Macanudo is expanding its popular Inspirado collection with Palladium, a limited-edition release that harnesses an old-world aging method to deliver a deeply complex smoking experience.

Palladium features a five-country blend that harnesses the time-honored technique of tercios to deliver a truly exquisite smoking experience.  The tercio process was used during the golden age of Cuban cigars to age tobacco in optimal conditions, yet is rarely used today due to the considerable time and labor required to build and wrap the bales.

Only an elite group of Macanudo’s artisans are skilled in the tercio process which eschews burlap and instead envelopes the tobacco bales in the bark of the majestic Royal Palm tree. The bark forms a tighter seal, trapping in moisture and retaining the tobacco’s natural taste characteristics.

Springfield, VA (June 25th, 2019) – Omar de Frias is proud to announce the launch of The Texan. This blend will be sold exclusively to retailers in Texas and will be part of a series of state releases by Fratello.

The blend uses an HVA Ecuador wrapper with a Sumatra binder and Piloto Cubano Ligero, Andullo, Esteli Ligero and Pennsylvania Ligero filler tobacco.

“We went full body and our largest cigar format to date. The balance of The Texan, with as much ligero as it has, is simply incredible.” said de Frias.

The evolution of Macanudo continues with Heritage Nuevo, a limited release that marks the premiere of a bold, multi-year project for the brand. Beginning with this year’s release and continuing with subsequent Heritage Nuevo releases that will debut in the years that follow, Macanudo’s best-selling blends will be reimagined with unique tobaccos.

“Macanudo Heritage Nuevo gives us the opportunity to juxtapose the brand’s most enduring heritage blends with a modern reinterpretation that features the emerging tobaccos of today. We believe that Macanudo Heritage Nuevo will awaken a new dialogue among seasoned Macanudo smokers, while giving others a reason to awaken their passion for the perennially top-selling brand,” said Steve Abbot, senior brand manager for Macanudo.

For the first item in the Heritage Nuevo series, Macanudo takes flight to South America for an intriguing new take on its classic Café blend. In this, Macanudo’s expert blenders have taken the brand’s signature Connecticut Shade wrapper and replaced it with an Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper cultivated by an independent grower in Ecuador’s Los Rios province. There, beneath the thick, natural cloud cover that envelopes the region, a lustrous golden wrapper was developed expressly for use in this intriguing, limited-edition offering. When paired with Macanudo’s Dominican and Mexican blend, the result is a creamy, medium-bodied smoke with a rich aroma and compelling notes of toasted nuts, interspersed with nuances of sweetness and spice.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust® will be showcasing its Mi Querida® Triqui Traca of handcrafted cigars at this year’s 87th Annual Convention of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 28th through July 2nd, 2019.

“Mi Querida Triqui Traca, pronounced ‘me kay-ree-dah tree-kee trah-ka’, is arguably our boldest cigar released to date,” shares Founder and Master Ligador Steve Saka. Adding, “At its core, it remains our quintessential Mi Querida blend with its earthy, sweet broadleaf notes, but with the incorporation of a couple refinements. The capa has been switched from the traditional Connecticut Broadleaf Mediums to the rarer No. 1 Dark corona leaves plus a unique, high octane ligero grown in the Dominican Republic has also been introduced into the liga. The resulting cigar retains its inherent sweet loam and chocolate characteristics, yet delivers a significantly heavier smoking experience.”

In a nod to the past and present, an old-world technique is being used in the latest release from La Gloria Cubana, just as the brand’s modernized new logo makes its debut.

Called Spanish Press, the three-cigar collection is handcrafted at the El Credito Cigar Factory, a boutique rolling gallery located within General Cigar Dominicana. There, artisans place the freshly-rolled cigars into wooden trays with dividers that apply uniform pressure to the cigars. The trays are then pressed to define their shape.

Once pressed, the cigars are placed in specially sized boxes that apply slight pressure to maintain their shape. This process is reminiscent of the old Spanish-press technique used in pre-embargo Cuba where the boxes were used to create the cigars’ distinct form.

Yuri Guillen, production manager for El Credito said, “This method eliminates air pockets to deliver an optimal draw and output of smoke, resulting in an enhanced smoking experience. We developed a very special blend to showcase our unique technique, and believe we have delivered a fantastic addition to the La Gloria Cubana portfolio.”

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust® will be debuting the Sobremesa Brûlée® blend of fine handmade cigars at this year’s 87th Annual Convention of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 28th through July 2nd, 2019.

“Sobremesa Brûlée is a recreation of the milder, shade wrapped ligas of my early years. Somewhere over the last three decades many of the classic shade cigars have become wispy, uninspiring and rather dull to my palate. I wanted to share with others the way I remember these blonde cigars being,” states Master Blender Steve Saka. “Also as ligador and tobacco man, I do not understand the recent trend of making strong Connecticut Shade cigars aka “not your grandfather’s cigar”. To me this seems like an oxymoron and a fundamental lack of appreciation of the enchanting characteristics and nuances of shade grown Connecticut Seed tobaccos. In Brûlée, I embraced this shade capa and dedicated myself to showcasing its mild, sweet and nutty nature.”

