Cigar Aficionado

No city in America has a richer history with cigars than Tampa, and for the fourth annual Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, Cigar City was once again the center of the cigar world. A sold-out crowd of ardent aficionados traveled from across the country to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa this past weekend for a lively evening to celebrate cigars and fine spirits with the biggest names in the cigar industry. 

The weekend’s festivities began on Friday evening, when Cigar Workers Park. The beautiful Tampa weather couldn’t have been more pleasant as guests mingled and enjoyed a fine selection of cigars from the hosting families, including brands such as Arturo Fuente Don Carlos and J.C. Newman’s The American, to name a few.

Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado magazine, was in attendance for the evening. The cocktail hour was followed by a seated dinner in the fully restored El Reloj factory, which doubles as a museum and event space. Both the Fuente and Newman families spoke and gave thanks at the dinner. Carlos Fuente Jr. paid particular respect to Drew Newman, who organized the evening. “This is what the cigar industry needs,” said Fuente. “You’re building this for your great-grandson, for your family 100 years from now.” 

Come Saturday evening, there was a palpable buzz for the Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, with a line that began forming hours before the event gates opened, wrapping around onto the casino floor, drawing the attention of onlookers. One guest waiting in the general ission line, just before the pair of escalators that led up to the convention hall, excitedly exclaimed: “open the gates, we’re ready baby.

The eagerness didn’t fade as guests entered the theoretical gates. At the top of the escalators, on the left-hand side through several open-air entranceways, was a sea of tables that filled the north end of the pool area, wrapping around to the other end of the pool, alongside a large stage where a live band played throughout the evening. The weather was idyllic once more, offering guests outdoors the final breaths of sunlight before a gorgeous night under the lights.

As alluring as the outside area was, the real treasure over in the convention hall was not to be ignored by these ionate aficionados. Guests, with their Cigar Aficionado tote bags in-hand, quickly made their rounds to visit with industry luminaries and receive cigars from biggest brands in the world. The tote bags would soon be filled to the brim with fine smokes, but no hands were empty, many were lighting up a newly-acquired smoke while they sipped a spirit from many of the finest makers eager to wet the beaks of attendees. 

The large J.C. Newman replica display of its El Reloj factory took center stage yet again, a Big Smoke favorite, and a fitting sight for the first Big Smoke in Tampa. Lively music played over the speakers inside the convention hall as guests mingled with their fellow aficionados and took stock of their cigar inventory. Food and water stations were dispersed throughout the space, both indoors and outdoors, offering a selection from various sliders to fine desserts. There were plenty of high tables spread around the hall as well, which most attendees used for quick pit stops to take a bite to eat, light their smoke or strategize on their next move.

As the night went on, the crowd slowly dispersed around the space outside, which also included a few cabanas where some groups had camped out to watch one of the NCAA men's Final Four basketball games. While some groups were engaged in high-stakes bartering negotiations with their cigars outside, plenty continued to roam the halls indoors to sample fine spirits or get a chance to meet the renowned actor Chazz Palminteri, who was in attendance. The actor, known for hits like the Mob movie classic A Bronx Tale, was at the Epic Cigars booth, handing out his new A Bronx Tale Calogero cigars.

The crowd at this year’s Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest was a varied and diverse group, who all shared a similar ion for cigars. There was a notably strong showing of couples, many of whom stretched their visit out into a long travel weekend. As always, the outfits were part of the attraction. The smoking jacket was the preferred look of choice, but there were also a lot more short sleeve, Tommy Bahama-style shirts to accommodate for the beautiful weather in Tampa. Guests traveled from all over to attend Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, including Canada, Alaska, New Orleans, Denver, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and of course Florida, to name a few.

Kirstov Smith traveled from Columbus, Ohio to attend his second-ever Big Smoke. Last year, he made the trip to Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest in Hollywood, Florida to celebrate his 50th birthday. This year, he came with a group of friends who were particularly excited about the prospect of coming to Tampa. “I love cigars, Tampa and cigar people,” said Smith. “It’s a brotherhood and a sisterhood. It’s inclusive and it’s great.”

June Barton from Merritt Island, Florida was one of the stars of the show. The 98-year-old stood out in a room full of bright outfits and strong personalities, receiving the iration of many aficionados in attendance. “I’m having so much fun, I even won $175 downstairs [at the casino] before I came up here.,” said Barton, with a huge smile and a rather large, lit cigar in-hand.

Steve Florek has been smoking cigars for over twenty years, but finally made it to his first Big Smoke this past weekend. Florek, a long-time Cigar Aficionado fan, traveled with his wife, Macy, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be in attendance. “Once we saw it was in Tampa, we had to come,” he said. “We’re having such a blast.”

Luckily for each of these guests, there were more than plenty of cigar brands on the ballroom floor: Alec Bradley, Altadis U.S.A., Arturo Fuente, Ashton Distributors Inc., Cavalier Genève, CLE, Cohiba, Crux, Cuba Aliados, Drew Estate, E.P. Carrillo Cigar Co., Epic Cigars, Gran Habano, J.C. Newman Cigar Co., La Aurora Cigars, La Flor Dominicana, La Palina Cigars, Luciano Cigars, Lucky Cigars, My Father Cigars, Oliva Cigar Co., Oz Family Cigars, Padrón Cigars, Plasencia Cigars, Quesada Cigars, Rocky Patel Cigars, Sanj Patel, Tatuaje Cigars Inc., Toscano, Warped and West Tampa were all there.

Many cigar industry stars were present as well, mingling with guests and handing out cigars, including Carlos Fuente Jr., Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jorge Padrón, Rafael Nodal, Rocky Patel, Bobby, Drew and Eric Newman, Christian Eiroa, Tim Ozgener, Kyle Gellis, Bradley Rubin, Sammy Phillips, Clay Roberts, Litto Gomez Jr., Luciano Meirelles, Rick Rodriguez, Arthur Berberian, Dean Parsons, Sean Williams, George Rico and Sanj Patel.

The high-quality selection of spirits is one of the alluring draws of Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, with plenty of offerings. Every cigar handed out had an appropriate whisky pairing that was being poured somewhere in the room from one of the following companies: Bacardi, Bardstown Bourbon, Blackened Whiskey, Blade and Bow, Bulleit, Chivas XV, Código Blanco, Crown Royal, Dewar’s, D’USSÉ, FUJI Whisky, Glenlivet, George Dickel, Green River Distilling Co., Hatuey, Heaven Hill, High West, Jefferson’s, Johnnie Walker, Lux & Umbra Dry Gin, Martell Blue Swift, Middle West Spirits, Nelson’s Green Brier, OYO Vodka, PATRÓN El Alto, Redbreast, Santa Teresa 1796, Teeling, Tequila Komos Extra Añejo, Uncle Nearest and Vim & Petal Dry Gin.

There were also cigar accessory and other industry vendors present, such as Boveda (ing out their handy bags and systems built to keep cigars humidified) along with Rabbit Air and Cigar Rights of America (CRA).

The next Big Smoke takes place in Las Vegas, on November 1 and 2, at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Sin City. Visit thebigsmokes.com for more information and to order tickets.