And announces NO price increases for 2020!

The love of lanceros, those long, thin cigars is nothing new for the Southern Draw Cigars family as they are our true favorite smoking experience. The family never likes to show up empty handed to a trade show or event, so it is excited to share something new with TPE 2020 attendees.

“Southern Draw Cigars has been quietly enjoying this size for several years (in fact I am smoking one as I draft this PR) and plans to reveal the CEDRUS Lancero 7.5x40 in celebration of our first ever attendance at the Tobacco Plus Expo in Las Vegas, NV. From January 29th - 31st. The family and the CEDRUS lancero may be found in a quaint little corner of Booth #4059.

We have previously offered a lancero size in each of our core blends including the popular Rose of Sharon, Firethorn, Kudzu and Jacobs Ladder and this new addition will complement the CEDRUS line nicely. Although lanceros reportedly do not make up a large portion of sales for most brands, Southern Draw Cigars has been blessed with solid sales over the previous five years, sales that are on par with our more traditional robusto and toro sizes. We will have a limited number of samples on hand and will be taking pre-orders for April and July 2020 deliveries,” per Robert Holt.

UPDATE: (January 17th, 2020)

"Having the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the everyday heroes of our industry has proved to be a tremendous success for our brand,” said ACE PRIME co-founder Luciano Meirelles. He continued, “at the 2020 PCA trade show, we’re excited to showcase our great cigars and launch new products.”

We have been producing award-winning cigars for some of the most high-profile brands in the industry for over 12 years. When it was time to launch our own brands, we decided PCA was the best place to leverage our existing relationships and also connect with retailers, boutique lounges, media partners, and experts, all in one place. PCA brings together the heart and soul of the cigar sector – it's family, and we are truly grateful for the support of new brands - especially for making ACE PRIME a success.

We’re excited about the #PCA2020 (trade show). We’re doubling down on our commitment to the event and look forward to rising above the noise.

As the ACE PRIME co-founder, Luciano Meirelles, says - "Everybody deserves a fine cigar experience."

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has brought two new releases to the market in recent months–Rocky Patel LB1 and a new batch of Aged, Rare and Limited.

Rocky Patel LB1 is a new line from Rocky Patel Premium Cigars that debuted at the 2019 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) trade show. Rocky Patel LB1 is a medium-bodied cigar that features an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper and contains both Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco in its blend. Named after the factory code it these cigars were assigned during pre-production at the El Paraiso factory in Danli, Hondurans, Rocky Patel LB1 is available in five different sizes: Corona (6 x 44), Robusto (5 1/2 x 50), Toro (6 1/2 x 52), Churchill Shaggy Foot (7 x 48) and Sixty (6 x 60). MSRP per cigar ranges from $8.25 to $10.90.

Both a basketball legend and a cigar connoisseur, Dominique Wilkins released his special M.X.S. Signature Series cigar in 2019. The cigar has been a slam dunk with fans, retailers and aficionados alike, and has received wonderful reviews.

“Dominique Wilkins is a great friend, who’s career and reputation for Excellence and Success is unparalleled. He is genuinely one of the greatest NBA athletes of all-time, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the partnership in developing his M.X.S. Signature Series cigar” said ACE PRIME co-founder Luciano Meirelles.

To celebrate Dominique Wilkins's 60th Birthday (Jan 12), ACE PRIME is releasing a collectors edition limited release box – Dominique Wilkins individually signs the DIAMOND EDITION, COMMEMORATIVE BOX. It features a beautiful 3D printed image of the NBA superstar in flight and contains the reserved, super-aged first batch of the M.X.S. Dominique Wilkins cigars.

Alec Bradley’s Ten Tobacco Masterpiece to Return to Tobacconist Shelves in November

Fort Lauderdale, FL (10/18/2019)

Alan Rubin, founder of Alec Bradley Cigar Co. had a vision to make the most complex cigar in the world. The term ‘complexity’ in cigars typically describes flavor, but Alan wanted it to also describe the intricacies and obstacles of blending his masterpiece: the Alec Bradley Fine & Rare.

A family owned and operated business founded in 1996, Alec Bradley has been at the forefront of innovation in the premium cigar category. From triangular cigars to diamond shaped cigars and to a cigar line that once had all sizes retail for the same dollar amount, Alec Bradley is known to push the envelope. In 2011, Alan introduced the novel concept of Fine & Rare- a cigar with an unheard of ten different tobaccos.

