If it's even close to the Joel Sherman...

Then I'm going to be purchasing a whole lot of boxes--just like we did with that delectable delight last summer.

Wait. Let me back up.

From Cigar Aficionado:

For 85 years, Nat Sherman has operated a storefront in Midtown Manhattan, catering to New York City's cigar enthusiasts and tourists alike, living up to the company's tagline, "Tobacconist to the World." To celebrate the milestone, the company has announced its 85th Anniversary cigar, a limited-edition smoke.

[source]

Rolled at the Quesada Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic, the Nat Sherman 85th Anniversary cigar measures 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring gauge and will be limited to 2,500 boxes that each hold 10 cigars. The suggested retail price of the cigar is $19.

While the cigar will begin shipping to retailers in early June before this summer's International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show, some attendees at last week's Tobacconists' Association of America convention were treated to a sneak peek of the cigar. Retailers will still be able to order the cigars at IPCPR.

The 85th Anniversary's binder and filler all hail from Nicaragua, covered by wrapper grown in the Dominican Republic's Navarette region. According to Michael Herklots, Nat Sherman's vice president of retail and brand development, the filler is 50 percent ligero, the strongest leaves on a tobacco plant, typically used to lend body to a cigar. Herklots says that the ligero, though, does not dominate, but is tempered and balanced by seco- and viso-grade tobaccos.

Want.

"We as a company don't believe in cigars that you feel more than you taste," said Herklots. "Don't expect a ligero bomb."

The final blend was decided after a thorough testing process that included experimenting with "40 to 50 test blends," says Herklots. Interestingly, the 85th Anniversary is rolled using the entubado method where each filler leaf is rolled into a straw or tube shape, creating great airflow. However, during the testing phase, the final blend was rolled in a different fashion. According to Herklots, the effect on the final blend was profound, as the ligero became more prominent and suddenly smoked harsher. The mistake was remedied, and Herklots believes the fact that the 85th Anniversary is rolled entubado-style also helps to cool the ligero leaves inside.

In addition to the cigar, Nat Sherman plans to celebrate the anniversary by hosting a series of intimate dinners across the country throughout the year. While the details have not been finalized, Herklots did say that there will be a fundraising aspect to the dinners, with local food-banks being the intended charity.

So yes, we will be needing a bigger humidor soon.

Where we won't be--but you should definitely go! (And where we'll be!)

Falling in love isn’t hard, especially if you go to Habanos Cigar Lounge, Pawtucket, RI on Thursday, April 30 from 7:00-10:00. From the moment you walk in and set eyes on the event’s superstars, you’ll surely fall for DRAM Cigars. And, like in the real world, there’s a perfect match for everyone (mostly).

A dram typically refers to a pour of alcohol; the four DRAM Cigar blends fully complement a variety of whiskeys, based on the strengths and flavor profiles of both smoke and beverage. At this event, the lovely Habanos bartenders will pour complimentary whiskeys for tasting, and DRAM’s very cool Andrew Estop will help you find your true-love smoke, to create the perfect palate partnership.

 

Nathalie, one of your lovely Habanos bartenders!
You can fall in love with her too, whicle you're there.
Everyone else does!

 

The cigar offerings, available in a number of sizes:

Dram Cask No. 1 Connecticut Shade wrapper.  Mild to medium strength. Creamy profile.  Perfect complement to whiskeys with a citrus and woody profile.

Dram Cask No. 2 Corojo wrapper.  Medium strength cigar with a complex profile.  Pairs with whiskeys showcasing a spicy and woody profile.

Dram Cask No. 3 Habano wrapper.  Medium plus strength and a spicy profile.  Whiskeys with a spicy and woody profile partner best with this cigar.

Dram Cask No. 4 Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  Medium to full strength and a spicy profile.  Best accompanied by whiskeys with a smoky and woody profile.

 



 

What's that? You want to know why we won't be there? Oh, we'll be at this little old thing called...

 

BOOM!

 ...with Caballero #2 and Pal of Cabellero #2 (POC)--Hi Mike!

The man, the myth, the legend...
Caballero #2, smoking a Joel Sherman.

 

Naturally, we'll keep you updated with all the CigarFest shenanigans. Of course, this may or may not occur in the same calendar year. But, you know, that's how I roll!

