Monday, October 31, 2011

That's some pricey cigar art



(CBLB) There are many rare and valuable cigar box label lithographs. However, in recent years there has been only a few that have risen to the forefront of most expensive. ... If you would like to own one of these in good condition expect to pay anywhere from $3,000- $150,000. Continued

Premium-to-Discount Cigarette Price Gap Narrows



(CSN) The price between premium cigarettes and deep discount brands got a little narrower as Liggett took an 8-cent -per-pack list price increase on its deep discount brands, according to one analyst.
With the price hike on Liggett's Select, Eve and Grand Prix cigarette brands, the relative price gap between premium and deep discount drew slightly closer to around 32 to 33 percent. It had been approximately 36 percent, according to Bonnie Herzog, managing director, beverage, tobacco and consumer research at Wells Fargo Securities LLC. The three big tobacco companies could come out winners in the move, she noted. Continued

Zimbabwe: Burley Tobacco Sales Up 90 Percent


(allAfrica.com) BURLEY tobacco sales have surpassed last season sales by 90 percent, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board has revealed.
TIMB statistics released recently showed that a total of 260 812 kilogrammes of burley have been sold compared to 25 646kg that were sold same period last year.
This year, prices have declined as the leaf has been sold at an average price of US$1,31 per kilogramme while same period last year, buyers were offering US$2,62 per kilogramme. Continued

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Hopkins woman takes tobacco tying crown



(Eastern Wake News) ... neither time nor modernization could taper the talents cured into Jackson's bones. Though nearly 50 years had passed since her last tying experience, Jackson won the tobacco tying contest at this year's State Fair.
"I was so nervous. I told my friends, 'I'm probably going to embarrass y'all,' " Jackson said.
... In tobacco tying - also known as "stringing" or "looping" - one person stands at the end of a 4- to 5-foot plank called a tobacco stick. The tobacco stick rests on a saw-horse-like contraption about waist-high. Continued

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Viaje Skull And Bones WMD Cigar Review



(Casas Fumando) Yes, it’s that time of year again, when all the little Ghouls and Goblins stroll the streets begging for candy. In light of the upcoming Halloween Evening I decided to try and find a cigar that would instill some fear into the readers.
At first I considered reviewing a White Owl Grape or something similar, that would be sure to scare off a few people! I later decided against that since I probably would have no discernible palate afterwards! So I settled on a Vieje Skull And Bones WMD. Continued

Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554 – 29 October 1618)



(Wikipedia) Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England.
... His town mansion, Myrtle Grove, is assumed to be the setting for the story that his servant doused him with a bucket of water after seeing clouds of smoke coming from Raleigh's pipe, in the belief he had been set alight. Continued

A Bit of Ybor Cigar History



(Cigar Aficionado) ... The city was once dominated by proud, huge cigar factories made of brick, each standing several stories tall. Most have crumbled or have been converted into something else. ... A precious few still have something to do with cigars.
One of those is the American headquarters of Arturo Fuente cigars. The building, which opened in 1895, originally crafted Charles The Great cigars. In the 1960s, Arturo Fuente and his son Carlos Fuente Jr. bought the factory to make it their new home for cigar production. For many years, the Fuentes made millions of cigars here, most by machine but many by hand. The days when the Fuentes made cigars in the United States are long behind them, but they still own the building in Ybor.

Photo: A Ybor cigar Factory circa 1890 (Library of Congress).

Friday, October 28, 2011

Dubinthedam: A few firsts



A first ever dual box opening.
http://www.youtube.com/user/StMaartenMan

Organic tobacco opens doors for North Carolina grower


(Southeast Farm Press) A conversion from conventional tobacco production to organic has had an unexpected benefit for Aaron Sink of High Point, N.C. It has made him more popular with landowners. “Organic has opened doors for me in getting new land,” he says.
...Organic production is quite a challenge and requires much more labor than conventional tobacco. But the price premium paid by his company — Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company — is high enough to offer the potential for profit. Continued

Cigar Finder


(CigarFinder) - Cigar Finder is the easiest way to locate cigar shops and smoke-friendly places. Designed for both casual cigar enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike, Cigar Finder offers immediate access to the LARGEST database of cigar establishments on the market. And it's FREE! Continued

Altria to Cut Cigarette Workforce


(CSP) In a move attributed to cigarette volume declines following the 158% increase in federal excise taxes in April 2009, Altria Group Inc. announced yesterday that it will be cutting its cigarette-related salaried workforce.
During a third-quarter earnings call Thursday morning, Mike Szymanczyk, chairman and CEO, said the company plans a $400-million cost-reduction program in its cigarette infrastructure. ... The cuts will amount to the company’s cigarette-related salaried workforce being cut by about 15%, according to the Wall Street Journal. Continued