(Miami, Florida) January 9, 2020— Casa Cuevas Cigars, announces that Alec Cuevas has been named Director of Operations. Alec Cuevas is the son of President Luis Cuevas Jr. and grandson of Master Blender Luis Cuevas Sr. Alec is the fifth generation Cuevas to join the family business.

Alec Cuevas, a Miami native, grew up around tobacco. He spent entire summers in the Dominican Republic, with his grandfather at the Cuevas’ cigar factory, Las Lavas Cigar Factory. His passion for tobacco was cemented when he smoked his first cigar, given to him by his grandfather during a New Year’s celebration, at age 17.

“I couldn’t finish it but smoking my very first cigar with my father and grandfather during that New Year’s Eve celebration was one of my most memorable moments in my life.”

Springfield, VA (October 16, 2019) - The DMVs own Fratello Cigars has announced the return of its popular regional release of the cigar line made as a tribute to the region that birthed the company.

DMV stands for District (Washington DC), Maryland and Virgina and also includes Delaware. Similar to last year’s release, each DMV member gets their own unique size. This year Fratello is taking the next step by giving each state their own blend.

Springfield, VA (January, 8th 2020) –Fratello Cigars and Omar de Frias are pleased to announce three new products to debut at the January TPE trade show in Las Vegas, NV.

Fratello Blu, Fratello Rosso and Fratello Verde are bundles that are intended to cater to “Fratello lovers that want a little extra bang for their buck,” says de Frias. “This is an exciting time for us as we’re diving into a new segment of the market, one that we hope will grow our family and our footprint in the industry.”

Produced by La Aurora in Santiago Dominican Republic, the 15-count bundles aim to keep it simple by only offering two sizes in each blend; a 5 x 50 Robusto and a 6 x 50 Toro. The blends are:

Blu: Maduro

Rosso: Habano

Verde: Connecticut

Individual cigars are slated to retail for $3.25 each and packed in bundles of 15 cigars. Fratello plans to begin shipping March 15th 2020.

(Miami, Florida) October 25, 2019—Villiger Cigars proudly announces the release of the Villiger Cuellar Black Forest. The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest will serve as a line extension, to the very popular Villiger Cuellar Connecticut Krēmē. The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest is a Dominican made cigar, which will feature a dark, rich, oily, and flavorful maduro wrapper. This, inspired by the mystical Black Forest, located on the Southern side of Germany, close to the border of Switzerland where the Villiger headquarters resides.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (January 8, 2020) – Second Generation Cigar Makers, Alec and Bradley Rubin announced today that they will be expanding distribution of their inaugural release: Alec & Bradley Blind Faith at the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) in Las Vegas, NV- January 29-31.

Under the tutelage of their father, Alec Bradley Cigar Co. founder Alan Rubin, the brothers began planning their own brand in 2017. At the time, Alec and Bradley were only able to procure three pair of rollers at the famed Raices Cubanas factory in Danli, Honduras. Since they were both untested in the cigar business, they decided to name their cigar Blind Faith. Both enthusiasts and tobacconists alike needed to trust that the young men could create a winning blend on their own. Blind Faith was released to appointed merchants during the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) in 2018.

(Miami, Florida) December 17, 2019— Casa Cuevas Cigars, makers of handmade premium cigars will once again host their annual Holiday Party at Master Cigars this upcoming Saturday, December 21st from 7:00PM-11:00PM. Master Cigars which has become a staple in the South Florida cigar scene, is located at 14040 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33184.

In what has become an annual event, Luis Cuevas Jr. and the Casa Cuevas Cigar Family invite the public to celebrate the holidays with a Cuban-style pig roast, cocktails, music via DJ, raffles, and, of course, Casa Cuevas’ finest premium cigars.

The CAO Amazon series is an expedition that began with Amazon Basin, a blend made with an exotic filler tobacco called Bragança from the wilds of the rainforest. The series continued on its path of discovery with Fuma em Corda and Anaconda, each featuring rare Amazonian tobaccos.
Today, CAO celebrates its ongoing quest for discovery with a limited-edition blend called CAO Orellana, marking the fourth release in the brand’s famed Amazon series.

