A Unified Vision for the Future
Miami, FL – E.P. Carrillo, the award-winning premium cigar brand, proudly announces its transformation into Casa Carrillo. This rebrand marks the next evolution of the company, uniting its U.S. headquarters, factory, and global presence under one name that reflects both its heritage and its vision for the future.
Continue reading E.P. Carrillo Evolves into Casa Carrillo:Nice smooth and oily wrapper. If you’re wondering about the name, LOFB sends 40% of profits to support men’s mental health. The cold draw is a bit tight but gives hints of the flavor to come.
Continue reading League of Fat B@$tards Serie OA cigar crafted from a story of family, love, passion, and destiny.
(Miami, Florida) April 12, 2025 – Plasencia Cigars, a world-leading premium tobacco grower established in 1865, proudly announces the debut of Alma del Cielo, the first-ever high-elevation cigar, at the 2025 PCA in New Orleans. Alma del Cielo, meaning “Soul from the Sky,” captures the essence of tobacco grown at Finca San Julian in Condega, situated at greater than 3500 feet above sea level. This cigar is a tale of family, love, passion, and destiny.
Continue reading PLASENCIA CIGARS TO INTRODUCE THE WORLD’S FIRST HIGH ELEVATION CIGAR, ALMA DEL CIELO, AT THE 2025 PCA IN NEW ORLEANSMadrid, Spain — Following the wildly successful and completely sold-out 2023 releases of the Atabey Dioses and Misticos 10-Year Aged editions, Selected Tobacco returns to the PCA stage with something even more
seductive, the Byron 21st Century Aristocratas 10-Year Aged (8 x 52).
[Washington, D.C.–April 3, 2025] On April 2, 2025, the White House introduced a sweeping trade policy shift, set to impact the premium cigar industry among others. Starting April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a 10% tariff will apply to all goods entering the United States. A second phase, effective April 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, will impose additional reciprocal tariffs on countries with higher tariffs or trade barriers against the U.S., calculated at half the value of those barriers.
Continue reading PCA Member Update: Addressing U.S. Tariff MeasuresHiram & Solomon Cigars is proud to announce the release of the Patriot Cigar, a distinguished addition to its portfolio, crafted exclusively in the Dominican Republic to honor Most Worshipful George F. Hamilton, the 91st Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts.
This carefully curated blend results in a medium-to-full-bodied profile that is bold yet balanced. The Ecuadorian Habano Claro wrapper lends a smooth, elegant finish, while the Dominican Ligero and Seco fillers provide depth and complexity in every draw.
Continue reading Hiram & Solomon Cigars Introduces the Patriot Cigar Honoring M.W. George F. Hamilton, 91st Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts.Ashburn, VA (March 23rd, 2025) – Fratello Cigars is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of its latest offering, the Oro Toro Fresh Pack. Scheduled to make its debut at the Premium Cigar Association 2025.
Micallef Cigars proudly announces the release of Micallef Purple, the latest addition to its growing Color Series. Following the celebrated launches of Micallef Black, Blue, and Red, the new Micallef Purple continues the tradition of offering exceptional cigars at an outstanding value—ensuring quality and consistency while maintaining the same price point established with Micallef Black in 2023. Micallef Black, the first in the series, was awarded Cigar of the Year 2023 by The Cigar Authority, cementing the Color Series as a standout in the industry.
Read more: Micallef Purple Reigns as the Newest Color Series ReleaseMicallef Purple is a medium-bodied cigar featuring a San Andrés Sumatra wrapper, a Broadleaf binder, and a carefully curated blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Mexican fillers. This combination delivers a smooth yet complex smoking experience, with notes of cinnamon, nuts, cocoa, and white pepper, balanced by earthy undertones of chocolate, leather, molasses, and cedar.
The official launch of Micallef Purple will take place at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show in April. The cigar will be sampled to select consumers ahead of its national release, with exclusive pre-release opportunities at:
• The Cigar Authority Care Package in April
Following these previews, Micallef Purple will be available in brick-and-mortar shops nationwide beginning April 24, 2025.
