What is a retailer to do when there are no trade show distractions to navigate? We don’t have to plan for big buys. We don’t have to scramble for event windows with our favorite brands that are making their show plans and scrambling to ship products for weeks after the show. We don’t have to sweat anything but selling. In the words of Mel Gibson (in a marginal Scottish accent), “FREEDOM!” Here are three ideas to consider when planning your summer:
Continue reading Keep Your Summer Productive
July 31, 2024 — Black Works Studio is pleased to announce the release of Hawaiian Tiger as an R. Field Wine Co. exclusive; hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.
Hawaiian Tiger is a special event cigar available first to attendees of the R. Field event in Honolulu featuring James Brown on August 3, 2024.
“Really excited about our first exclusive in the Tiger series. We have done a lot of great cigars for R. Field over the years and now it’s time to take it to the next level. The Hawaiian Tiger has a rich, dark, earthy profile. It’s a complex blend of spice and dark fruit with prominent star anise notes on the finish,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
Continue reading July 31, 2024 — Black Works Studio is pleased to announce the release of Hawaiian Tiger as an R. Field Wine Co. exclusive; hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.
Foreign Affair by Ace Prime
This is a medium brown cigar with a rich pre-light draw. I think this is the corona gorda due to the ring. Tonight’s beverage is a Saint Arnold’s Tarnation brown ale.
That said, this is a very solid medium to full profile. And, as I would expect from Luciano, a perfect construction. Go to the store and get some.
The initial flavors are smoked pork and leather. Very light pepper on the palate. Other notes in the flavor profile include earthy loam. So far very good. Ash is holding and the burn is even.

In the first third the flavor is slightly sharper, but not unpleasantly so. The flavor profile remains pepper and loam, but some nutty flavors are emerging. Burn and ash holding.
In the second third, the pepper has dropped from both the draw and the retrohale. Perhaps a bit milder than I prefer, but it is still loaded with flavor and should please the medium-bodied smoker.
Approaching the final inch the flavor profile is still very loamy with earthy and cedar notes. This is a very good choice if you prefer a stable profile. If you prefer shifting profiles, this is not your cigar. It also has a peppery retrohale.
C.L.E. CIGAR COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE ASYLUM 12 2024 IS NOW SHIPPING
(Miami, FL) July x, 2024–C.L.E. Cigar Company announces that the Asylum 12 2024 is now shipping. The Asylum 12 cigar brand is released yearly, and this 2024 version is housed in new sleekly designed packaging.
The Asylum 12 2024 blend will be different from years past as the binder and filler is composed of tobacco from C.L.E. Cigar Company’s new farm in South America. The wrapper and type of tobacco in the binder and filler will remain undisclosed.
Continue reading C.L.E. CIGAR COMPANY ANNOUNCES THE ASYLUM 12 2024 IS NOW SHIPPING
PCA Hires New Director of Trade Show & Events
[Washington, D.C.–July 16, 2024] The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has announced the hiring of Shannon Marie as its new Director of Trade Show and Events. Shannon’s first day with the PCA was July 15, 2024. With over a decade of experience in the events industry, she has spent her professional career helping trade associations grow their event offerings. Shannon will work with Lisa Cox, the organization’s Senior Director of Trade Shows and events, effective immediately.
“I am excited to see the PCA’s team expand in a critical area so that we can provide additional program offerings for the trade show and events. I know that Shannon will be able to support Lisa in maintaining a best-in-class trade show and add other experiential elements to our marquee event and beyond,” says Joshua Habursky, PCA’s Executive Director.
Continue reading PCA Hires New Director of Trade Show & Events
Guy Fieri, Espinosa Premium Cigars, & Cigar Dojo Team Up to Launch the “Knuckle Sandwich Strike Force” Cigar
DENVER, CO (Tuesday, July 9, 2024) —— Guy Fieri’s fan-favorite Knuckle Sandwich brand expands its footprint in the craft cigar scene with its first-ever collaborative release, combining forces with Cigar Dojo, Espinosa Premium Cigars, and Smoke Inn Cigars. Introducing: the
Knuckle Sandwich Strike Force cigar.
Guy Fieri, the culinary rockstar known for his bold flavors and
larger-than-life personality, is turning up the heat with the latest
creation from his Knuckle Sandwich brand. The Knuckle Sandwich Strike
Force is the ultimate testament to Fieri’s flair for quality and flavor, crafted in cahoots with the cigar maestros at Espinosa Premium
Cigars and Cigar Dojo.
It’s Official, STINKY CIGAR® has been acquired by Quality Importers!
