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| Events |
On March 10, 2007, The First “High Smoke” Armenian International Cigar Fest took place in Yerevan, Armenia hosted by Golden Tulip Yerevan Hotel. The event was organized by Armenian Cigar Association and was ranked international. Fest’s guests included representatives of Armenian government, Armenian celebrities, as well as guests from USA, Dominican Republic, Russia, Georgia, Latvia and other countries.
Armenian Cigar Association awarded prizes for the following nominations: The Best Cuban Cigar 2006 awarded to Cohiba Robusto, ArsOil Ltd, The Best Dominican Cigar 2006 awarded to PG 15th Anniversary, Capital Group Ltd, The Best Cigar Club 2006 awarded to “Smoking” Cigar Club, Cigar Aficionado 2006 awarded to Gagik Beglarian, Governor of Central District of Yerevan, The Best Cigar Smoker 2006 awarded to Khachatour Sukiasian, Member of Parliament.
During the Fest, various brands of cigars and the best collection of Armenian brandies and famous cigar-companionable drinks, provided by the exclusive sponsor of the Fest Yerevan Brandy Company, were complimentary offered to the guests. The Fest program also included a show performance of Latin American and Caribbean dances, jazz, Flamenco guitar, fashion show, classic music, and more. The last accord of the Fest was the one and a half meter long “Cigar-cake” served to the guests in honor of award winners.
Известно, что культура потребления сигар в мире имеет многолетнюю историю.
Время от времени, в различных странах организовываются сигарные дегустации и фестивали, где знатоки сигар (афисионадо) дегустируют сигары, делятся впечатлениями, идеями по представленой продукции, разрабатывают удачные сочетания сигар с различными спиртными напитками, или просто общаются.
В Армении же эта культура появилась сравнительно недавно.
Огромную роль в этом деле сыграло создание основными импортерами сигар в Армении Армянской Сигарной Ассоциации, которая, несмотря на свое недолгую историю, уже успела спланировать и успешно претворить в жизнь несколько “сигарных” проектов.
Крупнейшим из них стал Первый международный сигарный фестиваль “High Smoke”, который состоялся вечером 10-ого марта в летнем саду гостиницы Голден Тюлип Ереван.
Подобные мероприятия зарубежом вообще-то принято называть «Big Smoke», однако название “High Smokе” не только более точно передало изначальный замысел организаторов, но и царящую на фестивале атмосферу и, конечно же, состав приглашенных гостей.
В этот вечер сигара обьединила известных армянских представителей деловых кругов и шоу-бизнеса, политиков и дипломатов, представителей крупнейших компаний, известных и признанных афисионадо и просто любителей сигар.
К тому же, кроме гостей из самой Армении, присутствовали также знатоки и любители сигар из России, Грузии, Латвии, Доминиканской Республики и из США.
Спешим рассказать, что со стороны Армянской Сигарной Ассациации на мероприятии для дегустации были представлены сигары Vegas Robaina (Куба), PG (Paul Garmiryan, Доминиканская Республика) и CAO (Никарагуа).
Ну и какая же дегустация сигар без спиртных напитков!
В этот вечер спиртным высоких гостей угощал эксклюзивный спонсор фестиваля – Ереванский коньячный завод, который является членом французской группы Перно Рикар (Pernod Ricard) – одного из лидеров по обьемам производства и продажи алкогольной продукции в мире!
Усилиями Ассоциации и специалистов Ереванского коньячного завода были получены удивительные сочетания алкогольных напитков с дегустируемыми сигарами. К примеру, к кубинской сигаре Vegas Robaina специалистами был предложен знаменитый кубинский ром Гавана Клуб семилетней выдержки (Havana Club), а к известнейшей доминиканской сигаре PG – знаменитый армянский коньяк Наири. Рекомендовалось также сочетание сигар с известнейшим шотландским виски Чивас Ригал двенадцатилетней выдержки (Chivas Regal 12).
А те гости, которые по той или иной причине воздержались от употребления крепкого алкоголя, смогли насладиться изумительными коктейлями на основе армянского коньяка Ани, которыми в тот вечер угощал Ереванского коньячный завод.