The Hoyo La Amistad series represents a very successful partnership with AJ Fernandez, as the three previous releases of La Amistad: Silver, Gold and Black were developed in collaboration with AJ and his team.

With Dark Sumatra, the brand takes an unexpected turn.

Senior Brand Manager Ed Lahmann said, “We turned the original Hoyo Dark Sumatra blend over to AJ and gave him the green light to run with it. Although the blend is the very same one that has been used continually since the brand launched decades ago, when met with AJ’s fermentation, aging and cigar-making techniques, the result is a cigar that tastes vastly different from the original.”

In a nod to the past, AJ’s take on La Amistad Dark Sumatra reimagines the future of the brand by delivering a cigar that puts the Central American-forward blend on display. Featuring an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican filler, AJ’s take on Dark Sumatra is a rich and creamy medium-bodied smoke, made in his signature, full-flavored tradition.

(Miami Florida) June 19, 2019— Casa Cuevas Cigars, makers of handmade premium cigars to release “La Mandarria” (translates to the sledgehammer) at 2019 IPCPR. La Mandarria brand was born out of the unfortunate robbery which occurred in February 2019 at the Casa Cuevas Cigars distribution center in Miami.  Burglars used sledgehammers to break in and steal over 25,000 of the Casa Cuevas brands which included the Casa Cuevas Limited Edition Flaco and Casa Cuevas core line of cigars. The Cuevas family made the decision to forge ahead and create a cigar that will mark the era where they faced and overcame adversity.

For years The Cuevas family patriarch, Luis Cuevas Sr., has been the man behind the curtain for many popular cigar brands. Their factory, the Las Lavas Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic, has created brands for some of the most globally popular cigar companies. It was only three years ago that the Cuevas family felt it was time to create their own brand: Casa Cuevas Cigars. Luis Jr., son of Luis Cuevas, Sr., who runs the Cuevas operations in Miami, looks to honor his father, who himself made many sacrifices, went through much adversity as a U.S. immigrant, and was forced to leave his homeland of Cuba many years ago.

DIESEL TO LAUNCH WHISKEY ROW SHERRY CASK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RABBIT HOLE

Collection Marks the Second Collaboration between Two Maverick Brands

Diesel Cigars and Rabbit Hole Bourbon have reignited their partnership with Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask, a three-cigar collection that shipped to all channels on June 3, 2019.

Owing its rich and indulgent taste to influences of bourbon, American oak and solera-aged sherry, Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is a cigar with epic depth and sublime flavor. Developed by Justin Andrews, blended by AJ Fernandez and handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask features Nicaraguan-aged tobaccos cultivated on three continents. This exciting new collection once again calls upon a proprietary aging process developed by AJ to deepen the complexity of the smoking experience by barrel-aging the binder leaves.

Springfield, VA (June 18, 2019) – Omar de Frias is proud to announce the company’s latest blend, the Fratello Piccolo. Different from the Fratello Classico, the Piccolo uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with the same binder and filler as the Classico. “We used a different wrapper on our Classico blend and picked up some great flavors! The combustion and aroma were absolutely incredible.” said de Frias.

Fratello Piccolo will debut as a 4 x 34 in 100 count boxes. The MSRP for this cigar will be $3.30 per cigar and will begin shipping in August.

The Fratello Piccolo is being made at Joya de Nicaragua.

Please visit www.fratellocigar.com/thecigar for a description of our cigars.

The artisans of Cohiba are proud to unveil COHIBA SPECTRE 2019, a small batch release that speaks to the highest art of tobacco mastery. For this, the second edition of Spectre, countless hours were spent in developing the blend.

An intimate knowledge of tobacco led the artisans to designate some leaves for aging in tercios to refine their flavors, while increasing the complexity of other leaves through a months-long finishing in fragrant Spanish Sherry casks. The result is not just a cigar, but an occasion unto itself.

The wrapper is deeply fermented, hand selected Nicaraguan Jalapa. During the curing process, a small percentage of upper-priming leaves were set aside for deeper aging. These extraordinary leaves underwent additional fermentation lasting six months, during which time the tobacco became profoundly more elegant. Ultimately, only eight barrels of wrapper tobacco were deemed worthy of adorning Cohiba Spectre.

CIGAR INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS WELCOME A.C.E. PRIME UPDATE:

(June 17, 2019) Some of the biggest names and brands in the cigar industry are excited for the launch of A.C.E Prime at IPCPR 2019.

"New and innovative cigars and companies are a very important to the vibrancy of the premium cigar
industry," said Drew Newman, General counsel of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. “As the oldest, family- owned cigar company in America, we welcome one of the newest, A.C.E. Prime. We have no doubt
that their outstanding premium cigars will live up to their name.”

