CAO OSA Sol Following the acquisition of CAO Cigars into the General Cigar Company family, there were many concerns about the future of this brand. Those concerns would be amplified with the departures of Tim Ozgener and Jon Huber – two of the most creative minds in the industry. However, late last year when it […]
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Cigar Preview: Drew Estate Undercrown (Part 6 of the 2011 IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments 2011 Preview, Drew Estate, IPCPR 2011, Undercrown
Drew Estate Undercrown A visit to the Drew Estate booth at IPCPR is always exciting. The booth is bustling with tons of activity and there always is an energy present. This year, that energy might have reached an all-time high as a new line was introduced by DE at the 2011 IPCPR show. This one […]
Cigar Preview: Quesada Oktoberfest (Part 5 of the 2011IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments 2011 Preview, IPCPR 2011, Quesada
Quesada Oktoberfest 2011 has been a solid year for Manuel Quesada and the team at SAG Imports. The releases of the Casa Magna Domus Magnus, Quesada Seleccion Espana , and the Fonseca CXX Anni have been very strong. At IPCPR 2011, SAG showcased another new cigar into another one of their lines. This cigar was […]
Cigar Preview: Room 101 Connecticut (Part 4 of the 2011 IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments 2011 Preview, Camacho, IPCPR 2011, Room 101
Room 101 Connecticut (615 vitola) One of the highlights of these year’s show was paying a visit to the Room 101 “room” in the Davidoff “booth”. The Room 101 brand was founded by Matt Booth who gained fame for making jewelry, accessories, and clothing for the Hollywood scene. Booth soon extended his “lifestyle” to include […]
Cigar Preview: E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2011 (Part 3 of the 2011 IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments 2011 Preview, E.P. Carrillo, EPC, IPCPR 2011
E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 2011 has seen already four releases from E.P. Carrillo. At the 2011 IPCPR, I managed to get a preview of the new 2011 Edicion Limitada 2011. The Limitada 2011 is the follow-up to the highly success E.P. Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2010 – a cigar that made Cigar Aficionado’s top ten […]
IPCPR 2011: Press Release and Thoughts: Premium Cigar Association Names Spann Chief Executive Officer (Part 2 of the 2011 IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized 1 Comment IPCPR 2011, Press Release
Premium Cigar Association Names Spann Chief Executive Officer The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association based in Columbus, Georgia, has named William S. Spann as its new Chief Executive Officer. Spann was introduced to the association at its 79th Annual Convention & International Trade Show held July 17-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Columbus, GA […]
IPCPR 2011 (Introduction to the 2011 IPCPR Series)
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments IPCPR 2011
The 2011 IPCPR Trade Show is now in the annals of history. I was in Las Vegas, Nevada for this year’s trade show due to my responsibilities on the retail side. The IPCPR Annual Convention and Trade Show is considered the most important event of the year for cigar and pipe industry. It provides retailers […]
Cigar Review: Sublimes
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments Indie, Nice to Have, Review, Sublimes
The Sublimes Cigar One reason that I have been a big supporter of HR 1639 is to protect the Indie cigar companies. The Indie cigar companies really provide a nice niche to the cigar industry. In particular, if HR 1639 is not passed and premium cigars are no longer exempt from FDA control, it could […]
Cigar Review: Fonseca CXX Anni
William Cooper Reviews, Uncategorized No Comments Fonseca, Nice to Have, Quesada, Review
Fonseca CXX Anni The Fonseca CXX Anni is a special limited edition cigar made by the folks at S.A.G Imports. This cigar was released under S.A.G’s Fonseca line to commemorate the 120th anniversary of that particular brand. Sometimes when I get a cigar, for whatever reason I don’t get around to reviewing it right away. […]
Cigar Preview: 7-20-4 1874 Series
William Cooper Uncategorized No Comments 2011 Preview, 7-20-4, Indie
At the 2010 IPCPR Trade show, Kurt Kendall’s 7-20-4 line caught the eye of a lot of retailers and manufacturers at the show. The 7-20-4 stick started in Kendall’s Cigar Store(s) – Twins Smoke Shop in New Hampshire. The cigar was named after an older line that started about 100 years ago, but went defunct. […]