The Big Smoke
This is a set fare, so if you need to stop at a liquor store or dispensary, just let me know.
Yep, Vegas baby.
We were on a $30 cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Don and I laughed. But we should have took the driver up on the liquor store.
Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke is an annual event in Las Vegas. This year it was held at Resorts World, some sort of rehab of the Hilton, now 3 hotels, Conrad, Hilton, and Crockfords. And, it overlapped with SEMA, the Specialty Equipped Market Association. Yeah, 250,000 people. Think NASCAR vibe with after-market products for people with money to burn and burn and burn on their rides.
The man you see in front of this truck is about 5’ 9”. And, he’s nearer to me than the truck by at least 20 feet.
Don’s son, Kevin, probably the biggest truck geek I have ever met, said “That’s too much, they can keep it.”
Don and I had lunch at the Marriott and headed to The Forum at Caesar’s Palace to visit Casa Fuente, the Arturo Fuente bar and humidor. His quest, the Arturo Fuente Rare Pink cigar.
From a review at Cigar Aficionado:
These cigars are tied to breast cancer awareness—a social cause quite important to Liana Fuente, daughter of company patriarch Carlos Fuente Jr. A pink ribbon, as many know, is the official symbol of this women’s health movement, and a certain portion of proceeds from the sale of every box fund the worthy cause. This cigar is fantastic even without the advocacy. Some of the sizes are modeled after the perfecto shapes found in Fuente’s Hemingway line.
Well, we both looked at the last two in the humidor, did not recognize them, (I blame the gold hued lighting in there) and later while sharing a table in the bar, learned our companions had bought the last two. Don, true Stoic, simply said, “It wasn’t meant to be.”
If you smoke cigars and are in Vegas, definitely check out Casa Fuente.
Nevertheless we did buy some cigars that are hard to find anywhere else, smoked one each, and then headed to Resorts World for the event.
We had VIP tickets which meant early entry into the event with limited numbers allowed for the first hour. It was already crowded when we got there.
We each received a cloth bag and coupon book, wrist bands designating us a Silver Ticket Holders, and ventured in. Resorts World did it right. We were outside the hotel proper, in a very large tent with lots of ventilation. I overheard the best summary of the evening from a guy behind me. “This is the best Trick or Treat I’ve ever been on.”
He was right, you walk up to a vendor, hold out your bag and they drop cigars in. Along the way you get shots of various whiskeys, tequila, bourbon, a full glass of Guinness Stout, a smoked Old Fashioned, scotch - meanwhile a great trio was singing in the background a perfect accompaniment. And whoever was responsible for the sound system nailed it.
When you wanted to sit a bit there were plenty of tables, and various food stations. Go grab a plate of food, sit, talk, smoke a cigar. It was a very pleasant and relaxing evening. Remarkable considering how many people were in there.
I will say this, I’ve never met a cigar smoker that I did not enjoy talking with. Don noted that you always have a perfect intro, “What are you smoking there?” Pleasant amiable people, interesting world views and experiences. A great community.
I will follow up this post with a review of the following day, a brunch with a series of seminars including a wine pairing.