The Color Series reflects Micallef’s unwavering philosophy: delivering premium cigars that offer exceptional quality at an accessible price. Since the introduction of Micallef Black, this approach has resonated with cigar enthusiasts and retailers alike. Micallef Purple continues this tradition, maintaining the same price as its predecessors—ensuring smokers can enjoy a top-tier experience without compromise.
“Micallef Purple, continues our mission of making premium cigars accessible without compromise.” said Dan Thompson, President of Micallef Cigars. “Like the rest of the Color Series, it proves that premium quality and affordability can go hand in hand.”
Al Micallef, Founder of Micallef Cigars, added: “We continue to invest in the best tobaccos, the best people, and the best processes to bring extraordinary cigars to the market. Micallef Purple is another proud addition to our Color Series, and I can’t wait for our Ambassadors and retail partners to enjoy it.”
Micallef Cigars remains committed to brick-and-mortar retailers, ensuring their continued success by offering exclusive products, pricing consistency, and direct-to-store support.
Purple is available in Toro and Robusto sizes in 25-count boxes and will be available in brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide beginning April 24th.
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: San Andrés Sumatra
Binder: Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Mexico
Retail Price: Robusto (5×52) $7.00/cigar, Toro (6×52) $8.00/cigar
Dunbarton, NH – Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust® (DTT) will begin shipping the eagerly anticipated Sobremesa® Solita “Red” liga on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, to Select Purveyors. Sobremesa Solita “Red” is a limited production, 6.25 x 46 parejo packed in the semi-boite nature dress box that is synonymous with the brand. The blend is a stronger varietal of the original 7 tobacco core recipe featuring a dark rosado Grade 1 Ecuador Habano capa, a San Andres Negro capote and a combination of four Nicaraguan and a Seedleaf Pennsylvanian tripas. In 2015 the core liga was introduced to the marketplace as simply Sobremesa, but was rebranded as Sobremesa Solita in 2024 to provide clearer differentiation from its milder Connecticut Shade sister puro, Sobremesa Brulée.
February 11, 2025 — Black Label Trading Company is pleased to announce the shipment of Super Deluxe to select retailers beginning next week. Super Deluxe is hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
Continue reading Black Label Trading Co. News(Miami, Florida) February 6, 2025- Plasencia Cigars, a world-leading premium tobacco grower established in 1865, announces that the Cosecha 151 La Tradition (Toro size) earned the award for “Best Cigar of 2024” by Cigar Journal.
Notch one more win for the handmade, premium cigar industry in the longstanding battle with the FDA over regulations on cigars. This morning, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shot down the FDA’s appeal, which sought to overturn the 2023 ruling by Judge Amit P. Mehta of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia that ruled against the FDA.
Today’s decision will keep cigarmakers from having to put warning labels on cigars and deal with other draconian regulations being pushed by the FDA. Even more important, it should allow cigarmakers to focus on their business, rather than on fighting for the right to sell a legal product.
Judges Millett, Pan and Randolph of the Appeals Court pointed out flaws in the government argument, pointing to one study that found that “all but 3 percent of premium cigar users smoke fewer than one per day, and Monograph No. 9 found that smoking a cigar once or twice per day has no statistically significant impact on ‘all-cause’ mortality. Taken together, those two data points provided evidence that premium cigar use poses a less urgent public health risk than that associated with any other tobacco product, including standard cigars.”
“We agree with Judge Mehta that the FDA’s final Rule was arbitrary and capricious,” wrote Judge Randolph, who went on to say that “the FDA’s rationale was factually incorrect.”
The court did say that a more exact definition of what makes up a premium cigar is needed.
Cigarmakers and others in the industry were exceptionally happy about today’s news, just as they were in 2023 when Judge Mehta ruled against the FDA.
“It’s good for everybody in the industry. I’m very happy,” says Litto Gomez, the co-owner of the La Flor Dominicana brand and the president of the ProCigar group of Dominican cigarmakers. “The regulation is nonsense, and all it does it interfere with business. I’m very happy that this is happening, and at least for the next four years were are going to be able to do business without interference from the government.”
