What To Expect At Big Smoke Las Vegas 2023
For almost three decades, the Las Vegas Big Smoke has been the must-go event for cigar lovers across the globe. Newcomers and aficionados alike are drawn together like moths (or a cigar) to a flame and enjoy a weekend of exceptional spirits and cigars and meet the people behind their favorite smokes. This year’s Big Smoke is taking place Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, at Resorts World Las Vegas. Halloween will have just passed, but the spirit still lingers as cigar enthusiasts visit each booth with open bags eagerly awaiting to receive their bounty. Who needs candy when you can have cigars and spirits?
Before leaving for Sin City, be sure to make some room in your humidors at home as attendees are guaranteed to receive more than 35 hand-rolled, premium cigars from some of the biggest names in the industry.
Here is a list of who is coming and what is expected for those attending the show. Note that this is a partial list, with more companies (and more cigars) expected to be added later.
Altadis U.S.A.
Altadis U.S.A., the producer of the non-Cuban versions of iconic brands such as Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo, will be in attendance with Rafael Nodal, head of product capability, presiding. Those who visit the company’s booths will walk away with not only the No. 2 Cigar of 2021, the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2, but also the Aging Room Bin No. 2, the Trinidad Espíritu Serie No. 1 Toro and the Romeo y Julieta 1875 Nicaragua Toro.
Artesano del Tabaco
This company, a new face at Big Smokes, will be offering the audience a choice, either El Pulpo or Viva La Vida. Both are made in Nicaragua.
Arturo Fuente
Arturo Fuente, one of the biggest names in the cigar world, will be handing out a special, events-only Fuente cigar on both evenings. The company has not disclosed any information about it. Carlos Fuente Jr. is expected to attend.
Ashton Distributors
Philadelphia’s Ashton Distributors will be on hand with the La Aroma de Cuba Monarch, a 6-by-52 toro rolled in Nicaragua.
Cavalier Genève
Swiss cigar company Cavalier Genève will be at the show with sales team leader Brian Motola giving out the Cavalier Genève Black II Torpedo, which features a distinctive diamond-shaped piece of gold leaf atop its maduro wrapper.
Crowned Heads
Jon Huber will be at the Crowned Heads booth, passing out the company’s Crowned Heads Le Pâtissier cigars, which began as limited editions but are now part of the Nashville company’s regular line.
Crux Cigar Co.
Family that smokes together sticks together. Crux's president Jeff Haugen, vice president Casey Haugen and sales executive Tony Haugen are all cousins and will be at the Crux booth handing out the Crux Epicure Habano Toro, a Nicaraguan puro that was released in June and is made by the Plasencias.
E.P. Carrillo
Maker of the 2020 Cigar of the Year and Cigar Aficionado Hall of Famer Ernesto Perez-Carrillo will be in attendance giving away a special size of E.P. Carrillo La Historia that is exclusive to only those who attend Big Smoke. Called El Roquito (the cigarmaker’s childhood nickname), the box-pressed cigar is a 5-by-50 robusto.
Foundation Cigar Co.
Brand owner Nick Melillo will be on hand with chief operating officer Mike Hyatt to hand out the Robusto size of his Olmec Maduro line, which scored 90 points earlier this year in Cigar Insider.
General Cigar Co.
Representing the company’s massive portfolio will be brand ambassador Sean Williams, brand manager Justin Andrews and Matt Booth who joined parent company STG as creative director after his Room101 brand was acquired last year. They will be handing out cigars from the Cohiba Riviera, Diesel Vintage Series and Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut lines. And now that Alec Bradley brands are part of General Cigar, Bradley Rubin will be handing out the Magic Toast Robusto one night and the Prensado Robusto the next.
Illusione Cigars
Known for its cryptic packaging and high-scoring smokes, Illusione will be in attendance and brand owner Dion Giolito will be giving out a cigar from the OneOff +53 line.
J.C. Newman
The J.C. Newman booth is the one you literally cannot miss as it is a replica of the iconic El Reloj tower with a mini cigar museum on display. Fourth generation cigarmaker Drew Newman will be attending. Visitors have a choice of either the Diamond Crown Robusto No. 4, Diamond Crown Maximus No. 5 or Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Toro depending on their palate preference.
