Cigar Weekly

 

"My grandfather emigrated from the Ukraine in 1897, and found his way to Chicago. As a young man he found work in a cigar factory as the 'lector'. You know, they were some of the most educated people at that time, because not only could they read (they read aloud to the cigar rollers), but they read the newspapers and they read the classics of literature then."

 

"Eventually, he learned the business, and worked his way from the lector to roller, then blender, and eventually, he became the owner of a factory! By 1910, his factory was one of the top three or four in the entire United States. He opened a factory in Philadelphia during this time, as well. It was here that the La Palina brand was created. It was an old Cuban brand, made with Cuban tobacco."

 

"My father, in the meantime, went to work in the factory after finishing school. By 1920, my grandfather was comfortable enough to leave my father in charge, and took an extended trip to Europe. While he was away, William Paley Sr. decided to advertise his cigar business on the airwaves of the nascent American broadcast industry. Since all radio was live, Paley Sr. went in the studio to do ads. He ended up befriending the on-air personalities, and even developed shows around the cigar business."

 

"My grandfather returned and found out my father had done this, and he was infuriated! ‘You spent $250? ON RADIO? We don’t need radio.’ Interestingly, the campaign was successful in more ways than one. The cigars were selling! My father, though,  was taken with radio, so he cashed out his share of La Palina and bought six radio stations. He turned them into a network called United Independent Broadcasters. In later years, he changed the name to Columbia Broadcast Systems (CBS.) One of America’s Big-3 broadcast networks, to this day, began in a cigar factory."

 

    Says William Paley Jr., "This effort to relaunch our brand is an opportunity to go back to our real roots - American immigrants coming to this country to make their way through hard work." The La Palina brand is slated to make its return to the cigar shops of America sometime in the spring of 2010. From Paley’s postings on Facebook, at least, there appear to be prototypes out there being evaluated by tobacconists, although CW hasn't yet had the chance to try one. The blend is not settled just yet, and current plans call for small production runs, by Graycliff, to be distributed to the top stores in the United States. La Palina will be available to 'brick-and-mortar' shops only.

                                        William Paley of La Palina

Since collaboration is a key theme of this article, it's worth noting that the La Palina will be rolled in Nassau, The Bahamas by the aforementioned Graycliff. The ever-interesting Paley said that Graycliff is "really like the family business - the same as me and my wife." It’s also historical and an acknowledgement of the "Great American Contribution - tobacco. Even addiction counselors will say that cigars are a great addition to life."

Collaborators? 

     Does intra-family cooperation count? It may depend upon who you ask. But a few personalities and companies have forged working relationships over the past few years or so that are bearing quite tasty fruit this year. Say the name 'Don Pepin' to a group of avid cigar smokers, and the reward will inevitably be a stimulating conversation and a long list of cigar brands from any number of manufacturers. These include the Levins’ Ashton brand’s Aroma de Cuba and San Cristobal, as well as their Old Henry brand, E&O’s 601, Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje, and many others.

    What about collaborations within the García family itself? Do they count? The My Father brand represents just such a collaboration. Don José 'Pepín' Garcia told CW that the entire effort was done 'in house', but by different members of the family. The new release for 2009 is the My Father 1922 Le Bijou. "It’s my best ever. Best ever," Don Pepín told CW. "It has a new wrapper and a stronger blend, with a Habano Oscuro capa around three different sizes - namely a toro, Churchill, and petit robusto. The band and packaging were designed by my nephew Alcides Montenegro." The 1922 is in reference to the birth date of José 'Pepe' Garcia, and the namesake of the brand 'My Father'.

     Also collaborating with the Garcia family is Forcade Cigars. A small company located in Miami, Forcade makes one brand of cigar, 'La Giralda', in two lines - Medium and Maduro. Each line is available in five sizes. The Medium is wrapped in an Ecuadoran Habano leaf, while the Maduro is cradled in Connecticut Broadleaf. They’re blended by Don Pepin Garcia and his son Jaime Garcia, who states, "The blend is entirely diverse. It is filled with flavor, richness and strength."

