Partagas Valle Verde, a new, full-time collection that ships on July 1 will debut as the first Partagas blend to be crowned with a Mexican San Andrés leaf. John Hakim, brand manager of Partagas said, “Partagas Valle Verde builds on the Partagas tradition of rich, refined blends and calls upon its rich Mexican wrapper to deliver a unique smoking experience to the brand portfolio. It is the ideal choice for cigar enthusiasts who are drawn to well-aged tobaccos.”

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May 30, 2023- C.L.E. Cigar Company announces that the TAA exclusive Eiroa Dark 11/18 is now shipping! The Eiroa Dark originally made its debut in 2019. What separates the TAA Exclusive is that it will come in the Eiroa family’s signature 11/18 size. Only five hundred boxes were created.

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The Premium Cigar Association (PCA), in partnership with its member tobacconists of Montana in the Montana Cigar Association, is pleased to announce that Governor Greg Gianforte has signed SB 122 by Senator Greg Hertz, calling for a thirty-five cent tax cap on the sale of cigars.

Ashburn, VA [May 10, 2023]- Fratello Cigars has announced that will be ending production of four of its popular Vitolas. The Bianco I, Oro Shorty, Navetta Enterprise, and Inverso Corona Gorda Vitolas will no longer be manufactured by the company.

After a comprehensive assessment of its product lineup, Fratello Cigars has decided to halt the production of these Vitolas. This decision was based on several factors, including the cost of manufacturing and the level of consumer demand. 

"While it is always difficult to discontinue a product, we believe that this decision is in the best interest of our company and our customers," said Omar de Frias, the founder of Fratello Cigars. "We remain committed to providing our customers with high-quality products and exceptional service, and we believe that this decision will help us achieve that goal."

These Vitolas will no longer be produced after the current inventory is depleted. Customers who are fans of these cigars are encouraged to purchase them while supplies last. 

"We are excited about the future of Fratello Cigars and remain committed to providing our customers with the highest quality products and exceptional service," said de Frias. "We appreciate the continued support of our customers and look forward to continuing to serve them for many years to come.

For more information about the cigars, visit www.fratellocigar.com

Room101 is bringing back the Big Payback in a big way with the highly-anticipated return of the line’s 70-ring gauge option. The format has been out of production since 2016.

The Payback brand was created by Matt Booth to repay consumers for their years of support with a premium offering at a monster value price point.

Matt Booth said, “It has been my life’s mission to produce a combustible vessel so engorged and far more magnificent than its standard counterpart in cylindrical presentation, and it’s my greatest honor to offer our people such a product that overflows with both girth and grandeur.”

Room101 Big Payback 70s are handcrafted in Honduras at HATSA and are, according to Booth, “engorged with premium tobaccos reaching a diameter that only you can handle with a price point that won’t handle you.”

Big Payback 70s are made with a blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican filler tobaccos, a US-grown Connecticut Broadleaf binder and are wrapped in Honduran Olancho San Agustin. The cigar is medium plus-body, with spice notes, a great retrohale and a clean finish.

Room101 Big Payback 70 measures 7”x 70 and will sell for an SRP of $8.99 per cigar. The hefty smokes are double-banded, come in boxes of 30 and will be a full-time addition to the Big Payback line.

Room101 Big Payback is distributed by Forged Cigar Company and will ship to retailers on June 1.

Macanudo Gold Label is making its annual return next month and will mark the occasion with a new, limited edition size available this year only.

Dad bod noun -- the physique of adult males who prefer to drink from a six pack instead of spending countless hours at the gym obsessing over their abs.

The team at Punch is declaring this the “summer of the Dad Bod” with the launch of Punch Dad Bod, a paunchy, limited-edition release that will ship to retail in a cool Father’s Day keepsake that you or your Dad will actually want to hold on to.

Punch Dad Bod comes packed in four, reusable stash cans that each contain five cigars and are complete with Boveda humidification. The keepsake cans can be used as a humidor, a portable ashtray or placed anywhere as a reminder that the Dad Bod is where it’s at.

John Hakim, brand manager for Punch said, “Father’s Day is the perfect time for us to let the world know that we salute dads, the Dad bod and the pleasure of smoking a great cigar. So we created this special expression and packed it in tins that own the soft-in-the-middle physique with pride. Dad Bod is about showing our support for the salt-of-the-earth Punch smokers who continue to make Punch their go-to brand.”

Handcrafted at HATSA in Honduras, Punch Dad Bod is a six-country blend made with a Cameroon wrapper, a USA Connecticut broadleaf binder and a blend of filler tobaccos that includes Nicaraguan Condega, Dominican Piloto Cubano, Honduran La Entrada and Brazilian Mata Fina. The result is a smooth-smoking, medium-bodied blend that is at the same time sweet, spicy and leathery.

Punch Dad Bod cigars sport a tie-shaped band and are available in a “Champion” size that gives a nod to the reverence Punch has for Dads and Dad bods. Shipping to retailers on May 1, the set contains four metal stash cans, each holding five cigars for a total of 20 Punch Dad Bods per set.

Punch Dad Bod (4.5” x 60); SRP per cigar $6.99

The short, fat Cameroon-wrapped cigar will only be offered to those who attend the PCA trade show

COHIBA RIVIERA TO DEBUT IN MAY AS FULL TIME COLLECTION

Cohiba will welcome its first full-time new collection since 2020 with Cohiba Riviera, a six-region blend that features the very best of Central American tobacco and is named after the lush San Andrés Tuxtla Valley that bore the cigar’s wrapper.

