Colorado Voters Could Increase Cigar Tax
Colorado’s already oppressive tobacco tax could get worse if a petition submitted to the Secretary of State’s office yesterday gets certified and approved by voters on the November ballot. A group...
View ArticleEspinosa Grows Lounge Exclusive Backroom Series by Eight Offerings
Even after releasing a number of new cigars at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, the Espinosa Premium Cigars portfolio continues to grow. The company has announced that eight new cigars are...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Nicaragua Cigar Distributors
Nicaragua Cigar Distributors, makers of Santiago Cigars, rolled out one of the most interesting releases at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, at least in my opinion, the Double Shot Energy...
View ArticleEspinosa Cigars Overhauls 601 Brand, Adds Five New Lines
The 601 brand is getting a big breath of new life thanks to the addition of five new lines that are being released by Espinosa Premium Cigars, along with the return of a line discontinued several years...
View ArticleSouthern Draw Adds Several Vitolas to Portfolio
Southern Draw Cigars has released nearly a dozen new sizes to its portfolio, adding vitolas to its Kudzu and Firethorn lines as well as to all three blends of its QuickDraw line. For the Kudzu and...
View ArticleErnesto Padilla and Sean Williams Collaborate for Doctrine
Ernesto Padilla of Padilla Cigar Co. and Sean Williams of El Primer Mundo have come together to release a new collaboration cigar called Doctrine. It’s a 6 x 52 toro that uses a Connecticut broadleaf...
View ArticleSchenectady County, N.Y. Increase Tobacco Purchase Age to 21
There is now a fifth county in New York state where people must be at least 21-years-old to purchase tobacco products, and it’s Schenectady County. The Schenectady County Legislature approved the...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Jas Sum Kral
One of the more intriguing brands heading into the trade show for me was Jas Sum Kral. If there was ever a company I got that was scrambling towards the finish line, it was Riste Riatevski’s relatively...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: E.P. Carrillo Cigar Co.
E.P. Carrillo Cigar Co. turned quite a few heads back in July when it came to light that the company was not only discontinuing four brands—Cabinet, Cardinal, Core Line and E-Stunner—but also updating...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: J.C. Newman
It is the year of Black Diamond at J.C. Newman. The release, some four years in the making, is finally being released. In addition, the company has a few new extensions to its Nicaraguan brands. The...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Warped
I remember when Warped Cigars was going to have just one new release for all of 2016. And yet, there are three different releases for the trade show alone. It’s a much different look for Warped this...
View ArticleBessemer City, N.C. Bans Smoking in Parks and Public Spaces
Come Sept. 1, smokers in Bessemer City, N.C. will be hard pressed to find a place to light up, as the city passed a comprehensive smoking ban at its meeting on Monday. Included in the ban is a...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Kuuts
Kuuts’ journey in the U.S. enters a decidedly new chapter with the addition of Steve Ysidron. The cigar industry veteran joined the company earlier this year after a couple years on his own with the...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Guayacan
The anchor of the four Tabacalera NOA booths is Guayacan. Tabacalera NOA is the factory of Noel Rojas and Brandon Hayes and Guayacan is of course the brand of Rojas. This year, there are two new lines...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Top 3 Things – Charlie Minato Edition
As we walk from booth to booth or stumble from party to party, we get asked a lot, what have you seen that is cool/exciting/interesting at the show? It’s a question I ask retailers a lot—and with good...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Casa Fernández
Casa Fernández’s 2016 trade show strategy can be described as a little bit of this, a little bit of that. There’s line extensions, new blends, new brands and a new factory. After last year’s chaotic...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Top 3 Things – Brooks Whittington Edition
As a new feature to this halfwheel’s coverage of the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show this year, we have decided that each member of the staff will put together a list of the top three most...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Miami Cigar & Co.
A new year, another new brand for the Miami Cigar & Co. family. This time, it’s Nicholas Melillo and his new flavored brand, The Upsetters. Beyond that, La Aurora has a host of new products and...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Rocky Patel Premium Cigars
I think it’s fair to say that Rocky Patel had the only hired singer of the trade show. A Sinatra impersonator was serenading the booth for much of the trade show. As for the products, there was...
View ArticleSmithsburg, Md. Enacts Parks Smoking Ban
Leaders in Smithsburg, Md. have passed a voluntary smoking ban for the town’s parks, as the five members of the town council unanimously approved by the proposal during its meeting on Tuesday night....
View Article