Story and photos by
Richard Carleton Hacker

People may be talking about the rising price of gasoline and the falling costs of housing, but this year's RTDA reflected its Las Vegas setting as it was the high roller items that drew much of the attention. High end pipes, cigars, and accessories were reminiscent of the boom years of the 1990s, which is not only a good omen, but makes marketing sense, as the markups on these items are substantial.

Some of the most eye-catching accessories were the glittering new lighters and cutters at S.T. Dupont. Their sophisticated black and silver Casino Royale ensemble, which includes a pen, cutter, lighter, and even a USB global key (entirely fitting for a James Bond item) is set to debut November 17th, alongside the movie. For those who long for the good old days, S.T. Dupont - a name that itself goes back to 1847 - has brought back their House of Windsor reissue lighters from the 1940s. A striking new OpusX collection will be out in October, and features everything from pens, tabletop and pocket lighters, and a ceramic and gold ashtray (watch for some of these in my holiday article in Playboy, which can only help sales).

Dunhill also went back to the past by announcing a one-of-a-kind Jules Verne three-pipe set based on three of the master storyteller's classic novels: "Journey to The Center of the Earth," featuring an 18 carat gold volcano and a pick ax tamper; "Around The World In Eighty Days," a globe-shaped pipe that will come with an early French edition of the book; and "20,000 Leagues Under The Seas," featuring a Nautilus submarine double hatched pipe for smoking two bowls at once. The three pipes and accessories will be encased in an antique leather trunk. The price of this one-off collectable has not been established yet, but you can bet it will equal or surpass the cost of an actual trip around the world in eighty days.

Also from Dunhill is a return of their highly desirable gold-mounted root briars (only five were left when I got there, and one was a Dominican Republic), and a Shilling Cumberland ring grain shell. Also notable were the silver mounted Bruyére calabash pipes, and the 1956-2006 50th Anniversary hallmarked Rolligas lighters. I should also mention that this year's Christmas pipe, although not exhibited at the show, will be based on the Charles Dickens tale, "A Christmas Carol." The first pipe out is - no, not Scrooge, nor Tiny Tim, nor any of the three spirits - but that of Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley.

Reminiscent of the colors of buildings in Cuba, this cigar cutter by Xikar utilizes actual cuttings from old Havana labels.

High end accessories that caught my eye included the Damascus steel and Mastodon ivory pipe tampers made for Xikar by Kentucky artist Richard "Hutch" Hutchings. Also worthy of stocking are the new Havana style colorful Xi3 cutters from Xikar, each featuring original Cuban snippets of cigar labels. And speaking of Cuba, Elie Bleu was stopping people in their tracks with their Che Guevara limited edition humidors, with matching cutters and ashtrays. In Cuba, Che's picture is posted on the walls of most cigar factory galerías; there are few posters of Castro.

Speaking of humidors, many of those on display were elegant enough to be carrying some of the standout cigars, which included the new range of Fittipaldi smokes, named after champion race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi. Another winner was the Ashton ESG -- Estate Sun Grown - a powerhouse inspiration to the already classic VSG (Virgin Sun Grown). Although Robbie Levin tried to tell me the ESG was stronger, I found it only medium strong, a 2.5 on the Highly Prejudiced Hackerscale, as compared to the 2.75 of the VSG. But the ESG's Dominican wrapper, filler, and binder from Chateau de la Fuente makes it a standout for those who like their steaks rare. Only one size is offered this year, a 6 3/4 x 49, with a new size being added to the line for each of the next five years.

Sadly, the cigar industry lost one of its most cherished icons recently, with the passing of Stanford Newman, who celebrated his 90th birthday this last June. The beloved patriarch of the 111 year old J.C. Newman Cigar Company passed away peacefully on August 15th, surrounded by his family. In his honor, a special cigar had been introduced at the RTDA, Stanford's 90th, which will now become a tribute to one of the industry's truly great pioneers, and the man who introduced Cameroon wrappers on premium cigars shortly after the Cuban embargo. Appropriately, Stanford's 90th features a spectacular 18 year old Cameroon wrapper grown by the legendary Meerappfel family, plus a reblended Maximus filler with a bit more sweetness and spice. Like Stanford, this cigar is a limited edition - only 1,000 boxes will be produced, a fitting homage to a great man and a beloved friend. I was given two of these spectacular cigars by Eric Newman at the show, and in turn, gave one to my good friend Philippe Rispoli, executive chef at Daniel Boulud at Wynn's. "Ce magnifique!" was all he could say, which is indeed a compliment coming from one of the most famous chefs on the Las Vegas Strip.

