One of the big stories in the premium cigar industry over the past year was Imperial Tobacco selling off its premium cigar business to a private equity group. This sale included Altadis U.S.A and its associated brands. The transaction closed late in 2020. In terms of what this means to its customers, things have remained […]
In 2019 Altadis USA decided to give its Trinidad brand a refresh and relaunch by introducing the Trinidad Espiritu Series. Altadis would reach out to AJ Fernandez who had been working with Altadis on several projects over the past few years, including reimaging brands such as Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann. The resulting […]
Each week, I have the opportunity to produce the news segment for KMA Talk Radio. On the Cigar Coop “blog,” we will now post replays of the shows the week following the date the show is aired. On July 17th, Billy and Gus Fakih of Arteseano del Tobacco our special guest. Rafael Nodal of Tabacalera […]
When it comes to iconic brands in the cigar industry, Montecristo is one that stands near the top. Montecristo traces its roots back to 1935 when Alonso Menendez and Jose Manuel Pepe Garcia started a brand in Cuba inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Montecristo. While the brand is still an iconic brand in […]
At the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) 2021 in Las Vegas Nevada, Altadis U.S.A. will launch a new Connecticut Shade offering to its H. Upmann brand with the H. Upmann 1844 Classic. The H. Upmann 1844 Classic is described as a “next-level” shade medium-bodied cigar. It consists of an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a blend […]
While Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann continue to be the foundation brands of the Altadis USA portfolio, one brand that has been invested in is the Henry Clay brand. In 2019, Altadis announced a project known as the Immortal Trio. The first release of that line was a new regular production offering known […]
Altadis USA has announced a new installment under its Montecristo Epic line known as the Montecristo Epic Vintage 12. The Montecristo Epic line was launched in 2012 with the Montecristo Epic Vintage 2007, a cigar that featured tobaccos from a 2007 vintage crop. Cigar Aficionado reported the Vintage 12 utilizes a 2012 vintage crop. “To […]
Altadis USA has announced it will be releasing the Saint Luis Rey Carenas. Carenas is a cigar that pays homage to the Puerto de Carenas, a port in Honduras now known as the Port of Havana. It’s the first Saint Luis Rey release by Altadis since 2017’s Saint Luis Rey Natural Broadleaf. The story of Carenas […]
2021 will see JR Cigar celebrate its 50th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a limited edition offering from the Romeo y Julieta brand will be released, appropriately called the Romeo y Julieta Edicion Limitada JR 50th. The Romeo y Julieta Edicion Limitada JR 50th is highlighted by a Mexican Criollo wrapper over a Connecticut binder […]
Altadis USA’s portfolio of cigars has always been one that has interested me. It’s a combination of classic heritage brands, and newer more contemporary brands. From the classic side, brands such as Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and H. Upmann have been staples. On the contemporary side, we’ve seen Altadis bring in Aging Room, and more […]
