This is our preliminary Day One report from the show.  After the show, we will update this article with photos and additional details.

Surprise of the day was the way your voice would echo through the display booth rows of the 2007 RTDA.  No official figures, but this sure seems like the least attended RTDA in the last 6 years.  There are a few busy booths, but not the freezing frenzy there have been in years past.

The idea of the show comes from La Aurora.  How many times have you wondered exactly what influence the wrapper has on the flavor profile of a cigar?  Wonder no more.  The MENSA level IQ of Jose Blanco and La Aurora bring us the Connoisseur Series.  The Connoisseur is an assortment of La Aurora 1495 Robustos, each with a distinctive wrapper, Cameroon, Connecticut, Brazil, and Corojo.  Each cigar has the same filler and binder, allowing you to simply deduce the wrapper influence from each cigar.  Great ideas are often the simplest.

La Aurora also introduces the Leon Jimenes 300 Series.  This Cameroon wrapped cigar has aged for 300 days, hence the name 300 Series.  The Aurora Preferidos line adds the Robusto Ecuador.  The Robusto Ecuador is similar to the Emerald perfecto, but in a Robusto size.

San Cristsobal from Ashton is a Jose “Pepin” Garcia creation that looks absolutely gorgeous.  We were not able to try them, but if looks can tell anything, these cigars are destined to be stars.

Padron Cigars introduces the 80^th Anniversary Perfecto.  These cigars have a blend similar to the 1926 Series with a slight stronger flavor profile.  Jorge Padron, who has lost so much weight he is well on his way towards his goal of becoming the first male supermodel in the cigar industry, shared with us the fact that the 80^th Anniversary Perfecto will be in limited supply due having a single roller capable of the difficult design.

We’ve come to expect the unexpected when we visit the Graycliff booth and the Garzarolis didn’t let us down.  All new cigar boxes are on the way for the Nassau based cigar maker, but the most they would let us see was the latch.  Also on the way are a line of Graycliff premium coffees and super premium Graycliff chocolates.  Since the Garzarolis are the only cigar makers to run a five star restaurant, we would say that they are more qualified to get into chocolates and coffee than they were when they started their cigar company and we know how well that turned out.  We can’t wait to try the chocolate samples tomorrow.  Tough job but someone has to do it.

In conjunction with Xikar comes Defiance Cigars.  A mild Nicaraguan wrapped cigar who dedicates 5% of the sale proceeds to supporting Political Action Committees in their state of sale.  Nice to know you can smoke a nice cigar and help defend the simple pleasure of smoking it at the same time.

Eddie Ortega of United Brands continues his impressive run of top notch cigars.  Eddie introduced the 601 Habano Oscuro Green Label.  The Green Label is manufactured by Pepin Garcia in Nicaragua, and is the most full bodied of the 601 cigar series.  This Nicaraguan Puro looks fantastic in its Oscuro wrapper.  We didn’t have the chance to try these today, but look forward to giving them a shot tomorrow.  If they are anything like the rest of the 601 series, they will be great.