The artisans of Cohiba are proud to unveil COHIBA CONNECTICUT, a super-premium release that marks an important milestone for the brand, as this is the first Cohiba to be wrapped in Connecticut Shade.

Cohiba Brand Ambassador Sean Williams said, “Our agronomists partnered with an independent grower in Ecuador’s Los Rios province to produce a silky and lustrous Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper. Unlike cloth-covered fields that shield the tobacco from the blistering sun in Connecticut, this special wrapper is grown beside Ecuador’s Vinces River and beneath the thick, natural cloud cover that blankets the region. The volcanic soil yielded a wrapper that was intentionally developed for its aesthetic qualities, with veins that are barely perceptible. Looks aside, the wrapper is ideal for blending, as it maximizes the filler and binder leaves.”

Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigars Group to Showcase the Dominican Blue at 2019 IPCPR

New York, NY – Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigars Group (VRCG) is pleased to announce that their latest cigar, the Dominican Blue will be showcased at this 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, being held in Las Vegas, NV - June 29-July 2, 2019.

The VRCG Dominican Blue is the creation of legendary cigar maker, Victor De La Cruz in collaboration with Rock-A-Feller Cigars owner, Kevin Schweitzer.

Kevin Schweitzer stated:

"Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigars Group is very excited to work with Victor de la Cruz and his Tabacalera L&V S.R.L factory to add the Dominican Blue to the successful Rock-A-Feller Cigars portfolio of premium cigars. Victor is a legend in the industry and a master blender going back decades in the business."

Savor the taste of Tamboril

The Dominican Blue offers a delicious and complex flavor profile that highlights the aged leaf and masterful construction of the masterful skills of Victor De La Cruz and his Tabacalera L&V S.R.L factory:

“Some of the best times in my life happened over cigars in my garage in Tampa,” says CAO’s Rick Rodriguez.

For his latest creation for CAO, Rick decided to create a cigar for the everyday smoking occasions that somehow turn out to be extraordinary. He wanted his next line to be something special and full of depth, the kind of smoke that works for the times that you just want to “sit, smoke, chill and not over-think things.”

Inspired by his early days of blending in Santiago, D.R., Rick started with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, selected a Dominican binder and paired them with a rich blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. “I wasn’t going for a full-bodied cigar. I wanted Session to be a medium-bodied smoke with a great taste and a lot of complexity and I feel like I’ve hit the mark with Session. I’m excited to hear what the CAO fans will think of it.”

Crux Cigars Limitada Gunner Shipping This Week (Miami, Fla.) - Crux Cigars will begin shipping the much anticipated Limitada Gunner this week to their retail partners across the country.

Announced at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, the Gunner is the second quarter extension of the popular Limitada line from Crux Cigars in 2019, following the Redline earlier this year. The Gunner is a 5.375x46 Corona Gorda finished with a Cuban box press.

As with the previously released Limitada PB5 and the Limitada IPCPR, the Gunner is produced once per year as a limited edition of 1,000 10-count boxes. It features the proprietary Nicaraguan Engañoso wrapper.

Available vitola: Corona Gorda Cuban Box Press 6 x 50 (MSRP $9.99) 10-count boxes.

See more: CruxCigars.com Instagram: @CruxCigars Twitter: @CruxCigars Facebook: Facebook.com/CruxCigars 

Fan favorite CAO Flathead now has an ultra-premium, souped-up cousin called V19.

For CAO Flathead V19, Rick Rodriguez and the CAO team upped the ante by blending a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a hearty Connecticut Habano binder, and a bold selection of independently-grown Nicaraguan Estelí, Jalapa and Condega leaves, with Dominican Piloto Cubano. They then gave each of the leaves an abbreviated fermentation to lock in the tobaccos’ native flavors and added a longer aging process to refine them.

Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Themis Corona Gorda as a regular production release for the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas. The cigar was originally introduced as a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive on September 8, 2018. The cigars will continue to be produced at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Themis Corona Gorda will be available in a 5 5/8 X 46 format in boxes of 10. MSRP has been set at $99.40 per box. The blend consists of an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. & Famous Smoke Shop have had a great relationship and success with this line and are excited to offer this cigar to all of our retail partners. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. will again be partnered inside the Espinosa booth at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Sir Robert Peel as a regular production release for the 2019 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The Cigars will be offered in a natural & maduro format. The Protocol Sir Robert Peel is produced at Erik Espinosa's La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The cigars will be available in a 6 x 52 box press format in boxes of 10. MSRP has been set at $119.50 per box. The blend incorporates an Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper covering Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The second blend utilizes the same filler but a Pennsylvania Broad Leaf wrapper.

The cigar will become available nationally at the 2019 IPCPR located in Las Vegas. Sir Robert Peel is regarded as the father of modern day policing. Cubariqueño Cigar Co  again pays homage to the profession of its owners Bill Ives & Juan Cancel who are police officers. We left no stone unturned for this release. Both cigars are smoking phenomenal and we took the packing up to the next level stated Juan Cancel. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. will again be partnered inside the Espinosa booth at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.