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 […]
2017 IPCPR Pre-Game Report Part 1: A Look at This Year’s Trade Show and Convention
William Cooper Feature Story, IPCPR 2017 1 Comment 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: Q&A on Trump Cuba Directives
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments Cuba, Feature Story
With U.S. President Donald Trump’s new directives toward Cuba announced June 16, 2017, we have some Q&A on what this means. 1. Did President Trump Really “Cancel the last administration’s completely one-sided deal with Cuba”? The answer is simply, no. However, the new Trump directives crack down on travel and conducting business in Cuba. The changes are aimed to […]
Feature Story: A Visit to the JRE Tobacco Company Operations: Part 2-The Agriculture and Curing Operations
William Cooper Feature Story 1 Comment Feature Story, JRE Tobacco Co
Back in February, I had the opportunity to tour the operations of JRE Tobacco Company. Run by tobacco industry icon Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo, JRE Tobacco Company is a true vertical integrated crop to shop operation – ranging in everything from growing tobacco, processing tobacco, cigar production, and handling distribution. In this […]
Feature Story: General Cigar Company Strengthens Ground Game Through Brand Ambassador Team
William Cooper Feature Story No Comments CAO, Cohiba, Feature Story, Foundry, General, People, Toraño
Last week came word of the hiring of Sean Williams as the Brand Ambassador for one of General Cigar Company’s most prestigious brands, Cohiba. The news came as a big surprise to many in the cigar industry, but to this author, it’s clear it’s part of a bigger story at General – one of change. It is a change that continues to evolve, but […]
Feature Story A Visit to La Zona in Esteli, Nicaragua
William Cooper Feature Story 1 Comment Espinosa, Feature Story, La Zona
For the past three years on Cigar Coop, we have given out Factory of the Year Awards. We have divided this up into Small/Single Operation and Large/Multi-Faceted Operation. For the past two years, 2015 and 2016, the award for Small/Single Operation has gone to Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory located in Esteli, Nicaragua. Last month, […]
Feature Story: A Visit to the JRE Tobacco Company Operations: Part 1-The Corojo Farm
William Cooper Feature Story 1 Comment Feature Story, JRE Tobacco Co
Back in February, I had the opportunity to tour the operations of JRE Tobacco Company. Run by tobacco industry icon Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo, JRE Tobacco Company is a true vertical integrated crop to shop operation – ranging in everything from growing tobacco, processing tobacco, cigar production, and handling distribution. Today, I take […]
Feature Story: Reflections on Avo Uvezian
William Cooper Feature Story 1 Comment AVO, Davidoff, Feature Story, People
Friday March 24th was a very sad day for the entire cigar industry as Avo Uvezian, the beloved man behind the Avo Cigars’ brand passed away at age 91. As word came out about Avo’s death came tributes from the cigar industry, cigar enthusiasts sharing their own personal recollections of Avo, and many breaking out their […]