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 […]
Cigar News: La Galera Maduro Pilon Unveiled at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, IndianHead Cigars, IPCPR 2017, La Galera, News
Late in 2015, Jochy Blanco, the acclaimed tobacco grower and owner of the Tabacalera Palma factory acquired Indianhead Cigars from Bill Bock and simultaneously launched his premium cigar brand La Galera Cigars. The 2016 IPCPR Trade Show would be the big launch for La Galera as Blanco would introduce five blends. This year didn’t see any new lines from La […]
Feature Story: Spotlight on Matt Booth at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show
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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 […]
Prime Time Special Edition #7: A Different View of IPCPR
William Cooper IPCPR 2017, Podcast No Comments IPCPR, IPCPR 2017, Podcast, Prime Time Special Edition
We break down Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s Keynote Address in detail and talk about the positives and negatives from that speech. We also discuss some the hits and misses from the trade show. Finally, we discuss Danny Vazquez shutting down Baracoa Cigar Company. For reference on the segment we did on the Top Five News […]
Cigar News: Quesada Reserva Privada Barber-Pole Launched at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, IPCPR 2017, News, Quesada
At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, Quesada Cigars showcased the Quesada Reserva Privada Barber-Pole. The Barber-Pole is the third blend in the Reserva Privada line and as the name indicates, it features two different wrappers arrange in a “barber-pole” design. In 2015, Quesada Cigars launched a cigar known as the Quesada Reserva Privada. The Reserva Privada is a […]
Cigar News: Black Works Studio Showcases New Bands for Green Hornet and Kato
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments Black Works Studio, IPCPR 2017, News
Green Hornet and Kato, two offshoots of Black Works Studio’s Killer Bee line, now have packaging of their own. The new packaging was showcased at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show. Previously, both lines shared the same bands as the Killer Bee. When Black Works Studio launched, brand owner James Brown, created a maduro offering called Killer Bee that used natural […]
Cigar News: E.P. Carrillo Elencos Makes Return at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, E.P. Carrillo, EPC, IPCPR 2017, News
What’s old is what’s new is becoming cliché in the cigar industry these days, but for E.P. Carrillo it is very true. At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, E.P. Carrillo brought back its Elencos line. The E.P. Carrillo Elencos was a line that was originally introduced in 2011. It is a line that was derived from the […]
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 […]
Cigar News: Third Blend for Viaje 10th Anniversary Unveiled at 2017 IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 No Comments 2017 Preview, IPCPR 2017, News, Viaje
Just prior to the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, Viaje Cigars announced two blends as a part of its 10th Anniversary release. However, owner Andre Farkas had one more surprise in store as the Trade Show opened – and that would be the unveiling of a third 10th Anniversary blend. Previously announced were the Viaje 10th Anniversary White and the Viaje 10th […]
Cigar News: La Palina Goldie Toro Introduced for 2017 at IPCPR
William Cooper Cigar News, IPCPR 2017 1 Comment 2017 Preview, IPCPR 2017, La Palina, News
At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, La Palina Cigars chose to introduce the sixth installment of the La Palina Goldie. The 2017 installment is a traditional 6 x 52 Toro and simply has the name – the La Palina Goldie Toro. The Goldie line was created as a tribute to Goldie Drell Paley, the wife of […]