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.
Feature of the Week: 33 Members of Congress Request Investigation into Operation Choke Point
Thirty-three members of the House of Representatives have sent a letter to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility requesting an investigation into Operation Choke Point. The letter states that “Operation Choke Point is a blatant abuse of legal authority on the part of the DOJ.”
- Drew Estate: Mario Takayema, Executive Director of the Drew Estate Solution Lab announced on his Facebook page he is leaving the company.
- Lavida Habana (LH) Cigars: We took at look at this line of cigars previously distributed in the Middle East that is now heading to U.S. shores.
- Maya Selva Cigars: Gabriel Alvarez, U.S. Director of Sales said on Episode 114 of Stogie Geeks that a cigar to commemorate the company’s 20th anniversary is in the works.
- Tatuaje Jekyll: In what is one of the cigar industry’s most anticipated releases, the seventh installment of the Monsters Series, the Tatuaje Jekyll has now surfaced at retailers.
- Viaje Cigars: The company has announced its Viaje Full Moon 2014 and Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery 2014 will be a part of this year’s Halloween seasonal release.
- FDA: No new co-sponsors have signed on to HR792. The total remains at 165 co-sponsors (166 total sponsors)
- New Jersey: The city of Newark has passed an outdoor smoking ban.
- North Carolina: As we reported on the Cigar Industry Report Vol 3 No. 43, a proposed outdoor smoking ban for Mecklenberg County (which includes the city of Charlotte) was being amended to give golf courses some exception. This week it has been confirmed an exclusion is for golf courses and regional parks is now in the final draft going to vote on October 21st.
- Why 2014 is not the Year of the Lancero – describes why the hype of lancero releases in 2014 is just that.
Assessments
- Byron Siglo XX Londinenses by Selected Tobacco
- E.P. Carrillo 5 Year Anniversary
- Eastern Standard Cream Crush by Caldwell Cigar Company
- Felipe Gregorio Power 2014 Triple R
- S.T.K. Miami Barracuda Limited Edition Maduro 2014 Robusto by George A. Rico (Pre-Releae)
Stogie Geeks Episode 114
Our smokes of the week included:
Byron Siglo XX Londinenses by Selected Tobacco
Eastern Standard Cream Crush by Caldwell Cigar Company
Eastern Standard “The Silk Road” by Caldwell Cigar Company
E.P. Carrillo 5th Anniversary
L’Atelier LAT Torpedo Selection Speciale
La Aroma De Cuba Noblesse
La Flor Dominicana Los Perfectos – Unbanded
La Flor Dominicana Robusto (Vintage)
La Palina Maduro 52
Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012
Oliva V Maduro Especial European Edition 2011
Room 101 – The Big Payback Chavala
Room 101 – The Big Payback Hueso
OSOK Cabroncito by Edgar Hoill Cigars
Short Smokes by Paul
Villiger Cigars Cabarete Maduro
- October 18th 2012: We updated information announced on the E.P. Carrillo Cardinal line.
- October 18th 2012: We assessed the Freedom by Rocky Patel.
- October 18th 2013: We covered the announcement of the Cigar Federation store.
- October 18th 2013: We assessed the AKA Solace.