Cohiba Riviera marks the first time a Mexican San Andrés wrapper has been used in a Cohiba blend and is the first box-pressed offering from the brand.

Cohiba Brand Ambassador Sean Williams said, “Cohiba Riviera is a bold yet balanced blend of the most exceptional tobaccos from Nicaragua with exclusively-grown tobaccos from Honduras. Medium-to-full bodied and adorned with a delectable wrapper from Mexico, Riviera is an elegant selection offering notes of dark chocolate and coffee bean with a hint of leather and subtle cream on the finish.”

The three-cigar collection is handcrafted in Nicaragua at STG Estelí. The Mexican San Andrés wrapper crowns a Honduran-grown Connecticut binder and filler tobaccos that include proprietary Honduran Jamastran and Honduran La Entrada, as well as Nicaraguan Condega and Nicaraguan Estelí.

“The experience of Cohiba Riviera is rich and rewarding and befitting of Cohiba’s status as an ultra-premium cigar brand,” noted Williams.

Cohiba Riviera will ship to retailers in May.

Cohiba Riviera Robusto (5” x 52); SRP per cigar $19.99; 20 cigars per box

Cohiba Riviera Toro (6.5” x 52); SRP per cigar $21.99; 20 cigars per box

Cohiba Riviera Perfecto (6” x 60); SRP per cigar $23.99; 10 cigars per box 

PUNCH TO LAUNCH NEW FULL-TIME LINE WITH GOLDEN ERA 

Pictured from left to right: Skye McPhillips; Lissette Perez-Carrillo; Dr. Erin Brooker Lozott

 

Idaho Retail Tobacconists and PCA Announce Passage of New Tax Cap

H.B. 330, Passes the Legislature, and is Signed by the Governor

Today, the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) in partnership with its member tobacconists of Idaho, are pleased to announce that Governor Brad Little has signed legislation calling for a fifty-cent tax cap on the sale of cigars.

 Over a year in the making, a coalition of locally owned small businesses organized an effort with legislative allies of their local cigar shops. After a series of strategy calls with shop owners, legislators and PCA, bills were filed this session. H.B. 330 passed the House of Representatives 61-10 and the Senate, 25-8. It was then sent to the Governor’s desk.

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DIESEL DISCIPLE ADDS NEW SIZES

Diesel Disciple will welcome two new sizes as permanent additions to the brand’s growing lineup.

The soon-to-be-released Toro and Torpedo vitolas will mark the second and third sizes in the line and will begin shipping this week.

Justin Andrews said, “We decided to launch two new sizes of Diesel Disciple this year because the blend has gotten such a strong endorsement from the retail community. They love the blend and the packaging and often tell us that Disciple smokes like a $20 cigar for half the price. We’re looking forward to rolling out the new formats and will continue to expand the line according to demand from retailers and cigar smokers.”

Handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua and developed in collaboration between AJ and STG’s Justin Andrews, Diesel Disciple is a robust and balanced cigar blended to stand out in the medium-full spectrum.

Made with a Mexican San Andreas wrapper, an Ecuadoran Sumatra binder and a filler exclusively comprised of Nicaraguan Habano from Esteli, the cigar exemplifies blending expertise with an unexpected layer of sweetness that creates intrigue against Disciple’s bold and peppery notes.

Diesel Disciple Toro (6.25” x 52); SRP per cigar $9.99

Diesel Disciple Torpedo (6.5” x 54); SRP per cigar $10.49

Both new Diesel Disciple sizes come in 10-count boxes. The line is distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

Originally released to the top US brick and mortar retailers as a TAA exclusive in 2021, Diesel Disciple became a full-time line in 2022 when the brand’s sole frontmark a Lancero (7” x 38) became available in all channels.

El Rey del Mundo Naturals, the Honduran-made line that launched in March 2022 will welcome a five pack featuring its fan-favorite toro.

The bold, red “Locked-In Humidity” pack includes a Boveda humidification pouch to keep the cigars fresh outside of a humidor for on-the-go smoking experiences.

Handcrafted by artisans at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, El Rey Del Mundo Naturals is a mellow-to-medium-bodied smoke featuring an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Honduran binder and a Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. The cigar delivers a smoking experience that is richly layered, with a subtle note of white pepper, surrounded by deeper notes of cedar and graham cracker.

Steve Abbot, director of marketing for STG said, “El Rey del Mundo is loaded with complexity, versatile when it comes to pairing and accessibly priced. These factors have earned the brand a devoted following over the last year. With this five pack, we’re making it convenient for cigar lovers to enjoy the popular Reserva Salado frontmark anytime that calls for a great cigar.”

Reserva Salado (6” x 54); $29.99 per five pack

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) will release a special blend of Macanudo Inspirado to commemorate The Chinese New Year which begins on January 22, 2023. Called Macanudo Inspirado “Year of the Rabbit,” the limited-edition release will be sold exclusively in select
markets in Europe and Asia.

Mark Renard, international marketing manager for STG said, “While Lunar New Year celebrations are gaining in popularity, the demand for Macanudo Inspirado continues to grow globally as the blends are particularly appealing to a range of palates. With Macanudo Inspirado
Year of the Rabbit, we are unifying the Lunar New Year celebrations with a unique blend that will be enjoyed by our clients in European and Asia who have requested a cigar for this important occasion. As the Year of the Rabbit embodies elegance, peace and luck, we extend
those wishes to our clients across the world.”

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