Category Archives: News

by Craig Vanderslice | April 22, 2020 · 11:32 pm

News: Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección Announced

It seems like it’s been a busy news week! This is interesting to someone who’s been a fan of Hoyo de Monterrey for a long time. I used to love smoking Excalibur No.1s when I’d splurge and spend $5 for a cigar!

Hoyo de Monterrey is proud to present Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección, a collection that pays homage to the country where the brand has been made for more than five decades. The Honduran puro channels Hoyo de Monterrey’s rich history and celebrates the tradition of Honduran cigars and Honduran tobacco that began in the 1950s when the Villazon Cigar Factory was established.

Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for Hoyo de Monterrey said, “Epicure Selección speaks to the legacy of Hoyo de Monterrey which is one of the first brands to have been made in Honduras, and one of the first to feature bold blends made with native Cuban seeds cultivated in Central America. The history of Hoyo de Monterrey was carved out by some of the most revered tobacco men that ever lived, and we honor their contributions to the handmade cigar category with this new collection.”

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección is an artisanal line featuring proprietary aging techniques and old world craftsmanship. The exceptionally well-balanced blend delivers a true Honduran smoking experience, derived from proprietary, Cuban seed wrapper, binder and filler tobaccos. The result is a medium-full cigar rich with peppery and earthy notes, and striking complexity.

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección is presented in understated cabinet style boxes that each contain 20 cigars. Inside, the cigars pop against an ornate, old-world-inspired band.

No.1 (5.6” x 46) — $8.79 SRP per cigar
No.2 (4.9” x 50) — $8.49 SRP per cigar
Toro Especiale (6” x 50) — $8.99 SRP per cigar

The collection is made by the artisans at the HATSA Factory in Danlí Honduras and is now shipping to retailers across the country.

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by Craig Vanderslice | April 21, 2020 · 10:58 pm

News: Frontier Brands, LLC Appoints John Giese, Sr. as the VP of Sales & Marketing

This falls outside of my usual premium cigar coverage, but Frontier is a subsidiary of Island Lifestyle Cigars, and John is a great friend of CigarCraig.com and myself, and I want to offer my congratulations. I’ve enjoyed his company many times at his shop in Limerick, PA. and appreciate his council and friendship. Of course, I am a fan of the Tommy Bahama accessories and Island Lifestyle Premium cigars, even if the Frontier lines aren’t in my area of interest.

Frontier Brands, LLC is pleased to announce the appointment of John Giese, Sr. as the Vice-President of Sales & Marketing. In a career spanning 41 years in various executive management positions within the tobacco industry, Giese has a long-established resume of building successful brands and catapulting them to success within the tobacco industry.

As the Vice-President of Sales & Marketing he will lead the marketing strategies and direct the distribution efforts for the new Frontier Cheroots. Launched in late 2019, Frontier Cheroot cigars are manufactured in the Dominican Republic. Made from quality premium filler and wrapped in a lush Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper they come in four flavors: Honey, Honey-Berry, Russian Cream and Sweet Aromatic.

Giese previously had a distinguished career at the storied John Middleton, Co. whose roots date back to 1856. As the leader of the Sales & Marketing Team at John Middleton he was instrumental in the launch and successful growth strategy that propelled Black & Mild Cigars to the #1 ranking in the USA for mass market cigars. Over his career Giese has been named a “Captain of the Industry” by the Pennsylvania Distributors Association and honored as “Tobacco Man of the Year” by the Southern Association of Wholesale Distributors.

“We are thrilled to have John as part of our management team. His wealth of knowledge, breadth of experience and stature in the industry will greatly assist in our acceptance and growth within the mass cigar market.” said Rick Louis, CEO of Frontier Brands, LLC.

After retiring from John Middleton, Co., Giese opened the 7000 square foot Goose’s Montecristo Lounge & Tobacconist in Limerick, PA. The Montecristo Lounge designation signifies the quality of the cigar lifestyle that Goose’s has promoted for 10 years.

“Having been in the cigar business for as long as I have on both the manufacturing and retail side, I was blown away at the quality of the Frontier product. The draw is perfect. The Pennsylvania broadleaf and premium tobacco filler is a winner. Simply put, a better draw, a better flavor, a better experience.” Said Giese.