A Tale of Two Cigar Shops/Lounges, Part the First

Valentino and I had a couple of errands to run, one of which was actually paying for the tickets we'd reserved for the Broadway Cigars' February dinner at Ciara Restaurant  on February 9. (For details, give the shop a call* (401) 272-9600 or visit the event Facebook page.)

We took Will the Travelling Owl because sometimes it's just easier to bring him than it is to listen to him bitch because we didn't.

We landed at Broadway first, whereby Will demanded a photoshoot:

Oh, we'll do what you want, little owl,
but we're going to photobomb you.

You know we love the La Flor Dominicana Myster...oh, we mean TCFKAM (The Cigar Formerly Known As Mysterio). Will's also a fan.

Will would like to own this box. Just sayin'...

This Alec Bradley Nica Puro Diamond Rough Cut is on our to-do list. I guess it would be a to-smoke list. We don't want to call it a Cigar Bucket List, as we'd like to have more than one before we do any bucket-kicking. The limited-release (which you know makes us swoon) 6 1/2 x 54 toro is a line extension of the already beloved Nico Puro. As the name states, this cigar screams heaven for our Nicaraguan-loving Valentino.

Yep. These AB babies. Where the Nica Puro line all began...
way back in 2012.

This is a super favorite of the entire household!

This is the super-limited, 75th Anniversary release Joel Sherman, from our friends at Nat Sherman. The double corona (7 1/2 x 46) is a perfect blend of an Ecuadorean Connecticut wrapper and Dominican binder and filler. Every once in a while, we'll gift one to a friend and as his** face lights up with delight, we mention that (hahaha) they're hard to find.*** 

We were super surprised to find that Broadway had them, as few other folks do. So, if this is your great white whale that you relentlessly seek, run and get them!

P.S. We cropped the photo so you couldn't have your heart broken, as we did when we saw someone wrote the price on this gorgeous box in permanent marker.

Will is saying, Ah, I remember when
I was first to have one of these...

Broadway also has the J Grotto perfecto P-555 (5 x 55--get it?), which sold so quickly that they, too, are difficult to find. Will wanted to hoard them all. We told him if he wanted to get a job and pay for them, we'd be happy to carry the bag for him.

But we can also understand his desire to have them. We've loved them since Paul Joyle shared them with us pre-release. The Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and Dominican Habano binder work lovingly together to hold the Dominican and other Central American super secret fillers. Want to know more? You should go here!


We turned away for one second and found Will
rolling around in the box of another favorite cigar. Sigh.

We've told you a hundred gazillion times**** about our love of the Leaf.***** It's another we tell folks about all the time. We could probably hand-sell them throughout the land if we were so inclined. But then we'd feel like we were playing favorites, and that wouldn't be right. After all, we are staunch reporters, committed to true journalism. (Hard to say without laughing, so we can imagine how hard it is to read.)

If you haven't had a Leaf by Oscar, from our friend Island Jim Robinson, then let us know and we'll point you in the right direction. Wrapped in a tobacco leaf, this cigar is as awesome as it looks.


Arrrrgh!

Very few cigars can be both awesome and annoying. There's another all-Nicaraguan cigar (awesome) we dig and every time we see it, whether at Broadway, another shop, or in the humidor when we're looking for something delicious,****** that damn Commodores song pops into our heads (annoying). (You're welcome, by the way, for the earworm.)

We have been remiss in telling you about our Brick House love, and promise to get to that soon, but in the meantime, here's an interesting story from their website: "In 1937, J.C. Newman launched Brick House; a true Cuban puro cigar made with the finest Havana tobaccos. To honor his family and heritage, J.C. modeled the Brick House label after his childhood home – the only brick house in their small, Hungarian village. Locals and visitors would gather at the house nightly to eat, drink, smoke and enjoy each other’s company. But with the Cuban embargo came the end of the Brick House." But you can't blow a brick house down, and they are back and waiting for you!

Yes, Will likes the name of this cigar. Sigh. Again.

Mr. J's Havana introduced us to the Crux Cigar family at one of their monthly dinners, waaay back in October, and we've been fans ever since! Crux is relative new to the marketplace, and this Ninfamaniac pays homage to the classic Cuban Ninfa, at 7 x 33, although the tapered cap and foot makes it uniquely Crux. With a Habano Jalapa wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Nicaraguan filler, one of the most interesting things about the Ninfamaniac, besides the fantastic taste, is that the cigars are handcrafted by only two rollers.

Oh, we do go on, don't we? Check out Part the First and a Half here, and Part the Second here.

