Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest Cigar List and Seminars Announced
Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest is less than two months away, and a partial list of the premium smokes and spirits attendees will be able to enjoy has been revealed, along with the lineup for the cigar seminars. The cigar-friendly event takes place April 3-4 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and tickets are still available.
The handmade cigar brands that have confirmed for the event include A.J. Fernandez, Aging Room, Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente, Balmoral, CAO, Diesel, E.P. Carrillo, Epic Cigars, Foundation Cigars, Hamlet, Henry Clay, J.C. Newman, La Aroma de Cuba, La Aurora, La Flor Dominicana, La Gloria Cubana, My Father Cigars, Nat Cicco, Nub, Oliva, Padrón, Plasencia, Rocky Patel, Romeo y Julieta, Stallone and Tatuaje.
The show—a first of its kind—not only features great cigars in a cigar-friendly environment, but a long list of spirits; more than has been ever served at a Big Smoke. There will be more than 150 whiskies and other spirits poured at the show, including Ardbeg, The BenRiach, Bird Dog Whiskey, Brenne, Calumet Bourbon, Dewar’s, Elijah Craig, Few Spirits, Four Roses, Gentleman Jack, The Glendronach, Glenglassaugh, Glengoyne, Glenmorangie, Heaven Hill, Henry McKenna, Jack Daniel’s, Larceny Bourbon, Old Fitzgerald, Old Forester, Parker’s Heritage Collection, Peerless, Pikesville Rye, Sinatra Select, Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey, Tamdhu, Templeton Rye, Widow Jane, Woodford Reserve and Zaya Rum.
More cigar brands and spirits are expected to be announced later. The two-day event will also feature whisky seminars during the evenings, and cigar seminars on Saturday morning.
Hosted by the Cigar Aficionado editors and some of the biggest stars in the world of handmade cigars, the seminars will cover a range of intriguing tobacco-related topics. The morning kicks off with Jorge Padrón of Padron Cigars, who will talk about his company’s storied history; Ernesto Perez-Carrillo of EPC Cigar Co. and Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana will explore the topic of cigarmaking in the Dominican Republic; Rocky Patel will discuss his 25-year journey to create one of America’s best-known cigar brands; there will be a seminar on Cuban cigars, with an expert panel of Cuban cigar retailers; and Carlos Fuente Jr. of Arturo Fuente Cigars will talk about his company and the resonance of the Fuente Fuente OpusX brand. There will be plenty of cigars to smoke during the seminars.
The seminars will conclude with a very special cigar and whisky pairing featuring the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Maestro, Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year, and the George Dickel Bottled in Bond 13 Year Old, Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year.
For tickets and more information, visit www.bigsmokewhiskyfest.com.