Category Archives: News

by Craig Vanderslice | September 28, 2022 · 7:17 am

News: Partagas Añejo Returns

This is a really good cigar priced far less than it should be! Don’t tell that to the General Cigar people though. Read all about it:

Partagas will soon ship this year’s second allotment of “Añejo,” a refined cigar named for the profoundly-aged wrapper tobaccos that define its appearance and attributes.

Shipping to retailers on October 3, Partagas Añejo is being re-released in the two original sizes that launched earlier this year. Both frontmarks are 4.5” in length as commanded by the scarcity and fragility of the cigar’s Cameroon wrapper leaves.

John Hakim, brand manager of Partagas said, “Partagas Añejo is a small-batch offering that we are releasing twice a year. This special blend provides the opportunity for cigar lovers to experience the mystique of a Cameroon wrapper in the context of masterful blending. The initial release earlier this year was met with a tremendous response, and we anticipate that the second allotment will sell out quickly.”

The limited-edition Partagas Añejo is predominantly adorned with a rare 1998 Cameroon which is intertwined with 2013 Connecticut Shade in a barber-pole format. The aged wrapper tobaccos establish a foundation of exceptional depth. When blended with the Mexican and Dominican filler and Dominican Vega Especial binder, the complexity deepens to deliver an intricately layered smoking experience.

Partagas Añejo starts off mellow and unfolds to medium-body as the smoke progresses. Notes of wood, leather and earth abound, stemming from the artisanal blend.

Petit Robusto (4.5” x 49) – SRP per cigar $6.99 (25 cigars per box)
Esplendido (4.5” x 60) – SRP per cigar $7.49 (25 cigars per box)

About General Cigar Company

General Cigar Co. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market in the US. The company is owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group.

Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®, La Gloria Cubana®, Partagas®, CAO®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories.

In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds.

Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through wholesalers and retailers in the US. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City.

News: Diesel Sunday Gravy Series Concludes with Porcellino

I smoked the Rosamarino and Gabagool this evening and they were pretty darned good. This one sounds interesting as well. These are nice, affordable cigars. Read on:

DIESEL SUNDAY GRAVY SERIES CONCLUDES WITH PORCELLINO

The sixth and final Diesel Sunday Gravy expression will ship to brick and mortar retailers on October 3.

The blend is named after the iconic Florentine fountain called Il Porcellino. The name translates to “little pig,” yet the bronze sculpture is of a female wild boar which is said to bring good fortune and a sure return to Florence. Perhaps AJ and Justin Andrews were hinting at a “return” to collaborating when they selected Il Porcellino as the name for the final Sunday Gravy release. Either that or they were inspired by a wild boar ragu and wanted to name a bold, rich smoke after it. It’s anybody’s guess.

What’s certain is that Porcellino is like the five previous Sunday Gravy releases in that it’s a full-bodied, all-Habano blend made with tobaccos fermented in a “low and slow” method that’s like the way Sunday gravy (or sauce!) is cooked slowly over a low flame for a long period of time to get the taste just right.

Blended by AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews and crafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua, Diesel Sunday Gravy Porcellino is rolled with an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan Pueblo Nuevo binder and Nicaraguan Habano filler. It is a smoke that delivers notes of pepper, earth and leather.

“Porcellino” is being released in a toro size only.

Diesel Sunday Gravy Porcellino (6” x 52); SRP per cigar $4.99 or $49.90 per 10-count box

Diesel cigars are produced by Scandinavian Tobacco Group and distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

About Diesel Sunday Gravy

Diesel Sunday Gravy launched in August 2021 as a full-time line of seasonally-released, Nicaraguan-forward smokes, blended and handcrafted through Diesel’s winning partnership of AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews. Blends have been released quarterly, sold until their limited supply is deleted and offered at an unbelievable SRP of less than $5.00 per cigar.