Another cherished friend, Carlos Fuente, Sr., the inspiration for the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos cigar, is being honored this year with a special version of the Don Carlos cigar, which was brought out in 1976, taken off the market when the Fuentes lost everything to the Sandanistas in Nicaragua, and reintroduced in 1980. But this new cigar, the Don Carlos Edición Anniversario, was developed by Carlos Fuente, Jr.

"It's not a regular Don Carlos cigar," Carlito told me at the show. "It's a special version of his cigar that I am making in tribute to my father, but made 'Carlito's way.' It's a little spicy with a little silent undercurrent that if you're not careful, it's going to knock you off your feet."

The Albert Einstein gold banded Dunhill shell is a limited edition that was first released in Europe.

Personally, I can give you a hint: it has a Dominican wrapper rather than the regular Don Carlos Cameroon leaf. There will only be three shapes for a total production of 3,000 cigars in each size, and they will come nestled in a special humidor accompanied by a booklet that I have written. The humidor, special Don Carlos Edición Aniversario, and my booklet will be unveiled on October 7th at a black tie dinner at the famous Hotel Bel Air in Southern California to benefit the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. Tickets may still be available if you contact your Fuente rep. Remember, it's for charity - and to honor Don Carlos.

Also being honored this year is the late, great Zino Davidoff, who would have been 100 years old last March 11th. Nonetheless, Davidoff's "Thank You, Zino" campaign was highlighted by the spectacular Diademas Finas cigar, a 6 3/4 x 50 unbanded perfecto reminiscent of Davidoff's first Cuban shapes in 1948. The cigars are also notable in the fact that they are housed, ten to a box, in the first display box produced by the company, one that features a sepia-toned photo of Zino in front of his Geneva store in 1940. The Diademas Finas will only be available through 2006.

Rocky Patel keeps launching new cigars every year and this show was no different. In addition to now making the Havana-seed-wrapped medium-full Eric Nørding cigars, he also was showcasing his RP Olde World Reserve with a choice of Costa Rican maduro or Corojo wrappers, and a Vintage 1999 made with a seven year old Connecticut Shade wrapper.

Joya de Nicaragua has three new shapes in its powerhouse Antaño puro, a 6 x 60 Magnum, a 6 1/8 x 50/58 Perfecto, and a svelte 7 1/2 x 38 Lancero. And following up on its hot Matasa 30th Anniversary cigar last year (which was the overall winner of the Robb Report's Best of Best), Fonseca has come out with a muscular Criollo 98-wrapped Cubano Limitado, with its distinctive black and gold band.

Also worth noting are the new offerings from Altadis, which include the Saint Luis Rey Serie G (for Gigante) Connecticut Broadleaf maduro with four new shapes in 54, 56, 58, and 60 ring sizes, and their Nicaraguan DaVinci with its Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. On the accessory side, smart retailers snapped up the Romeo y Julieta Aniversario Wine Rack Humidor and the spectacular Trinidad 100th Anniversary three-drawer humidor. And finally a cat's eye cigar cutter that works: the Altadis Cigar Savor Table Top Cutter is made of hardwood, and gives you a choice of three different cuts at once: V-cut, guillotine, and bullet.

Dunhill's sterling silver 50th Anniversary Rolligas lighter is a limited edition conversation piece.

Besides giving away an H2 Hummer, General Cigar was attracting crowds with a number of great new cigars, of which the standout was the limited edition Partagas 160, which represented the last of the 1977 vintage Cameroon wrappers that Daniel Nuñez bought up back in 1994. The initial offering of the Partagas 150, made from the largest of these leaves, was an instant sellout. But Daniel cleverly kept a small quantity of these tobaccos aside, aging them for another ten years. Five sizes are available. If you missed out on the Partagas 150s, or have customers who are bugging you about finding them a box, here is your chance to relive history and make a few more high ticket sales.

Returning as a seasonal blend (toned down for indoor winter smoking) is the Cifuentes, only this time it is the first all-Dominican puro to come from General Cigar. And I'm betting it won't be the last. Also making its reappearance is the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas, featuring - as its name suggests - a ten-year-old wrapper so rare only three leaves in a thousand are selected. On the other end of the strength spectrum is the sweet and meaty Cohiba Black, a broadleaf maduro. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled in General Cigar's favor, look for more Cohiba variations to be forthcoming in the future. Another old Cuban name (although few people realize it) is Macanudo, and this year marks the first new "Vintage Mac" since 1997. But unlike the 1997 offering, the new Vintage Macanudo 2000 has been blended to emulate the earlier vintages of 1988 through 1993. And if you can wait, it looks like some other great vintage cigars may be offered by General Cigar after sufficient aging in about five more years.

"This year, 2006, is one of the best years we have ever had in the Dominican Republic," said Daniel Nuñez, president and chief operating officer of General Cigar. As far as the high-end products at the RTDA go, and how they will play out in the upcoming holiday season, I guess you could say the same thing. It's going to be a vintage year.