 

 

*But not today, Tuesday 1/27, because they are closed--as is the rest of Penny World because of, um...all the snow in the world being dumped on us!

 

**Always "he." We know very few local lady cigar smokers.

 

***We are horrible people. We know this. We know you love us anyway.

 

****Go to the right-hand side of the blog, scroll down, and click on Leaf. Then you'll see all the times we brought it up in casual conversation. Blogging conversation, that is. 

 

*****Hey! We said the name of the blog!

 

******Everything in the humidor is delicious, so the search isn't a difficult one.

"The play's the thing."* This Nat Sherman cigar is definitely the thing.

No one loves an extended metaphor more than me. And Nat Sherman's Vice President of Retail & Brand Development Michael Herklots's metaphor skills are so mad crazy good he should be over on Broadway writing rather than at the Nat Sherman townhouse on 42nd street being awesome.

Michael, center stage. (That's Jimmy on the left.)

During a cigar demonstration and tasting, he started by comparing the elements that make up a cigar to the characters that make up a story. So this tasting? We're learning about the characters that make whole the very-highly rated Epoca. In fact, it made the top 25 of many end-of-the-year roundups.

A bit of background: Epoca was, in fact, the first cigar of the Nat Sherman company sold when it acquired the Schwab Bros. and Baer in 1929.**

Earlier this year, the company announced plans to resurrect the cigar and now, here we are, lucky enough to enjoy the Dominican and Nicaraguan cigar. This blend was the focus of an informational demonstration and dinner sponsored by Mr. J's Havana and held at Millonzi's restaurant in West Warwick.

"The blend for Epoca is a tribute to the experience of what it was like to smoke premium cigars in the 1920s and ‘30s," said Michael Herklots, in an article in Cigar Aficionado. It's also a play on the Timeless blend that brought the Nat Sherman company back into the forefront of smokers' consciousness and then shot them straight into super success. There's another interesting article about the company's resurgence in the January/February 2015 edition of Cigar Aficionado. (It wasn't available online yet, when I last checked.)

And you know we are suckers for a pretty face and a cool story, so when Nat Sherman Northeast Representative Jimmy Shaffer showed us the box and explained how it is a near-perfect replication of the original box, and all the work that went into the recreation, we were sold, before aforementioned box was ever opened. Yes, we were charmed by the set dressing. So sue us.***

Before/Then

 

After/Now

At this demonstration and tasting, Michael started us out with the first character, the first element of what would eventually become the Epoca. This Dominican seco, by itself, was meh, both as a dry smoke and a smoking stick. We all agreed it was a little musty, kind of like grandma's basement, and hit one part of the tongue, although that location varied by person.

The second small stick, the second character in this play, was a Dominican ligero. Ligero by nature is the strongest of the leaf types, and a bit sweeter; this one, however, had some age on it, so it was a bit more mellow than we expected, based on the first. As a result, the flavor profile hit a different part of everyone's tongues, offering a different perspective to the plot.

Then we tried the third player, a Nicaraguan ligero, which had similar elements but was much stronger than the other ligero. Again, this one hit different elements on the tongue, just as a third character offers another layer to the play, which was an interesting turn of events.

Our hero smokes three at a time!

Then! Then Michael had everyone smoke the first and third samples. Funnest part of the evening? The comic relief? Watching everyone's faces as they hated the tastes in their mouths. "It tastes like shit, doesn't it?" he asked. Everyone nodded in agreement as they drank away the horror.

Then they smoked all three...

[source]

Ike Karipides, Director of Premium Cigars, and Jimmy handed us all one of the Epoca cigars. Everyone lit it up. "Tastes just like those," said Valentino, pointing to the three characters in the ashtray.

According to Michael, all three of those are well represented, but there is a heavier Nicaraguan influence in the Epoca because it has more filler than their 1930 cigar, which has a similar blend. In the Epoca, however, there is less emphasis on the Dominican ligero, which is used as the binder and a small percentage of the filler. 

 

"With the Epoca, the feel of its smoke is weighty. It has body. It's classified as full-bodied, but not strong," said Michael. It's not an ass-kicker, not strong.  It has well-balanced flavors, creamier and nuttier than the 1930, more cappuccino rather than the strength of espresso."

You guys. If you haven't tried the Epoca yet, you need to do it. If creaminess, nuttiness, cappuccino, and slight woodiness got together and started a band, this cigar would be The Beatles.