About Diesel

Handcrafted by artisans in Esteli, Nicaragua, Diesel cigars are “bold by design.” The brand challenges the current conventions of the handmade cigar category through the bold, unapologetic style of its Cigar Master, AJ Fernandez. Diesel cigars are unified by their deeply complex flavor which is achieved through AJ’s steadfast adherence to time honored cigar making techniques and his insistence on using the highest quality tobacco. The Diesel portfolio includes Hair of the Dog which was released in 2019; Whiskey Row which launched two expressions, one in 2019 and one in 2018, and Diesel Grind which debuted in 2017. For more information, visit www.dieselcigars.com.

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, diesel, Porcellino, Sunday Gravy

by Craig Vanderslice | September 22, 2022 · 7:46 pm

News: La Gloria Cubana Releasing Eighth Street

We all know I’ve been a long time fan of La Gloria Cubana, the first ones I smoked were made at the El Credito factory on Calle Ocho in the ’90s. This is an exciting release, as far as I’m concerned. Couple this with the fact that I really enjoy a lot of cigars from El Titan de Bronze. I like the size too! Read on:

La Gloria Cubana is set to release a cigar developed in collaboration with the family-owned El Titán de Bronze Cigar Factory.

Created to honor La Gloria’s roots in Miami’s Little Havana district, the limited-edition release called “Eighth Street” was developed in collaboration with Justin Andrews and blended by the team at El Titán de Bronze.

Justin Andrews said, “La Gloria Cubana Eighth Street is proudly made in the USA and honors the roots of this legendary brand. For this special project, we blended to a classic La Gloria profile which means the cigar has a lot of personality, is well-balanced through its many transitions and delivers a rich, long finish. This is an elegant and complex cigar that every fan of La Gloria Cubana will want to experience.”

Sandy Cobas, owner of El Titán de Bronze said, “La Gloria Cubana is one of Calle Ocho’s biggest success stories and it’s a brand my team and I have long admired. When we were approached about collaborating on this special project, we jumped at the chance. ‘Eighth Street’ is our way of paying tribute not only to La Gloria Cubana, but also to the Cuban expatriate cigar rollers who continue to practice their craft in Miami, keeping the traditions of their homeland alive.”

The full-bodied smoke is made with a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos and a Nicaraguan binder that are enrobed in a rich, Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper. The cigar delivers a robust smoking experience, with notes of espresso, leather and spice.

La Gloria Cubana Eighth Street is crafted at the El Titan de Bronze factory on Calle Ocho (Eighth Street) in Miami’s Little Havana district. The cigars are presented in 10-count, wooden boxes and only 5,000 boxes have been made. This special release will ship to retailers on October 3 rd and will be distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

La Gloria Cubana Eighth Street Toro (6” x 50); SRP per cigar $21.99

About The Forged Cigar Company

Developed to deepen support for the brick and mortar channel, The Forged Cigar Company launched in 2021 as an independent national cigar distribution network. Bolstered by independent marketing and customized programming, The 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. The 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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Tagged as Calle Ocho, cigar, cigars, el titan de bronze, La Gloria Cubana

by Craig Vanderslice | September 14, 2022 · 7:00 am

News: General Cigar and Espinosa Cigars Release Final Warzone Expression

Here’s some news from General Cigars. I think I have one of the original Warzone cigars around someplace, but this Rabito size is very interesting. It’s a little bigger than a lonsdale or Corona Gorda, actually, it’s about the best of both vitolas! Sounds like another good one!

General Cigar and Espinosa Cigars will release the third and final expression of the critically-acclaimed Warzone trilogy with “Warzone Rabito.”

Fusing the respective styles of General Cigar and Espinosa Cigars, Warzone Rabito uses wrapper tobacco from General Cigar, along with binder and filler tobacco from Espinosa.

