Thompson Powerhouse 30 Review - Cuban Delight Cigars

Review Courtesy of the 3 Regular Guys at Thompson Cigar.

Variety sets the Cuban Delight apart.

This stogie has a little of everything: Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper and a blend of Dominican Mata Fina, Olor and Piloto Cubano filler leaf. The mottled dark brown wrapper looks slightly toothy. The aroma is toasty, and the burn is quite consistent. The draw is good and this cigar produced a lot of cool smoke for all of us.

The taste is where the variety of leaves that go into this cigar showed up again. Our consensus put it at earthy, with Dave advocating a light woodiness, Scott identifying some peppery hints and pointing out that the initial taste was the stronger Piloto Cubano on the front of the draw easing off toward the lighter Olor leaf, while Colm seemed rather distracted because this cigar turned out to be much better than he expected.

All thought the Cuban Delight was edging toward medium bodied with a medium length finish.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice, Cigar Reviews

Al Remp- A Cigar Man’s History part 2

Upon my departure from 25 years of education in the industry - Stanford Newman at the J.C. Newman Co. in Tampa saw potential in me as his national sales manager to rebuild the outside sales organization. Under his direction and great assistance from Erik and Bobby, his sons, that mission was accomplished.

If ever the opportunity presents itself- read Mr. Newman’s story- there he tells of the “first sales meeting- ever” and the personal cost, and that it worked.

During that period, an old friend- Hank Bass was building a cigarette company- and the owner, P.T. Sampoerna, had an interest in cigars.

I was hired as Senior V.P. manufacturing and sales- a new world of cigar brand inception and development of product was my assignment. It was at this juncture I met Pedro Martine- my teacher, mentor and friend. I learned a different world- that of brand creation from idea to blending, to logos, to trademarks, to ordering and on and on- that to this day- allowed me to grow beyond my wildest dreams. During this time Ralph Montero, a brilliant individual, assisted me daily. Now came time to select a manufacturer in the Dominican Republic- and enters Henky Kelner- whom I shall remember for teaching this “gringo” all that I know over and with Pedro Martine- not as a student but as a friend.

Next- Brands- Sales- Travel-People-Life-Latins-and pure joy.

Thompson Powerhouse 30 Review - Don Lugo Cigars

Review Courtesy of the 3 Regular Guys at Thompson Cigar.

The Don Lugo has a dark natural wrapper with sparse tones of candela coloring. This cigar produces good smoke and bears a cedary aroma with a medium finish. The taste is still mild but has more body than the Empresario. A touch of caramel distinguishes this cigar with a slight edge.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice, Cigar Reviews

Last Chance to Buy Tickets - Cigar Artisan 2006

This Saturday at Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Meet 20 of the top cigar makers in the world.



Session 1 runs from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM and Session 2 runs from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM. Cost is $110 per ticket.

If you are lucky enough, you might meet George Edmonson, the winner of The Stogie Guys Blog contest to send a correspondent to the Cigar Artisans Event. Congratulations George and have fun at the event. See you there...

Al Remp- A Cigar Man’s History - part 1

Who is Al Remp? We asked Al to document his history so you, the blog reader, could understand his importance in cigar history...

It all began with Roitan Cigars- 1960 in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, - placing Roitan in any and all retail outlets- following the direction of George Brody- probably the best salesman I have ever met.

In my travels, I met distributor’s salesman, Al Foose, Al Hibbaro to name two, who taught me to sell today. During those days, names that molded a beginner- Bernie Berheimer, John McCormick, Freddie Krakoff, and on and on.

Next opportunity happened because of Jack Borchardt, V.P. Muriel Cigars- who saw potential in me and Joe Bornstein, Ray Myers, with Bill McKenna as my sales manager- allowed me to grow to regional sales mgr.- to include El Producto Dutch Masters and Muriel for the total Mid West.

During my time with Consolidated Cigar, we pre-sold product to an another company- a five man group managed its total operation- then met Alex Brainard, Jim Brown, George Gerschel, and finally Theo Folz- all of which aided my growth in one fashion of other.

It was at that time, K-mart, Osco Drug, Walgreen, Sav-on Drug, all became my responsibilities- Alex Brainard wanted dominant shelf space, and total control of product, our own and competition- and he taught me how to develop present and follow-up.

This phase of my career lasted 25 years- and new challenges entered.

By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

Thompson Powerhouse 30 Review - Empresario Cigars

Review Courtesy of the 3 Regular Guys at Thompson Cigar.

The Empresario natural is a rather mild-bodied Dominican cigar. With a smooth wrapper and nice cap, the Empresario has a light woody aroma and a good draw yielding tastes of sweetness and faint lemongrass. The finish is short making this a good choice as a morning cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice, Cigar Reviews

Thompson Powerhouse 30 Review

Review Courtesy of the 3 Regular Guys at Thompson Cigar.

