Category Archives: News

by Craig Vanderslice | September 21, 2021 · 6:26 pm

News: Casa Cuevas Prensado Rebranded

CASA CUEVAS CIGARS REBRANDS THE CASA CUEVAS PRENSADO BRAND

Casa Cuevas Cigars announces that the Casa Cuevas Prensado line has added a secondary band to distinguish the Prensado from the Casa Cuevas core line of cigars. The Casa Cuevas Prensado line features a Habano and a Maduro version.

Launched in 2017, the Casa Cuevas Prensado is a follow up to the Casa Cuevas core line of cigars. The addition of the secondary band will further distinguish this from the original Casa Cuevas core line.

Luis Cuevas President of Casa Cuevas Cigars said, “Because the Prensado is a 6 X 48, we felt that it was too similar in gauge to our Toro, which is 6 X 50. Thus, after much feedback on this issue from retailers and consumers, we knew it was time to accentuate the branding so as to fully distinguish the Prensado from the Toro when a consumer is simply looking at the layout of the cigars within a box. The Prensados, or box-pressed cigars, are a personal favorite of my father, my son, and I. We look forward to getting behind the Casa Cuevas Prensado and re-introducing the line in this new way.”

Although blended in the same manner as the Casa Cuevas Core line of Maduros and Habanos, the Prensado really accentuates the flavor of the wrapper and binder since less filler is used in order to press the cigar into its rectangular shape. Additionally, Master Blender Luis Cuevas, Sr. believes in making sure that box-pressed cigars are pressed for enough time to maintain their shape. Which means these cigars take longer to roll out to market than their traditionally shaped counterparts.

Luis Cuevas, Sr. states, “Prensado cigars need adequate time being pressed. This is non-negotiable in our factory. Perfection takes time.”

The Casa Cuevas Prensado Habano is composed of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican/Nicaraguan fillers. The Casa Cuevas Prensado Maduro is composed of a Mexican San Andreas Maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler. Both blends are made in the Cuevas family-owned Las Lavas Cigar Factory located in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Both blends are available in one size, a 6″x 48 box pressed.

MSRP:

Casa Cuevas Habano: $8.20

Casa Cuevas Maduro: $8.40

The newly branded Casa Cuevas Prensado’s started shipping at the beginning of September.

ABOUT CASA CUEVAS CIGARS:

Casa Cuevas Cigars was established in 2016 but has decades old history behind it. Cuban born Master Blender Luis Cuevas Sr. has been blending cigars from his factory in the Dominican Republic for many popular cigar brands. Now, together with son Luis Cuevas Jr., the Casa Cuevas Cigar brands were created to honor their four-generation cigar heritage. Currently the Casa Cuevas Cigars line of brands include the Casa Cuevas core line, the Casa Cuevas Limited Edition Flaco, the Cuevas Reserva Natural (91 rated by Cigar Aficionado), Cuevas Reserva Maduro (Ranked as the No. 2 cigar of the year by Cigars and Leisure Magazine) and La Mandarria (ranked no. 16 boutique cigar of 2020 by Cigar & Spirits Magazine)

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Tagged as Casa Cuevas, cigar, cigars, Prensado

by Craig Vanderslice | September 18, 2021 · 9:33 am

News: La Gloria Cubana Presents Criollo de Oro

Some Saturday morning news from La Gloria Cubana for you here. I’m curious about this one, as a long time LGC fan, but not so much a fan of Criollo. It’ll be interesting to me to see what the hybrid between the Criollo and Pelo de Oro is like. I think I’ve been to the farm in Mao that they mention below, and I’ve seen Pelo de Oro in fields in Nicaragua, so I feel somewhat of a connection to this so I definitely want to try it. Read on:

La Gloria Cubana presents “Criollo de Oro,” a new, limited edition collection named after the hybrid varietal developed by crossing two Cuban seed tobaccos: the versatile Criollo ’98 with the rare Cuban seed Pelo de Oro.

The new, two-cigar collection is handcrafted by artisans at the El Credito Cigar Factory in Santiago, D.R. and will ship to retailers in October. Only 3,100 boxes in total will be released.

La Gloria Cubana Criollo De Oro begins with the proprietary Criollo de Oro wrapper grown in the humid microclimate of Mao, Dominican Republic. There, in the island nation’s picturesque Cibao Valley, the sungrown leaf matures with abundant natural oils that contribute to the cigar’s uniquely robust characteristics.

To achieve the finely balanced, medium-bodied profile, the artisans of La Gloria Cubana have punctuated the rich Criollo de Oro wrapper with a hearty Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos. The result is a provocative smoke that celebrates the nuances of the wrapper, layering it with notes of tobacco sweetness, earth, cedar and citrus. A slightly spicy aroma lends an added dimension to the experience.

Steve Abbot, senior brand manager for La Gloria Cubana, commented, “We created Criollo de Oro in the La Gloria Cubana in the tradition of blending proprietary and traditional tobaccos to deliver exciting smoking experiences. Our artisans have delivered a cigar with a distinctive taste profile, crafted according to the brand’s meticulous standards. We’re confident that Criollo de Oro will appeal to a wide range of discerning premium cigar enthusiasts.”

Criollo de Oro features an art deco-inspired band that highlights the brand’s iconic Lady La Gloria marque and carries the imagery to its elegant, dark wood-toned box.

