Sometimes I hate to be right! Another Editorial by David Garofalo Seeing a big tobacco giant like Altria, parent company of Philip Morris getting into the Premium Cigar business with their acquisition of Nat Sherman in January or 2017 was like an alarm going off to me. Oh no… they are going to screw this up for all the premium cigar makers, retailers and consumers… I just know it. Some estimated they paid as much […]
On June 25th, Altria Group the parent company of Nat Sherman submitted a letter to FDA on behalf of Nat Sherman and the other brands they own asking the FDA to not provide an exemption for premium cigars. The company which posted a revenue of over 25 billion in 2017 has made it clear they are against the small Mom & Pop companies that make up the premium cigars industry. If you listen to The […]
Hiram & Solomon is a brand of cigars with ties to Masonry. Freemasonry or Masonry consists of fraternal organizations who can trace their roots back to the local fraternities of the stonemasons which from the end of the fourteenth century regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The owners of the brand Fouad Kashouty and George Dakrat through research noted that as far back as the mid-1800s records described the pre-meeting tradition of […]
Each week we review a cigar featured on The Cigar Authority and this week it’s the Villiger Kiel. In June when we were figuring out the care package Dave broke into a box of Kiel and said smoke this. I was hesitant, and thought he was out of his mind when he suggested including it in the care package. I decided what the hell, and was actually quite surprised. I actually expected some people to […]
The state of Massachusetts has become the 6th state in the country to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21 with Governor Charlie Baker signing the bill into law. The new law goes into effect on December 31, 2018. However there is an exception to the law. Anyone who turns 18 before the date the new law goes into effect will still be allowed to buy tobacco unless they are in a city that has […]
On July 26th, Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., spoke from the Senate Floor in defense of the Premium Cigar industry. In his remarks, the Senator laid out the uniqueness of the premium cigar industry and the existential threat facing small businesses, including the J.C. Newman factory in Ybor City, Fla. if current FDA regulations are left unabated. The video of the speech can be seen via the C-Span website at: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4742275/sen-rubio-cigar-speech-july-26-2018 In a statement, IPCPR applauded Senator […]
As we eagerly await the Sin Compromiso from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust we decided to look at the brand that started it all for him in his solo career, Sobremesa. It’s a word that doesn’t really really have an English translation, but its best described as the time spent around the dinner table before the dishes are cleared and done. When you kick back, and enjoy the conversation with those around you and […]
The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (“IPCPR”) and Cigar Rights of America (“CRA”) filed a joint comment in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing review of how it should define and treat premium cigars. This process, known as an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – marked a major milestone for premium cigar retailers, manufacturers, consumers and the industry at large. It was an opportunity for IPCPR, CRA and other stakeholders […]
United Cigar Group is the company that distributes Selected Tobacco in the United States and today’s cigar is part of the United Cigar portfolio. It shares the name of the company of which Oliver Nivaud is the National Sales Manager. It’s a box pressed cigar available in two different wrappers with the first being a lighter Connecticut Broadleaf while the Maduro, today’s cigar features Connecticut Broadleaf #1 Darks. Cigar Review: United Cigar Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf #1 Darks […]
Today the Klin Groupe parent company of Klin Tobacco better known to most as Hammer + Sickle Cigars has a new Executive Vice President in Erik Wentworth. Erik Wentworth began working with the company five years ago where he most recently served as Director of Sales. Today via email the Chief Operating Officer, Anthony Faletra issued a statement on promotion of Erik Wentworth. According to Faletra, “It is with great pleasure that we are announcing the […]