Or to complete the extended metaphor, this cigar would be The Glass Menagerie or Death of a Salesman, or A Doll's House--sure to be a classic, thanks, in part, to the master "playwright" Michael Herklots.

Michael shares his Epoca with Will

 

 *Hamlet:
I'll have grounds
More relative than this—the play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.
**There's an historical rumor that Nat Sherman won the business in a card game. We love a great backstory.

***Not really. Please don't.
 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious* MonteChristmaso!

Having something big and amazing to look forward to?
Super good. Especially when it's a Very Big Thing (VBT).

Having other things to look forward on the way to that bigger thing?
This:

We have something super big we're looking forward to at the end of the month--no, not Christmas. We'll tell you what at the end of the post. Don't read ahead!

That's the joy of December: parties galore! And more! Stuff to look forward to on the way to the VBT.

The first of these came yesterday--the end of the semester at one of the places I teach.**

Tonight, the second super fun thing we looked forward to for a couple of weeks: We're hanging with our friends at Broadway Cigars for some Christmas party action with a super-sized side of Montecristo event.

I took this picture all by myself!!

 

Valentino started the night with this baby, the Montecristo Espada. Speaking of things to look forward to, this stick of awesome will make its way into the rotation of frequently-smoked cigars.***  He is doing the social butterfly thing that he does so well (and, as we've discussed, I do so poorly--which is why I'm writing this while the party goes on around me), so I'm not getting a chance to fully enjoy the cigar.

But here's what I've picked up so far, as he makes his way back to me and drinks my Diet Coke. As an aside, it's a good thing 1. I love him**** and 2. He took Good Will away hunting***** for a week.

Will: You seem like a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.
Valentino: You seem like a decent fellow. I hate to die.
(I love The Princess Bride. Don't you?
Will does. Are you really going to cross an owl with a sword?)

Anyway, what I have loved about the Espada, released in July of this year, thus far: some spiciness, oak, and coffee, different flavors during different passes by. BUT! The underlying awesome through it all? Maple. I KNOW! I was like, um, did I drop some maple syrup on my shirt at breakfast this morning?****** But no! I mean, yes, but not this shirt, because I changed!

This might just be the first time I've come across that taste in all my second hand smoking. Or at least that I can remember. For what that's worth.

Anyway, Espada means "sword," which given the threat against Valentino's life by Will, is quite apropos.

According to Cigar Aficionado, "Montecristo Espada is described by Altadis as a spicy cigar that owes its strong, piquant character to a variety of growing regions in Nicaragua. Featuring a Cuban-seed Habano wrapper and binder from Jalapa, the cigar combines several different Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler from Jalapa, Ometepe and Condega."

I don't even have to remind you, although I will, about how much I love love love an interesting story. Here's one, from Cigars International: "The story of Montecristo Espada is seriously interesting. Not long ago, Montecristo and famed tobacco grower and cigar maker Nestor Plasencia struck a deal. This deal would gave Montecristo’s blending team, known as the ‘Grupo de Maestros,’ unrestricted access to Plasencia’s world-renowned library of tobaccos and state of the art factory. There, the Grupo de Maestro’s went to work, spending months creating the perfect blend. A blend that’s unlike any other Montecristo ever before. A Nicaraguan puro that’s overflowing with flavor. A cigar that’s as near perfect as they come. A cigar that’s easily fitting of the Montecristo name, but with a level of flavor that’s surprising and welcomed. In short, Montecristo Espada is exceptional."

The Counts of Montecristo:
Bobby Ianiero, Montecristo rep John Troiano, JV, and our hero.

Valentino doesn't know this, because he's off somewhere in this giant room, but I'm going to get additional Espadas so they can make it into full rotation. Shhh.

So super cool thing to look forward to, but then the thing always finishes and I'm a little bit sad. But again, thanks December, we have lots more fun stuff to do.  All working up to the VBT, which happens in 20 days!



*Yes, I checked the spelling. It had the red line under it. And then when I fixed the spelling, the red line went away! It's in the Word dictionary.  Somehow, my life feels a little more compete.