Thieves target stored tobacco bales in pair of break-ins


(thespec.com) BRANTFORD [Canada] - Thieves are taking advantage of low tobacco prices to target bales farmers have stored away while they wait for the price to rise.
That’s the OPP’s take on a spate of late-night tobacco thefts — two in 48 hours totalling 46 bales estimated to be worth between $45,000 and $55,000 — from area farms.
Now the OPP is hoping rural residents will keep their eyes open at night and call police if they see something suspicious such as a truckload of tobacco on the road, or trucks in fields. Continued

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tennessee Cigar and Brew Festival offers micro-brews and handmade cigars



(Jackson Sun) Micro-brews and handmade cigars, hot delicious food, big screen TVs, live entertainment, door prizes and pretty women - does that sound like something a couple of guys would come up with? Yes, it does, and as a result the third annual Tennessee Cigar and Brew Festival will launch at noon Saturday at the Jackson Fairgrounds pavilion. Continued

Pierre Morel




St Claudes last Artisan Pipe Maker. This 6th generation artist has worked for BC and Chacom over the years. His family are engrained in pipe making history, Pierres grandfather taught Savineli how to make the free hand & flower shapes they are now world famous for.
Pierre kindly allowed us to film him demonstrating most of the techniques used to create standard round & freehand/flower pipes.
Big thanks to Pierre Morel for his hospitality willingness to share this artistic process.
Filmed & Edited by Glynn Quelch in Saint Claude, France October 2011 http://www.pehem-morel.com/

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Steven Books Opens House of Calabash tobacco shop



(PM) Many of you may be fans of the pipe tobacco blends from Rich’s in Portland, Oregon. Those blends were originally created by Steven Books, who has now opened his own shop in Downtown Oregon City, Oregon, called The House of Calabash.
After a short break from the blending world, Steven has re-emerged and opened his own store where you can buy his hand-blended pipe tobaccos, pipes, pipe accessories and cigars. Continued

Tobacco Review: Cornell & Diehl Epiphany



(Cake & Dottle) I didn't get Burley at first. I thought it was dull. I thought it was bland. Frankly I thought it was for old men who had lost their nerve for big flavors.
It didn't take me long to come around, and before long I had developed a proper appreciation for Burley and it had even found a place in my rotation.
Funny, because my relationship with Cornell & Diehl Epiphany has been very similar to my relationship with Burley in general. Continued

13th Annual Ybor City Heritage and Cigar Festival November 19, 2011


(PR.com) The 13th Annual Ybor City Heritage & Cigar Festival, benefiting the Ybor City Museum Society, is one of the premier family-friendly festivals in the Tampa Bay area. The Festival will take place on Saturday, November 19th, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Centennial Park in Ybor City, Tampa's National Historic Landmark District. The annual Festival is the place for cigar aficionados and the day promises to be spectacular for the entire family. Continued

Studio Tobac World Tour Event at Neptune Cigar



(PRWEB) On Thursday November 3rd, 2011 from 5-9 PM, Neptune Cigar Superstore will be hosting one of the last stops of the Studio Tobac 2011 World Tour, and the only event of this kind in Miami, Florida. The tour, which began February 2011 across the nation, will end in November 2011 with the giveaway of a one of a kind Cain Daytona Corvette valued at $70,000!
Studio Tobac is an enterprise of Miami’s Oliva Cigar Company reuniting their most innovative minds to conceive new cigar concepts such as the very successful NUB, a cigar which introduced a complete new format in premium handmade cigars to the industry, and CAIN, the only STRAIGHT LIGERO cigar in the world.
Studio Ambassador Bryan Scholle will bring to Neptune Cigar’s Superstore the Special Edition 2011 Touring Corvette Convertible. Scholle will also be bringing the Studio’s latest projects with him.
The STUDIO TOBAC Limited Edition Sampler will be available for Free to any customer who purchases a box of STUDIO TOBAC products (Nub, Cain...) at the event. Continued

Tobacco company Swedish Match Q3 operating profit falls



(Reuters) Cigar and snuff maker Swedish Match posted a slightly larger-than-expected fall in third-quarter operating profit as it boosted snuff marketing in the United States and a daughter company booked costs for a plant closure.
... Stripping out the top-end cigars and pipe tobacco operations of the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) business, operating profit grew 4 percent to 909 million crowns.
... The group said volumes at its second key operation besides snuff, the U.S. mass-market cigar business, spiked 55 percent ... Continued

