First we want to thank everyone who attended our very first Cigar Tasting on April 11, 2012. It proved to be a great time and we were, how should we say this, overwhelmed by your response. Our AVO “super rep” Dan Burris also sends his sincere “thanks” as well. It was a great evening and given the response we had will not be our last tasting by any means. Be sure to look at future newsletter issues for all upcoming events and details.

As usual, we have lots of news to share with you along with our usual features. Keep in mind that this is YOUR newsletter, so give us some suggestions of things you would like to see us include. We’ll do our best to accommodate requests.

WATCH the KENTUCKY DERBY WITH US – SATURDAY – MAY 5, 2012 – Two quick thoughts here: First, Plan on stopping in for the Derby. We have our 60″ HD Big Screen TV ready and promise plenty of good smokes as well as lots of fun and camaraderie with fellow cigar enthusiasts. Shoot, we may even have some “Derby Only” Specials for you Derby Saturday. Second, if you are actually going to the Derby or a Derby Party DON’T FORGET CIGARS! Come by the store this week and stock up and if you need a “special stick” or two just ask one of our Cigar Specialists such as Sean, Daniel, Jarrod, Todd, Jason, or Tom for some suggestions. We can point you in the right direction and can even recommend some mint and/or bourbon flavored sticks to go with those mint juleps.

SAN LOTANO EVENT THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012 – Just so we keep everybody up to date on upcoming events please take a minute to mark your calendars for Thursday Night, June 28, 2012 from 5 PM till 9 PM We will be having a San Lotano Cigar Event that promises to be a real kick. We’ll get you more details between now and then, but know that we will be having complimentary beer and wine and some great snacks and a few other surprises. This is the Thursday before the 4th of July, which is Wednesday the following week, so it will be a great way to kick off vacation if you’re planning on taking the next week off. If not, hey, it will just be a great time!

2013 RIVER CITY BIG SMOKE DATES SET – Mark your calendars early. Very early. The 2013 River City Big Smoke will be held on April 6, 2013 at The Event Gallery at 956 Parrett Street, Evansville, Indiana. Yep, we’re doing it again, only this time Much Bigger and Much Better! Your response has be overwhelmingly positive and the most common comment has been, “Please do this again.” Well, consider your request granted for 2013. We plan on having more Cigar tables, more free cigars, and a great time. The format will be the same with a few “additional” surprises. In the next few months we will be deciding on a charity to donate all profits to. In the meantime we will be working with many of our cigar suppliers to make sure they’re on board for 2013. We have lots of ideas we think will make the next River City Big Smoke even more successful than our first event. This is the date of the Final Four Saturday night games and, as we did this year we will have the 12 ft big screen TV tuned in all during the event. More news to follow in the months to come…..

GENUINE PANADOR PANAMA HATS – It’s all about attitude. And that’s a good thing. Our Panador Panama Hat’s say something about you. And your attitude. Elegant. Classic. Self assured. The Official Hat of the Kentucky Derby. Cigar celebrities such as Carlos Fuente, Litto Gomez, etc. all wear this very same hat made by Panador. Those of you who attended the River City Big Smoke saw these great hats. They’re genuine “Panama” hats, which, by the way, are all made in Ecuador and individually Hand Made by artisans. Same country that makes some of the world’s best cigar wrapper tobacco. If you like cigars then there is simply no way that you shouldn’t have one of these. We have 6 models and several color variations, even pink for the ladies. These are just the best of the best. Cigars and Panama hats go together like bacon and eggs, steak and potatoes, Scotch and ice, well, you get the idea. No machines used here. Best of all, these hats are cool and light and even someone like me, who really isn’t a “hat guy” will enjoy wearing one of these. Prices are so reasonable starting at $95 and going up to $425 for the crème del la crème Montecristo. All sizes and models are in stock, so stop by and try one on. We guarantee you that you’ll look great in one of these. And if you’re a golfer, there is nothing more comfortable and fashionable than one of these beautiful fedoras!

ROOM 101 ONE-SHOT, ONE-KILL (OSAK) BACK IN STOCK – These came in and these went out. Almost the same day! With a tremendous amount of help from out “best-of-the-best rep, Dan Burris, we now have a great supply of these very limited cigars back in stock in all three sizes – All Figurado’s – the Filero is 4 1/2 X 42/52, the Trucha is 6 1/2 X 30/50, and the Chingon is 8 X 44/60. All are fantastic cigars with beautiful construction, extreme complexity, and absolutely perfect burn. There are only 2,500 boxes available here in the USA and for now we have about 15 boxes in stock. These are cigars we can’t say enough good about, so seriously consider giving these a try.

