Siegfried Maruschke Sr., the owner of the large tobacco growing and brokerage operation Jose Mendez & Co S.R.L. in the Dominican Republic, passed away on January 29, 2023. He was 83 years old. Maruschke’s father-in-law, Jose “Pepe” Mendez was the founder of the company. Mendez left Cuba following the Cuban Revolution of 1959 and would […]
Cigar News: Santana Cigars Launches with Santana San Andres

A new company called Santana Cigars is set to launch its debut blend, the Santana San Andres. Formed by Andy Santana, the Santana San Andres is being produced in the Dominican Republic out of Tabacalera William Ventura. Andy Santana’s love for cigars was inspired by his grandfather, Manuel Montero. Montero was a cigar roller in […]
Cigar News: Sergio Montolfo Passes Away

Sergio Montoflo, who served as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Phillips & King, passed away suddenly on January 28, 2023. Montfolo, who was recently promoted to Executive Vice President had over a 25-year career at Phillips & King, a subsidiary of Kretek International. He had become one of the most respected and beloved […]
Cigar Industry Report: Edition 522 (1/28/23)

The Cigar Industry Report is a one-stop place to catch up on the activity here at Cigar Coop. It is a combination of the news reports, cigar reviews, and assessment updates we do throughout the week. In addition, each week we will look back at Cigar Coop history. Look for this report every Saturday morning at […]
Cigar News: All Saints Cigars Announces Price Increase

All Saints Cigars has announced a portfolio-wide price increase. According to All Saints’ co-owner Micky Pegg, the price increase is roughly about 2 to 3% depending on the cigar. Pegg says the price increase will not affect the recently shipped Vesper and Mitre line extensions. The Vesper is a 4 1/2 x 44 rounded vitola […]
Cigar News: Knuckle Sandwich 55 Limited Edition Cigar Announced

Espinosa Premium Cigars has announced the second limited edition Knuckle Sandwich Cigar: the Knuckle Sandwich 55. This cigar was made to commemorate Guy Fieri’s 55th birthday and debuted at his birthday party this past weekend. Knuckle Sandwich is the collaboration brand between Fieri and Espinosa Cigars. In a press release, Erik Espinosa commented, “Guy […]
Cigar News: United Cigars Moves Eponymous Line to Parejo and Updates Blend

United Cigars has announced some major changes to its eponymous flagship line. This includes changing the format from box-pressed to a Parejo (rounded) format. In addition, the blends have been changed highlighted by the incorporation of different ages of Dominican tobaccos. The United line made its debut in a box-pressed format in 2010. While the […]
Cigar News: Oliva Serie V Melanio Double Robusto Parejo to become Casa de Montecristo Exclusive

Casa de Montecristo has announced it will be offering an exclusive size of the popular Oliva Serie V Melanio line in the form of a 5 x 54 Double Robusto. While the core line of the Serie V Melanio line is box-pressed, the Casa de Montecristo Exclusive will be one of the few times […]
Feature Story: Puro Sabor 2023 – Day Two
Welcome back to Cigar Coop’s coverage of Puro Sabor 2023, the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival. This is taking place in Nicaragua from January 23-27, 2023. The Nicaraguan Cigar Festival is split among two cities: Granada (Jan 23-24), and Estelí (Jan 25-27). Today we take a look at the second day of Puro Sabor. One of the […]
Cigar News: United Cigars Announces E.P. Carrillo Pledge Firecracker
United Cigars has announced a new installment to its Firecracker Series. This June will see E.P. Carrillo become the latest company to partner with United Cigars on a Firecracker series with the popular E.P. Carrillo Pledge becoming the latest in this limited edition series. The Firecracker is a 3 1/2 x 50 that features a […]