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Red Buck Tobacco


(CSP) Tantus Tobacco unveiled its new Red Buck Pipe Tobacco this week. Pipe Tobacco is the latest addition to the Tantus Tobacco product line.
Red Buck Pipe Tobacco is available in 8-ounce, 16-ounce and 5-pound bags, in regular, mild and menthol. Continued

J.C. Newman Opens Nicaraguan Cigar Factory



(Cigar Aficionado) The owners of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. have opened a cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, a project they have kept secret for more than a year. This will be the first time since the 1930s that the Newman family will be making cigars by hand in one of their own factories.
The new facility, which opened two weeks ago, is a 55,000 square-foot, one-story building called Puros de Estelí Nicaragua S.A., also known as PENSA. Continued

Photo: A worker rolls tobacco in cigars at a cigar plant in Tampa, Florida (Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress).

Waite Park tobacco shop could be state's largest



(St. Cloud Times) The Smoke Shop and Cigar Depot in Waite Park recently expanded, becoming what its owners say is the largest tobacco shop and walk-in humidor in Minnesota.
The store, at 136 Second St. S, was expanded from 1,500 square feet to about 4,000 at the end of the summer. It is one of two Central Minnesota stores operated by two brothers who moved to the United States from Jerusalem more than a decade ago. Their other store, also called Smoke Shop, is at 1501 First St. S in St. Cloud. Continued

Commonwealth Brands, Altadis USA form newly named tobacco company



(CSP) The integration of Altadis USA and Commonwealth Brands has formed a newly named company: Commonwealth Altadis Inc.
In May, the companies announced that they were integrating sales and marketing units to form one unified team. The goal of the integration was to provide greater sales coverage and more comprehensive service to customer in both cigarettes and cigars.
At the time, Eric Workman, senior vice president of marketing for Altadis, told CSP Daily News that the integration would combine two of Imperial tobacco's assets into a better, combined company. Continued

Monday, October 24, 2011

Peterson Holiday Season Tobacco 2011



(Peterson) Golden and orange Virginias, Burley and black Cavendish make up this captivating blend that is both elegant and full of finesse, sure to please the connoisseur’s palate. A sensual, deep and simply wonderful scent of cinnamon and candied fruit evokes memories of the holiday season relaxing by the fireside on a cold winter’s day!

Fonseca Cubano Limitado Cigar Review



(tomscigars.com) What drew me to purchase this cigar was it’s attractive looking wrapper and minimalist presentation. No big build up here, I liked what I saw and the result is today’s review. I paired this cigar with water as always. Let’s see how it went. Continued

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Legendary Luckey’s Club Cigar Store turns 100



(Eugene Register-Guard) Just about every day after work, Kenley Schoonover heads from his barista job at Theo’s Coffee House a couple of blocks away to unwind and maybe shoot some pool — not to mention the breeze — in the darkened depths of Luckey’s Club Cigar Store.
He’s not the only one. Construction journeyman Patrick Cullen often heads that way, too, ready to toss back a brew or two and pit his skill against all comers on the 1948 green-felted Brunswick pool tables.
The two take their places in a long line of regulars that stretches back 100 years, past the pre-women’s lib days when it was OK to have lettering on the window saying, “Serving the gentlemen of Eugene since 1911” — still there, it’s now quaint rather than exclusionary — through the Korean and Vietnam wars, World War II, the Great Depression and the Prohibition years that kept the country “dry” from 1920 to 1933. It goes even further, earlier even than World War I, to the pre-Luckey’s days when it was simply called The Club Cigar Store. Continued

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Tobacco giant to close plant in Uruguay


(Reuters) U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris said on Friday it shut down its plant in Uruguay because the country's anti-smoking policies make business unprofitable.
Philip Morris' local unit sued Uruguay at the World Bank's International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in February 2010. The company seeks compensation for damages allegedly caused by the state's anti-tobacco measures. Continued

Cigar tavern sends retirement up in smoke



(floridatoday.com) George Lebovitz had planned on a leisurely retirement, but that was before Ashes Cigar Tavern got in the way.
“I was the happiest retired person in the world,” said Lebovitz, 65, who took early retirement last summer from his job as a software engineer at United Space Alliance. “It would never have entered my mind.”
Cigars, however, were in his thoughts, since Lebovitz was a frequent patron of Ashes, at the time a cigar bar in the north Wickham Road strip mall fronted by Crispers. Continued