He further stated “supply will not be an issue and the initial ‘sell-in program’ for both distributors and retailers is very supportive and lucrative. I am looking forward to reengaging with many friends and business associations developed over the years.”

For distribution inquiries on Frontier Cheroot cigars contact John Giese direct at 610-420-4742 or John@FrontierCigar.com.

About Frontier Brands, LLC:

Frontier Brands was established in 2019 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Island Lifestyle Importers, LLC in Sarasota, FL. Island Lifestyle Importers is the manufacturer and owner of the Island Lifestyle, Island Club and Royal Leaf premium cigar brands as well as the exclusive manufacturer of and world-wide licensee for Tommy Bahama Luxury Cigar Accessories. The focus of Frontier is to bring the same high quality standards to the traditional mass cigar market at affordable price points. Additional cigar products are slated for launch later this year.

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Frontier Brands, Frontier Cheroots, Goose's, Island Lifestyle

by Craig Vanderslice | · 5:59 pm

News: J.C. Newman Cigar Company Launches #BrickHouseAtMyHouse

Here’s a new program from J.C. Newman aimed at helping out the brick and mortar retailers. If you find that you need cigars, give your local shops the first shot. Many are doing curbside delivery or shipping. I’m going to take my evening walk and smoke a Brickhouse cigar.

Amid uncertainty for retailers, and a consumer population practicing social distancing, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is launching #BrickHouseAtMyHouse to bring a sense of normalcy to these unprecedented times.

J.C. Newman will be partnering with retailers nationwide to offer a special on Brick House cigars. With every purchase of this deal, consumers will receive five (5) mix and match Brick House cigars, two (2) five-year-aged Brick House Teaser cigars, and a J.C. Newman torch lighter. Consumers will pick up their orders from their favorite retailers and be given instructions on how they can enter the social media component of this promotion.

When users on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram post a photo of a Brick House cigar and use the hashtag #BrickHouseAtMyHouse, they will be entered to win a J.C. Newman 125th Anniversary backpack, filled with classic, stay-at-home games like dominoes and crosswords. Nine (9) total winners will be chosen to receive the backpacks, and one grand prize winner will receive the Brick House “Man Cave” chair; a black recliner valued at $1,500.

“We are continuing to look at this pandemic with a glass-half-full approach,” said Eric Newman. “If we can help our retailers, and give everyone a reason to relax [with a good cigar] then we are doing our small part.”

This promotion launches today, April 21, 2020, and the social media contest will run for two weeks, with winners being chosen on Friday, May 15, 2020.

For more information and to find participating retailers, please visit: www.jcnewman.com/brickhouseatmyhouse.

Find Retailers

About J.C. Newman Cigar Co.

Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America. J.C. Newman rolls its El Reloj, Factory Throwouts, and Trader Jacks cigars by hand-operated, vintage cigar machines at its historic cigar factory in Tampa, Florida. It also hand rolls its Brick House, Perla del Mar, El Baton, and Quorum cigars at the J.C. Newman PENSA cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. J.C. Newman’s Diamond Crown, MAXIMUS, Julius Caeser, and Black Diamond cigars are handmade by Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic. With its longtime partners the Fuente family, the Newmans founded the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, which supports low-income families in the Dominican Republic with education, health care, vocational training, and clean water.

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by Craig Vanderslice | April 18, 2020 · 12:02 pm

News: Drew Estate’s Flying Pigs Soar for Seasonal Release

Drew Estate announces the Spring Seasonal Release of their infamous Flying Pig vitola, including Liga Privada No. 9 and T52, Undercrown Maduro, Shade and Sun Grown, as well as Kentucky Fire Cured.

The Flying Pig is one of the most desired vitolas in the company’s portfolio, presented in a 100mm x 60 ring gauge and is a favorite amongst cigar enthusiasts worldwide. The shape is based on a photograph of an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection case. It is one of the most complicated vitolas to manufacture due to the unique size and signature pig-tail, which required specialized training of the buncheros and rolleras at La Gran Fabrica in Esteli.