CROWNED HEADS FOUR KICKS NEWEST DEALER – Sometime you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you. We finally ate the bear in this case! After pleading and yes, begging, we have finally been set up as a Crowned Heads dealer. One of less than 40 nationwide. Why did we try so hard? Well, these are just fantastic sticks and remind us of Cubans in every way. Every inch they change and are just great tasting sticks from the initial light to the finger-burning end. These are medium cigars but probably one of the most amazingly complex smokes we’ve ever had for a medium bodied cigar. Just 4 sizes and at a price point that will make even the most ‘conservative” cigar smoker smile.

NEW MICROFIBER CIGAR! CIGAR! GOLF SHIRTS – Our guys just LOVE these new shirts! Black and orange they really stand out with our Cigar! Cigar! logo. Made by Holloway, these shirts are cool and really comfortable as well as good looking. Sizes are Medium, Large, Extra Large, and XXL. Prices are $49.95 for M, L, and XL and $54.95 for XXL. Come in and take a look at these great three button polo’s and we’re betting you’ll want one. They’re that good looking!

5 PACK SAMPLERS ARE HERE – Be sure to stop in the store during May. Store Manager Jason Bean is putting together some awesome “Sampler 5 Packs” that we are sure you will want to try. We started this by doing “The BEST of Nicaragua” Sampler Pack and have lots more great packs in the works. Each 5-Pack carries a special price and is a great way to expand your cigar experience and try some different sticks that our staff think are some of the best. Be sure to stop by the store for Jason’s latest assortment.

CIGAR RELATED PICTURES – FINALLY, someone sent us a cigar picture which we have featured at the top. But we know THERE ARE LOTS MORE OUT THERE, so please, please email them to us. Our local Evansville Living Magazine always has pictures of folks holding the magazine in locales (or situations) that are “interesting”. Now we know you have some pictures like this with cigars, so please email them to me at tashby@cigarcigar.us along with a short explanation and we’ll do our best to include them in the next issue.

Again, we thank all of you for your friendship and patronage. We hope to see you in the shop very soon.

Long ashes to all,

Tom Ashby

PINAR del RIO SMALL BATCH RESERVE – We’ve been waiting for these for about 5 months and they are finally here. Available in 3 sizes – Robusto (5 X 52), Toro (6 X 54), and Torpedo (6 1/2 X 52 – and either a Habano wrapper or Maduro wrapper these sticks are an absolute work of art. The construction is magnificent! The Habano we rate as a medium and the Maduro a medium full. But the best news is just how damn good these sticks are. And the price. You won’t find this good of a cigar at such reasonable prices, which range from $7.95 to $8.90 a stick. Folks, this is a “gotta’ get some” cigar!

TATUAJE LIMITED EDITION COJONU 2012 – Oh, how nice these sticks are! Each box of 24 has 12 Sumatra wrapper sticks and 12 Broadleaf Maduro wrapper sticks. And like previous Tatuaje limited edition release cigars these have tremendous aging potential if you have the patience (and will power) to put them back for a few years. But, they are smoking great now and we seriously doubt most of you will want to wait. They’re that good now. These are Toro’s (6 1/2 X 52) and the price is fairly steep at $14.60 a stick, but once you try these you will surely say, “a great smoke at a very fair price”.

CROWNED HEADS FOUR KICKS CIGARS – If you knew how much work it took for Cigar! Cigar! to get this line you’d snatch these cigars up immediately. There are less than 50 dealer nationwide and for all practical purposes all Four Kicks cigars are very limited. That’s why there are only a few dealers. But, boy oh boy, are these wonderful cigars! They’re medium smokes are very, very close to a good Cuban stick in flavor, construction, and burn. Very complex with so much going on you’ll want to smoke several just to take in all that’s going on. There are four sizes – Corona Gorda (5 5/8 X 46), Piramide (6 1/8 X 52), Robusto (5 X 50), and Sublime – think big Toro (6 X 54). All come in boxes of 24. Prices range from $7.80 to $9.70 and so worth the price!