Friday, October 21, 2011

Alec Bradley Releases "Fine & Rare" Cigar


(Cigar Aficionado) In August of 2010, a small team of rollers at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras produced a cigar with 10 different tobaccos in the overall blend.
They didn’t know it at the time, but it was to be named Fine & Rare, and this new brand from Alec Bradley Cigar Co. is scheduled to hit retail shelves on November 11.
As far as brand owner Alan Rubin is concerned, this is the only cigar with a 10-tobacco blend. Continued

Reynolds employees vote down unions in close vote



(Winston-Salem Journal) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s production and maintenance employees rejected union representation for the third time in 6½ years Friday.
However, getting 45 percent of the vote – according to preliminary results – could inspire union supporters to believe the fourth time could be the charm as early as fall 2012.
With 94 percent of 1,320 eligible employees participating, Reynolds reported 686 voted against and 556 voted for representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. Continued

Cigar Shop Rolls With The Times



(nycitynewsservice.com) Francisco Rosario sits at a worn wooden desk behind a storefront window, transforming a pile of flat, brown leaves into cigars as thick as Italian sausages.
He holds the butt of a cigar snugly between his lips as he works, tearing, smoothing, and rolling the fragrant leaves. Our Lady of Fatima, emblazoned on a gold medal hanging from his neck, presides over the ritual. Continued

Thursday, October 20, 2011

El Tiante Cigars Return as a "Pepin" Garcia Blend



(Cigar Aficionado) After a brief hiatus, legendary Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant is back in the cigar game with a revamped blend created by fellow Cuban José “Pepin” Garcia.
Made in Nicaragua at the My Father Cigars S.A. Factory, El Tiante will come in two blends, Habano Oscuro and Habano Rosado. Each version features an Ecuadoran-seed wrapper that covers an all-Nicaraguan binder and filler. Continued

Tobacco Lessons No. 65 and 66



(Ted Swearingen) Part of the fun of the pipe smoking hobby is learning new things, though, admittedly, we are quite often being instructed as much by our mistakes as we are our fellows. Like, don’t take apart a pipe while it’s hot - that’s a rookie mistake I made once upon a time. Here’s another, which I learned just this past weekend: Look inside the pipe’s bowl before putting tobacco in it. Continued


A Cuban Cigar to Fit Russia



(Moscow Times) ... Thanks to 20 percent growth in premium cigar sales, as part of a surging luxury items market, Top Cigars — the official distributor of Cuban stogies in Russia — introduced a new cigar especially selected and only available locally, during its annual partner event in Moscow on Thursday.
When asked about the resemblance of the model to its target market, Javier Terres, vice president of Cuban cigar sales monopoly Habanos, said, "It's big and it's strong."
The cigar, named the Emperador — Spanish for Emperor — is part of the Bolivar line. Continued

Japan Tobacco: Zerostyle Bitter Leaf to go on sale in December


... Since the launch of ''Zerostyle Mint'' we have received requests from a number of consumers asking for a product with the flavour and aroma of a regular product. To meet the consumer demand, JT is launching the new regular flavoured ''Zerostyle Bitter Leaf'' as part of the smokeless ''Zerostyle'' brand line.
Using unique production techniques that bring out the flavour and aroma of original tobacco by taking select tobacco leaves, powdering them, and then shaping the powder into granules, JT has produced a smokeless, clean-tasting yet mildly bitter tobacco. Continued

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Swisher Introduces New Swisher Sweets Blueberry Cigarillos


(CSP) Extending its product lineup with a new flavor, Swisher has introduced the new Swisher Sweets Blueberry Cigarillos. The new product features special introductory pricing as well as Swisher’s innovative Sealed Fresh™ foil wrappers.
... The largest cigar manufacturer in the United States, Swisher International has a history dating to 1861. The company ships over a billion cigars a year to more than sixty countries. Continued

Ideas for a Tobacco Blend using Nicaraguan Cigar Filler?




(Mr. Tobacco) So, I have a 300g bag of Ligero Tobacco & I'm after any suggestions for blends.
Plus a plug for the new peterson tobaccos.

