Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke Las Vegas is celebrating its tenth anniversary by featuring three very special cigars presented by their creators.

Famed cigar men Carlos Fuente Jr., José Seijas and Daniel Núñez are pulling out all the stops for the Saturday Big Smoke seminars. Fuente will distribute a new shape of Fuente Fuente OpusX made exclusively for the Big Smoke seminars. Seijas, the man who runs Tabacalera de Garcia — the biggest cigar factory in the world — for Altadis U.S.A., will light up a specially branded cigar bearing his name. Núñez, president of General Cigar Co., has also rolled a special blend made to commemorate 10 years of Big Smoking.

The Big Smoke will kick off on November 4th at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. The weekend event will feature seminars and tastings as well as top-notch, spirits and cuisine. Click Here for more information on the Las Vegas Big Smoke weekend.

The trend today is to dark cigars.

For most people, dark equals strong and strong equals good.

Leaving aside the whole issue of cigar strength, cigar flavor and the color of the cigar for another time — because it really isn’t as simple as it seems at first glance — I wanted to focus on a homegrown favorite that is being overlooked by many here in the United States. I’m talking about Connecticut, shade-grown wrappers.

The Connecticut shade leaf is still the wrapper of choice for many fine premium cigars such as Macanudo, Davidoff and Dunhill. It is pound for pound the most expensive tobacco leaf bought and sold. In fact, it is one of the most expensive agricultural products in the world. The reason is simple.

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From the Houston Chronicle and AP:

“A federal judge today upheld Austin’s voter approved ban on smoking in most bars and restaurants but placed some restrictions on how it can be enforced.

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Everyone knows that the finest cigars come from Cuba, right?

And everyone also knows that the old Cuban cigars — the pre-Castro, pre-revolution, pre-embargo cigars that you can’t get anymore — are the best of the best, right?

Well, not necessarily. Read on.

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From Sarah Coppola, the American-Statesman:

“A federal judge could decide today whether to temporarily invalidate part or all of the city- wide smoking ban that took effect Sept. 1.

“The ordinance prohibits smoking in Austin bars, restaurants and live music venues. About 215 businesses were able to allow smoking under previous city rules.

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C.A.O. will hold the first Cx2 Dinner at the Hermitage Hotel in their headquarters city of Nashville, Tennesee on Wednesday, October 26. The dinner will honor the newest C.A.O. blend, their Cameroon wrapper and binder Cx2 and also debut the direct to DVD film The Process of Cigars. The film chronicles the history and success of C.A.O..

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