Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Perdomo Cigar Price Increase

Saludos,

Greetings, patrons of Perdomo. We just received a Perdomo Cigar Company email announcing a price increase. It states that due to the 8% wage increase in Nicaragua in January & rising supplier manufacturing costs, Perdomo had to implement a price increase.

We at Habana Port wanted to give you a heads up so that you can come in right now and purchase Perdomo cigars at their old price.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Cigar Dossier

Saludos,

Greetings, bibliophiles. Preserve your cigar bands and start your own cigar journal. We sell the Cigar Dossier for $29.95. This is also a great organizational way to document and record the cigars you have smoked. There are pre-printed entries like the date and time you smoked a particular cigar, the retailer from whom you bought the cigar, your own personal notes regarding the flavor profile of the cigar and the single stick price. And there is a space on which you can affix the cigar band thereby preserving the remnants of that handmade.

With so many cigar brands on the market, the Cigar Dossier is a great way to keep track of all the smokes out there.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port


Friday, January 25, 2013

Casa Fuente Cigar

Saludos,
Greetings, saints of Sin City and cigars. Casa Fuente cigar for the ride home. Gold footband, huh? Check out our Twitter page for the final review.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Wild Bunch Cigar Poster

Saludos,

Greetings, Wild Bunch. Buy any box of Ortega's Wild Bunch cigars and get a poster. Collect all the stickers and get a prize from Eddie. When you buy a box from us or at CigarEarth.com you get a discount.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port


Safe Harbor Concert Update

Saludos,

Greetings, music fans. Tickets to the Safe Harbor Benefit Concert featuring Dr. John and the Grayhawk Band are sold out. We'll see you there Sunday as we sell fine cigars for this cause.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A. Fuente Chateau Fuente Cigars

Saludos,

Greetings, fans of Fuente. We want to let you know that the well-known Fuente cigar line named after the famous tobacco farm, the Chateau Fuente is available at discount at http://cigarearth.com/A-Fuente-Chateau-Fuente_c129.htm.

The A. Fuente Chateau Fuente was inspired by the famed tobacco farm dubbed Chateau de la Fuente which is located in the Dominican Republic. The Chateau Fuente cigar line is not only one of the best-selling cigar lines from Arturo Fuente, but it is in fact one of the largest sellers in the cigar industry. Wrapped in a distinctive cedary sleeve and adorned with either a green foot band (for the Natural or Maduro varieties) or black foot band (for the Natural Sungrown), the Chateau Fuente line is very consistent and represents the best in cigar construction and blending. The Natural blend has a more cedary, earthy note, while the Maduro provides a sweet, toasty, mineral profile and the Natural Sun Grown exhibits an earthy, woody & nutty profile.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port


Habana Port Leather Belt

Saludos,

Greetings, fashionistas. This is a picture of a leather belt that was handcrafted in Esteli, Nicaragua in March 2011 while we toured the My Father Cigar factory (makers of the recently ranked Number 1 Cigar of the Year, the Flor de las Antillas Toro cigar). The leather artisan in Esteli stamped the text Habana Port to our specifications. Very elegant, this leather belt was not expensive and certainly underscores the tastes of a cigar smoker. Perhaps we can import these in the future...

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Grayhawk presents 2nd Annual Safe Harbor Benefit Concert featuring Dr. John

Saludos,

Greetings knights and night trippers.  Our friend and musician, Grayhawk Perkins has announced his 2nd Annual Safe Harbor Benefit Concert and what a show it will be. Dr. John will be performing in his St. Tammany Parish debut and the Grayhawk Band will follow. We are selling tickets in our shop (cash only) for $25 a piece. Read below for the press release.



Grayhawk's 2nd Annual Safe Harbor Benefit Concert
The Grayhawk Band is proud to present a true New Orleans music legend
on Sunday, January 27, 2013.
Making his first ever appearance in this area,
Dr. John will headline this stellar fundraising event
at the Columbia Street Rock-N-Blues Café in Covington, Louisiana.

Doors open at 3:00 PM
Enjoy: Live music by acoustic trio, Plain Dirt Fashion
Delicious food & libations available from Columbia Street Rock & Blues Café
Outdoor cigar lounge provided by Habana Port Cigars
Fresh tea from the English Tea Room
 
Performances by Jazz Fest 2013 artists, The Grayhawk Band,
led by St Tammany Parish 2010 Music Artist of the Year, Grayhawk Perkins
and Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack.
Guests are encouraged to arrive at 3PM
in time to experience the entire event!
 