For smokers, do-it-yourself a welcome change



PANAMA CITY — The air is tobacco sweet, the brands are cheap and you can even roll your own.
For smokers feeling that culture has tossed them aside like a used butt, there exists a place where employees remember your name with a smile.
“They are extremely kind and generous,” said Victoria Barbosa, 40, who was in Tobacco Mart recently with her husband, Fabio, to roll the couple’s own cartoon of cigarettes at about half the price of a regular brand. Continued


Monday, October 17, 2011

Tatuaje's Monster Series Cigars a Real Nightmare



(Cigar Aficionado) Pete Johnson, the creator of Tatuaje cigars, is continuing his Halloween tradition by releasing the Tatuaje Monster Series, a set of cigars that resemble monsters from cinema packed in dynamic, individually numbered boxes.
The demand created for the cigars by collectors has made the series a commercial success but a “distribution nightmare” for Johnson, who limits the sale of the numbered boxes to 13 retailers chosen by lottery. Continued


Old George



(TPS) Ever had one of those pipes you take for granted? You know the one. It’s always in the rack, generally un-noticed and not the prettiest piece of briar in the collection that is your pipe rotation. And yet it still remains there because it’s the one you go to when you have to do stuff.
Stuff like gardening, walking the dogs, cleaning the car or stacking next years firewood. I have one. It’s an old billiard from Georg Jensen. Continued

The Mystery of the Beautiful Cigar Girl



(Wikipedia) ... Mary Rogers was probably born in 1820 in Lyme, Connecticut, though her birth records have not survived. Her father died in a steamboat explosion when she was 17 and she took a job as a clerk in a tobacco shop owned by John Anderson in New York City.
Anderson paid her a generous wage in part because her physical attractiveness brought in many customers. One customer wrote that he spent an entire afternoon at the store only to exchange "teasing glances" with her. Another admirer published a poem in the New York Herald referring to her heaven-like smile and her star-like eyes. Some of her customers included notable literary figures James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, and Fitz-Greene Halleck.
On October 5, 1838, the New York Sun reported that "Miss Mary Cecilia Rogers" had disappeared from her home. Continued


Museum hosts lecture on tobacco and culture



(Mount Airy [NC] News) With the Autumn Leaves Festival as a backdrop, history buffs and festival attendees gathered in the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History courtyard Sunday afternoon to hear Billy Yeargin deliver a lecture about tobacco and American culture.
Yeargin, a professor with extensive knowledge of the history of the tobacco industry, was the guest speaker for the October “History Talks” program at the museum. He spoke at 2 p.m. on Sunday about tobacco’s impact on Amerian society over the years. Continued


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Edmundo Dantes Conde 54 Cigar



(Gordon Mott) It is always a pleasure to get an early look at a great new cigar. Thanks to a good friend who was traveling in Mexico and headed back to the United States, and a conversation with Max Gutmann, the importer of Cuban cigars into Mexico, I was able to get my hands on the new Mexico Regional Edition cigar, the Edmundo Dantes Conde 54. This is a beautiful cigar. Continued

Selecting a Tobacco Pipe Based on How You Smoke



(Russ Ouellette) When selecting a pipe, generally the first criterion will be whether you like the appearance or not. If the shape appeals to you but the finish isn’t what you’re looking for, the shape becomes immaterial. If the staining, the grain, the sandblasting or rustication aren’t your cup of tea, the quality of the pipe, who made it or how good a bargain it is doesn’t matter; in your mind’s eye, it’s a piece of junk. But let’s assume that we have a table full of pipes that all appeal to you. Now you have to consider how you smoke to help you make a good selection.
As an example: let’s say that you tend to smoke hot and burn your tongue frequently. What’s going to help? Continued


Saturday, October 15, 2011

Beyond Extra Strong: Thunder RAW Frosted Ultra Strong Snus tobacco



(SnusCentral) V2 Tobacco publicly announced they are launching their highest nicotine snus series to date; Thunder RAW Ultra Strong Snus, during Week 44. The first flavor to be released as a RAW Ultra Strong portion will be the popular Thunder Frosted recipe.
The Thunder Raw series of snus will contain 21mg/gr nicotine. While V2 Tobacco is not the first or the only snus manufacturer to meet or exceed the 20mg /gr nicotine level, they are the first to classify a snus of this strength Ultra Strong. GN Tobacco's EXTREME snus series and Swedish Match's Lab Series 06 are marketed as Extra Strong although both are 20mg/gr+ snuses. A little snus history demonstrates why this is significant. Continued


Camacho Liberty 2011 Limited Edition cigar is superb



(M&C) We are coming into the season of the Beaujolais nouveau, as the fall heralds the wine harvest and the finest in tobacco blends for cigars.
American cigar company Camacho debuts their Liberty 2011 edition, which is selling out across the country.
The latest edition has swagger, style and heft, and was blended by Christian Eiroa in what is best described as a soulfully rich, complex taste - medium to full in body. Continued


How much tobacco did you grow this season?



