I once made a cigar named Grimalkin. I named it this for a variety of reasons, not least among which was that it was a really cool name I'd discovered years ago, and just wanted to use for something. Today it changes.
I settled on this name for the cigar because the person it was named for enchanted me, and I used the theme of the eyes because those did as well. But I was always a bit uncomfortable about what subsequent line extensions would be called, and could never quite pull the whole theme together, despite my best efforts. My rather crude attempts to express this with the band drew criticism in the marketplace.... and I listened.
A few weeks ago an opportunity presented itself to rethink the whole line, and in the end this proved to be a blessing, as the new name fits magically.
The new name is La Musa by Emilio Cigars. Why? Because much as the muses were inspirational to the ancient Greeks the person to whom this line of cigars is dedicated inspires me in a multitude of ways.
The blend remains the same. The factory remains the same.
Beyond that, there are a whole array of reasons I could give as to why this happened, but those really don't matter. What matters most is that this line of cigars continues to exist, and serve the purpose for which it was intended ; to be an exquisite representation of the art of cigar making, and to enable a lovely young friend to achieve her dreams.
The box shape will remain unchanged, but we've added a few things to give it more eye appeal. The new band has a Greek theme in keeping with the origin of the muses. The original Grimalkin cigar will now be known simply as "La Musa." The additional 3 forthcoming blends in this line, all produced in the same factory, will be named after the 3 Plutarchian muses - Melete, Aoide, and Mneme. The first of these will be released at IPCPR this summer.
As to why this was necessary at all I know there has been a lot of speculation, and none of that really matters because I've decided to make this change, and it's not a debatable subject.
OK life, throw me another curve ball. I've always got the bat in my hand, and I'm ready to swing for the fences again.
A personal journey about cigars, tobacco, and the people who make them.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Gift of Time
All of us are busy. All of us have priorities that we've established, things we want to accomplish, and are constantly in a state of triage with our time.
Stop. Breathe. Take a moment to examine what is most valuable in your life.
We never know how long we have, and we shouldn't put off giving now to those we hold dear, lest the moment to do so should pass.
Give them the gift of time. Even if it's just watching a movie, holding hands, or going for a quiet drive.
Time is the best gift of all.
Stop. Breathe. Take a moment to examine what is most valuable in your life.
We never know how long we have, and we shouldn't put off giving now to those we hold dear, lest the moment to do so should pass.
Give them the gift of time. Even if it's just watching a movie, holding hands, or going for a quiet drive.
Time is the best gift of all.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Emilio Cigars 2012 Preview
There are a lot of new projects in the works here at Emilio Cigars International Headquarters. The minions have been active with suggestions and requests, as have the unwashed masses. This morning as I sat here in my cavernous 22 square foot office I began to run them all through my mind.
Although I'm usually reluctant to share an awful lot of information in advance, I've chosen to do so this year. Bear in mind that some of these things will yield fruit, others will for various reasons fall by the wayside, and there will almost certainly be delays. My reasoning for this change is that I would like very much to be inclusive this year and allow those of you who have been so wonderfully supportive the opportunity to become, in effect, a part of the team.
Everything will be on the table, open for discussion and debate, but remember that in the end there's only one person who's going to make the final decision, so prepare yourselves for disappointment, as some of you won't get your way. Be assured however that your voices will have been heard.
Our next product release will be what we have tentatively named the Emilio AF Suave. This cigar will fill a niche we do not currently have an offering in, namely a cigar blended to appeal to novice smokers, those who simply prefer a milder, creamier smoke, and as a light but flavorful "morning smoke." As usual we honor our good friend A.J. Fernandez, who has created this cigar for us by including his initials in the name. The wrapper is Ecuadoran Connecticut and the balance a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. These cigars will be produced in 5 sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and Churchill. The Suave may at some point disappear from the name and become something else, pending final trademark research.
I dropped the hint on twitter last week that a cigar we currently call Grimalkin may have to undergo a name change, and sadly it appears that may be true. To be honest, I haven't the slightest clue why, but I suppose we'll all find out in time. The good news is that this blend will not change at all, will remain available, and 2 additional sizes will be added to the line. The new Corona will be a regular production item, and there will be a limited number of Lanceros produced. Here's your chance to have some input. What should we rename this cigar?
Assuming all goes according to plan there will be 2 new blends this year in the above mentioned series, both equally complex. One will be a touch milder and the other substantially stronger. Obviously the names I had already chosen for these cigars will have to change, but that will all work itself out.
Our next bit of news is that we'll release the first cigar in our Draig series late this spring. This will be available in Corona, Robusto, and Toro sizes, and will be packaged in 10 count boxes. Only 200 boxes of each size will be produced. I am aware that the artwork for the band which many of you have already commented on appears a bit on the pinkish side, but it will brighten to red in the printing process. Yes, folks, I know that my boxes have not been especially pretty in the past, but my first concern will always be the tobacco. In this case I think you'll find the boxes a bit more appealing to the eye.
