Category Archives: News

News: Drew Estate’s Flying Pigs Set for Spring Release

 

The site has been down for a couple days for maintenance, but I’m back and catching up! Here’s some news from Drew Estate. They aren’t going to mention it, but the FLying Pig vitola was Steve Saka’s idea when he was president of Drew Estate.  It’s a cool size, I have a few floating around one of my humidors someplace, maybe I’ll pull one out this weekend!

 

Drew Estate’s Flying Pigs have been cleared for take-off for their annual Spring release!!! One of Drew Estate’s most popular vitolas, the Flying Pigs (100mm x 60) are now available.

 

Based on a photograph in an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection catalog, the Flying Pig vitola’s unique size and signature pigtail requires specialized training for buncheros and rolleras at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua. Only a few of La Gran Fabrica’s employees are certified to make the cigars, limiting Flying Pigs to two annual seasonal releases in the Spring and the Fall. Kentucky Fire Cured, Undercrown Maduro, Undercrown Shade and Undercrown Sun Grown Flying Pigs will be available to all premium cigar retailers. Liga Privada No. 9 and Liga Privada T52 Flying Pigs will only be available at participating Drew Diplomat Program partners.

 

 

Featuring a double wrapper of a fire-cured Tapa Negra leaf at the head and a Mexican San Andres Maduro leaf at the foot, the Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig is a smoky and savory treat with a filler tobacco blend of Kentucky seed tobacco, grown and fire-cured in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and rich Nicaraguan and Brazilian tobaccos. Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pigs are presented in 12-count boxes and have an MSRP of $131.40 per box.

 

“Born on the Factory Floor” at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, Undercrown has been the peoples’ champion for more than a decade, and the Undercrown Flying Pig vitola is available in three expressions: Maduro, Shade and Sun Grown. The original Undercrown cigar, Undercrown Maduro boldly showcases the deep, rich complexity of the famed San Andres Maduro leaf. With an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Undercrown Shade is more mellow but offers an equally expressive flavor profile that’s lush, smooth and creamy. Undercrown Sun Grown adds a touch of spice that grabs the palate’s attention without masking the underlying Nicaraguan tobacco’s zesty and earthy characteristics. All Undercrown Flying Pigs are packaged in 12-count boxes and have an MSRP of $171.60 per box.

 

The famed wrapper leaves cultivated in the Connecticut River Valley breathe life into the Liga Privada No. 9 and Liga Privada T52 Flying Pigs, which will be available exclusively to Drew Diplomat Program participants. A broadleaf bully with a dark, rugged and flavorful wrapper, Liga Privada No. 9 is dense, hearty and intense, yet surprisingly smooth. Utilizing a Connecticut Habano stalk-cut and stalk-cured seed variety that’s grown exclusively for Drew Estate for its capa, Liga Privada T52 is full-bodied, spicy and bold with notes of leather, caramel, earth and gritty black pepper. Both Liga Privada Flying Pig expressions are packaged in 12-count boxes with an MSRP of $198 per box.

 

“Flying Pigs are distinctly Drew Estate,” says Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate. “There are very few things in life more satisfying than cracking a fresh box of Drew Estate’s piggies and being hit with that aroma and the visuals. You can’t help but immediately, desperately, spark one up. Ya’ll know it’s the truth!!!”

 

 

About Drew Estate

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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News: STG Acquires Room 101 Cigars, Hires Matt Booth

Crazy news from STG!  I have it on good authority that they were in the market for a boutique cigar company to purchase, I’m a little surprised at this though.  Considering the amount of money I heard thrown around,  Mr. Booth would have to be mad to not consider making a deal.  Obviously, he did! I’m hopeful that everyone involved makes the most of this opportunity! 

 

 

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) announces today that the company has acquired the Room101 cigar brand from Matt Booth and has retained Booth as creative director.

 

 

The acquisition is limited to Room101 cigars and accessories and does not include any of Matt Booth’s other Room101 entities.

 

Régis Broersma, president of STG’s North America and Rest of World divisions said, “Our acquisition of Room101 Cigars is a strategic move for both STG and Matt Booth, and underpins our collective drive to shake up the category. Matt is a creative force and we’ve admired his ability to surprise and delight the market. On top of that, the Room101 cigar portfolio represents a blue ocean of blends and taste profiles we haven’t been playing in. So this acquisition gives us an even deeper opportunity to innovate and unlock the brand’s potential. We’re looking forward to tapping Matt’s boundless creativity, to doing some really cool cigar projects with him and to working alongside him to keep Room101 true to its roots.”   

