IPCPR 2015: RoMa Craft
https://vimeo.com/133849383 Not much was new at RoMa Craft this year, but what was new is exciting. The first thing isn’t new at the show, but the recent release in April of the Neanderthal SGP will be...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Espinosa Cigars
https://vimeo.com/133853529 Along with the news that it has begun distributing D’Crosser cigars, for this year’s IPCPR Espinosa Cigars is introducing some new cigars as well as bringing back an old...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Turrent
The Turrent family is showing off its latest creation, Casa Turrent, which has been on the international market for some time but should begin shipping to U.S. retailers within a month. The Casa...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: FDG Cigars
There are three companies celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year, one of which is Flor de Gonzalez. The company had a big year in 2014 with the release of Spectral and the 90 Miles R.A....
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Illusione
There are definitively singular booths containing multiple exhibitors that are easy to identify than the Casa Fernández/Foundation/Illusione space, but all three companies are there and even at a...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: La Palina
La Palina owner Bill Paley told halfwheel he enjoys controversy. If that’s the case, he’s having a great trade show. My booth visit to La Palina not only included the witnessing of a few Cubans—José...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars
Somewhere in the trade show dictionary will be the entry “bad idea” and underneath will be something along the lines of: trying to interview Rocky Patel, in the middle of his booth, in the middle of...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Cigar Oasis
The focus of this year’s trade show for Cigar Oasis is expanding on the company’s Wi-Fi Attachment, which is now known as Smart Humidor. In the more traditional Cigar Oasis, the company is continuing...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Ashton
It was a relatively simple show from Ashton Distributors, Inc. That being said, Robert Levin, the head of the company, didn’t seem to mind the somewhat lack of new products from the company,...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Mombacho Cigars S.A.
Mombacho has moved out on its own, not only in booth terms but in distribution terms as well. After parting ways with RoMa Craft for its distribution, this year they were sporting their own space which...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: HVC Cigars
Each year, it seems HVC Cigars is getting bigger. This year, Reinier Lorenzo’s booth was big enough for him to have a couch. He was also next to a booth selling high-priced massage chairs, which is...
View ArticleRamón Zapata Returns to the Premium Cigar Industry
After abruptly leaving his role as the primary shareholder and chairman of Compañia Hondureña de Tabacos in late January, Ramón Zapata is back in the premium cigar industry as he is launching a new...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Crowned Heads
It’s been a bit of a hot-button topic among fans of the brand, but Crowned Heads’ feature release at this year’s show is La Imperiosa, a new regular production line that is the same blend as the Las...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: What’s In My Bag — Brooks Whittington Edition
As you probably know by now, we are each writing a little about what we are carrying around in our bags as we cover the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show. So, here is my contribution. Lowepro...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Day 3 Contest — Davidoff Escurio Gran Toro
Sorry for the delay. I’m sure you guessed what was coming now, it’s a box of Davidoff Escurio Gran Toro. Today’s prize has a retail value of just under $215 and like the previous days, all you have to...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: E.P. Carrillo
Leave it to Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr. to have a surprise waiting for us in his booth at this year’s trade show. We knew about the Selección Oscuro, we knew about the new sizes for the New Wave...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Davidoff of Geneva USA
After a downsizing at General Cigar Co., Davidoff of Geneva USA is now, without question, the largest exhibitor at this year’s show. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise given Davidoff’s strategies...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Fratello Cigars
Fratello Cigars happened across a very well placed booth this year, somewhat in the middle of the trade show floor and right next to a very openly designed Oliva booth, causing them to see a lot of...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
My sit-down with Steve Saka started with him complimenting himself for “how much of a cheap-ass” he was in regards to the extremely inexpensive cost of his booth furniture. Actually, it started 20...
View ArticleIPCPR 2015: MBombay Cigars
MBombay Cigars was showing off two new products at its IPCPR booth this year. The first is the new MBombay Habano blend, which incorporates an Ecuadorian habano wrapper and Ecuadorian criollo binder...
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