**Valentino hates when I say I teach. "You're a professor!" Urgh. Fine. At one of the places I profess.

***The list varies from time to time, but the always-seens include the Joel Sherman, Padron '64, and La Palina Goldie.

****Ewwww. Mushy, girly stuff!

*****Get it?

******This is not inconceivable.

[source]

The day Valentino's cigar life changed forever (with apologies to Dickens and A Christmas Carol)

Once upon a time, a man named Valentino happened into Mr. J's Havana Shop in West Warwick, RI. As usual, the proprietor greeted him warmly and they chatted about the Ghosts of Cigars Past and gazed at Cigars Future, which would be ghosts soon enough--just wisps of smoke, the unique perfume all that lingers, at least for a short time.

Like a kid in a candy store, Valentino chose his cigars carefully and deliberately.  And then Mark said, "I thought of you the minute this came in. You're going to love it."

And like Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of A Christmas Carol, the moment the flame touched the fundadores gordo (7.5 x 46), his life changed forever. There was love in his heart, hope in his soul, and brilliance in his brain. Oh, I'm just kidding. That stuff has always been there. But smoking the nearly-perfect Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary from the Nat Sherman company intensified everything, making his world a little brighter, a little better.

The beginning of a new beginning.

Or so rumour has it, for I did not partake of this Most Excellent Adventure.

When we met up at the end of the day, he sang the praises of this Dominican filler and binder, with the light Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, happily showing me the other two he'd purchased--and would probably never smoke. After all, this limited edition (2,500 boxes, ten in a box) would surely sell out quickly, so these would be saved for very, very, very special occasions.*

We've always** been fans of the Nat Sherman company; they exude class and maintain an amazing level of consistency in all aspects of the business. My introduction to all things Nat Sherman came in the form of a Mr. J's Havana cigar dinner, at which the amazing Michael Herklots introduced us to the fine details of blending and creating a cigar, as well as giving us a clear overview of the cigar industry. Oh, and provided us with delicious cigars, of course.

If we travel with the Ghost of Cigars Past, we'd see me, on that day, realizing a cigar really is more than a cigar--it's a community, a way of life, a way to connect with like-minded strangers, an industry composed of small and large businesses that care about their customers, an industry where you can share a drink and a laugh with those business owners.

Fast forward a bit and in July, I started to get excited about the Joel Sherman when the company released the info on the 75th Anniversary during ICPCA. I even told you all about it here!

Because he loved this so much, we took a trip back to West Warwick and purchased a box. That meant I would get to enjoy the cigar too.  And enjoy it I did. Valentino had earlier proclaimed it in his top three of all time. My turn had come (by way of second-hand-smoke) and I'd decide whether or not this was all hyperbole.***

It was not hyperbole. In fact, whatever the highest level of anti-hyperbole would be called, it was that.  He had earlier described it as the most amazing flavors, which didn't blend together like a rock band, creating one unified sound, but more individual tastes playing nicely together, side by side, some coming up for a brief solo and then receding, like an orchestra.

The "crest on the front of the box...was inspired
by a bass drum Sherman played when he was younger." [source]

According to HalfWheel, "The first third starts out with a great base of creamy peanuts, along with nice flavors of cedar, leather, white chocolate, earth and white pepper on the retrohale. A slight sweetness comes and goes, while there is a very distinct lemon peel note that starts about halfway through the first third and continues to grow stronger as the cigar burns."

I definitely noticed a creaminess throughout, but keeping track of each delicious smell and taste seemed almost impossible on this first go-round, especially since we sat on the porch and the wind stole away with the delicious flavors meant for me.****

 About the second third, Brooks Whittington of HalfWheel said, "An interesting buttery creaminess starts to invade the profile of the Nat Sherman product during the second third, combining nicely with a sweetness that tastes quite a bit like vanilla to me. Other flavors of peanuts, coffee, leather, earth and cocoa flit in and out, while the lemon peel tartness from the first third has actually receded quite a bit by the halfway point."

I couldn't believe we only had one spare before we'd have to open the box and I didn't want to negotiate what would constitute a very, very, very special event worthy of a Joel Sherman. So I went to a favorite online retailer and, using a 17% off coupon code, I purchased another box. Now we owned 2! [Added January 7, 2015. I think we have four and a half boxes now. Yay!]

Whittington takes on the final third of the 75th Anniversary, stating that it "continues the trend of evolving flavors with a hay note taking over dominance from the buttery creaminess that was in the second third. Leather, earth, chocolate, espresso and even a little cinnamon are all on display."

We've, of course, accidentally driven 40 minutes out of our way (a few times) since the initial Joel Sherman purchase and each time we do, another box sits on the counter of Mr. J's. And each time that happens, we pick up another one or two, because one day, they won't be there and we really will have to decide what constitutes a Very Special Occasion, one worthy of this cigar.