Javier Estades Saez, the president of Tabacalera USA and the chairman of the Cigar Association of America, called this “a huge win for the premium cigar industry….The CAA is gratified by the DC Circuit Court decision affirming Judge Mehta’s ‘well-reasoned opinion.”
“This is another affirmation of FDA’s missteps regarding the regulation of premium cigars and the necessity of the lawsuit,” says Joshua Habursky, executive director of the Premium Cigar Association. “There are still procedural items ahead but the biggest question on the Deeming Rule is a significant victory (again).”
Drew Newman, one of the owners of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. in Tampa, said: “Today is a huge day for America’s historic premium cigar industry because it ensures that adults will continue to have the right to enjoy a premium cigar for generations to come. Today, my family rolls premium cigars the same way that my great-grandfather did a century ago. Our only goal is to continue handcrafting premium cigars in the United States for another four generations and 130 years. Today’s monumental decision freeing us from government overregulation will allow us to do just that.”
Today’s decision recognizes a simple fact, that premium cigars are different from cigarettes and all other tobacco products. FDA overlooked this in 2016 when it decided to regulate premium cigars and treat them just like cigarettes. The FDA’s decision made no sense and would have subjected premium cigars to a comprehensive set of strict, cumbersome, and costly regulatory requirements, including product testing, manufacturing standards, premarket review and health warning labels. Because these regulations were designed for mass-market products like cigarettes, it would have been impossible for our company and other premium cigar makers to survive.”
Story credit: Cigar Afficionado Magazine
Crowned Heads is excited to announce its first Limited Edition release of 2025, Crowned Heads Four Kicks Mule Kick LE 2025.
For only the second time since the original Mule Kick in 2012, the blend deviates entirely from the traditional Mule Kick blend, featuring an all-new blend that delivers body, boldness, and balance. “When we were evaluating potential new blends last year, one blend from Casa Carrillo really stood out to me,” commented Crowned Heads co-founder, Jon Huber. “That blend really connected with my palate, exhibiting body, complexity, impeccable balance, and ultimately, we decided that it needed to become a part of the Mule Kick lineage.”
Continue reading Crowned Heads Announces Four Kicks Mule Kick LEKINGPIN is part of the ORO LINE – besides the DON PATRON, EL GRINGO, and GATSBY. KINGPIN is a small batch production that measures 4 inches long with a 62 ring gauge.
Don’t let this size fool you! This little but heavy cigar is carefully crafted to last estimate more than one hour.
KINGPIN is a medium plus body cigar and comes in boxes of ten. The wrapper is a specially selected dark H.Criollo grown in Ecuador that covers an Ecuadorian H.2000 binder. The filler blend includes tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru. The tobacco has been aged for 5 years.
KINGPIN is produced totally hand made by Tabacos de Costa Rica.
[Washington, D.C.–January 16, 2025] The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) is inviting visitors to explore its newly redesigned website, now live at premiumcigars.org. Over the past year, the PCA has worked on building a new website that provides a refreshed site for those interested in the PCA’s ongoing advocacy efforts, an improved navigation and search, and a centralized place to find the latest news and original content produced by the PCA and its marketing/communications team.
Continue reading PCA Launches New WebsiteThe new cigars this year were mostly great. Like my last list (2022), the cigars are not ranked, however, the first five (alphabetized) and the “rest” that I deemed “worthy” (lol). If you don’t care for my methods, there are plenty of other lists to read. Let’s be honest, all of these lists are subjective, so if you don’t agree, or feel that something was left off, well, sorry. I can’t be everywhere all the time and a lot of other people’s “tops” are not available in my city. All cigars listed were released in 2024. I also only picked one cigar per company (sorry Steve Saka).
For 2024, my favorite five new releases were:
As for the rest of the list, all of these scored at least 91 on my scale.
(Miami, FL) January 9, 2025 – Cigar Ambassador announces that City of Palms Cigar Distribution Services will serve as their distribution partner for the U.S.A. market.
