The two main things I’ve noticed since Regis Broesma has taken over as President of General Cigar are better delineation in its brands and a better connection with its customers. I think to some extent, General had been hampered by brand overlap, but this year, General did an excellent job of better defining the brands. Some of the highlights included: Macanudo holding […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on Matt Booth at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 1 Comment Caldwell Cigar Co, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017, Room 101
On the eve of the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, came word that Matt Booth’s brief hiatus from the cigar industry was over and that he would be teaming up with Robert Caldwell (whom Matt refers to as “Rosewood”) for two cigar lines. Booth was in attendance at the Trade Show showcasing both of the lines. Matt would split […]
Feature Story: Why Rudy Giuliani’s Keynote Address at IPCPR 2017 Missed the Mark
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 5 Comments Feature Story, IPCPR, IPCPR 2017
It was the most anticipated Keynote Address at an IPCPR Trade Show and Convention since Mike Ditka in 2013. Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, delivered the Keynote Address at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show and Convention. In a speech that lasted nearly an hour, Giuliani’s focus slanted toward justifying the political agenda of the […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on JRE Tobacco Co. at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 No Comments Aladino, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017, JRE Tobacco Co, Rancho Luna, Tatascan
It was the third IPCPR Trade Show for the brands of JRE Tobacco Company. While there wasn’t any new product introduced, this would be the coming out party for the brands owned by industry legend Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo. JRE Tobacco has three core brands: Aladino, Rancho Luna, and Tatascan. These brands were actually introduced […]
Feature Story: Cigar of the Year Awards Presented at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar of the Year, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2016 Cigar of the Year, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017
While we have been naming and ranking cigars in our Cigar of the Year Countdown since 2010, 2016 marked the first year we gave out physical awards for the top three ranked cigars. We chose IPCPR 2017 as the venue to give out these awards. Litto Gomez and family were presented the award for #3 Cigar of the Year, the La Flor Dominicana […]
2017 IPCPR Pre-Game Report Part 4: Around the Show Floor
William Cooper Cigar News, Feature Story No Comments Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 Pre Game
For the eighth consecutive year, the Cigar Coop brand will be providing coverage of the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show and Convention. We are proud to be a part of a very small group of media to say that. Our four-part series has you covered whether you are going to the show or following from […]
2017 IPCPR Pre-Game Report Part 3: Predictions for the Five Hottest Cigars
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 No Comments Caldwell Cigar Co, Drew Estate, DTT, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Espinosa, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017, IPCPR 2017 Pre Game, La Flor Dominicana, LFD, Undercrown
For the eighth consecutive year, the Cigar Coop brand will be providing coverage of the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show and Convention. We are proud to be a part of a very small group of media to say that. Our four-part series has you covered whether you are going to the show or following from […]
Feature Story: Five for Five-The Five Biggest Cigar Industry Stories of the Past Five Years (Non FDA)
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments AJ Fernandez Cigars, AVO, Camacho, Cuba, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Feature Story, Fuente, Swisher International
Dateline: July 3rd, 2012 A crazy decision was made to take Cigar Coop to a TRUE 365-day-a-year publication. The idea would be to publish original content every day with “no days off”. I would have considered it a success to pull it off for one year straight. But I am happy to report that yesterday […]
2017 IPCPR Pre-Game Report Part 2: The Trends to Watch
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 No Comments Feature Story, IPCPR, IPCPR 2017, IPCPR 2017 Pre Game
For the eighth consecutive year, the Cigar Coop brand will be providing coverage of the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association Trade Show and Convention. We are proud to be a part of a very small group of media to say that. Our four-part series has you covered whether you are going to the show or following from […]
Feature Story: Erik Espinosa Talks About The Reggae DREAD
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments Espinosa, Feature Story, IPCPR 2017
Erik Espinosa filmed a short video talking about one of his two cigars featuring Jamaican tobacco, the Espinosa Reggae DREAD. The Espinosa Reggae DREAD is described as a medium to full-bodied cigar featuring Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Jamaican Lengue de Vaca tobacco in an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The cigar is unique in that it is rolled with several pigtails […]