The annual Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival has now come and gone, marking the Colorado-based event’s 8th year running! That’s no small feat, especially when taking into account that Colorado isn’t exactly a “cigar mecca”… the same can be said for most any state with a 40% tax rate. Interestingly, while you may not find a B&M on every corner (looking at you, Florida and Pennsylvania), the love of premium tobacco is still alive and well; making for one hell of an outpouring of cigar fanatics, all gathering in one central location for a truly outstanding event.
In addition, the event is held at the Omni Interlocken Hotel, which is a beautiful resort, complete with a 27-hole championship golf course, pool-side bar, and other amenities. The location is just south of Boulder, with the Flatirons surrounding the area in plain view—roughly a 20-minute drive northwest. In other words, RMCF is a getaway, not only for cigar fans across the country, but the manufacturers as well. Colorado’s central location makes it manageable for both coasts to make the trip and, as such, you’ll find nearly all of the biggest names in premium and boutique cigars in attendance.
Event Highlights
- Cigar goodie bags (General, VIP, & Executive VIP)
- Show-special prices (some of the best deals we’ve seen)
- Event-exclusive cigars
- Appearances from cigar celebrities
- Fresh-rolled cigars by Palma Cigars
- Colorado’s top breweries & distilleries
- Live music
- Photo booth from CAO Cigars
- Drink and food tickets
- Drawings, manufacturer freebies, and extra prizes
- Billiards (play with the pros – aka “The Angels of Billiards”)
- Afterparty sponsored by LFD Cigars
Drew Estate Mega HERF
For the past few years, Drew Estate has hosted a pre-event party the night before RMCF. New for 2017, the party was moved from a local cigar shop to the same location as the festival. Drew Estate offered steep discounts on cigars and the chance to meet Jonathan Drew and Baitfish Gary (JD’s father). Those willing to wait-out the line (which most likely played a role in the venue change, as the line to meet JD can engulf an entire cigar lounge) have the honor of spending some quality time with the man himself—and the signed boxes of UC Manifestos and Liga “A”s don’t hurt, either…
RMCF 2017
If you’ve been to a cigar festival, you know the drill—VIPs enter and have open access an hour before general admission… then things get a little hectic! 2017 was the largest turnout to date, with over 1,800 people in attendance.
The calm before the storm. Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival 2017. Come by the booth and say hi. pic.twitter.com/qhpykBq179
— Cigar Dojo (@CigarDojo) August 26, 2017
About to open the flood gates…#rockyMountainCigarFestival pic.twitter.com/yjvkQQheAH
— Sumatra Samurai (@SumatraSamurai) August 26, 2017
We out here at Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival getting lit AF #RMCF2017 – thanks for the invite @RMcigarfestival pic.twitter.com/WYe55dhxFf
— PorchDrinking.com (@PorchDrinkingCO) August 26, 2017
Exclusive, Rare, & Limited Edition Cigars
Each year, cigars made exclusively for the event have increased. For 2017, there were exclusive, RMCF-branded cigars from LFD, AJ Fernandez, and Alec Bradley. Some of these cigars, like LFD and AJ Fernandez, feature custom blends that can only be purchased at the event; while Alec Bradley offered an exclusive size and packaging for their Mundial blend.
There are many other rare finds as well, with Drew Estate bringing the Undercrown Manifesto and Liga Privada A (handed out by Jonathan Drew and company), as well as Liga Privada Year of the Rat. Rocky Patel had a signed box of Ray Lewis cigars (with Lewis in attendance), AVO Cigars had a signed box of Limited Edition 2012 cigars (by the late Avo Uvezian), and Foundation brought the new The Wise Man cigars pre-release. Some of these rare finds were offered as giveaways and others were available for sale.
Cigar Celebrities & Personalities
Of course, the event is never short on cigar personality appearances. This year’s attendees included Jonathan Drew, Baitfish Gary, Ray Lewis, Manuel Quesada, Nick Melillo, Jack Toraño, Omar de Frias, and Edgar Hoill, among others.
Some familiar faces at #rockyMountainCigarFestival 1:2 pic.twitter.com/coS66hE4SD
— Cigar Dojo (@CigarDojo) August 26, 2017
Some familiar faces at #rockyMountainCigarFestival 2:2 pic.twitter.com/kRwlyaU3fv
— Cigar Dojo (@CigarDojo) August 27, 2017
Familiar faces from #rockyMountainCigarFestival 3:2 pic.twitter.com/xpYf7DYzUu
— Cigar Dojo (@CigarDojo) August 27, 2017
LFD Afterparty
For years now, LFD has sponsored an afterparty that is held poolside directly following the show. But fate would have it that 2017 would be a bit more special, as the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight was scheduled for the same night as the event. LFD handed out cigar samples and offered special discounts (including the RMCF cigar and the award-winning Andalusian Bull); followed by a live screening of the fight, held in the same pavilion where a portion of the event had occurred hours earlier.
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