and the people.

Have a Happy Monday,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

"It’s been a true phenomenon for us, we started to see interest as early as last year for this film," said Rick Butler, chief operating officer for Fandango, who claims that 1,000 show times have already been sold out across the country.

There’s nothing guys dig more than wicked gadgets, bad-ass fight scenes, and shit blowing up – and again, from what I’m hearing, the Man’s Man crowd ain’t gonna be disappointed in the least. A new version of the batcycle known as the Batpod looks like it can do some damage when let loose, and god damn if I ain’t ready to let loose for this one. Fresh liquid testosterone will be spayed throughout theatres as moviegoers get re-pumped from their last visit to see Sir Tony Stark as the Invincible Ironman.

I definitely felt the Michael Keton Batman wasn’t very macho and Jack Nicholson was too cartoony as the joker. But from what I’m reading, this movie kicks some serious bat-ass – especially the deceased Heath Ledger who’s deranged performance is already being talked of in the Academy Award category. It almost seems a shame because Christian Bale who plays the caped crusader is taking a back seat to Ledger, but I’m sure his bank account won’t mind, as well as his resume which already includes films such as Rescue Dawn, 3:10 to Yuma, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, and of course, Batman Begins. Online movie site Rotten Tomatoes is presently giving the movie a 91% approval rating from independent media reviewers, and that is incredibly high for that site.

As with Brandon Lee in The Crow, it’s quite eerie and bizarre knowing the man on the screen is no longer with us. The following pulled from Wikipedia gives some insight into his untimely death… After two weeks of intense media speculation about possible causes of his death, on 6 February 2008, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released its conclusions, based on an initial autopsy of January 23, 2008, and a subsequent complete toxicological analysis. The report concludes, in part, "Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. It also states definitively: "We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications." The medications found in the toxicological analysis are commonly prescribed in the United States for insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain, and/or cold symptoms.

I have always been a huge superhero comic book fan and my 13 year-old boy and I will attempt to see this epic sometime in the next day or two. There’s actually a great drive-in theatre in Warwick New York that has been there since 1950, and seems like a great place to take in the flick. Flip the Jeep around, pop up the hatchback, scarf some sandwiches, fire up a few premium stoags fresh from the RTDA showroom floor, and I say DAYUM…sounds like a plan. The only factor is heat, humidity, and bugs. It’s going to hit the mid to high nineties in the NY/NJ metropolitan area today so we’ll see what the plan is.