I am a part time journalist and a full time cigar and pipe tobacco reviewer. If you enjoy "the leaf," Why not join us over at Cigarweekly.com. I personally have 30ish years of knowledge to share and I consider myself one of the lesser experts.
Crowned Heads is proud to announce its latest installment to their highly sought-after and eagerly anticipated annual Las Calaveras series, Las Calaveras EL 2024, along with a release to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the brand, Las Calaveras DéGimo Antversario .
Las Calaveras EL 2024 and Las Calaveras Décimo Aniversario are both manufactured at My Father Cigars, S.A., in Esteli, Nicaragua. Las Calaveras EL 2024 features a stout blend of 100% Garcia-grown Nicaraguan tobaccos finished with a sumptuous Habano wrapper.
“When I smoked the final blend for this year’s Las Calaveras, it immediately took me back to the 2015 Las Calaveras profile, which happens to be one of my favorite blends in the series,” commented Crowned Heads co-founder, Jon Huber.
(Miami, Florida) June 12, 2024, Plasencia 1865, a world-leading premium tobacco grower since 1865, announces the release of the Alma del Fuego Ometepe Edición Limitada. This blend is the first of its kind, as it is the only cigar that has a wrapper made with tobacco from Ometepe. This tobacco was named Hoja del Fuego by the Plasencia family. Only 1,000 boxes (that double as a luxury humidor) containing 20 cigars were created of this ultra-premium blend, which carries an MSRP of $100 per cigar. Each cigar is housed in a hand-blown glass tube. The Plasencia family drew inspiration for this blend from old indigenous mythology, surrounding the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua.
Huella, LLC. proudly introduces TobacTracktm, its revolutionary compliance platform, leveraging advanced RFID and block chain technology to streamline regulatory oversight for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and ensure effortless adherence to the FDA’s Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This state-of-the-art system, subject to two pending patent applications, is designed to enhance monitoring of tax compliance and FDA regulations, facilitating a transparent and accountable tobacco market.
[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Washington, D.C., June 6, 2024] The Women of PCA, a new resource group within the Premium Cigar Association (PCA), hosted its inaugural policy conference in Washington D.C. on June 5, 2024. This groundbreaking event brought together industry leaders, legal minds, and policy experts in the nation’s capital for an engaging program that addressed key policy issues while celebrating and acknowledging the important role of women in the premium tobacco industry. PDR Cigars, Micallef Cigars, Villiger Cigars, and Rabbit Air generously sponsored the event.
We want to remind all of you about the upcoming availability of the CFW Synergy program cigar, “CFW By Oscar”. An initial quantity was made available at the PCA tradeshow (which sold out in just days!) and the next batch of 600 are now available!
This is our 4th showcase cigar in the CFW Synergy Program. Participating manufacturers limit sales exclusively to our CFW Donation Centers, as a way that CFW can say thank you to our retailers, with a limited edition showcase cigar. MSRP $14/stick, $144/box, minimum order is 4 boxes (40 cigars), no other requirements. The best part is, the manufacturer is donating 100% of their profits back to CFW.
June 4, 2024 – (Hialeah Gardens, FL) Espinosa Premium Cigars is proud to announced that they will be entering the Canadian market with Brigham Enterprises as their distributor.
Said Erik Espinosa, “This is the first step in our goal of becoming an international cigar company and I truly believe that we have chosen the right company to showcase and grow our brand throughout Canada.”
Each year on May 31st, World No Tobacco Day is observed globally to raise awareness about the health risks associated with harmful tobacco product use and to advocate for effective policies to reduce harmful tobacco consumption. The day serves as a platform for promoting global health initiatives around tobacco, however, as is often the case, amidst the calls for tobacco cessation premium cigars are often lumped in with products such as cigarettes and mass-market vape products that have mortality, morbidity, and youth usage concerns.
Blend contains tobacco from C.L.E. Cigar Company’s farm in South America
(Miami, FL) May 28, 2024–C.L.E. Cigar Company announces that the annual PCA Exclusive blends are now shipping. In what has become a yearly tradition Christian Eiroa, and team presented the 2024 PCA Exclusive blends for C.L.E. Cigars, Eiroa Cigars, and Asylum Cigars at the 2024 PCA.
In Christian’s fourth installment of the PCA exclusive cigars, he wanted to showcase the different wrappers by creating a unique and innovative 100 count Honey-Comb display. These displays will not only be useful for the PCA exclusives but can remain in the stores as a permanent display for future CLE, EIROA or Asylum Cigars.
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) is excited to announce the dates for next year’s trade show, which will be held on April 11-14, 2025. For the first time since 2015, the PCA trade show (PCA25) will be held in New Orleans at the award-winning Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
June 3, 2024 — Black Works Studio is pleased to announce the release of Aumakua as an R. Field Wine Co. exclusive; hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.
“Aumakua is an exclusive For R.Field Wine Co. After much anticipation we are excited to release this for a third time,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
First, it was New Zealand, saying, “Hey, let’s ban access to a perfectly legal product, in a manner that if you’re fifty years old, yet born after January 2007, you’re still not allowed to purchase a cigar to enjoy on the golf course.”
Then, a California legislator hears of this grand proposal and says, “Hey, what a great idea! I’ll put in a bill that says the same thing!” Hit repeat, in the Tennessee legislature.
Individually crafted by skilled artisans, each humidor is meticulously assembled by hand, ensuring attention to detail and quality caftsmanship. The process of handcrafting imbues every piece with a unique character, elevating it beyond mere functionality to a true work of art. From the precision-cut carbon fiber overlay to the hand-polished finishes, every aspect of this humidor reflects the dedication and expertise of its makers. Inside, the humidor’s meticulously crafted interior ensures optimal storage conditions for your finest cigars, preserving their flavor and aroma with care. With its seamless blend of style and functionality, this humidor is a testament to the artistry of fine cigar storage. Holds 75-100 cigars.
