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.
Cigar Industry Report: Volume 5, Number 20 (Edition 169 4/9/16)
Feature of the Week: A.J. Fernandez Launches Portfolio Series with Last Call
A.J. Fernandez Cigars will release the first cigar in a line called the Portfolio Series called Last Call. The Portfolio Series will be a series of personal and experimental blends that Master Blender A.J. Fernandez has worked on over past years. In the case of the Last Call, this was a cigar that started out as a personal blend for A.J. Fernandez that he handed at the end of NFL Football games when he had guests over his house. Last Call will be released in a one size – a 4 1/2 x 48 vitola called Geniales and will be a brick and mortar exclusive.
News and Previews
- Black Label Trading Company: The company announced the 2016 installment of its annual Morphine release.
- Crowned Heads: Four Kicks Black Belt, the shop exclusive to Famous Smoke Shop will receive two new vitolas.
- Espinosa Cigars: The company announced some details around Alpha Dawg, a project currently being planned to be an Event Only Cigar.
- Ezra Zion Cigar Company: The company announced it will release its second limited edition under its All My Ex’s line – the All my EX’s Maduro
- La Aurora Cigars: To commemorate its 113th anniversary, the company announced the release of the La Aurora 1962 Corojo and La Aurora 1987 Connecticut.
- LH Premium Cigars: The company is adding a lancero vitola to each of its three lines.
- Maya Selva Cigars: The company announced its Cumpay line will now ship with its new packaging.
- Southern Draw Cigars: The company announced it a Co-Op Agreement with Boveda.
- Tabacalera USA: The arm under Imperial Tobacco that handles U.S. operations announced two retailers will receive the “Casa de Montecristo” designation.
- Wilson Adams Cigar Company: We took a look at the company’s new Wilson Adams Black Label cigar.
Legislative News
- Senate Bill S. 441: S. 441 is the Senate Bill to gain an exemption from the FDA on premium cigars. This week, no new co-sponsors were added. The total sponsor count remains at 21.
- House Bill HR 662: H.R. 662 is House Bill to gain an exemption from the FDA on premium cigars. This week no new co-sponors signed on. The total number of sponsors remains at 162.
- House Bill 2058: H.R. 2058 is the House Bill to change the effective date for cigars subject to FDA regulation from 2007 to 21 months following any proposed regulations are put into effect. This week, no new co-sponsors signed on The total number of sponsors remains at 52.
- Vermont: The State House voted to gradually raise the Smoking Age to 21. The measure now goes to the Senate.
Assessments
- Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2016 The Raconteur
- Fuente Fuente OpusX ForbiddenX 13 Keeper of the Flame 2013
Agile Cigar Reviews
- AFR-75 Edmundo by PDR Cigars
- La Hacienda Gran Robusto by Warped Cigars
- Tatuaje Mexican Experiment Robusto
Stogie Geeks
For Episode 181 we welcomed Les Mann of Colibri to our studio. Our Debonaire Ideal segment was on Figurados and we had our Smokes of the Week which included:
- D’Crossier Golden Blend Double Corona
- Hoyo Robusto by Hoyo de Monterrey
- Partagas Extra Fuerte Supremo
- Asylum 13 80 x 8
- Avo Classic No.3 Tubo
- Avo XO Intermezzo Tubo Robusto
- Cuesta-Rey Stanford’s Cameroon Reserve Pyramid No. 9
- Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown Pyramid #9
- Fuente Fuente OpusX ForbiddenX 13 Keeper of the Flame 2013
- L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER 15
- Sancho Panza Belicosos (Cuban) (Redux)
- Tatuaje Mexican Experiment
We published Episode 180 – which included:
- Interview with Alex Hirsch, Evil Genius Cigars
- Debonaire Ideal: When is a Cigar Ready to Smoke?
- Stogies of the Week
Our Throwback Feature is from Episode 37 on Rare Cigars.
On this date April 9th…
- April 9th 2011: We assessed the Drew Estate Double Signature Reserve.
- April 9th 2013: We re-published a press release on the Espinosa Maduro.
- April 9th 2013: We previewed the Davidoff Nicaragua.
- April 9th 2013: We assessed the Ortega Serie “D” Maduro Lancero
- April 9th 2014: We reported on the Recluse Amadeus.
- April 9th 2014: We did a pre-release assessment on the 262 Allegiance.
- April 9th 2014: We reported on two line extensions to the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur line.
- April 9th 2015: We reported on the Casa Fernandez JFR Lunatic El Chiquito.
- April 9th 2015: We reported on the El Mas Chingron by Room 101 for Famous Cigar Shop.
- April 9th 2015: We reported on the Viaje Exclusivo becoming regular production line with new sizes.
- April 9th 2015: We did an Agile Cigar Review on the Illusione ~eccj~ 20th.
