With its launch last year, Punch Diablo beckoned tenured cigar lovers to the dark side with a tempting four-country blend, the boldest Punch yet.

Befitting of its diabolical name, Punch Diablo is a sinfully indulgent collection that’s spicy, intriguing and destined to leave you spellbound. This year, the line is expanding with two new sizes. Both new additions to the line are made with the bold Punch Diablo blend that features an Ecuadoran Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran ligero.

Inspired by the incredibly-popular Punch Champion frontmark, Stump is a paunchy, fat-bellied figurado that allows the blend’s full-bodied notes to change as the cigar increases and decreases in ring gauge. Stump is packed in 25-count boxes.

Stump is joined by El Diablo, a beast of a cigar. This 66-ring box-pressed behemoth delivers not only on full-bodied flavor, but is also a smoke that’s the ideal companion to a lengthy smoking occasion. El Diablo is packed in 20-count boxes.

Stump (figurado 4.5 x 60) – SRP per cigar $7.49

El Diablo (6.5 x 66) – SRP per cigar $8.99

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.”

A rare treasure originally released between 2005 and 2009, Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas were held to a rigorous standard, precluding anything but the most limited of production. This exclusive Partagas offering is making a limited return for 2019, as a spectacular showcase of a cigar maker’s artistry.

Only an average of three per thousand Cameroon wrapper leaves were hand selected to adorn Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas, each having been set aside in 2009 for ten years of aging. A full decade later, this spectacular blend returns, offering a rare chance to own a piece of premium cigar history.

“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.”

Handmade in Nicaragua, Odyssey has developed a devoted following, thanks to its unique blends and accessible pricing.

This year, Odyssey will delight cigar lovers by adding a flavored sweet tip blend to its lineup.

Made with premium tobaccos that deliver a clean finish, Odyssey Sweet Tip is crafted with 100% Cuban-seed tobaccos cultivated in Central America. The blend features a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. The result is a medium-bodied, smooth smoking experience, highlighted with enticing sweet notes and hints of cream.

Shipping on August 20 and packed in 20-count bundles, Odyssey Sweet Tip will be available in five sizes, each handmade and priced at less than $3.00 per cigar.

Gigante (6 x 60) – SRP per cigar $2.59

Churchill (7 x 48) – SRP per cigar $2.39

Toro (6 x 54) – SRP per cigar $2.09

Robusto (5 x 50) – SRP per cigar $1.89

Corona (5.25 x 44) – SRP per cigar $1.69

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.

Last year’s release of M by Macanudo marked a new era for the brand, as the first flavored cigar was launched in the Macanudo franchise.

At IPCPR 2019, the brand’s flavored cigar portfolio will expand with a multi-dimensional new twist on a classic cocktail. Enter M Bourbon by Macanudo, a cigar that conjures up the rich flavors of the iconic Old Fashioned cocktail. Notes of bourbon, American oak, nuances of sweet cherries and a hint of earthy, aromatic bitters all come alive in this new, full-time addition to the Macanudo portfolio.

This is truly a cigar that brings forth a multitude of taste sensations and is an ideal indulgence for the cigar lover who seeks a unique departure from the everyday smoke. This new flavored line is the perfect accompaniment to cocktails and can easily stand alone as an experience unto itself.

M Bourbon is made with premium, hand-selected tobaccos including an Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper, an Ecuadoran binder and a blend of Dominican filler leaves.

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.”