In another Limited Cigar Association first, the Master Blender of this month’s LCA Smoke Live experience cigar will be on-site and on-air at LCA HQ with Briand Desind smoking the cigar right along with you and answering your questions in real-time! The Volute is a special cigar with a very cool story that was brought to life by Claudio Sgroi during the first episode of the game changing Smoke Signals documentary series. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the episode right now! Claudio describes the Volute blend as “one of the greatest I ever did in my life” and only those who have seen the episode will be able to truly appreciate what it took to make this cigar available.
Luxury cigar brands have long hosted pricey in-person educational tasting experiences, and have even adopted virtual sessions over the past few years – but at upwards of $500 a pop, it’s an experience few have regular access to. Now, due to the work of the LCA, the only thing you really need in order to hang out and join the conversation is an internet connection, if you’ve got the featured cigar in hand each month even better! If you haven’t already gotten your own Volute 100% Peruvian tobacco cigars, there are still some available – check the LCA locator for your closest shop or head over to the Privada Cigar Club site.
As the Smoke Live experience continues to reach more host shops, lounges and living rooms, it’s easy to forget that it only just recently went live after multiple successful pilots. The early success of the new program shows just how hungry cigar heads are to become immersed in all facets of the beautiful craft that we’re all so interested in. Smoke Signals a great representation of this ethos, offering a window into something that an occasional press release could never hope to capture.
Throughout his career, which spans more than 20 years and began alongside the legendary Henke Kelner Sr., industry veteran Claudio Sgroi has proven to be a lifelong learner. Always eager to expand his knowledge base and understanding, Sgroi’s life has been one spent in service of bringing people and resources together to create something stronger than any of its parts on their own. This isn’t hyperbole, if you aren’t aware of all of Claudio’s contributions to this industry please go back and read our Smoke Signals episode 1 coverage.
Gennaro Lettieri, his Tabacalera del Oriente, and Inca Cigars deserve all the praise we can give them, as this project would not have been possible without their support. The Tabacalera del Oriente tobacco that Claudio was given access to is not typically sold to anyone but Inca, and even then it is almost never used the way that Claudio did. That, at the end of the day, is the whole entire point of all of this – the more collaboration there is and the more processes, knowledge and resources that are shared, the healthier the industry will be, the better the cigars will be. Who doesn’t want that? See you all on the Privada YouTube on Friday, September 9th at 8:00p EST!
Are you going to the lounge to join in with everyone participating there, hosting friends out in the yard, or do you prefer to enjoy your Smoke Live solo? I’d love to hear about it all in the comments below!