My interest was piqued when I heard there was a Diamond Crown Lounge opening in Georgia. I had heard of these lounges opening up in various cities around the country, but I didn’t know exactly what it mean to be a “Diamond Crown Lounge”. And then I heard that Eric Newman of J.C. Newman would be there personally to oversee the event, I shuffled a few things around on my calendar to ensure I could check it out.
One thing that surprised me about the announcement of The Cigar Shoppe (map) as the latest addition to the list of Diamond Crown Lounges was the shop’s location. I would have expected to find a prestigious new lounge in either the upscale Buckhead neighborhood or somewhere in downtown Atlanta. This shop is actually a good 40 miles north of the city. So I asked Eric Newman about it. And in the process of answering my question, he also answered the larger question, what is a Diamond Crown Lounge?
Eric Newman and Yours Truly
The way it works is that cigar representatives for the region nominate shops that they feel provide an excellent location for cigar smokers to escape to an enjoy their cigars. As the country increasing enacts bans that limit cigar aficionados opportunities to smoke, it has become important for cigar shops to step up and open up new opportunities to their customers. Shops that do this, and do it really well are given the opportunity to become a Diamond Crown Lounge.
As I made my way around the facilities, it became obvious why The Cigar Shoppe was chosen. In addition to a well stocked humidor, it’s beautifully decorated and nicely furnished with plush leather furniture. In the middle of the main lounge area is a great looking pool table (which was in constant use) and a big screen television. For more indoor activities you can check Murfressboro family arcade guide from Nashville Billiard And Patio. Behind the lounge you’ll find a bar with an impressive selection of beers and ports. And then there’s the wine list. This cigar shop brags of having the fourth best wine list in the state, and is in the process of expanding to include a wine “cellar” (it’s actually next door instead of below the shop) to house it’s 1000 different varieties.
But drinking wine and port while enjoying a Diamond Crown wasn’t the only thing I did while I was there. As a cigar psuedo-journalist, I wasted no time in trying to dig up rumors and news and pry into the inter workings of the industry I so enjoy. And here’s what I found out.
New Diamond Crown Julius Cesar Maduro Perfecto
I asked Eric Newman if J.C. Newman was working on producing any new Diamond Crown cigars anytime soon. I wasn’t expecting him to be quite as forthcoming with specifics as he was. The answer was not only yes, but a full break down on the new cigar. The current plan is to produce a maduro “classical perfecto” cigar named “Julius Cesar”. (Presumably named after the founder of the company, Julius Cesar Newman, and not the Roman emperor.) The cigar will be “full flavored” and available in three sizes.
Oliva News
I know that probably looks like a typo. What on earth could I have possibly learned about Oliva at a Diamond Crown event? Plenty, since I bumped into a friend with strong Oliva connections. The word on the street is that the Oliva Serie V Maduro, which has been the topic endless speculation, will finally be available in October of this year. From the sound of it, the Serie V Maduro will be a one time release.
And if that’s not enough news for you, another Connecticut-wrapped Oliva cigar is coming in the beginning of 2009, possibly as early as January. And of course, you will be seeing a new Nub very soon too, but my source didn’t know any specifics. I’m hoping Sam Leccia will start producing the pipe-shaped cigars I’ve seen him roll at Nub events.
Very Cool!!!
come on Brian…can’t inform a fellow local boy of something of this magnitude?
you wouldn’t by any chance be going to any of the LFD events this week would you???
…no… I’m not stalking you…………………………..
yet…..muewahahahahah
BRIAN YOU ROCK!!! Awesome job digging up news on my favorite cigar company!!
The Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge franchise thingy seems VERY cool too! The the shop looks gorgeous.
Darn…
Now I really do wish I had been able to make that event… 🙁
Cool. I’ll be in Atlanta for a week next month. This just may be one of my nightly excursions.
Rich,
Man, I’m sorry, if I had realized you didn’t know, I would have said something. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the retailer promotions page on cigar cyclopedia to make sure you don’t miss out on cool events like these.
I may be going to one of the LFD events, but I haven’t figured out which one yet…
Thanks Jon W,
Glad I could help! 🙂 And yes, the lounge is awesome.
Lonnie,
Yeah, you kinda missed out. I know it’s a bit of a drive for you, but it’s worth the trip.
I heard the @brianhewitt will be rolling the new Nub cigar! Make sure @waltw makes you your own rolling table.
Shhhhh Jerry! You weren’t supposed to tell ’em that!
Now that the cat is out of the bag, I may as well divulge the details. The new Nub will be the “Gummy Bear Maduro” that will feature a great Connecticut wrapper absolutely soaked in Apple Pectin (cigar rolling glue).
Sam and I talked about it, and we determined that the problem with most cigars these days is you gotta really drool hard on your cigar to get it properly soggy. This new soggy-capped cigar will ease the burden on cigar smokers saliva glands.
An unintended, but happily accepted side effect of so much glue is that smokers will also find their cigars far less likely to accidentally fall out of their mouths. (In some cases, there is a risk of trouble with cigars being firmly affixed to the lip, but that’s a risk we’re willing to take.)
Brian, The Cigar Shoppe is awesome. If it weren’t so far out of town, I wouldn’t have to open my own place. But 40 miles in ATL traffic really sucks the fun out of it and makes it totally undoable on a weeknight.
Brian,
It was great to have you at our event. The Diamond Crown Lounge is something that is very important to The Cigar Shoppe and we hope to do it well. There has been a lot of time and effort put into creating the atmosphere that you saw. Please join us when the wine room is finished. You will be blown away. For all others, feel free to make the drive up to Cumming as the leaves change and enjoy a smoke with us.
Nice place!!! Amazing humidor. You people on the East Coast have some pretty amazing cigar shops compared to us Westerners 😛
Brian,
It was great to see you at the opening of the Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge at the Cigar Shoppe. Tim and Keith did an awesome job in making their Cumming, Georgia, one of our nicest Dianond Crown Cigar Lounges. Thank you for the nice write-up. Hope to see you soon.
Eric
Hi Eric,
Yes, that was a great time and that cigar shop is fantastic! I’ll keep my eye on the cigar events calendar so we can meet again the next time you’re in town! (Either that, or I’ll swing by at the next IPCPR.)
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me at the event!