Joya de Nicaragua
The oldest premium cigar brand in Nicaragua is coming to Big Smoke. Those who stop by their booth will get a Joya Silver Corona. Its lively blend of Ecuador Havana wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder and Nicaraguan filler made it the No. 21 Cigar of 2019.
La Aurora
La Auora, the oldest cigarmaker from the Dominican Republic, will be at the Big Smoke with master blender Manuel Inoa on hand. He will be passing out the Robusto size from the ADN Dominicano line.
La Flor Dominicana
Brand owner Litto Gomez and his two sons, Tony and Litto Jr. will be at the booth handing out cigars, though the specific cigar has not been disclosed at this time.
La Palina
Waiting on lines can be thirsty work and those who visit the La Palina booth will receive a pour of Remy Martin courtesy of president Sam Phillips and CEO Clay Roberts. Additionally, each night, La Palina will be giving away an Accutron watch. The cigar to be handed out has not been announced at this time.
Luciano Cigars
The major players from Luciano Cigars will be at the booth: President and co-founder Luciano Meirelles, CEO Mark Reddy, brand ambassador and international sales manager Frank Cossio and vice president of sales Ed Trevino. It’s the perfect opportunity to acquaint yourself with Luciano’s Fiat Lux and Foreign Affair brands. All four sizes of Foreign Affair recently scored between 91 and 93 points in a Cigar Insider vertical brand tasting.
My Father Cigars
José Ortega, vice president of sales and Fadi Kerio, also part of the sales team, will be handing out Robustos from the Fonseca by My Father and El Centurion lines.
Oliva Cigars
Cory Bappert, chief operating officer and head of sales for Oliva Cigars will be handing out three cigars on the floor: the Oliva Serie O Robusto, Cuba Aliados Original Robusto and the Nub Habano 460.
Ozgener Family Cigars
Longtime cigar veteran Tim Ozgener returns to the Big Smoke with his newest venture, Ozgener Family Cigars, and they will be passing out Ozgener Family Cigars Bosphorus B52s, which scored 93 points in a Cigar Aficionado blind taste test.
Padrón Cigars Inc.
Jorge Padrón will be one of the members of the Padrón family on location at the Big Smoke passing out the company’s Nicaraguan cigars.
Plasencia
The Plasencia booth will be stocked with the Plasencia Cosecha 146 La Musica, 5-by-50 Robusto.
Rocky Patel
Rocky Patel, his brother Nish and cousin Nimish Desai will be on hand to greet those attending. The company will be passing out two robustos: Rocky Patel DBS and Disciple.
Sanj Patel
Made in the Dominican Republic by industry veteran Eladio Diaz, the SP1014 Black is coming to Big Smoke and is the brainchild of Sanj Patel, a New Jersey-based retailer who has his cigars produced in very limited quantities.
Serino
Father and son team Anthony and Carson Serino will be handing out the Elenor Rose Revolver, which is named in tribute to both the classic 1966 Beatles album Revolver and one of Anthony’s favorite tracks from it, “Eleanor Rigby.”
Tatuaje Cigars
Pete Johnson, the owner of Tatuaje, will be at the Big Smoke. The cigar he’s chosen to hand out for the evening show is the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue No. 2 which recently earned a rating of 90 points in both Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider.
Warped Cigars
The creative brand owner behind Warped, Kyle Gellis, will be manning the booth, handing out the Venture 1492 Gran Corona. This particular smoke is part of his Dominican project, made in limited quantities at Tabacalera La Isla, a small factory in Santiago.
West Tampa Tobacco Co.
It’s less than two years old, but the West Tampa Tobacco Co. has made a splash with its West Tampa Red Robusto, which scored 93 points. If you’ve yet to try it, the high-scoring smoke will be handed out by its owner and industry veteran Ricky Rodriguez.
Don’t forget that Big Smoke isn’t just cigars. Be sure to stop by Rabbit Air’s booth to check out their sleek, efficient air purifiers, as well as Newair’s temperature-controlled humidors. Boveda will also be on the showroom floor handing out humidified bags. Think of them as portable humidors to protect your puros from the dry desert air.
Whether this is your first Big Smoke or fifteenth, navigate the show like a true pro and sample a few (or all) of the high-end spirits as you’re strolling from booth to booth. From Angel’s Envy, Dewar’s and Teeling to Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Uncle Nearest, there’s a pour for everyone, either neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail.
Tickets are on sale now, click here for purchasing options.