ORTEGA SERIES “D” NUMBER 7′s and 12′s – We introduced the Ortega cigars last month and have added the last two sizes this month. Full bodied cigars with San Andres (Mexico) Maduro wrappers, these sticks are yummy if you like a full cigar. The Number 7 is 5 X 46 and the Number 12 is 5 X 52. prices are $7.35 and $7.95 respectively. Well made, lots of smoke and lots of flavor. This is definitely a “keep away from children” cigar!

CAMACHO ROOM 101 ONE SHOT, ONE KILL (OSAK) TRUCHA – When we got in the original shipment of these once-a-year-release cigars we were disappointed that this middle size was back ordered. Actually a little pissed-off is a better way of putting it. But thanks to our very persistent and very helpful (and excellent) Davidoff sales rep, Dan Burris, we now have not only this size, but a great inventory of all 3 sizes of OSAK’s (back) in stock. The Trucha is a figurado, size is 6 1/2 X 50. For those of you who haven’t tried these sticks you need to do so. Fabulous complexity in a medium full stick with so much going on it will take a score card to keep score of how these sticks smoke. Price of the Trucha is $11.25 and all three sizes come in beautiful lacquered boxes of 10. Only 5,000 boxes were made, with only 2,500 boxes for the USA. Get ‘em while you can!

ARTURO FUENTE DON CARLOS PRESIDENTE – Most of you know that the Fuente Don Carlos cigars are fabulous Dominican cigars with oodles and oodles of complexity and flavor. The Presidente is the largest stick in this series at 6 1/2 X 50 and is a big Belicoso. This is a medium full to full stick and for those of you who love Dominican cigars this is about as good as it gets. Construction, burn, and flavor are absolutely second to none. Price is $13.65 and they come in boxes of 25.

CAMACHO ROOM 101 SAN ANDRES – Here’s another new series of cigar from Camacho’s Room 101 Matt Booth that has just been released. These marvelous sticks have the Mexican San Andres wrappers and a new filler mix that makes these so-well-made-sticks simply yummy. Yummy if you are a medium to medium full cigar smoker that is. There a 5 sizes from the 4 X 42 Papi Chulo to the monster 6 x 60 number 808. And the best part? The prices. You can get into one of these great smokes from a cheap $5.65 to a maximum investment of $8.50 Box size is 25 except for the Papi Chulo, which is 50 pcs. These are cigars you really need to try out!

EMILIO CIGARS – Just in time for this month’s newsletter are the Emilio cigars. This is another boutique cigar brand, this timer made by none other than Ernesto Carrillo (EPC and formerly La Gloria Cubana cigars). We have two series: the AF1 and the AF2. Both only in toro’s which are sized as 6 X 50 sticks. The AF1 has a dark Nicaraguan maduro wrapper and the AF2 an Ecuador Habano Oscuro which, oddly enough, is lighter than the Nicaraguan Maduro. Both are minimally medium full cigars and have tons of complexity and flavor. A really inexpensive test ride at $7.80 a stick!

Right now we have a great stock of these sticks, so take advantage of this monthly special give My Father Cigars a try. You definitely will not be disappointed!

Best of all, this is a San Lotano Cigar Event. And San Lotano Cigars are absolutely some of our all time favorites. These sticks are so well made by A. J. Fernandez and come in a variety of sizes and strengths that we know will appeal to almost everyone. They have just tons of flavor and are really one of the best brands currently available anywhere.

We will have Scott, our San Lotano factory representative, here for this event and he promises that he will make this event “worth your while” with some great door prizes as well as some great deals on these awesome smokes.

Since that Thursday is just before the upcoming 4th of July which this year is in the middle of the following week (Wednesday), what better time to stock up on “vacation cigars” if you’ll be heading out the following week? We’ll see you all then if not before!

Our April Locker cigar is the San Lotano Habano Toro. One word description: Y-U-M-M-Y! A medium bodied cigar that is just so damn well made that it is almost a crime to burn one of these babies up. Absolutely beautiful in construction, but about as complex as you will find for a cigar with this lighter strength. This is easily a morning cigar, but also is so satisfying even after a big “beefy” dinner. The filler in this stick is Nicaragua and Honduras, the binder is Nicaragua, and the wrapper is Brazil Habano. Price for these fabulous sticks is $7.90 a stick.

We still have lockers available, so if you need a humidity and temperature controlled place to store your cigars please keep our lockers in mind. It’s handy, safe, and so damn convenient!