Exclusive sponsor - Yerevan Brandy Company
for detailed info please contact at: fest@armcigar.org
or call: +374 10 56 37 16
| Puros Indios Cigars Regains Distribution Rights to Cuba Aliados Brand |
“When my grandfather, Rolando Reyes, Sr., escaped Castro’s regime and arrived in the United States in 1972, one of the the few possessions he brought with him was the ‘Cuba Aliados’ trademark,” reports Carlos Diez, Vice President of Puros Indios Cigars. “Now, after decades, our family has regained distribution rights to the Cuba Aliados brand name, which translates to ‘Unified Cuba.’”
“Don Rolando” the founder and patriarch of Puros Indios, operates the factory full-time in Danli, Honduras. He celebrates his 80th birthday this December XX, and Diez says, “This is a gift not only for him, but for our entire family.” The recent RTDA 2004 trade show saw many industry friends and long-time retailers honoring Don Rolando during the 3-day celebration in the Puros Indios booth.
Reyes, Sr., acquired the Cuba Aliados brand name from the widow of the original company’s owner in Havana. Don Rolando, then an teenaged employee, stayed on and ran the company for her and her young children, gratis. In gratitude, and in lieu of wages, she gave him the trademark rights. Upon his arrival in America, Reyes, Sr., began rolling Cuba Aliados cigars in his Union City, New Jersey, home. The success of the brand prompted him to open factories in New Jersey and Miami, before moving operations to Honduras in 1989.
In the 1980s, Reyes, Sr., entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with the world’s largest cigar purveyor Lew Rothman, whose JR Cigars, until its recent termination by mutual agreement between the parties. According to Diez, “Lew did wonders with the Cuba Aliados over the years. We are more than grateful for the job he did for us, and are continuing to work with him on other projects.”
Interestingly, Puros Indios Cigars, founded by Don Rolando in 1995, did not exist at the time JR Cigar obtained the distribution rights, so this is a new departure for the family-owned company and its employees, who are more than excited to have regained the Cuba Aliados name. States Diez, “There are no limits to what we can do with this brand, now that it is in-house. I’ve never had the chance to distribute Cuba Aliados cigars, and this is a personal reward for me.”
The blend, which is a very closely-held secret, is the original blend used by Reyes, Sr., when he manufactured Cuba Aliados in New Jersey, Miami & in the old Honduran factory, before the cigar boom of the ‘90s. Puros Indios will begin offering the Cuba Aliados line in 14 sizes and 4 different wrapper shades.
| C.A.O. Acquired by European Cigarmaker Henri Wintermans |
C.A.O. International Inc., the boutique cigarmaker known for its innovative marketing and use of creative cigar tobacco in its blends, has been acquired by Henri Wintermans Cigars. Wintermans, which is based in Holland, is a unit of ST Cigar Group Holdings Inc., one of the word's largest cigar producers. The European company makes miniature cigars by machine, and its leading brands include Café Crème, Henri Wintermans and Nobel Petit.
The price was not disclosed.
ST Cigar Group, according to the company, makes 1.3 billion cigars a year. Wintermans claims the No. 3 spot in the cigar world, behind Altadis and Swedish Match, and has annual revenues of $350 million. The company was founded in 1904 by Henri Wintermans and his brother, Sjaak, and today it makes cigars in Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium.
| Armenia Importing Dominican Produced Cigars |
In May, the first shipment of cigars trademarked "Yerevancigar" made in a Dominican cigar factory will be imported into Armenia. Made at Tabacalera la Flor de Santo Domingo, owned by Omar Kanajian, they are produced using high quality local tobacco as well as raw materials from Cuba and Nicaragua. According to Kanajian, Armenia does not have the climatic or natural conditions favourable for growing the raw materials needed to produce cigars. The plant produces 300 cigars a day and they have also presented four other brands to the Armenian consumer at an international cigar festival recently held for the first time in Yerevan and are awaiting reaction. The Armenian Cigar Association has been created to to cooperate with famous cigar producers and prevent the importation of fake cigars into Armenia. |