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.
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.
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.
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Boston, Ma – Cigar Militia proudly announces a new line extension to its growing portfolio. The “76” is the group’s second release in collaboration with Rock-A-Feller Cigars.
The Cigar Militia “76” is expressed in a (6 x 52) Box-Pressed vitola and will carry an SRP of $12.00/cigar. Only 1776 cigars will be available and will come packaged in 5-packs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
haveapremiumcigar 