vudu9
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2006
- Messages
- 230
Hello All!
Just back from about two weeks of travel. Saw a few botl's at the BSLV - good to hang and shoot the shit while smoking great cigars.
I've been in Nicaragua and Honduras all last week both out in the barns and in the factory. Half of the time was spent smoking and validating various components i.e. viso, seco, ligero etc., for use in illusione and Cruzado production for 2009. I'm very fortunate in that I'm able to venture out into the barns in the regions where these pilones are kept. Usually in our crew is the Factory owner, Jacinto, an agronomist from Aganorsa, Arsenio Ramos, who is a master farmer and the person credited for showing Cuba how to properly do maduro fermentation. The Cohiba maduro coverleaf?, yeah - that's Arsenio. Also along was Paul Palmer, President of Casa Fernandez. It's great to really get out there and actually be a part of the selection process. It is a rarity and an honor for any brand owner to be involved at this level of selection. It is also where you can literally select the best of the best before anyone else has a chance to get their grubby little paws on it before it goes to Pre industirias for sale. For the most part, Factory owners and clients go to Pre-industira for tobacco selection. This is like a tobacco market of sorts for leaf buyers of all sorts.
The second half of the trip was spent in Honduras at the Factory. I needed to tend to some issues with production. I've been seeing batches of Cruzado coming in a little on the dark side....too dark. No biggie, we sorted that right out. I also worked on some cigars, possibly something for IPCPR next year in New Orleans. Nothing's written in stone yet. I can tell you that the blend is friggin' killer and the sizes are the following;
46 x 6
40 x 5 3/4
44 x 4 1/2
48 x 5 1/4
Yep, that's right - no great big Donkey Di*k cigars in this line-up either!
Boy oh boy - there sure are alot more people in the factory having cigars made than there was a year ago! For the most part, I don't pay attention. I just keep my head down and stay 3 steps ahead of the rest, just like my bro over there in JPG's house. Speaking of houses. I got invited over to Jonathan Drew's place in Nicaragua. HOLY F****NG $H!T !!!!!! INCREDIBLE !!! He just finished the bunk house, deck area and pool for his Cigar Safari's and it's like a cross between Pablo Escobar's compound and the Vatican. For reals. It's backed up to the best view in Esteli overlooking rolling meadows, trees and a large river that runs through it all. Adjacent to it is the new factory. We had a great dinner prepared by one of JD's chefs and got drunk on rum and smoked lots of cigars (mine of course), talked a lot of shit, dissagreed on a few things but agreed on most. Jonathan's a very gracious host and has tons of knowledge about tobacco and is extremely passsionate about the cigar culture. I was also very humbled at just how much he knew of me and my cigars without any real formal conversation beforehand. It was a very prosperous and eventful trip. I'll keep you guys up to date as more info comes along.
Later -
Dion Giolito
illusione cigars
Just back from about two weeks of travel. Saw a few botl's at the BSLV - good to hang and shoot the shit while smoking great cigars.
I've been in Nicaragua and Honduras all last week both out in the barns and in the factory. Half of the time was spent smoking and validating various components i.e. viso, seco, ligero etc., for use in illusione and Cruzado production for 2009. I'm very fortunate in that I'm able to venture out into the barns in the regions where these pilones are kept. Usually in our crew is the Factory owner, Jacinto, an agronomist from Aganorsa, Arsenio Ramos, who is a master farmer and the person credited for showing Cuba how to properly do maduro fermentation. The Cohiba maduro coverleaf?, yeah - that's Arsenio. Also along was Paul Palmer, President of Casa Fernandez. It's great to really get out there and actually be a part of the selection process. It is a rarity and an honor for any brand owner to be involved at this level of selection. It is also where you can literally select the best of the best before anyone else has a chance to get their grubby little paws on it before it goes to Pre industirias for sale. For the most part, Factory owners and clients go to Pre-industira for tobacco selection. This is like a tobacco market of sorts for leaf buyers of all sorts.
The second half of the trip was spent in Honduras at the Factory. I needed to tend to some issues with production. I've been seeing batches of Cruzado coming in a little on the dark side....too dark. No biggie, we sorted that right out. I also worked on some cigars, possibly something for IPCPR next year in New Orleans. Nothing's written in stone yet. I can tell you that the blend is friggin' killer and the sizes are the following;
46 x 6
40 x 5 3/4
44 x 4 1/2
48 x 5 1/4
Yep, that's right - no great big Donkey Di*k cigars in this line-up either!
Boy oh boy - there sure are alot more people in the factory having cigars made than there was a year ago! For the most part, I don't pay attention. I just keep my head down and stay 3 steps ahead of the rest, just like my bro over there in JPG's house. Speaking of houses. I got invited over to Jonathan Drew's place in Nicaragua. HOLY F****NG $H!T !!!!!! INCREDIBLE !!! He just finished the bunk house, deck area and pool for his Cigar Safari's and it's like a cross between Pablo Escobar's compound and the Vatican. For reals. It's backed up to the best view in Esteli overlooking rolling meadows, trees and a large river that runs through it all. Adjacent to it is the new factory. We had a great dinner prepared by one of JD's chefs and got drunk on rum and smoked lots of cigars (mine of course), talked a lot of shit, dissagreed on a few things but agreed on most. Jonathan's a very gracious host and has tons of knowledge about tobacco and is extremely passsionate about the cigar culture. I was also very humbled at just how much he knew of me and my cigars without any real formal conversation beforehand. It was a very prosperous and eventful trip. I'll keep you guys up to date as more info comes along.
Later -
Dion Giolito
illusione cigars