Circle of Life Ships to bring in the New Year!
Tampa, FL, January 1, 2025. West Tampa Tobacco Company starts the New Year with a bang, with the shipment of their long-awaited Circle of Life line.
West Tamp Tobacco Company is excited to announce that Circle of Life will begin to ship on January 6th, 2025 and will be available both in the US and international markets.
Continue reading WEST TAMPA TOBACCO COMPANY SHIPS CIRCLE OF LIFEWhen it comes to premium cigars, the word “legendary” isn’t thrown around lightly. But Principle Cigars’ latest release, Boy Band Vol. 1: Legendary, truly earns its name. This special project brings together five titans of the premium cigar world—each a master blender with decades of experience crafting some of the most sought-after cigars on the market.
Continue reading A Legendary Collaboration: Principle Cigars’ Boy Band Vol. 1Ocala, FL – Operation: Cigars For Warriors Is proud to announce that
Anstead’s Tobacco Company has been named “Donation Center of the
year” for 2024. Anstead’s supports CFW through an annual event known
as the ‘Big Red Barn’ during which they routinely raise thousands of
dollars to support the charity – over $11K in 2023 and $15,000 in 2024.
As I drove up to the location of the newest cigar lounge Cigar Circus in Clearwater Florida, I thought owner Ryan Gallimore must really have guts to put his inspiration in the middle of an industrial park.
When I entered the 6200 sq. foot shop, with a gorgeous built-in 2000 sq ft. humidor and a tasting room, I decided he was a genius.
Continue reading Ryan Gallimore’s Vision: The Future of Cigar Lounges[THE REGULATORS ARE RUNNING ROUGHSHOD OVER US]
WASHINGTON, DC (December 12, 2024) – On December 10th, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) submitted a proposed rule that would sharply limit nicotine in tobacco products. This radical new step is expected to have far-reaching implications for the entire industry and could represent the first salvo in an attempt by the Agency to “sunset” all combustible tobacco.
Continue reading FDA Rule that Would Limit Nicotine in Tobacco Products Sent to Biden White House for ReviewYesterday, the Belchertown Board of Health voted to adopt a generational tobacco ban, becoming the latest Massachusetts municipality to implement this controversial policy. Under the new regulation, individuals born on or after January 1, 2004, will be permanently prohibited from purchasing tobacco products.
Continue reading Belchertown, Massachusetts Adopts Generational Tobacco BanCigar lovers, get ready! – A new experience in the world of premium cigars, is set to launch in 2025. Featuring an e-commerce platform and a flagship showroom in Clearwater, Florida, Cigar Circus is designed to cater to cigar enthusiasts locally, nationally, and beyond.
Continue reading CIGAR CIRCUS: A NEW DESTINATION FOR CIGAR ENTHUSIASTS IS COMING!(Miami, Florida) December 3, 2024 – Plasencia Cigars, a premium tobacco grower since 1865, announces the release of El Año de la Culebra – Edición Limitada 2025, the fifth limited edition cigar in its Chinese New Year collection. This limited-edition offering is presented in a ten-count box, featuring eight Lanceros and one Culebra comprised of 2 intertwined cigars. —an exceptionally rare vitola made from cigars twisted and tied at both ends. Only one roller at Plasencia has the skill to craft the Culebras, as they are among the most challenging cigars to create. Here’s an improved version of the line: A total of 6,000 boxes of El Año de la Culebra – Edición Limitada 2025 have been produced, with 3,000 boxes allocated for the US market. Shipping will begin in December 2024.
El Año de la Culebra is a Nicaraguan puro that captivates with its bold intensity and intricate complexity from the very first draw. It unfolds with the evocative essence of petrichor, transitioning into the rich, refined character of sherry oak barrel. As the experience deepens, layers of roasted chestnuts and creamy sweetness emerge, intertwined with fresh herbal nuances. The journey concludes with a warming touch of cloves, creating a memorable and sophisticated profile.
Continue reading PLASENCIA CIGARS UNVEILS EL AÑO DE LA CULEBRA – TRIBUTE TO THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE
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