                             Jaime García and Christrian Forcade

     Cuban Crafters is also getting more involved with other ventures. As mentioned in other articles, Don Kiki Berger has entered into the joint venture Berger & Argenti with Michael and Albert Argenti, formerly of their own Cuban Imports, Inc. The new Berger & Argenti brand has two lines - the Clasico and the Entubar. 

     However, this is not Cuban Crafters’ only outside venture, In Dispatches from the IPCPR #3, when discussing the copyright issues involving Guantanamera, it was stated by their counsel, Frank Herrera of Cigar Law, that their 310 cigar brand is made for them and president José Montagne by Cuban Crafters. 

     The 310 sports a Desflorado wrapper leaf, which is picked off the top or corona (crown) of the tobacco plant just as the flowers are beginning to bud, yielding a "rich, smooth taste." Cuban Crafters describes the 310 as "medium to full body. The elegant taste starts at medium body with, vanilla, mild spices, toasted almonds and cedar. It then develops and builds to full body with anisette and floral undertones, and white pepper breezes. The finish is complex as the woody and earthy notes add to the taste."

     Frank Herrera (pictured above, with the folks from Guantanamera), the aforementioned legal counsel to Guantanamera as well as legal research and blog publisher of Cigar Law, also has his own brand of cigar from the Cuban Crafters family. His new brand, La Caridad del Cobre, evokes the name under which the Cubans venerate the Blessed Mother. HIS cigar is blended by master blender Manuel Medina, famous for his Cuban Crafters Miami Cigars-Medina 1959. In fact, Herrera says the blends are quite close, but not exactly the same. Like Guantanamera, only in business twelve years, Herrera wants to start small, and will offer La Caridad del Cobre in only three sizes. CW was able to smoke a La Caridad del Cobre, finding it to be a fine, smooth cigar, consistent with the other good things coming from Don Kiki’s Tabacalera Estelí.

La Caridad del Cobre Belicoso with Frank Herrera's father's Cuban passport.

     Alec Bradley Cigars has been a very active player these last few months, releasing new lines, which have been acclaimed. These include the Vice Press and the SCR. The company is also rolling cigars for Joseph Gannascoli, the actor most noted for his role as Vito on HBO’s The Sopranos. Gannascoli is testing the waters with his own brand of cigars. In talking to Alec Bradley’s George Sosa, CW learned that Gannascoli’s 'Cugine' (Cousin) was "quite well receieved" during the IPCPR show.

George Sosa

     In conversation with Joseph Gannascoli, he said, "Alan Rubin is making the cigar, and I’m very happy with the relationship. [Alec Bradley] is a first class operation. As for the Cugine, the Natural line is made in Nicaragua, and the full [bodied blend] is from Honduras. I’ve cooperated on the blends." From information provided by Joseph Gannascoli (he didn’t have information when we visited, but provided it especially for CW the next day), the Cugine Honduras [is] "a robust, full flavored cigar combining select aged Honduran Criollo 1998 and Nicaraguan Corojo 1999 long fillers and a semi-sweet Honduran Trojes viso wrapper. It provides heavy notes of toasted cedar and oak with subtle hints of toffee and espresso on the finish."

 

     "The Cugine Nicaragua [is] a complex, medium bodied cigar blending Dominican, Nicraguan and Costa Rican long fillers finished with a smooth Nicaraguan Rosado Oscuro wrapper. Tastings have discerned notes of caramel and sweet cream throughout with hints of coffee and cedar on the finish."

 

    Gannascoli mentioned, too, that the cigar was doing well at the IPCPR show with retailers. "[We’re] booking events, and doing better than expected." Asked where interest in Cugine was coming from, Gannascoli responded, "Chicago is taking to the cigar."

                                Joseph Gannascoli and his Cugine