I'm tooling around with the idea of making the AF1 and AF2 blends available in 5 count pocket tins in a 4x38 size. This is all new to me inasmuch as I've never had tins manufactured before, and I'm sure if this works out at all this will be a very late year introduction. But hey, it'll be winter again by then so I'll pretend I did this deliberately.
Also by year end it is likely we'll bring out our 4th cigar in the AF Series, which will be our strongest and most full-bodied offering to date. We're still playing with the balance in this blend, and I'll keep you posted as we go forward.
In other news, we're also talking to 2 additional manufacturing partners for new additions to the Emilio line. I suspect any new cigars that derive from these projects will be 2013 releases, but you never know. I've said many times, and will repeat again, that for us the tobacco drives the process, and the reality is that different people have access to different tobaccos so working in this way seems to me to make the most sense if we are to bring to market the very best cigars we possibly can.
Look for additional information soon about 2 very special cigars that will be produced exclusively for the Chattanooga Tweetup. We will create one Corona sized cigar, as will Miami Cigar. These will be packaged together, and we'll release more details as this project evolves.
Finally, yes, yes, yes, we'll begin making the boxes on all the lines a bit more upscale.
Alright, I have to go get more coffee, so that's it for this morning. Questions? Comments? Fire away. As I said in the beginning, we happy few, we band of brothers, will be happy to include those of you who are honestly interested in participating.
Although I'm usually reluctant to share an awful lot of information in advance, I've chosen to do so this year. Bear in mind that some of these things will yield fruit, others will for various reasons fall by the wayside, and there will almost certainly be delays. My reasoning for this change is that I would like very much to be inclusive this year and allow those of you who have been so wonderfully supportive the opportunity to become, in effect, a part of the team.
Everything will be on the table, open for discussion and debate, but remember that in the end there's only one person who's going to make the final decision, so prepare yourselves for disappointment, as some of you won't get your way. Be assured however that your voices will have been heard.
Our next product release will be what we have tentatively named the Emilio AF Suave. This cigar will fill a niche we do not currently have an offering in, namely a cigar blended to appeal to novice smokers, those who simply prefer a milder, creamier smoke, and as a light but flavorful "morning smoke." As usual we honor our good friend A.J. Fernandez, who has created this cigar for us by including his initials in the name. The wrapper is Ecuadoran Connecticut and the balance a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. These cigars will be produced in 5 sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and Churchill. The Suave may at some point disappear from the name and become something else, pending final trademark research.
I dropped the hint on twitter last week that a cigar we currently call Grimalkin may have to undergo a name change, and sadly it appears that may be true. To be honest, I haven't the slightest clue why, but I suppose we'll all find out in time. The good news is that this blend will not change at all, will remain available, and 2 additional sizes will be added to the line. The new Corona will be a regular production item, and there will be a limited number of Lanceros produced. Here's your chance to have some input. What should we rename this cigar?
Assuming all goes according to plan there will be 2 new blends this year in the above mentioned series, both equally complex. One will be a touch milder and the other substantially stronger. Obviously the names I had already chosen for these cigars will have to change, but that will all work itself out.
Our next bit of news is that we'll release the first cigar in our Draig series late this spring. This will be available in Corona, Robusto, and Toro sizes, and will be packaged in 10 count boxes. Only 200 boxes of each size will be produced. I am aware that the artwork for the band which many of you have already commented on appears a bit on the pinkish side, but it will brighten to red in the printing process. Yes, folks, I know that my boxes have not been especially pretty in the past, but my first concern will always be the tobacco. In this case I think you'll find the boxes a bit more appealing to the eye.
I'm tooling around with the idea of making the AF1 and AF2 blends available in 5 count pocket tins in a 4x38 size. This is all new to me inasmuch as I've never had tins manufactured before, and I'm sure if this works out at all this will be a very late year introduction. But hey, it'll be winter again by then so I'll pretend I did this deliberately.
Also by year end it is likely we'll bring out our 4th cigar in the AF Series, which will be our strongest and most full-bodied offering to date. We're still playing with the balance in this blend, and I'll keep you posted as we go forward.
In other news, we're also talking to 2 additional manufacturing partners for new additions to the Emilio line. I suspect any new cigars that derive from these projects will be 2013 releases, but you never know. I've said many times, and will repeat again, that for us the tobacco drives the process, and the reality is that different people have access to different tobaccos so working in this way seems to me to make the most sense if we are to bring to market the very best cigars we possibly can.
Look for additional information soon about 2 very special cigars that will be produced exclusively for the Chattanooga Tweetup. We will create one Corona sized cigar, as will Miami Cigar. These will be packaged together, and we'll release more details as this project evolves.
Finally, yes, yes, yes, we'll begin making the boxes on all the lines a bit more upscale.
Alright, I have to go get more coffee, so that's it for this morning. Questions? Comments? Fire away. As I said in the beginning, we happy few, we band of brothers, will be happy to include those of you who are honestly interested in participating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)