Day one was uneventful for the most part. It was basically a day of travel. The flight included a handful of screaming children, but since we were able to land without ripping off the tail of the plane, I think things worked out for the positive.

 Our arrival in Las Vegas was a little too early to check in to our room right away, so we checked our bags and scoped out the casino. A quick visit to the sports book at the Venetian informed me that my Jaguars are at 200-1 to win the Super Bowl. I might have to drop at least fifty bucks on that pipe dream.

 After visually inspecting what games of chance would also require my attention this week, I headed over to the IPCPR check-in and secured my credentials for the show. I did take a brief peek inside and noticed almost every booth being feverishly worked upon. Although the room was not yet filled with cigar smoke, I could almost smell that heavenly aroma, nonetheless.

 A nice and heart-healthy breakfast that included double expresso along with chicken and waffles certainly prepped my taste buds for my first smoke in Vegas.

 So what cigar did I choose to kick off  IPCPR 2013?

I couldn't think of a better stick to start with than the exclusive Montecristo Las Vegas edition. This was a great smoke that had many similarities with the Montecristo New York I reviewed a few weeks ago. The Nicaraguan binder and Dominican filler, expertly topped off with a slick San Andres Criolla wrapper in the Vegas is a great smoke for anyone looking for a medium to full-bodied experience.

 The evening was topped off with a great dinner hosted by Bobby Newman and his son Dawson of JC Newman. Their hospitality is a great harbinger of things to come.

 Stay tuned for the rest of the week. Not only will it be filled with great cigars but there is also is no telling who I will run into this week.

 Long Ashes,

 Chris Gwaltney