 

Matt Booth said, “In my 13 years in this industry, I’ve fought hard to foster Room101’s stance in market and now it is time as a brand to ascend to the next level. This arrangement is nothing short of a watershed moment for myself and our brand family. Room101 Cigars has found its forever home with STG and I am extremely excited to be part of a company that is willing to invest in creative integrity and bold innovation. This partnership will empower Room101 Cigars to stretch outward and become the first true global craft brand in the category.”

Room101 Cigars complements STG’s handmade cigar portfolio which features a stable of heritage and boutique brands. 

 

Room101 will be represented exclusively by STG’s Forged Cigar Company. 

 

The transaction was completed on June 10, 2022. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

 

Régis concluded, “Our acquisition of Room101 Cigars represents our willingness to invest in brands with strong growth potential, and we will continue to explore opportunities to expand our market-leading portfolio.”

 

About Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S is a world-leading manufacturer of handmade and machine-rolled cigars with an annual production of more than four billion cigars. The Group holds market-leading positions in several categories and its products are sold in more than 100 markets. Scandinavian Tobacco Group is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark  and employs approximately 10,000 people globally. The Group is also the largest internet and catalog retailer of cigars and related accessories in the US, where STG has over 1 million active online consumers. For more information please visit www.st-group.com

 

About Room101 Cigars

Room101 entered the premium tobacco space in 2009, bringing transformative innovation to the category. Founder Matt Booth proudly served in a cast of characters and branding disruptors in the creation of what has ultimately become the boutique segment of the market. Inspired by the European jet set brands of the 1960s and anchored in Los Angeles, the Room101 portfolio includes Payback, 10th Annv, Doomsayer,  Farce, Hit and Run and The T, as well as Snake Shake, a limited edition release. Please visit www.room101cigars.com for more details.

 

About Forged Cigar Company

Developed to deepen support for the brick and mortar channel, Forged Cigar Company launched in 2021 as an independent national cigar distribution network. Bolstered by independent marketing and customized programming, Forged Cigar Company’s portfolio includes a curated mix of established and cult brands such as Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin’ Moose. Forged Cigar Company’s mission includes leveraging relationships with its proprietary network of cigar factories to deliver product innovations uniquely timed to meet retailer and consumer needs

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News: Announcing The Illusione of Excalibur Cigar

This is pretty interesting.  Back when I first started smoking cigars in the ’90s one of the cigars I bought and kept around for special occasions was the Excalibur No. 1.  This was a pricey cigar for me at the time at around $5, but I liked keeping a few around. It was, and is, a pretty large cigar, the same size as this new release, 7¼” x 54, which was a very large ring cigar for the time. I eventually progressed to the Excalibur Maduro.  Any time Dion has his hand in a cigar, one can expect it’s going to be good, so I hope I get to try this, even if it’s four times the price of the Excaliburs I remember! 

 

Excalibur will roll out its first collaboration next month with The Illusione of Excalibur, a limited-edition blend that marks the first Excalibur to be made in Nicaragua.

 

The Illusione of Excalibur was blended by Dion Giolito and STG’s Justin Andrews. The new expression harnesses aged Nicaraguan tobaccos to deliver a rich and layered smoking experience befitting of both Excalibur and Illusione.

 

Justin commented, “Dion Giolito and Illusione’s success in the premium cigar category has been driven by his rigorous standards for tobacco and his ability to create cigars that wow the market. So when it came to developing a blend for Excalibur, Dion was our hands-down first choice. I’m very proud of how this project came together. My only regret is that we couldn’t make this a full-time launch.”

 

Dion Giolito said, ““When GCC asked me to do a collaboration and offered up Excalibur, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. In college, the Excalibur #1 Maduro was my go-to when I could afford them on a college budget. My buddy George and I would enjoy them after class or band practice. They were a real treat back then, and they still are to this day. For my part, I wanted to make a cigar in the spirit of Excalibur with a bold character and packaging that pays homage to the brand’s origins. I believe this blend really hits the mark.”