Yesterday, Valentino showed a true level of friendship. He gifted Cabellero #2 one of these precious sticks.

"Smokin a gift from my good buddy Caballero #1...a Nat Sherman ( Joel Sherman 75th),"
said Cabellero #2 on Facebook, when he posted this picture.

But given how happy it made our friend, I'm happy knowing it went to a good home.

"Ahhhhh..."

 And as the Ghost of Cigars Present, which has revealed itself in the form of the Joel Sherman 75th Anniversary, said, just a nub of its former self, "My time with you is at an end, Valentino. Will you profit from what I've shown you of the good in most men's hearts?"*****

Valentino burns his fingertips, unwilling to bid adieu to his new friend, but finally acquiescing. We retreat into the house, done for the day, as no other cigar can follow this one. "His own heart laughed; and that was quite enough for him."******





*I can't actually think of an event that would call for this kind of celebratory cigar.

**For the past few years anyway.

***Not that I was doubting him, but, you know, I just wanted to make sure.

****I shake my fist at you, Nature! I hope you enjoyed it!

*****This is where the apology to Dickens occurs.

******Here, too.

An Anatomy Lesson

Say you took a cigar apart--although the rest of us would be standing over you, saying, "What exactly do you think you're doing?" But anyway, say you had a cigar, and you decided to take it apart because you just HAD to see how it was made.

Let me just tell you, and that will keep us all from mourning the loss of a perfectly good cigar, okay? Okay!

[source]

Here's another view:

[source]

If you want to sound super fancy at your next cocktail party, you can let some of this info slip (as long as the group is talking about cigars; don't be socially awkward like me and just spit out random facts):

Wrappers determine a lot of the cigar's flavor and character and folks general describe the cigar by the color of the wrapper. One major MAJOR misconception about cigars is that the darker the cigar, the stronger the cigar. No, no, no. Don't judge the book by the cover. (Unless you're judging my books; they have great covers--they have great innerds.)

Binders are wrappers that are rejected because they just aren't good enough. Kind of like that cozy t-shirt you put on but then have to cover with a nicer shirt. Poor cozy t-shirt. Poor binder, the leaves of which are elasticy (elasticish?) because they need to hold everything (the filler) together. Like Spanx.*

Filler/Blend are the innerds that determine how strong the cigar will be. There's much more to it than this, but let's start with the basics, okay? (Remember: Cocktail party fodder for now.) When I was first learning about this, from the great Michael Herklotz of Nat Sherman, my head was spinning from all the info. (I swear it had nothing to do with the sangria.)

• Volado--Taken from the bottom of the plant, with minimum flavor
• Seco--Taken from the middle of the plant, with light flavor
• Ligero--Taken from the upper leaves exposed to the most sunlight, the fullest flavor and strength.

Stay tuned for more necessary filler info among other awesome stuff (not filler filler, although that is funny to say). Search the Cigars 101 tag if you're all about the learning.


*(For all the men who have unexpectedly encountered Spanx during activities and are shaking their heads: We're sorry, but sometimes we need to hold everything together, just like the binder contains the filler. it's not sexy, but necessary. Does that help ease the horror?)

Some Supercool Nat Sherman News!

Nat Sherman Cigar For Company CEO 

by David Savona

From Cigar Aficionado website, July 7, 2014

The newest cigar from Nat Sherman is being named after its chief executive. The Joel Sherman 75th Celebration is a limited-edition Nat Sherman cigar made for the son of the company founder, who began working at his father Nat's New York City store 54 years ago, when he was 21 years old.

The cigars come in an unusual shape, 7 1/2 inches long with a ring gauge of 46, making them longer and slimmer than standard production Churchills, and shorter and slimmer than double coronas.

The company is making 2,500 boxes, each containing 10 cigars. The smokes will retail for $19.00 per cigar.

The cigar is made from a blend of Dominican filler and binder tobaccos, wrapped in a leaf grown in Ecuador from Connecticut seeds. The cigars are made at Quesada Cigars, which makes several of Nat Sherman's blends.

The Joel Sherman 75th Celebration will make their debut in less than two weeks at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in Las Vegas, and will go on sale in August 2014.

Holy smokes, you guys! I can't wait for this!!

::checks watch and taps toes, waiting for the release::