Matilde Serena Arrives at Select Retailers (Update)
It wasn’t on display at the recent IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, but Matilde Cigars has shipped Serena, a new limited edition cigar, to a handful of retailers across the country. The Serena uses...
View ArticleGrafton, Mass. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age to 21
The Grafton, Mass. Board of Health isn’t wasting any time in implementing an increase to the minimum age to purchase tobacco products, as Monday’s approval of the proposal goes into effect Sept. 1. In...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Top 3 Things – Patrick Lagreid Edition
Just the other day someone asked me what my favorite part of the recent IPCPR Convention & Trade Show was, and without missing a beat I replied “the four or so hours of sleep I managed to get each...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Ventura Cigar Co.
Ventura Cigar Co. is a subsidiary of Phillips and King International, which itself is a subsidiary of Kretek International. Phillips & King is the largest distributor of tobacco products in the...
View ArticlePortraits: Robert Holt
Robert Holt is proud. That’s the first thing that comes to mind describing the Army veteran who owns Southern Draw Cigars. Every interaction I’ve had with Holt leads me to believe: he is proud to be a...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: General Cigar Co.
As always, it’s a busy year from General Cigar Co. The star of the show is a new release from Partagas called Ramon y Ramon, but every other brand from General not named Punch also receives new lines,...
View ArticleCamacho Powerband Robusto
As a key part of its branding, Camacho has taken on numerous elements of living a bold lifestyle. For its latest release, Powerband, the company is drawing on motorcycles and in particular, the term...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Gurkha
I remember when Patrick Lagreid told me about how many Gurkha articles needed to be written. It’s a fact that was not lost upon me as I made my way around the booth with a notepad trying to keep track...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Top 3 Things – Brian Burt Edition
So as you’ve probably seen the other three members of the halfwheel staff write, here is my participation in the Top 3 Things posts we’re doing this year. 1. Small Ring Gauges — I’ve seen the trend...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Fable Cigars
Another company that was featured in the RoMa Craft booth was Fable Cigars. Fable Cigars, owned by Mitul Shah and Sean Kremenetski, have their cigars produced at Fabrica de Tabacos NicaSueño S.A.,...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Lampe Berger Paris
Decorative aroma devices and cigars aren’t normally discussed together, but Lampe Berger Paris has promoted its product partially for that very reason—to get rid of smoke odors. The light colored booth...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: LH Premium Cigars
While the smaller LH Premium Cigars booth was kind of tucked between some other booths, Nicholas Syris’ charismatic and energetic personality made it an easy one to find and visit. President of LH...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Total Flame
While the Total Flame booth was tucked away in the back row, I didn’t have trouble finding it as they still had a sizable display with their logo at the top of their booth. Total Flame was one of the...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Ezra Zion
Inside the Boutiques Unified booth, the Ezra Zion crew were greeting a steady stream of retailers despite the fact they didn’t have anything new to show off. Chris Kelly and Kyle Hoover did manage to...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: JRE Tobacco Co.
In the back corner of the CLE booth, JRE Tobacco set up shop, slightly inconspicuous, but perhaps a bigger deal than it might appear. JRE Tobacco is the namesake of Julio R Eiroa, patriarch of the...
View ArticleWestwood, Kan. Joins Tobacco Age Increase Movement
The Kansas City metropolitan area has gained another supporter of the Tobacco21 movement, as the Westwood, Kan. City Council unanimously approved an increase to the tobacco purchase age from 18 to...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: EH Cigars
Inside the CLE booth, Edgar Hoill’s EH Cigars and OSOK brands were setup on display. EH Cigars was launched when Hoill joined up with Christian Eiroa after having previously worked with Matt Booth on...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Elie Bleu
The big news is Elie Bleu is now distributed by Rëyns International. But that’s not all that’s happening, this year marks the 40th year of the famed French humidor maker and it’s clear that things...
View ArticleIPCPR 2016: Recluse
Shortly before the beginning of the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, Recluse Cigar Co./Iconic Leaf announced that it would be releasing nine new lines with 14 sizes each and it would announce...
View ArticleDrew Estate Plans Liga Privada Aniversario, Tapas Finas & More
Presumably as part of the rush to meet new FDA regulations, Drew Estate has quietly shipped select stores a variety of new products including a handful of new Liga Privadas. Posters on the BOTL.org...
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