Matt Booth announces the launch of a limited-edition release called Room101 Red Rocket in collaboration with retail partner Sir Louis Cigars.
Matt Booth said, “Hunter and Matt at Sir Louis Cigars embody the very essence of brand partner that we work best with. They have always afforded our brand the highest levels of attention and I felt they would be a great place to delve further into partnership by taking things to the collaborative/co-branded stage of the relationship.”
WESTON, Florida – Quality Importers Trading Company ® (QI) the leading accessory supplier to the worldwide premium cigar trade, is happy to announce that the highly anticipated Palió® Veneto™ Quad Lighter, introduced at the TPE and PCA tradeshows earlier this year, is now shipping globally. The quadruple jet-flame lighter promises to elevate the cigar aficionado’s experience with its fusion of function and style.
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA), working in cooperation with the Cigar Association of America (CAA) and Drew Estate Cigars, will be hosting outreach events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. during the Republican National Convention and during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20, 2024, also from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
The host locations for the events include PCA members Metro Cigars Germantown location (Wisconsin) and Up Down Cigar (Chicago). The events will bring together elected officials, candidates, and politicos from across the country. Each event is supposed to bring together over 100 people to discuss important issues in a social setting over premium cigars.
PCA | May 7, 2024 – The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) examines how bad legislation such as generational sales bans hurts businesses and infringes on personal freedoms.
Procigar has a new president. At a general meeting held in early May 2024, members of Procigar elected Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana as its new president. Also, Ciro Cascella has been elected as the organization’s new vice president.
Washington D.C., April 26, 2024 – The Cigar Association of America, Inc. (CAA) announced today that it has hired a new president to begin May 28, 2024. Following an extensive search process, CAA will be led by Scott Pearce, the current Executive Director of the Premium Cigar Association (PCA). Pearce’s tenure with PCA will end on May 21, 2024.
Pearce has over 20 years of experience working in associations with a strong track record of driving growth and implementing innovative strategies.
April 26, 2024 — Black Label Trading Co (BLTC) will begin shipping the new Limited Release, ORTHODOX, next week. Hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.
ORTHODOX is a small batch release offered to retailers who attended this year’s PCA tradeshow.
This cigar is a thing of beauty, the construction is so good. Smooth wrapper. The cold draw is perfect. Tonight’s beverage is a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.
The initial draw is so smooth. No initial roughness. First flavor impression is earth and cedar. The burn is steady and mostly even. The ash looks like it may drop off soon. Not flaking, but cracking.
Foundation Cigars is thrilled to announce that the first shipments of the new Wise Man Corojo & Maduro lines have begun shipping to retailers throughout the United States.
Crafted in collaboration with cigar maker Pepin Garcia & My Father Cigars, these new additions exemplify the commitment to excellence and tradition that Foundation Cigars is known for. “We are excited to introduce the NEW Wise Man Corojo and Wise Man Maduro to our lineup,” said Nicholas Melillo, owner of Foundation Cigars. “Working with Pepín García and his family has been a dream come true, and we believe that cigar enthusiasts will appreciate the craftsmanship and flavor profiles of these new offerings.“
(Miami, Florida) April 19, 2024. Avo Cigars, a leader in hand-made premium cigars announces that the “Avo Expressions 2024” Is now shipping. This highly anticipated blend is a collaboration with world-renowned DJD-NICE. Only 6,900 boxes containing fifteen cigars were created of this exclusive brand.
The Avo Expressions line of cigars was created with the purpose of collaborating with individuals who are true experts in their craft, following in the footsteps of the late Avo Uvezian, the founder of AVO Cigars. Avo Uvezianwas a musician and composer, who later in life skillfully channeled his musical genius into the creation of cigars that reflected his creative talents.
[Washington, D.C.–April 17, 2024] The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) held its annual trade show and convention in Las Vegas on March 22-25, 2024. This year’s trade show took place in the spring, a change from the trade show’s typical summer dates. With this change, the PCA saw an unprecedented interest in this trade show with an increase in the number of attending retail accounts and general excitement from attendees.
“We were very excited to hold the convention and trade show in Spring after years of feedback from retailers and manufacturers,” said PCA Executive Director Scott Pearce. “The increased attendance, excitement on the show floor, and the number of high-quality events and education as part of the convention made PCA24 a great success and phenomenal step forward. A huge kudos to the PCA staff, especially Lisa Cox and her team, for turning this around in eight months,” Pearce said.
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) April 15, 2024– Altadis U.S.A., makers of the finest premium cigars, are proud to announce the launch of Romeo y Julieta 1875 ‘Run for the Roses®,’ a limited-edition premium cigar that pays tribute to the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race in the world. The brand has partnered with Churchill Downs to create a winning cigar that will be sold exclusively at participating Liquor Barn stores, the cigar retailer at the Kentucky Derby.
Founded in 1875, the same year as the first Kentucky Derby, Romeo y Julieta is one of the most well-known global cigar brands, steeped in its own rich history, legacy and tradition. “Romeo y Julieta is the perfect brand to partner with to create a unique cigar for this milestone for Churchill Downs and the 150th Kentucky Derby,” said Casey Ramage, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships at Churchill Downs.
WASHINGTON, DC (April 16, 2024) – Yesterday, Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and the Premium Cigar Association (PCA), filed the industry’s reply briefin response to the United States Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) appeal in Cigar Association of America, Cigar Rights of America, and Premium Cigar Association v FDA.
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