Criollo de Oro Toro (5.75” x 54); SRP per cigar $10.49
Criollo de Oro Churchill (7” x 48); SRP per cigar $10.99

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Criollo de Oro, La Gloria Cubana

by Craig Vanderslice | September 17, 2021 · 6:52 pm

News: Black Label Trading Company Announces ARAPOSA as a Fox Cigar Bar Exclusive

Here’s some Friday news from Black Label Trading Co.. I hope I’ll be able to get some of these from my friends at Fox Cigars, who I enjoy ordering from occasionally. They are one of a handful of companies I order from, and there aren’t a lot any more. I’ve found their service and selectition to be outstanding. This looks like a tasty cigar.

Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) is pleased to announce the release of ARAPOSA as a Fox Cigar Bar exclusive; hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.”Araposa is dark, rich and extremely well balanced. This cigar has bold flavors and just the right amount of spice on the retrohale. The flavors of black cherry, anise and bitter cocoa let you know this is a Black Label cigar. The Nicaraguan fillers are topped with an Ecuadorian Habano binder and wrapped in both Mexican San Andrés and Ecuador Corojo,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra. ARAPOSA will be available at Fox Cigar Bar in Arizona.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: San Andrés and Ecuador Corojo

Binder: Ecuador Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan

Robusto – 5.5 x 54 Box Press (10 count pack)

About BLTC

“Black Label Trading Company is redefining the standards for cigar making. With a less is more philosophy, Black Label Trading Co. creates handcrafted premium cigars of the utmost quality at their own factory in Nicaragua.” For more information, please contact the shop directly at foxcigarbar.com.

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Tagged as Araposa, Black Label Trading Company, BLTC, cigar, cigars, Fox Cigars

by Craig Vanderslice | September 16, 2021 · 5:42 pm

News: The 2021 Exclusive Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta Edition Coming to Barrister Cigars and Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop

Here’s some exciting news from Drew Estate. It’s exciting because Wooden Indian is one of my favorite places and it’s really cool that they have this excellent cigar. I have had the pleasure of smoking a couple, and will get down to the beautiful shop and pick up some of the new release, I hope. Speaking of Drew Estate, tonight at 7PM Eastern which is only short time away from publishing, they are having another one of their Freestyle Live Facebook Live events. They are teasing some new release announcements, so I’ll be tuning in to check it out.

The 2021 edition of Drew Estate’s Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta will soon be available exclusively at Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop in Havertown, Pa., and Barrister Cigars in Union, N.J. The cigar will be available at the two retail locations beginning on Oct. 1.

The Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta (4 ¾ x 50, Short Belicoso) is a savory, spicy and hearty cigar that embodies elements of two powerhouse blends in the Liga Privada family. The cigar features the same Connecticut Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured Habano capa that wraps the Liga Privada T52; and it utilizes the same bold Brazilian Mata Fina capote and intense Nicaraguan and Honduran tripa leaves that are used for the Liga Privada Unico Serie Feral Flying Pig. This year’s edition of Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta features a second band on the foot that identifies it as an exclusive release for 2021.

From Sag Harbor, N.Y., Drew Estate’s Founder and President, Jonathan Drew, says, “Two of the first retailers to believe in our vision for Liga Privada and support our story of Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured tobaccos from the Connecticut River Valley were our close friends at Wooden Indian and Barrister. Their love and passion for Liga Privada is matched only by the deep, rich, commanding and authoritative presence of this bangin’ cigar.”

“We are proud to bring you the Liga Privada Pancetta for the third annual release,” David Mayer, the owner of Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop, shares. “Thank you to Drew Estate for making this possible and the community for supporting us through this difficult year and a half. #DE4L.”

Barrister Cigars’ owner, David Mallow, adds, “Pancetta is the perfect marriage of the best Liga Privada has to offer. It’s Feral Flying Pig blend with a T52 wrapper in a Short Belicoso size. The boldness of the Feral Flying Pig filler and binder paired with the tastiness of the Stalk-Cut and Stalk-Cured Habano wrapper really shines in the Short Belicoso format. Dave Mayer and I couldn’t be happier with the blend selected for our Liga Privada Lounge Exclusive cigars.”

The Liga Privada Unico Pancetta will be available in 24-count boxes with an MSRP of $299.00/box, or $12.46/cigar. They will be sold exclusively at Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop and Barrister Cigars beginning on Oct. 1. The cigars may be ordered from Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop via its website at woodenindiantobacco.com; or they may be purchased from Barrister Cigars by calling 908-964-3000.

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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Tagged as Barrister, cigar, cigars, drew estate, Pancetta, wooden indian

by Craig Vanderslice | August 28, 2021 · 1:40 pm

News: Black Label Trading Company Releases Viaticum

Here’s another news item, this one from Black Label Trading. This is one I haven’t smoked from them, which, honestly, isn’t saying a lot as there is a great deal of the BLTC stuff I haven’t sampled. I love what I do smoke, I just haven’t dug deep into the catalog for whatever reason. Not much excuse as a couple shops within 10 miles in a couple directions have a good selection. It’s something to work on…

Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) is releasing VIATICUM in three vitolas to select retailers this month. Viaticum is hand crafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua.

VIATICUM is a small batch release that was originally released in one vitola in 2019 to retailers who attended the PCA trade show. This is the second and full release made available to all BLTC retailers.

“Viaticum is an evolution of the Last Rites blend and a testament to what Black Label Trading Co is all about. It uses most of the same tobaccos but in different proportions and primings. It’s the perfect balance between strength and complexity. This cigar is bold but also very refined. It’s all about balance. The dark fruit and earth flavors are wrapped in soft floral notes and elevated with a multitude of spice on the finish,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

Viaticum