The Cigar Industry Report is a one stop place to catch up on the activity here at Cigar Coop and Stogie Geeks. It is a combination of our news reports, cigar reviews, and assessment updates we do throughout the week. We will also recap what happened on our Stogie Geeks show. Finally, each week we will look back at Cigar Coop history. Look for this report every Saturday morning at 8am Eastern time.
“Epic Encounters” – 2013 Cigar of the Year Countdown
We wrapped up daily countdown of the Top 30 Cigars for the Year for 2013. We outlined our vision and criteria in this month’s Editor’s Corner. Davidoff became the second distribution arm to have at least four cigars on the countdown. The big winner was the La Aurora Cien Anos Edicion Especial as it was our 2014 Cigar of the Year. Here were this week’s selections #4 through #1:
#4 E.P. Carrillo Medalla D’ Oro
#3 Tatuaje Apocalypse (Part of the Smoke Inn Microblend Series)
#2 Davidoff 2013 Year of the Snake Edition
#1 La Aurora Cien Anos Edicion Especial (La Aurora Cien Anos Maduro)
You can review our complete countdown to date here.
On this month’s Editor’s Corner, I do some analysis and break down the Top 30 list.
Year in Review
Our Year in Review activities kicked off this week. This included:
Feature of the Week: La Aurora Cien Anos Edicion Especial is our 2013 Cigar of the Year
News and Previews.
- 262 Cigars: On the 12/28/13 Blowin Smoke Podcast, company president Clint Aaron said the company is launching the new “262 Seasonal Blend” (final name TBA) cigar with the 262 Paradigm wrapper (Brazilian Mata Fina). It is a medium strength, medium-bodied name. Plans are for 750 box-pressed toro and 750 robusto boxes (each in ten count boxes). The goal is for April release.
- Cigar Lounger Radio: Announced it is adding Philadelphia radio personality Vinnie the Crumb to the show.
- Ezra Zion Cigar Company: Announced the launch of the Ezra Zion FHK.
- Global Premium Cigars: We took a look at the upcoming 1502 Nicaragua line.
- Miami Cigar and Company: The company unveiled a logo to commemorate its 25th anniversary in 2014. They will be announcing more details around releases/activities for the celebration.
- Nomad Cigar Company: Company president Fred Rewey issued a communication announcing 2014 plans. This includes: S-307 Line Extensions; a Connecticut wrapper cigar and a “Stronger Blend”.
- Quesada Cigars: The company officially announced it is kicking of 2014 40th Anniversary activities. They also formally announced that MATASA and S.A.G. Imports will now be known as “Quesada Cigars”.
Legislative News
- California: The city of Coronado has enacted a smoking ban in public places.
- FDA: No new co-sponsors signed on to HR792. The count remains at a total of 136 co-sponsors (137 total sponsors).
- Hawaii: The county and city of Honolulu has enacted a smoking ban for beaches, parks, and public bus stops.
- Massachusetts: The city of Boston has officially enacted a smoking ban in public parks.
Stogie Geeks
- January 4th 2011: We assessed the Tatuaje Gran Cojonu – our #2 Cigar of the Year for 2010.
- January 4th 2012: As a part of our 2011 Year in Review we covered the Top 12 Cigar Stories/Themes for that year.
- January 4th 2013: We assessed the Davidoff 2013 Year of the Snake Edition. This was a cigar we just named our #2 Cigar of the Year for 2013.
- January 4th 2013: As a part of our 2012 Year in Review, we covered our Best Pre-Releases of 2012.