Sunday - January 27, 2013
3:00PM to 8:00PM
 
 Columbia Street Rock-N-Blues Café
407 North Columbia Street
Covington, Louisiana
(985) 892-9949
 
THE 2nd ANNUAL
GRAYHAWK BENEFIT CONCERT 
FOR SAFE HARBOR

FEATURING

Grammy Award Winner
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer
Dr. John
"THE NIGHT TRIPPER"

with
The Grayhawk Band
Plain Dirt Fashion
•  
TICKETS

A limited number of general admission tickets
will be available for $25.00 each (cash only) at the 
following 3 locations in Covington:

Columbia Street Rock & Blues Café
407 North Columbia Street
(985) 892-9949
HOURS: 
Monday through Saturday - 3PM to 2AM

Mo's Art Supply
315 North Columbia Street
(985) 809-6854
HOURS:
Tuesday through Saturday - 9AM to 5PM

Habana Port Cigars
330 Falconer Drive, Suite K
(off Hwy 190 North, behind Home Depot)
(985) 809-1818
HOURS:
Monday through Wednesday - 10AM to 7PM
Thursday through Saturday - 10AM to 8PM
Sunday - 12PM to 5PM
Map to Habana Port:

TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON FIRST COME - FIRST SERVE BASIS

SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES

A limited number of Sponsor Packages are still available.
Sponsor contributions will go toward covering production expenses.

Sponsor Packages may be purchased by individuals or businesses
and will include event tickets and special amenities.

For more information
contact management at:
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
Members of press and news media seeking more information
on the event including press passes & photography clearance
please contact management at

Safe Harbor 24-hour crisis line:
(985) 626-5740 or 1(888) 411-1333
SPONSOR LINKS

Ideal Signs

Mo's Art Supply

Habana Port Cigars

The English Tea Room

Columbia Street Rock-N-Blues Café

•••
Brought to you by:

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port

Alec Bradley Black Market Dirty Hooligan Cigar

Saludos,

Greetings, apostles of AB. Today, Alec Bradley announced the upcoming new cigar release in time for St. Patrick's Day festivities: the Alec Bradley Black Market Dirty Hooligan cigar. The picture below announces the only details of this cigar so far. Only 2,000 boxes will be slated for the market. This seems to be a Black Market blend with a candela wrapper. The MSRP will be $8 (around $8.89 for Louisiana). We got the word from our rep that we will be allocated some boxes so stay tuned around March 5, 2013 as to news of their arrival.


Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Altadis Announces Price Increases on Cigars

Saludos,

Greetings, apostles of Altadis. We got the word that Spanish-based cigar giant Altadis has announced price increases effective January 19, 2013. As a cigar smoker, you can usually expect cigar companies to make their annual price increases this time of year. Altadis for the last few years has been the first company of the year to raise prices. We at Habana Port only raise our prices if the manufacturer does (so please don't complain to us). In a letter from Altadis to their retailers, the company states that "rising tobacco and manufacturing costs" are the reasons for the jump. In this letter they also announced new brands like Casa de Garcia (Nicaraguan Blend), Casa de Garcia (Red Blend) and H. Upmann Legacy. Finally, the letter revealed a new "trade program" that they will implement in 2013 called Tobacconist360. No other details were divulged as to what this program entails.

So if you are a fan of their brands like Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, Trinidad, H. Upmann, Don Diego, Te-Amo, etc, come into our shop now while the prices are low. Come next Saturday, the cost to smoke these fine cigars unfortunately goes up.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Avo 25th Anniversary

Saludos,

Greetings, orators of Avo. We had the pleasure of smoking an Avo 25th Anniversary cigar that was gifted to us by Sean. This was the milestone blend released by Davidoff to celebrate the 25th year of Avo cigars' existence on the market. The cigar was packaged in boxes that looked like baby grand pianos. Unfortunately this was a limited run and we do not have it. So hopefully you have a friend like ours who can gift you a single.

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Habana Port's Top 15 Cigars of 2012


Saludos,

Greetings, aficionados de la hoja! Just like in 2011, we have smoked some incredible cigars in 2012. The premium cigar industry continues to produce some very nice grade of tobacco and blends. Dare we say this past year marked another notch in this present-day renaissance? Perhaps. But we know for sure that this year saw legendary cigars. What was very common on this year's Top 15 List was the plethora of titanic formats that captured spots. Again, the trend is strong for 60+ rgs and/or thick "A" vitolas.  The JFR 770 L.E. is a great example. This monster is 7 inches by a 70 rg. But sales of this cigar have been extremely robust. The inexpensive price point doesn't hurt ($8.69 a piece) but regardless, these huge-a cigars have been leading the way in our humidor.

Once more, it was a challenge for our staff at Habana Port to organize this year's Top 15 Cigar Rankings. We smoked and smoked and finally ranked the top 15 fine cigars that are available in our humidor (with the exception of the Four Kicks Mule Kick and Viaje 5th Anniversary which were one-time runs). We also based our decisions according to what our customers bought and enjoyed the most so this list is not entirely what our staff personally smoked and loved. Take a look at the list and see what you think. We hope you agree with our choices.