Erik Espinosa said, “Warzone has been a very successful collaboration, so it should come as no surprise that Justin Andrews and I wanted to end the trilogy on a high note, so to speak. And since Team Espinosa blended our first Cameroon-wrapped cigars with Justin under Warzone, we agreed that we would take Cameroon to another level with our final release. There was no question when we had the blend that embodied our vision…it was like the lights turned on for all of us…we instinctively knew it was right.”

The four-country blend calls upon a rich, five-year-aged Cameroon wrapper, a Honduran binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Columbia to deliver a savory cigar that balances creaminess and spiciness and produces an enticing aroma.

As with previous Warzone releases, the cigars are “soft box pressed,” calling upon an old-world Cuban method in which freshly-rolled cigars are placed inside the box to form their shape.

Warzone Rabito (6” x 46) is now available in all channels and is being sold for a suggested retail price of $9.19 per cigar. Only 1,500 boxes have been made, and each contain 20 cigars.

Warzone is handcrafted at Espinosa Cigar’s La Zona Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The line launched in November 2019 with a Robusto and Toro and was followed up by a Churchill released in 2020. The collection has received multiple 90+ ratings and numerous accolades to date.

ABOUT GENERAL CIGAR COMPANY

General Cigar Co. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market in the US. The company is owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group.

In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds.

Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through wholesalers and retailers in the US. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City.

News: Casa Cuevas Announces Shipping of Sangre Nueva

Clearly the folks at Cuevas were waiting for my last post extolling the virtues of the Sangre Nueva so they could start getting these gems to market. I can’t wait to get some more, this was an outstanding cigar. I don’t usually post “now shipping” news, but this was timely, since I just posted about it a couple days ago. Read on:

NOW SHIPPING: “SANGRE NUEVA” BY CASA CUEVAS CIGARS

Sangre Nueva or “New Blood” is the first blend created solely by Alec Cuevas

Casa Cuevas Cigars announces that the “Sangre Nueva” cigar brand is on the way to retailers. This is the first Casa Cuevas brand solely blended by Alec Cuevas who was recently promoted to Director of Brand Development. Master Blender Luis Cuevas Sr.felt it was time that his grandson Alec Cuevas take the lead on new brands and the aptly named Sangre Nueva (translates to New Blood from Spanish) is his first creation. Alec Cuevas, the 5th generation of the Cuevas tobacco family looked to create a blend that represents “old Traditions, new Generation”.

Alec describes the Sangre Nueva as a Medium plus strength cigar that elegantly boasts rich, savory chocolate notes along with hints of pepper, earthy tones, and a tad bit of spice. The cigars feature an Ecuadorian Cameroon wrapper, and Honduran Corojo binder, and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania broadleaf filler. Alec estimated that he needed include a high percentage of Pennsylvania broadleaf in the filler. This gave the cigar extra strength while balancing out the cigar’s flavors.

Alec Cuevas stated: “The slogan “old traditions, new generation” signifies so much more to me than a passing of the family torch. It represents all the experiences I’ve ever been through in this industry, from working behind the counter selling my fellow manufacturer’s products, to spending my summers learning all there is to know about our factory from a very young age. Sangre Nueva is a personal love letter to my family, who placed their faith in me to create something from scratch given my knowledge of tobacco. It is also the culmination of patrons and distributors alike that took time out of their day to educate me and better help me define my palate throughout all these years. It’s been a blast creating such a savory blend, and I think it’s a perfect representation of the gratitude I have for this one-of-a-kind industry.”

The Sangre Nueva blend is available in 10 count boxes and expressed in three vitolas.

4.75″X 54 Robusto MSRP: $13.00

6″X50 Toro MSRP: $13.50

6″X58 Double Perfecto MSRP: $14.75

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, La Mandarria (ranked no. 16 boutique cigar of 2020 by Cigar & Spirits Magazine), and the Patrimonio (No.1 cigar of 2021 by Stogie Press)

For more information please visit: www.casacuevascigars.com

Follow Casa Cuevas Cigars on social @CasaCuevasCigars

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Tagged as Casa Cuevas, cigar, cigars, Sangre Nueva