The 2015 Cigar Coop Factory of the Year Award for a Small / Single Operation goes to La Zona. When Erik Espinosa launched Espinosa Premium Cigars in 2012, he would also purchase a two story inn located in Esteli, Nicaragua that would become his very own factory – La Zona, It didn’t take long for La […]
2015 Year in Review: Top 12 Cigar Industry Stories / Themes of 2015
The 2015 Cigar of the Year Countdown will resume tomorrow on December 31st, 2015 at 3pm Eastern Time with the announcement of the #2 Cigar of the Year followed at 4pm Eastern by the #1 Cigar of the Year. For the fifth consecutive year, we bring you our selections and analysis for the Top 12 cigar […]
Feature Story: Cigar Conversation with Bobby Newman, JC Newman Cigar Company
We recently caught up with Bobby Newman, Executive Vice President of J.C. Newman Cigar Company. J.C. Newman is the oldest cigar company in the United States, that can be traced back to 1895. The company has a rich history and to this day remains a family-run business. In this cigar conversation, Bobby takes us through […]
Feature Story: Nate McIntyre Talks Percy Ray Cigars
Many know Nate McIntyre as the current Eastern Sales Manager for Cubanacan Cigars and former National Sales Manager at House of Emilio. Recently, McIntyre added a new title to his resume – brand owner. Back in September, McIntyre announced the launch of his own cigar brand, Percy Ray Cigars. The brand is slated to have […]
Feature Story: Mike Bellody Talks MLB Cigar Ventures
Last year, Mike Bellody’s MLB Cigar Ventures released its first cigar called Imperia. If Bellody’s name sounds familiar, he is a former partner with Tiant Cigar Group. With Imperia, Bellody started out with a regional release, but as he told us on Episode 152 of Stogie Geeks, he is now in the process of taking […]
Feature Story: 262 Cigars at 2015 IPCPR Show
The 2015 IPCPR Trade Show would be the fourth one for 262 Cigars. 2015 had already been a busy year for the company as it introduced its fifth line – Peacefield. In addition, the company released another lancero – this time for the Allegiance line. Both of these offerings were released earlier this year, but […]
Feature Story: Espinosa Cigars Showcases New Releases at 2015 IPCPR
The 2015 IPCPR Trade Show would be the busiest one for fourth year company Espinosa Cigars. This year, Erik Espinosa’s company came with an all-new line, two re-launched lines, and a line extension to the highly successful Espinosa Laranja Reserva. The long awaited Espinosa Especial made its first big appearance at this year’s IPCPR. This […]
Feature Story: RoMa Craft Tobac Showcases Neanderthal Line at 2015 IPCPR
One thing RoMa Craft Tobac has done good each of the four years it has been at IPCPR is not just showcase what’s new, but showcase the products it offers. The 2015 show was no exception, and if you visited the RoMa Craft Tobac booth, you were treated to exactly just that. However, it […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on MBombay Cigars at 2015 IPCPR
Mel Shah and MBombay didn’t have the biggest booth, but it certainly was one of the more active ones – and the company had plenty of new product being showcased at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show. From a new line perspective, the recently released MBombay Habano was showcased. The MBombay Habano consists of an Ecuadorian […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on Duran Cigars at 2015 IPCPR
The 2015 IPCPR Trade Show marks the third one for Roberto Pelayo Duran’s company. After launching three new lines last year, the company made some strategic moves personnel wise to deliver the message about Duran Cigars. At this year’s trade show, much of the focus was around line extensions and branding. The big news was […]