Dimensions:  5 1/2 x 54rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano 2000 (4+ years)

When we first brought this cigar in January 2012 into our humidor, we immediately saw this cigar take off.  In all of our years in the industry, we have never seen a new cigar line turn over as fast this one. Our smokers would buy a single and then quickly return to buy boxes. Perhaps it is the very smooth, light coffee and Cubanesque profile that does it. Or maybe it is the unique oval-press shape and feel of the cigar. Whatever the appeal, we love this vitola and so did our customers. We knew this cigar was going to take off when we first smoked a sample in September 2011. We thought we were smoking a Cuban cigar. So who cares about the embargo? Try an Oval and get a better value for the experience.



Dimensions:  5 1/4 x 50rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua

Good fortune. The English translation of this cigar brand justifies its nomenclature. The newest brand from the hot boutique cigar company, Curivari, has also been one of our fastest turnovers in 2012.  The owner wanted the smoker to have the experience of being inside a bakery when lighting up this beauty. So they state the liga has bready, wheaty notes. To us it had an earthier note, but it was tasty nevertheless. We also thought it was brilliant of Curivari packing these cigars in 10-count boxes (like he has been doing with all of the cigars in his portfolio). It is easier and cheaper for the consumer to "purchase a box" when it is 10-count. And that is what we have been seeing with the Buenaventuras especially since they are in the $5 per stick range.

No. 3 - J. Fuego Edicion de Familia 2012 Belicoso Fino

Dimensions:  5 1/2 x 52rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra

What will be Jesus Fuego's ultra-premium cigar line annually, the Edicion de Familia delivers.  2012 was his first offering of this line and Habana Port was one of 150 retailers to have received an allocation of this cigar. The tobacco in this blend was aged for many years (the wrapper is the youngest at 10 years). Furthermore, after the cigars were rolled, Fuego aged them for six months in the aging rooms and then he boxed the cigars and aged them another 6 months. This is unusual in the business, so the effect is that the cigar is extremely smooth and has a dark cocoa and earth component. If you like the Padron 1964 Annis, then Fuego's Family Edition is up your alley, but hurry...only 5 10-count boxes of this facing (and 2 other vitolas) were allocated to every retailer.

No. 4 - Illusione Ultra OP. No. 4

Dimensions:  4 3/4 x 48rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaragua

Our number 4 cigar comes from Illusione. We loved this rich and bold cigar. The full-bodied lovers will too. Here are the details according to brand owner, Dion Giolito:
Illusione ULTRA is a true connoisseur’s blend. Decadent and rich, this cigar is rolled and then “pressed” overnight to achieve its tactile rectangular shape. Bold in looks, taste profile and approach, illusione ULTRA delivers a thick, rich smoke with notes of caramelized sugar, black licorice and Amaro. This is achieved with a good amount of spicy ligero leaves from the Jalapa and Esteli regions. Illusione ULTRA is the truest example of a modern day Nicaraguan Puro.

No. 5 - Four Kicks Limited Edition 2012 Mule Kick


Dimensions: 5 7/8 x 52rg
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Habano

The Crowned Heads is currently the diamond standard of boutique cigar fans. Habana Port was the first tobacconist to carry this company's line of cigars in the Greater New Orleans area and their cigars have been doing well ever since. When Jon Huber announced he was going to deliver a one-time batch, we were on it. Just as the Four Kicks Limited Edition Mule Kick 2012 arrived, so did they quickly depart (sooner if we had not implemented a walk-in-only purchasing requirement). In fact, we were only one of 30-odd shops across the country to carry this cigar. What separates this blend from the normal-production FKs is that the wrapper is darker than normal and CH and their producer, La Alianza (EP Carrillo fame), added a touch more ligero to enhance the body. This was a winner and our market loved this cigar.



Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 50rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Eddie Ortega has a long history with the cigar industry (former owner of 601 and other brands) and when we learned he was forming Ortega Cigar Company, we at HP jumped on it. We were the first tobacconist in Louisiana to carry Ortega and their first line, the Serie D Maduro, was very well-received. Manufactured by the Garcia family's My Father Cigar Factory, the rich, sweet and dark wrapper of this blend makes for a tasty experience. Not overbearing, this blend has a complex yet clean profile. The No. 8 was one of their best-sellers for us.

No. 7 - Viaje 5th Anniversary


Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 52rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaragua

Viaje made its introduction to the cigar world five years ago. Brand owner Andre Farkas released a blend worthy of this milestone. A large double perfecto and adorned only with a simple embossed white band, this cigar is perhaps his finest liga to date in our opinion. Layers of silky cream and cocoa coat the smoker's palate as this cigar is burned. We are down to a few singles so hurry in to try this once-in-a-lifetime cigar while you can.

