The Cigar Industry Report is a one stop place to catch up on the activity here at Cigar Coop. It is a combination of our news reports, cigar reviews, and assessment updates we do throughout the week. 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 6, Number 23 (Edition 224 4/29/17)
Feature of the Week: Altadis and Ortega Products Receive Grandfather Determination
Recently 13 premium cigar products have been determined to have grandfather (predicate date) status by the FDA. This includes five products from Altadis as well as the REO and VIBE lines from Ortega Premium Cigars. These are believed to be the first premium cigar products to receive this designation.
News Recap
- Drew Estate: The long awaited Kentucky Fired Cured Swamp Thang and Swamp Rat is heading to retailers.
- A.J. Fernandez Cigars: National Sales Manager Bernie Rodriguez and Marketing Manager Frankie Santos have left the company.
- Asylum Cigars: The Asylum 33 is returning to Binny’s Beverage Depot
- Avo: The brand is releasing Tubos for its Avo Syncro Nicaragua.
- Cohiba: The brand under General Cigar announced details around the Cohiba Blue.
- Davidoff: The company announced limited edition line extensions to its Discovery Pillar line including 6 x 60s and the Davidoff Culebras.
- Espinosa: The company has released the second edition of the Backroom Series, the Espinosa Eminent Domain.
- Global Premium Cigars: The company behind 1502 Cigars has switched distribution from Boutiques Unified to Jim Robinson’s 3R Cigars.
- Kafie 1901 Cigars: The company has made its first shipment to its U.S. retailers from its new Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia factory.
- La Aurora: The company released its third blend in its Time Capsule Series, the La Aurora 1903 Cameroon.
- Viaje: The Viaje Zombie Antidote 2017 Collector’s Edition has been released.
Legislative News
- FDA: President Trump’s nominee for FDA Commissioner Dr, Scott Gottlieb has cleared Senate Committee. His nomination is heading to Full Vote. Meanwhile the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids called on the Trump Administration and Congress to support the FDA Deeming Rule.
- House of Representatives: H.R. 564 is a proposed piece of legislation that calls for an exemption from FDA Regulation for premium handmade cigars. This week Jim Banks [R-Indiana] signed on as a co-sponsor.. The total number of sponsors is now 103.
- U.S. Senate: S.294 is the Senate companion bill to H.R. 564. his week no new co-sponsors signed on. The total number of sponsors remains at 15.
- House Bill 1136: This is legislation that was introduced by Rep Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) and Rep Sanford Bishop (D-Georgia) to change the Grandfather Date for Deeming Tobacco products subject to FDA Regulation from February 15 2017 to 21 days after enactment of the regulations. This week 6 new co-sponsors signed on including: J. French Hill [R-Arizona], Steven Palazzo [R-Mississippi], Andy Barr [R-Kentucky], Mark Meadows [R-North Carolina], Ted Budd [R-North Carolina], and Jeff Duncan [R-South Carolina]. The total sponsor count is now 55.
- Vermont: The Senate has voted down a bill that would have raised the state’s smoking age to 21.
Assessments
- Gaaja Torpedo by Bombay Tobak
- Rancho Luna Maduro Robusto by JRE Tobacco Company
- Cigar Golf Club-The Driver
- Montecristo Artisan Series Batch 1
- Négociant Monopole No. 2
Agile Cigar Reviews
Prime Time Show
Episode 3 featured Danny Vazquez of Baracoa Cigar Company as our special guest and co-host. In our Debonaire Ideal we discussed “Retro Things” and in our Deliberation Segment we played Commissioner in the Cigar Industry’s Battle Against the FDA.
Our show is available on YouTube, Podbean, iTunes, Tune In Radio, and Google Play.
Upcoming Schedule (Subject to Change)
Episode 4 (5/04/17): Big Tuna and Yellow Snapper – The Cuban Show
Episode 5 (5/11/17): TBD
Episode 6 (5/18/17): Fred Rewey (Nomad Cigar Company), John Reiner (Special Co-Host)
Episode 7 (5/25/17): Felix Assouline, Felix Assouline Cigars
Episode 8 (6/1/17): James Brown, Black Label Trading Co / Black Works Studio
Episode 9 (6/8/17): Riste Riatevski, JSK Cigars, Tom Person (Special Co-Host)
Episode 10 (6/15/17): Bryan Mussard, Cattle Baron Cigars
Episode 11 (6/22/17): Claudio Sgroi, Mombacho Cigars
Episode 12 (6/29/17): Juan Cancel and Bill Ives, Cubariqueño Cigar Company
On this date April 29th…
- April 29th 2011: We talked about the proposed widespread smoking ban (SB 575) in California.
- April 29th 2011: We went thru our 2011 Cigar Draft.
- April 29th 2011: We assessed the Bad Dog Special Blend
- April 29th 2012: We did a pre-release assessment of the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta.
- April 29th 2013: We assessed the La Hermandad by Primer Mundo Cigars.
- April 29th 2014: We assessed the H. Upmann – The Banker by Altadis USA
- April 29th 2015: La Flor Dominicana announced the winning Size for La Flor Dominicana TAA 47.
- April 29th 2015: We assessed the Avo Limited Edition 2004 – Avo Legacy (Avo LE04) from the Avo’s Greatest Hits Sampler.
- April 29th 2015: We reported on two new sizes of Byron from Selected Tobacco.
- April 29th 2015: We reported on Carlo Motti being name Davidoff’s head of Omni-Retail
- April 29th 2015: We previewed the Southern Cigar Festival Preview with a look at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
- April 29th 2016: We reported on the Cohiba Nicaragua Pequeños.
- April 29th 2016: We assessed the La Gran Llave Robusto.
- April 29th 2016: We reported on the Schrader MMXIII, a limited edition cigar from Schrader Cellars..
- April 29th 2016: We reported on the =
