Newsletters

January Edition, 2017

NEW RIVALRY -- The Depot Challenges Cigar Aficionado's "Cigar of the Year"

The magazine Cigar Aficionado is well-known for its annual “Cigar of the Year” designation which it makes at the end of each year. But there can be a problem getting the winning cigar in stock since the magazine does not tell the manufacturer in advance of the December award so that it can gear up its production for the resulting surge in demand. And the problem was worse last year.

Last year the La Bijou made by My Father Cigars Company won the annual honor but, because of its figurado (double torpedo ) shape it is difficult to roll, and the Company could not easily step up production. Therefore, we did not expect LBijou deliveries until last summer. However, we were given preference because of our role in the industry and ended up featuring the LaBijou on our top shelf since late last winter. (The Flor de La Antillas on that shelf is still our biggest seller after winning the annual award four years ago.)

Now, Cigar Aficionado has just designated the “Andalusian Bull” as this year’s Cigar of the Year; but who the hell knows when we will get it?

SO THE DEPOT HAS FOLLOWED DONALD TRUMP’S LEAD AND HAS RETALIATED BY CREATING OUR OWN “Cigar of the Year” designation just from among the cigars that we introduced during 2016! Since that was a sizable number, we labored hard to evaluate customer comments as well as to engage in our own taste tests. Here’s the result:

THIS YEAR’S SECOND RUNNER-UP: The Psycho ($9.75) is a good smoke but with a great name.

THIS YEAR’S FIRST RUNNER-UP: Kentucky Fire Cured ($9.75) is absolutely delicious and it is selling briskly as customers discover it.

THIS YEAR’S GRAND WINNER: The Leaf by Oscar ($10.65) is unique … a Honduran creation by a Pittsburgh Steelers fan named Oscar, with each stick wrapped in tobacco, and carrying a price at The Depot of only $10.65 (85 cents lower than the JR price)!

Customer Richard Katz likes the Leaf so much that he plans on sneaking it into the Skybox to smoke at a Nick's game. Customer Bill McKenney tops that by planning a trip to Alaska to visit his daughter and to introduce the Leaf to Sarah Palin and to the entire State, following which he will smoke it while touring Prince William Sound on his daughter's father-in-law's yacht while viewing the glaciers.

He’s Back! David Shulman Returns from Oblivion

The Depot’s former Head Tobacconist David Shulman has returned from exile. Rumor has it that David’s Brazilian girlfriend threatened to move back to Brazil if he didn’t return to his profession; so David abandoned his life of leisure to once again impart his knowledge to cigar customers at The Depot.
But Assistant Manager Kathy Batewell (who herself introduced the Leaf to The Depot in David’s absence) added a sour note by stating that “David has a lot to learn if he expects to once again be on top of the cigar world.”

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