Orellana is named in tribute to Francisco de Orellana, the first European explorer to navigate the entire Amazon river.

(Miami, Florida) December 11, 2019- Cigar Box Factory Estelí (CBFe), well known in the cigar market for making high quality cigar packaging and humidors, celebrates the opening of their new, larger, and modern factory. CBFe will continue to reside in the world capital of handmade premium cigars: Estelí (Nicaragua). The new 21,500 square foot facility is located at Km 156 1/2 Carretera Panamericana Norte within the Free-Trade zone.

The new location has the highest quality machinery that, along with: their know-how, highly qualified and expert staff (over 100 workers), the use of novel and maximum quality materials, guarantee a greater productivity and efficiency. These factors together make Cigar Box Factory Estelí one of the leaders of their market.

FRATELLO CIGARS HIRES DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Springfield, VA (September 11, 2019) – Fratello Cigars is pleased to announce and welcome Justin Harris as its new Director of Operations. Harris will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations in the company’s Springfield, VA office including but not limited to customer relations human resources, logistics, process and quality improvement and new initiatives.

Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Confidential Informant as a Cigars International Exclusive. The Protocol CI Keeps to the company’s law enforcement theme. In police jargon a Confidential Informant is known as a C.I. which happens to be the nick name for Cigars International, hence: Protocol CI.

The cigars are being produced at The LaZona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Confidential Informant will be available in a 6 1/2 X 52 box press format placed inside bundles of 10. The blend consists of an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with

Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Initially 500 bundles have been produced for the project. Cigars International will release the bundles nationally to all CI retail locations starting on Black Friday, November 29, 2019.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (September 11 ,2019)

Second Generation Cigar Makers Alec and Bradley Rubin announced today that their sophomore release, Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper, is shipping to tobacconists worldwide.

Alec & Bradley cigars is an offshoot of Alec Bradley Cigar Co. The subsidiary was founded by the brothers in 2018, when they funded their first release -Alec & Bradley Blind Faith.

After Blind Faith’s success, the Rubin brothers looked to E.P. Carrillo (EPC) cigar maker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for the Gatekeeper project. An inspiration to Alec and Bradley, Ernesto is praised by many in the business as the “Godfather” of cigars.

With Perez-Carrillo’s guidance, the brothers set out to create a project, focusing on Dominican tobaccos, that was completely different from anything in the Alec Bradley portfolio.

The brothers agree that working with Perez-Carrillo is a rite of passage.

“Working with Ernesto opens up new doors for Bradley and me,” said Alec, “Ernesto is a gatekeeper to new opportunities and experiences for us- thus the name Gatekeeper.”

“We are a part of the next generation of the premium cigar business,” Bradley added. “Ernesto is a legend and we are humbled to be able to work with him.”

Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper is being presented in 20 count boxes with Gothic Era inspired artwork purveying the fervent, take no prisoner’s attitude the brothers are pursuing to make their mark in the cigar industry. 

Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper features an Ecuadorian Habano Wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder and premium fillers from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic, Gatekeeper is being produced at Ernesto’s Tabacalera La Alianza in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Gatekeeper is Alec and Bradley’s first regular production, global release and will be available in Corona (5 1/8 X 42, MSRP $8.75 per cigar), Robusto (5 X 50, MSRP $10.50 per cigar, Toro (6 X 52, MSRP $11.50 per cigar) and Gordo (6 X 60, MSRP $12.25 per cigar).

November 20, 2019 -- Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) announces today that Craig Reynolds, Executive Vice President of STG and President of the company’s North American Online and Retail Division (NAO&R) will transition full leadership responsibility of the NAO&R division to Sarah Santos, currently Senior Vice President of STG’s North American Online Business, effective January 1, 2020. Sarah Santos’ title will be President of the company’s North American Online and Retail Division (NAO&R) and Senior Vice President of STG.

New Jersey 09/10/2019 - Hiram & Solomon Cigars has just announced the collaboration for the Northeast Region from Philadelphia City to Maine with Cigar & the Good Life, which specializes in lifestyle branding.

Cigar & The Good Life is comprised of Joshua Nollie and Terrin Phillips, and they primarily target the Cigar, Spirits, and Couture fashion industries. Both Joshua and Terrin are devoted to the Craft of Freemasonry and deeply understand the philosophy behind creating our brand.