WESTON, Florida – Quality Importers Trading Company ® (QI) the leading accessory supplier to the worldwide premium cigar trade, has officially acquired the Stinky Cigar® brand of cigar accessories. The transaction closed on July 1, 2024. Stinky Cigar® is known worldwide for innovative and functional ashtrays featuring oval leaf-shaped stirrups imprinted with the Stinky Cigar® logo. Quality Importers
has been the exclusive wholesale distributor for Stinky Cigar® since January 2011, stewarding the brand’s growth and promotion for over 13 years.
The Stinky Cigar® ashtray, introduced in 2004, is renowned for its quality and durability, becoming one of the most popular cigar ashtrays in the trade, known simply as “Stinky”. Quality Importers plans to
continue offering all current styles of Stinky Cigar® ashtrays including the World Famous “Original”, Personal, Tall, Old World, Floor Standing, One Piece, and Herf models. We will celebrate the fact that the Stinky Cigar® brand becomes “legal” on its 21st birthday and its joining the QI family of brands during PCA 2025 in New Orleans, LA.
BLTC Bishops Blend Set to Ship
July 8, 2024 — Black Label Trading Company is pleased to announce the shipment of Bishops Blend to select retailers beginning next week. Bishops Blend is hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
“We are very excited about this highly anticipated release. This is the eighth release of Bishops Blend and continues to be one of our most sought-after, limited annual releases. Bishops Blend boasts big bold flavors of anise, pepper, raisins, and a sweet earthiness on the finish. It is very complex and extremely refined. As with the past vintages, the broadleaf fillers shine at the forefront and are perfectly balanced by the Nicaraguan filler tobaccos,” said James Brown, creator of Black Label Trading Co. and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
Continue reading BLTC Bishops Blend Set to ShipInaugural QI SPOTLIGHT Tradeshow & Festival
WESTON, Florida – Quality Importers Trading Company ® (QI) the leading accessory supplier to the worldwide premium cigar trade, is hosting the inaugural QI Spotlight Tradeshow & Festival. This exclusive buying event, designed specifically for retailers and distributors, is set to take place on September 7, 2024, in Weston, Florida.
Umbagog Bronzeback
This cigar looks great. The wrapper is not as dark as the Broadleaf of the original Umbagog, but smoother and a slightly lighter color. The cigar clipped cleanly with my Cera ceramic blade guillotine. The cold draw was perfect with hints of things to come. Tonight’s beverage is a Mean Old Tom vanilla bean stout from Maine Brewing.
In the first third the pepper notes are already starting build; this is where the Bronzeback starts tasting different; more pepper and not deep Nicaraguan soil. The earthy notes kick in just after the pepper settles. Ash is solid and the burn is very even.
Continue reading Umbagog Bronzeback
PLASENCIA CIGARS ANNOUNCES THE ALMA DEL CAMPO GUAJIRO
ROBUSTO GORDO BOX-PRESSED IS NOW SHIPPING
(MIAMI, FL) July 2, 2024- Plasencia Cigars, a world-leading premium tobacco grower, established in 1865, has announced the Plasencia Alma Del Campo new box-pressed vitola, Guajiro 5 ½ X 54, is on the way to stores across the nation. This box-pressed vitola will eventually replace the existing round Guajiro which will remain available for clients to purchase while supplies last. The highly popular Alma Del Campo line made its debut in 2017.
The Alma Del Campo is a Nicaraguan puro that was an instant hit with consumers. The inspiration behind the blend draws deeply from the Plasencia family’s rich heritage. “Alma Del Campo” (Soul of the Field) signifies the essence and spirit of the fields where premium tobacco is cultivated. This blend is a tribute to the fertile fields, and the meticulous cultivation practices, which have been passed down through generations of the Plasencia family.
Continue reading PLASENCIA CIGARS ANNOUNCES THE ALMA DEL CAMPO GUAJIROShipping Nationwide – The Palió® Tazza Piccola Ashtray!
WESTON, Florida – Quality Importers Trading Company ® (QI) the leading accessory supplier to the worldwide premium cigar trade, announces the nationwide shipping of the Palió® Tazza Piccola
Ashtray. Unveiled this past spring at PCA, this compact, all-metal, four-cigar rest personal ashtray provides cigar aficionados with a clean and stylish smoking experience.
SCOTUS Facilitates Challenges to Agency Law
WASHINGTON, DC (July 01, 2024) – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States published their decision in Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, in which they ruled that the six-year statute of limitations to challenge an agency regulation begins when a party is first harmed by the regulation. Prior to this decision, the statute of limitations had begun when the regulation was first published. As a result, a newly formed company appears to have the capacity to challenge any regulation that has an impact on it, regardless of how long ago the regulation was created. The New York Times’ article on Corner Post is available here.
