The Big Smoke Takes Over Las Vegas Again
The Big Smoke returned to Las Vegas on Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4, for another unforgettable good-life celebration that saw 3,000 cigar fans descend upon the Vegas Strip. It was the 27th Big Smoke held in Sin City, more than any other location, and it brought ionate aficionados from all over the world anxious to meet the biggest names in the industry, mingle with fellow cigar lovers and celebrate the culture and camaraderie of cigars. This was the second year the Big Smoke was held at Resorts World Las Vegas, one of the Strip’s newest properties.
Eager for entry, a crowd started to form on Friday night hours before the evening show officially commenced. Once the doors opened, the showroom immediately filled with the fine smoke of tobacco. Within 30 minutes, many of the tables were covered with cigars as some quick-movers had emptied their Cigar Aficionado tote bags to ire their hauls and barter amongst themselves. Others took their time, chatting it up with cigarmakers, grabbing a drink from one of the many spirits exhibitors, enjoying a bite to eat or simply sharing a smoke with a fellow aficionado. A live band kept an upbeat rhythm throughout the evening as a seemingly endless amount of cigars were handed out and smoked.
'Saturday morning offered a new beginning and a full itinerary for VIP guests, starting with a brunch hosted by Oliva Cigar Co. and Bacardi. A hearty meal was provided alongside refreshing cocktails and an Oliva Serie V Churchill Extra, the No. 5 Cigar of 2022. More cigars would follow during the daytime seminars, including tastings of Cigar Aficionado’s top three legal smokes of 2022: the Rocky Patel Sixty Sixty, the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema and another Oliva Serie V Churchill Extra. There was also a presentation on Connecticut tobacco with Nick Melillo of Foundation Cigar Co., Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of E.P. Cigar Co. and Altadis’ Rafael Nodal. A spirited seminar followed, this one with a filial theme: the father and sons of La Flor Dominicana including Litto Gomez, Tony Gomez and Litto Gomez Jr.
The headline event of the seminars came in the form of a cigar-and-wine pairing—something Cigar Aficionado hadn’t done in more than 20 years. To honor this long-awaited return, the pairing featured two distinguished luminaries from the worlds of cigars and wine—Jorge Padrón of Padrón Cigars Inc. and Chuck Wagner, owner of Caymus Vineyards in California. Padrón supplied Padrón Serie 1926 No. 90s for the audience (94 points) and Caymus Vineyards poured four of its exceptional red wines: one blend, one pinot noir and two Cabernets, including its heralded Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018.
The seminar was moderated by Cigar Aficionado executive editor David Savona and Bruce Sanderson, senior editor for Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado’s sister publication.
“I’m not just a winemaker. I love cigars,” Wagner said. “I also know Jorge Padrón and his is the cigar I smoke most of, so it’s appropriate that we’re tasting these wines along with the cigar.”
Both Wagner and Padrón come from a family lineage dedicated to their respective crafts. They have also taken their family businesses to new heights: Padrón has won Cigar of the Year a record four times, and Sanderson said the Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is the only wine to ever be named Wine of the Year twice by Wine Spectator.
The Big Smoke seminar audience had the opportunity to appreciate the celebrated craftsmanship of these two industry powerhouses with a perfectly-curated pairing. The Walking Fool and the Sea Sun, the first two wines, were the lighter of the two reds. The latter pairings, the California Cabernet and Special Selection Cabernet, brought another level of richness and complexity. When asked at the end which wine paired best with the Padrón, the audience chose the Special Selection Cabernet as the overwhelming favorite.
The seminars led into another night of the Big Smoke. The crowd was as diverse as ever, reflective of the evolving cigar industry. There were several groups attending from outside the U.S. and many attending for their first time, lighting up alongside the show’s loyalists and seasoned Big Smoke veterans.
