Day 2 (or Day 1 of the actual trade show) was just as crazy, busy, and fun as we expected. We spent the day checking out some exciting new things, checking in on some old friends, launching the brand new QR Code Program with Karen Berger, and we ended the night in style. Let's jump in to some of the highlights of the day.
The day started at Karen Berger's booth where we officially launched our new QR Code Program. For those that don't know, we have partnered with Karen Berger Cigars on an innovative new program that will supply any retailer with a special QR Code that resembles an Ash Quarterly Magazine cover and takes all consumers who scan it to our digital issue page. We are so excited to get this launched and even more so to partner with our good friend Karen and her team. We also got to smoke the brand new Tailgate which is Karen Berger Cigars Vice President Bruce Busch's brainchild. This cigar is absolutely fantastic, retails for only $7.75, and comes in a badass box that resembles a classic pickup truck.
We also got the opportunity to visit with Pinel et Pinel, a truly remarkable company making extremely unique pieces that include humidors, trunks, accessories, and more. This company is the Louis Vuitton of humidor-makers. With customizable exteriors, streamlined functionality, and an elegance that you have to see to believe, these are as much an art piece as they are a humidor.
Our friends at CigarMedics gave us a hands-on peek at the new Guillotina de Saka cutter. I'll be honest, I was a little skeptical of the cutter due to all the hype that's been going around about it. The Hype Is Real. This is one of the coolest cutters I have seen. With a magnetic spring that opens up the cutter with a gentle push at the top, replaceable blade that takes less than 30 seconds to complete, a back-up blade just in case, and a sleek yet muted casing, this is something every cigar smoker will want to get their hands on.
This brings us to Steve Saka and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. We got to finally see in person the new national release of the Red Meat Lovers Club, Polpetta, and the brand new Mi Querida Black Unicorn and Sobremesa Brulee Blue Unicorn. These are again something that pictures just don't do justice and you have to see in person. The individual coffins for the unicorns have a high gloss finish that really makes the blue pop and the black shine. We will definitely be getting our hands on all these new releases.
We ended the night by attending the Miami Cigar & Co event celebrating Nestor Miranda's 80th birthday and the 25th Anniversary of Tatiana Cigars. This was an event that we will not forget. We were welcomed with refreshing Mojitos, the amazing Don Lino Africa Churchill, and a smiling Nestor Miranda. The evening included more cocktails, lively music with a DJ and a Saxophone player, delicious finger food, and some good conversations among friends. Carlito Fuente and Rocky Patel even stopped by to wish Nestor a happy birthday. Nestor gave a touching and hilarious speech and summed it up with a phrase that we couldn't say better ourself "It's Fucking Great!".
We can't wait for Day 3 tomorrow!