Continue reading SCOTUS Facilitates Challenges to Agency LawSupreme Court Overrules Chevron Deference
Earlier today (6/28/24), the Supreme Court published their decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, a case which significantly curtails the power of federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to interpret ambiguous statutes. The court’s 6-3 ruling struck down a principle known as ‘Chevron Deference,’ a precedent created by the Court in the 1984 case, Chevron v. NRDC. Chevron essentially allowed Agencies wide latitude in interpreting the scope of their own authority in cases where laws passed by Congress were ambiguous, by requiring judges to strongly defer to the agency’s interpretations of vague statutory language.
Continue reading Supreme Court Overrules Chevron Deference
HumidifGroup Partners with Kingmakers to Develop the First “Shoemidor” Supporting WNBA Star Kelsey Plum’s Under Armour 2024 Shoe Drop
June 11, 2024 – HumidifGroup, a company specialized in the design and fabrication of packaging and accessories for the cigar industry, has stepped out of just packaging cigars into the shoe world.
Kingmakers brought HumidifGroup in to develop the packaging for a luxury humidor to support the launch of Kelsey Plum’s cigars. The WNBA superstar also launched her 2024 Under Armour shoes the same week, giving a nod to the cigars by including one of the cigar bands in the back of the shoe. The half shoe box half humidor coined the ‘shoemidor’ turned heads at the launch event held in Las Vegas last month.
Continue reading HumidifGroup Partners with Kingmakers to Develop the First “Shoemidor” Supporting WNBA Star Kelsey Plum’s Under Armour 2024 Shoe DropA Message from PCA’s New Executive Director
Dear PCA Members,
Thank you for having the confidence in me to lead the Premium Cigar Association. I do not take this responsibility lightly. I vow to put my heart and soul into this association with a rich history, massive past successes, present stability, and, most importantly, a bright future. We will never be bashful about promoting the positive impact of this organization and industry on communities across the country and the joy that premium cigars bring to adult consumers throughout the world. I am extremely fortunate to take on this role with an incredible staff and experienced board of directors who will work as a team as we access, grow, and generate new ideas.
Continue reading A Message from PCA’s New Executive DirectorC.L.E. CIGAR COMPANY ANNOUNCES EIROA EXCLUSIVO REGIONALES BULGARIA
Official launch event – June 29th, 7:30pm (Bulgaria Time), at Best Cigars in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
(Miami, Florida) June 25, 2024– C.L.E. Cigar Company announces that the country of Bulgaria was chosen for the first ever C.L.E. Cigar Company Exclusivo Regionales. The Bulgarian regional release will be the first ever Eiroa Classic offered in the unique 11/18 vitola. The blend also receiving a slight tweak by Christian Eiroa. Only 150 boxes containing twenty cigars of the of the Eiroa Exclusivo Regionales Bulgaria were produced. The Eiroa Exlcusivo Regionales Bulgaria will launch with an event on June 29th, 7:30pm (Bulgaria Time), at Best Cigars in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
The Eiroa Classic Bulgaria was born out of a meeting and instant friendship between Christian Eiroa and Harry Dulendarov (Owner of Best Cigars in Bulgaria). Harry’s shop is considered the standard in Bulgaria and the Eiroa cigar brand is a favorite of his. Harry convinced Christian to create a unique international Exclusivo with the C.L.E Cigar Company’s brands.
Continue reading C.L.E. CIGAR COMPANY ANNOUNCES EIROA EXCLUSIVO REGIONALES BULGARIAPCA Names Joshua Habursky as New Executive Director
[Washington, D.C.–June 26, 2024] The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Board of Directors announces the promotion and hiring of Joshua Habursky to the role of PCA Executive Director, effective immediately. Habursky’s tenure at PCA includes outside government affairs consultant (2018), Director of Federal Affairs, Head of Government Affairs, and Deputy Executive Director (2019-present). Since May 2024, Habursky has served as interim executive director of the PCA following Scott Pearce’s departure.
Continue reading PCA Names Joshua Habursky as New Executive Director
2024 “TRAVELING CIGAR ROAD SHOW” SETS OFF ON A NATIONWIDE TOUR THIS SUMMER!
Sponsored By Rocky Patel Cigars, Altadis U.S.A, Oliva Cigars, and C.L.E. Cigar Company/Asylum
June 24, 2024 – The Traveling Cigar Road Show is back! Spanning 16 cities across the nation from July 29 through August 9, 2024, Rocky Patel Cigars, Altadis U.S.A, Oliva Cigars, and C.L.E. Cigar Company/Asylum will bring “The Traveling Cigar Road Show” to retailers across the country.
Continue reading 2024 “TRAVELING CIGAR ROAD SHOW” SETS OFF ON A NATIONWIDE TOUR THIS SUMMER!