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew Founder and President of Drew Estate notes, “It is such a challenging time in the world right now, incredibly difficult for everyone in every corner of the world. To those who have lost loved ones, we especially feel your pain. To the first responders and their families, nurses, doctors, police, fireman, hospital staff, truck drivers, and others who are fighting the good fight – we are with you and love you. We spark up a Flying Pig in your honor and salute you!!!”

This seasonal release commences with the Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig, featuring a Kentucky seed tobacco, grown and fire cured in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, accompanied with Nicaraguan and Brazilian fillers. The cigar is wrapped with a Mexican San Andres cover leaf that adds depth and balance to the blend profile. The Kentucky Fire Cured Pigs are presented in 12 count boxes and have an MSRP of $115.17.

The Undercrown Maduro, Undercrown Shade, and Undercrown Sun Grown Flying pigs are packaged in 12 count boxes with an MSRP of $153.17, with Undercrown Shade and Undercrown Sun Grown Flying Pigs exclusive to Drew Diplomat Retailers. The Undercrown Maduro features a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper, Connecticut Stalk Cut and Sun Cured Habano binder, and Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano filler leaves. The Undercrown Shade Flying Pig features an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a Sumatra binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The Undercrown Sun Grown features a Sun Grown Sumatra wrapper with a Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut and Sun Cured Habano binder with fillers exclusively from Nicaragua.

Rounding out the release, the Liga Privada No. 9 and Liga Privada T52 Flying Pigs are packaged in 12 count boxes with an MSRP of $181.17 and available exclusively to Drew Diplomat retailers – shipping in May. The No. 9 features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Plantation Grown Brazilian Mata Fina Binder and filler leaves from Nicaragua and Honduras. The Liga Privada T52 features a Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut and Sun Cured Habano Wrapper, Plantation Grown Brazilian Mata Fina Binder and filler leaves from Nicaragua and Honduras.

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.

drewestate.com

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by Craig Vanderslice | April 6, 2020 · 5:30 pm

News: General Cigar Co. Announces Cohiba Royale

Here’s some news from the folks at General Cigar. There hasn’t been a lot of news coming out recently. I find it interesting that this is being made in Honduras. I’m not sure why this is significant, or if it is. Maybe it’s a matter of factory capacity, I’m not sure. It kind of looks like a (ahem) “budget” Spectre. I smoked a Spectre on the first day of my last job, I hope I get to smoke another one soon!

The artisans of Cohiba are proud to present COHIBA ROYALE, a super-premium collection that joins the Cohiba portfolio as the brand’s fullest-bodied expression to date. Cohiba Royale also marks another important milestone for the brand, as it is the first Cohiba line to be handcrafted in Honduras.

Cohiba Brand Ambassador Sean Williams said, “Cohiba Royale was created with the cigar connoisseur in mind, bringing to life the microclimates and fertile soils of the Caribbean and Central America in a way that is unique to the brand. All of the tobaccos that comprise Cohiba Royale are hand-selected and deeply aged, representing the best of the best tobacco growing regions in the world. The result is a cigar that is as bold as it is refined, befitting of the Cohiba name.”

A dimensional, multi-country blend with tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, Cohiba Royale provides the most profound smoking experience of the renowned Cohiba brand.

Cohiba Royale begins with a lustrous, sun-grown wrapper from Nicaragua’s celebrated Jalapa Valley. In a nod to Cohiba’s Dominican roots, the Jalapa wrapper crowns a Dominican Piloto Cubano binder which sits atop a quintessential selection of tobacco from Honduras’ Jamastran valley and the Nicaraguan valleys of Jalapa and Esteli. Each leaf of the blend has undergone intensive aging for five to six years before being deemed worthy of inclusion in Cohiba Royale.

The result is a balanced cigar that is best described as sublime, as notes of leather and spice mingle with nuances of earth and cedar.

Cohiba Royale is handcrafted at General Cigar’s HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, where a special team of artisan cigar makers was selected to produce this full-time addition to the Cohiba portfolio.

Available in these three sizes, Cohiba Royale will ship to retailers in April. The line will be available in both 5-count and 10-count boxes.

Gran Royale (4.5” x 52): SRP per cigar $23.99

Robusto Royale (5.5” x 54); SPR per cigar $25.99

Toro Royale (6” x 50); SPR per cigar $28.99