"Christmas in July!"

     As the title suggest, for cigar and pipe aficionados, it's "Christmas in July" with the upcoming International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers convention, held this year in my hometown of New Orleans, LA., starting Friday July 17th, 2015.  If you're not familiar with this convention, it's everything cigars and pipes, to include accessories, libations, clothing, etc.  So for those of us in the "game", we're like kids in November and December when all of the new toy commercials and advertisements start to appear.

     Formerly called the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA), ICPCR showcases new blends of cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco from your favorite companies and some new ones as well.  In as much it would be great for any and everybody to attend, it's by invite for cigar and pipe retailers, bloggers, magazine editors an staff, and some "friends" of the industry. I've been fortunate to attend quite a few of the conventions and it is truly an amazing thing to be a part of.  Smoke fills the air, people mingling, cigar and pipe companies pitching their latest and greatest, liquor distributors sampling libations to pair with your favorite smokes, etc.  It's also a time to run into old friends in the industry and catch up and discuss what's new in the game.

     Thousands of square footage of everything cigar and pipes by day, parties, dinners, and herfs by night.  Some of the displays are utterly amazing!  Every year Drew Estate has some of the most phenomenal displays that you'll ever see at any type of convention.  Typically the convention is held in Las Vegas one year and then rotates to other cities the next year.  I've been to shows in Vegas, Houston, Nashville, and of course New Orleans.  During the week of the show, I've sampled at least 100 cigars and another 100 pipe tobaccos, sheer Utopia for cigar and pipe fans.

     Occasionally, you find yourself sitting at one the companies displays (yes, they have actually smoking lounges as displays) and you're chatting with a famous celebrity, athlete or politician and it's like you're in your local B&M.  Then at the evening parties, it only gets better.  Top entertainment to include musical groups that top the charts, food, drinks and yes, more to smoke.  They're formal dinners (AVO and Davidoff in particular) where you must be in After-Five attire and definitely have an invite, as well as parties in the local hotspot nightclub hosted by the tobacco companies.

      Enough of that for the moment, back to Christmas in July.  Cigars, pipes, pipe tobaccos and accessories that are being introduced to the market, that will be released in the next few months is what this convention is all about.  As you visit booths/displays you'll see orders being taken by the companies and grown men and women literally dancing knowing that very soon, they'll be able to stock their stores and online sites with this wealth of tobacco products.  One year in New Orleans, CAO introduced the Sopranos Cigar line, and it was one of the most anticipated launches ever.  As they handed out samples and described what tobaccos were in the cigar, they invited you to the party later that night where you could enjoy more samples and live music.  Subsequently, they give you an estimated release date and when the cigars would be arriving in your local shop or online retailer.  That night as I stood in liquor line at the party, the guy behind me was raving about how great this cigar was and upon turning around, it was "Tony Soprano" aka James Gandolfini, it was truly incredible and breath taking.  The next night it was the Drew Estate/Rocky Patel party at the House of Blues, where I sat for what seemed like hours talking with Scott Chester, the face of ACID by DE (literally the guy on the motorcycle with the dreadlocks who not only is the model for the brand, but one of the creative forces behind it as well).  I couldn't wait for my B&M to get the cigars from both of these companies on their shelves, so I could purchase more of what I was sampling. 

     So yes my friends, it is Christmas in July, and I suggest you start making your lists and checking it twice, who gives a hell if you're naughty or nice, as long as you have the cash, you'll soon be able to fill your stockings with all of the new cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco your little heart desires.  There's tons of blogs, podcasts and YouTube clips that are already circulating on the "internets", so do a search for "ICPCR 2015 and let the games begin.  As usual, while you enjoy your searches, CLP (Clip, Light and Puff)

     Long Ashes (____GC_____________]]]]]~~~