Sans Pareil Re-Launches the Prestigious Gold Line with The JeddoSans Pareil Unveils the Gold Line
Dominican Republic – June 2024 – In a $23 billion cigar industry, Sans Pareil stands as a beacon of excellence and luxury. We are thrilled to announce the re-launch of our exclusive Gold Line, headlined by the eagerly awaited cigar, Jeddo. Late June, Jeddo will make its way to elite retailers, poised to redefine the standards of the global premium cigar industry.
The Gold Line is the crowning jewel of Sans Pareil’s collection, exemplifying unparalleled quality in tobacco, construction, and presentation. Crafted in the Dominican Republic, each Gold Line cigar is a testament to meticulous craftsmanship and exceptional tobacco. Jeddo, measuring 6 1/4 inches in length with a ring gauge of 54, promises a smoking experience like no other.
Continue reading Sans Pareil Re-Launches the Prestigious Gold Line with The JeddoSans Pareil Unveils the Gold Line
CIGAR CADDY® CIGAR TUBES, SINGLE AND TRIPLE CIGAR CAPACITIESARE READY TO SHIP GLOBALLY
WESTON, Florida – Quality Importers Trading Company® (QI) the leading accessory supplier to the worldwide premium cigar trade, announces the availability of the single and triple-capacity Cigar
Caddy® Cigar Tubes which were launched at PCA this past spring and are now ready to ship globally.
The Cigar Caddy® Cigar Tubes are designed to provide cigar enthusiasts with portable and stylish solutions for carrying their cigars. These tubes are perfect for protecting cigars while traveling, ensuring they remain fresh and undamaged.
C.L.E./ASYLUM CIGAR COMPANY NEWS
APRIL FOOLS 2024 “YEAR OF THE DRAGON” IS NOW SHIPPING
June 19, 2024– C.L.E. Cigar Company announces that the Asylum April Fools’ 2024 “Year of the Dragon” is now shipping. Asylum April Fools’ 2024 Year of the Dragon is the fourthin this series of cigars. Last year’s version celebrated the Chinese Zodiac.” Asylum cigars will continue this trend showcasing this year’s Chinese zodiac sign, the Dragon.
In true Asylum style, the blend will come in a massive 90X9 vitola. Blended by Christian Eiroa this Honduran puro is a full-bodied blend featuring bold flavors throughout the smoking experience. Deeply rich in flavor and complexity, the blend is a peppery smoke, featuring woodsy and sweet notes.
Continue reading C.L.E./ASYLUM CIGAR COMPANY NEWSRepublicans need a place to smoke
Republicans have a burning problem: No place for cigars
[NOTE: the article is from the Washington Examiner and has some “boo-hooing” that’s typical media bias.]
The Capitol has a huge problem. The place where House Republicans used to smoke cigars no longer belongs to the same person. Some representatives are begging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to solve this problem. “We desperately need a place to smoke cigars,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) told Axios on Sunday. Another Republican said, “It’s a very important issue.”
Continue reading Republicans need a place to smoke
WEST TAMPA TOBACCO COMPANY LAUNCHES LANCEROS
New size expands West Tampa Tobacco Company core line-up
Tampa, FL, June 2024. West Tampa Tobacco Company celebrates its two-year anniversary with the introduction of Lanceros to their core West Tamp line.
West Tamp Tobacco Company is excited to announce that West Tampa Lanceros have begun to ship, both in the US and international markets. “In my recent travels I have gotten several questions about this unique size, specifically why I should try it. What makes this size special is that it allows smokers to truly enjoy the wrapper and I felt that this was a great way to commemorate our two-year anniversary,” said Rick Rodriguez, co-owner.
Continue reading WEST TAMPA TOBACCO COMPANY LAUNCHES LANCEROS
The Aged Side of Carenas – Altadis U.S.A. Launches the Newest Addition to the Awarded Saint Luis Rey Line – Saint Luis Rey Carenas Ultramar.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – TheSaint Luis Rey Carenas line, first launched in 2021 and recipient of a spot on the coveted Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars of the Year, is expanding with a new extra-aged blend – Saint Luis Rey Carenas Ultramar.
This latest offering from Altadis U.S.A. is a tribute to the early days of the cigar trade when sixteenth-century Spanish vessels traveled ‘ultramar,’ or overseas, from Puerto Carenas in the New World to Spain carrying tobacco leaves. The precious tobacco leaves, destined for the King of Spain, were stored in barrels in a clandestine part of the ship as a measure to keep the valuable commodity safe from pirates.
Continue reading The Aged Side of Carenas – Altadis U.S.A. Launches the Newest Addition to the Awarded Saint Luis Rey Line – Saint Luis Rey Carenas Ultramar.
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