 

Handcrafted at the TABSA factory in Nicaragua, the Illusione by Excalibur is a puro featuring a Nicaraguan Corojo 1999 wrapper from Jalapa, a 2012 Nicaraguan Corojo binder from Jalapa and a blend of Criollo and Corojo tobaccos from 1998, 1999 and 2006 grown in Esteli. The result is a smoking experience that is chewy and rich, producing notes of Christmas spices, leather and espresso in a refined, medium-plus profile.

 

 

The Illusione of Excalibur will be released in just one size, chosen by Dion and Justin to best represent the aged tobaccos of its blend.

 

In a nod to the legendary sword of King Arthur that inspired its name, Excalibur Illusione will be presented in royal blue lacquered boxes with gold detailing, each containing ten cigars. The cigars will be available for purchase starting on July 4. A total of 4,960 boxes will be released.

 

No 1. (7.25” x 54); SRP per cigar $19.99

 

 

About Excalibur Cigars

Excalibur cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., which manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo®, Cohiba®, Partagas® Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana® and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

 

 

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News: Black Works Studio Showing Killer Bee Shaolin at 2022 PCA Show

 

Check out this news from BLTC. Some people may not know that I like bees, my wife has a couple thousand of them out in the yard. I get to help tend them once in a while. Luckily none are of the killer variety, although one stung me near the ear once and messed with my equilibrium for a few days! Anyway, I’ll try to find one of these when they come out, I’ll need a new source.

 

Black Works Studio (BLK WKS) will be showcasing a new release at this year’s PCA in Las Vegas; KILLER BEE SHAOLIN.

 

SHAOLIN is a small batch release offered on a first-come, first-served basis to BLTCBLK WKS retailers attending PCA 2022. Shipping will commence later this summer.

 

“The Killer Bee line is in a constant state of evolution. It lends itself to a lot of different variations and the next one in line is the Shaolin. The Shaolin is a slightly tweaked version of the Killer Bee blend wrapped in a mix of Mexican San Andres, Connecticut, and Candela. The result is a bold but elegant cigar that has layers of complexity,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC/BLK WKS and partner at Fabrica OvejaNegra.

KILLER BEE SHAOLIN
 
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
 
Wrapper(s): Mexican San Andrés, Connecticut, Candela
 
Binder: Honduras Habano
 
Filler: Nicaraguan
 
Size: 5.5×46 Belicoso (24 count box) MSRP $13.50

These cigars are an expression of art showcasing the talent, technique and tobacco of our
boutique cigar factory; Fabrica Oveja Negra.  BLK WKS cigars are available for purchase through OvejaNegra Brands.  For more information visit OvejaNegraCigars.com.
 
Visit BLTC Booth #627 at this years PCA Tradeshow for more information.
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News: La Gloria Cubana Launches New Serie S Line

Of course, I’ve been a La Gloria Cubana fan since I started smoking cigars back in the mid-90s. Sure, there’s a few here and there that I don’t care for, but for the most part I enjoy the line. I have one desktop humidor dedicated to the brand, wild, huh? This one sounds like it’ll be right up my alley, taking me back to my first days of smoking cigars, La Glorias and Mexican tobacco! 

 

La Gloria Cubana will debut a new, full-time collection next month. Named “Serie S,” the line marks the first time a Mexican wrapper will be featured in a La Gloria blend.

 

Steve Abbot, director of marketing for La Gloria Cubana said, “Serie S combines large-ring formats, expert blending and fine craftsmanship in a medium-to-full-bodied smoke. We believe this new collection will be a well-received addition to the brand portfolio.”

 

For Serie S, the La Gloria Cubana blending team selected a Mexican San Andrés wrapper which is grown in potassium-rich volcanic soil. Following a prolonged, low-temperature fermentation, the Serie S wrapper bears a warm, golden brown color that hints at the slightly sweet, earthy qualities it imparts on the smoking experience. With a Nicaraguan binder and blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobacco, La Gloria Cubana Serie S also delivers leather, light spice and a pleasant aroma.

 

La Gloria Cubana Serie S is handcrafted at the El Credito Cigar Factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

 

Shipping in mid-July, La Gloria Cubana Serie S will debut with three sizes, packed in bold black cabinet-style boxes that each house 24 cigars. 

 

Robusto Gordo (5.5” x 56); SRP per cigar $7.99

Gigante (6 “ x 60); SRP per cigar $8.49

Presidente (7” x 56); SRP per cigar $8.99

 

La Gloria Cubana is distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

 

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