Dimensions: 5 3/4 x 46rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo

Christian Eiroa is back, baby. After his non-compete clause expired with Davidoff (remember, he sold Camacho's portfolio of cigar brands to the Swiss), he got back into the cigar production side of this business but now he is employing a small-batch philosophy. His Corojo line has been a big hit and we at HP feel that the Corona is smoking the best (and nicely priced at the $6 range) although the 60x6s are selling slightly better. Very balanced, the cigar has a complex yet very clean taste.

No. 9 - Alec Bradley New York  Gotham Torpedo


Dimensions: 6 1/8 x 54rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Trojes, Honduras (Criollo '98)

Made initially to help the New York market because of their high 75% tobacco excise tax rate, the Alec Bradley New York blend is made with Criollo '98 wrapper and binder both of which are grown in Trojes, Honduras.  The filler tobaccos hail from both Honduras and Nicaragua. The NY is actually a cross-breed of their famous Prensado and Tempus lines. About a medium to full bodied smoke, this cigar was a big hit when we were the first in LA to bring it in back in June. Each box is adorned with the Empire State Building on the band done in an art deco-style and Gotham feel. Dark Knights beware.

Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 60rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua

The 7000 Maduro is Padron's 60 ring gauge vitola and surprise, surprise...this has been our best-selling facing from the Cuban family for 2012. This Maduro exhibits sweet, toasty notes and has a dark espresso component to it. We also agree with our customers that this was one tasty burger.




Dimensions: 6 1/8 x 64rg
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Remember La Gloria Cubana Serie R? Ernesto Perez-Carrillo created this line years ago but now that he sold that brand to General he was lacking a cigar with the same philosophy. We feel the Inch cigar that he released this past year is a throwback to that old standard but we feel this is a more beautiful blend. An old-school ruler sets the backdrop for the cigar band and underscores the fat ring gauges of this line. The No. 64 Maduro has been flying off the shelves and EPC even had backorders for a while on this vitola signaling that many other cigar shops across the land experienced strong sales on it too.

No. 12 - JFR 770 L.E.


Dimensions: 7 x 70rg
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Cuban Seed Corojo 1999

Casa Fernandez pushed the envelope of super fat ring gauges with the JFR 770 L.E. We were not only shocked with the dimensions but with the price point (a mere $8.69 in Louisiana). We were hesitant to bring many boxes at first because we did not think this format would sell. Were we wrong! The market's insatiable demand for this vitola amazed us and we quickly had to re-order to keep our humidor supplied. The 770 (or as one customer lovingly referred to it as the Ron Jeremy) actually has a very clean taste and is not strong. We're sure now that this hedgehog will stay with us for a while and it earned this year's number 12 spot on our list.



Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 60rg
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown

This is the beast from LFD that has been taking the cigar world by storm. A monster 8.5 by 60, this format and this blend make the experience one that should be reserved for strong and full-bodied pros. This vitola was actually our best-selling cigar from La Flor's portfolio. It was tough to choose just one LFD on our list because we personally loved the Limitado Vs this year but had to put the Digger Maddie based on strong sales.

No. 14 - Perdomo 20th Anniversary Sun Grown Epicure 


Dimensions: 6 x 56rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown

In honor of 20 years of cigar production, the Perdomo family has released the Perdomo 20th Anniversary cigar line. We brought in both the Sun Grown and Maduros and we felt the SGs just wowed us. We especially enjoyed the Epicure. This toro-sized smoke exhibits light coffee and earth tones and is solidly-constructed. The wrapper on this line has been aged about 6 years and then fermented an additional 14 months in Bourbon barrels thus explaining its smooth character. It is a Nicaraguan puro.



Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 52rg
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Cameroon

The cannon cigar from Arturo Fuente has been around for years but it has sold a bit more than usual in 2012. We figure that because of the trend of smokers favoring large format vitolas, its resurgence is obvious. The Natural version of the Canones incorporates a Cameroon wrapper so there is a bit of a light leathery, smoky character to this cigar.

Honorable Mentions

Five cigars who do not make the Top 15 list but definitely deserve praise make our Honorable Mentions List. These cigars are also fantastic and deserve a light if you have not had one. Congratulations to these and all the cigars who made our Lists. And to you smokers, let us know what you think of these cigars!

Dimensions: 5 x 50rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo Sungrown

Honorable Mention - Surrogates Tramp Stamp
Dimensions: 5 1/4 x 48rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador

Honorable Mention - Oliva Serie V Churchill Extra
Dimensions: 7 x 52rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown

Dimensions: 6 1/2 x 44rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Dimensions: 5 x 56rg
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano

Until the next post, siempre fumando,
Habana Port