At first blush, the Thompson Powerhouse 30 is surely a tempting offer. Thirty cigars and a sharp-looking aluminum case for just shy of thirty dollars. This case routinely flies with us when we travel and always accompanies us on poker nights. Yeah, but what about the cigars? Well, you get a 5-pack each of six different cigars: Empresario, Don Lugo, Cuban Delights, TCC Phoenix, Corojo Cubano and Socorro. That’s thirty sticks for less than a buck apiece –actually even less when you consider the value of the case.

The Empresario natural is a rather mild-bodied Dominican cigar. With a smooth wrapper and nice cap, the Empresario has a light woody aroma and a good draw yielding tastes of sweetness and faint lemongrass. The finish is short making this a good choice as a morning cigar.

Cigar Reviews From 3 Regular Guys

Cigar Blog 101 is proud to announce a new weekly feature - accurate and honest cigar reviews from three regular guys that work in the Thompson Cigar Finance Department. This isn't going to be the catalog description. This is a real world review. It's not based on a rating system. It's not official and it's only meant for informational purposes.

These three guys take a morning or afternoon break and enjoy cigars on the patio outside our store here in Tampa. Every once in a while they test new national and house brands to see if the catalog will carry them in the future.

Based on this, we decided to put them to the test. Their first review - the Thompson Powerhouse 30. You've seen the offer. It's been in print ads and on the Internet for a while. You've probably bought one before. The handy dandy aluminum travel case is in your trunk. If you haven't bought one yet then watch our posts over the next few weeks and get to know the cigars we offer in the Powerhouse 30.



Introducing Scott, Colm and David. Otherwise known as the following:

• 3 Cigar Monkeys
• Kukla, Fran and Ollie (Al Remp calls them this)
• Larry, Moe and Curly
• Bean Counter 1, 2 and 3
• The writer, the director and the spitter

Reviews:
Thompson Powerhouse 30

• Powerhouse 30 - Empresario
• Powerhouse 30 - Don Lugo
• Powerhouse 30 - Cuban Delight
• Powerhouse 30 - Phoenix
• Powerhouse 30 - Corojo Cubano
• Powerhouse 30 - Socorro
• Powerhouse 30 Review Summary
  

Super Sampler 8 Introduction

• Super Sampler 8 - Padron Delicias
• Super Sampler 8 - Torano Exodus 1959 - Silver Edition
• Super Sampler 8 - CAO Criollo Mancha
• Super Sampler 8 - Rocky Patel Sun Grown
• Super Sampler 8 - CAO Brazilia
• Super Sampler 8 - Thompson Vintage Especiale
• Super Sampler 8 - Cusano 18

Smoke Cigars, Eat, Drink and Win

(PRWEB) September 5, 2006 -- Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will host the cigar event of the year on September 30, when cigar lovers can meet the top 20 cigar makers and brand owners of the world and walk away with free samples of their work.

The event, Cigar Artisans 2006, sponsored by Thompson Cigar of Tampa, brings together the most prestigious names in the cigar industry, such as Arturo Fuente, Padron, CAO, Torano, General Cigar, Altadis USA, La Gloria, Rocky Patel, JC Newman, Camacho, Gurkha, La Perla, Acid, Cusano, Oliva and more.

"It’s a rare opportunity to meet the people behind the major cigar brands and to meet them all at once is exceptional," said Joe Silvestro, Senior Buyer, Thompson Cigar. "We really loaded the ticket holders with enough freebies and prizes to fill their humidors and enjoy the experience long after the event is over."

The event consists of two sessions with identical prizes and giveaways including custom painted Harley Davidson Motorcycles, poker tables, golf bags and sets of Razor golf clubs. Ticket holders will receive 25 premium handmade cigars with a value of $150, plus other prizes worth more than $125: including an embroidered travel bag, polar fleece jacket, backpack, ball cap, cigar cutter, lighter, drawpoker and another 8 Cigar sampler. There will be food and an open bar during the event.

Tickets are $110 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by visiting this website: www.cigarartisans.com.

Thompson Cigar was founded in 1915 and is the oldest mail order cigar company in the country. Today, Thompson Cigar is part of Thompson & Co. of Tampa, Inc, a multi-channel merchant that includes Linensource, Casual Living and Café Belmondo. For more information, visit www.thompsongroup.com.

Make money selling cigars!

Do you have a website or a blog? Do you want to make money selling cigars and other products?

Thompson Cigar and its sister companies have just joined the Linkshare Affiliate Network and we are looking to recruit a few good sites. We offer our affiliates top dollar to bring us customers and if you prove to be a super affiliate for us, we'll give you special offers you won't believe.

Our other affiliate programs include Linensource, Casual Living and Cafe Belmondo.

Visit our Thompson Affiliate Blog for more information or just join Linkshare and apply for our programs. We approve new affiliates everyday.

Al Remp on Tampa's Fox 13

Al Remp, our resident expert was on Tampa's Fox 13 this morning talking about the Cigar Artisans 2006 event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Al did a fine job explaining the event that's going to bring together the top 20 cigar makers and brand owners from around the world.

Watch the clip by visiting the station's website.