(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) The National Agricultural Statistics Service of USDA released its October Production Report Wednesday October 12, 2011. The report--based on USDA's October 1 survey--showed: Continued

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Porter House Cigar Bar and Lounge



(Cigar Aficionado) Stepping into The Porter House restaurant, I’m greeted by a hostess and the faint aroma of lit cigars permeating from somewhere within. A sign above a nearby set of closed oak doors proudly reads “Porter House Cigar Bar and Lounge”—the source of all the fun.
While the muffled sounds of music, conversation and televised sports beckon me from behind those doors, I remind myself that patience is a virtue and follow the hostess as she escorts my date and I down a hallway to the main dining room. Continued

Trial by Fire: Fall Tobacco Reviews



(Tad Gage and Joe Harb) With the prospect of a slight fall cooling in the air, we have tracked down some familiar and newer tobaccos that invite contemplation of the changing seasons and thoughts of a time in the not-too-distant future when the summer’s heat will be a slightly romanticized and cherished memory. Many of us endured broiling summer heat that took a little edge off the desire to puff our pipes.
But cooler times are upon us, so it’s the perfect time to explore some enticing and savory blends that invite us to enjoy the somewhat comforting slowdown that comes with a change of seasons. We’ve included two “throwdown” Balkan Sobranie 759 blends from McClelland and Hearth & Home (blender Russ Oullette), a relatively new Solani tobacco and a few additional offerings from Oullette. Continued


Cash for Military Cigars Stolen



(foxnews.com) Residents of Lafayette, La. are furious after someone broke into a cigar shop and stole money that was supposed to be used to purchase cigars for members of the U.S. military.
“The times that we live in – to think that people would stoop to levels like that,” said Rene Gerard, owner of the Pipers Haven cigar shop. “It’s disappointing someone would do that.” Continued


First New England Cigar Expo Coming This Weekend



(golocalprov.com) Providence is readying to host cigar afficianados from all over New England this weekend at the the New England Cigar Expo, when the Convention Center will convert into a smoking haven on Saturday October 15.
The first of its kind in Rhode Island, the Expo will host cigar manufacturers with special deals, and should attract as many as 1,000 true cigar lovers. It will also feature some high-profile cigar smokers, including Sopranos star Federico Castelluccio Furio, the Patriots' Patrick Pass and Fred Smerlas plus Patriots broadcaster Steve Deossie... and of course, Buddy Cianci. Continued

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Cigar maker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo in Scottsdale tonight


(azcentral.com) Cigarmaker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo will be appearing from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at 21 Degrees Cigars in Scottsdale.
Perez-Carrillo is the maker of La Gloria Cubana and E.P.C. cigars. Continued

New G. L. Pease JackKnife Ready Rubbed Tobacco



(P*p*s Magazine) ... JackKnife Ready Rubbed which will be shipping at month-end.
It’s the same recipe as the plug-form, but then the plugs are sliced and tumbled using the same production techniques as used for the Old London series. Continued

Rare 19th century tobacco wrappers up for sale



(hastingsobserver.co.uk) THREE tobacco wrappers produced by a Hastings tobacconist in the 1840s are expected to fetch up to £100 a piece at auction.
The rare Ellis Gold Rush tobacco wrappings depict the California gold rush, and are highly collectable despite not being in mint condition.
Originally produced by R Ellis Grocer, Tea Dealer and Tobacconist of High Street, Hastings, the wrappers are to be auctioned by the Somerset-based London Cigarette Card Company, on October 29. Continued


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Should you insure your tobacciana?


(P&T) A recent brush with tornados here in North Carolina made me realize it was time to stop procrastinating and make sure my pipes were insured, so I called my insurance agent, Bill. It took a few minutes to convince him I was serious.
“So these are wooden instruments,” he said, “that you fill with tobacco and set on fire? Well, I think fire insurance is out.” Continued

Fuente/Newman Cigars Toast Across America Under Way



(Cigar Aficionado) The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation’s ninth annual Toast Across America fundraiser tour is now under way, and it’s packing some serious heat in the form of two special cigars.
About 8,000 “Toast Packs” containing special sizes of Fuente Fuente OpusX and Diamond Crown Julius Caeser cigars have been readied for the events, which will be occurring in more than 300 fine tobacco stores across the nation.
Both cigars—which are commercially unavailable—are double-tapered figurados that measure 6 inches by 46 ring gauge in the middle and 64 ring gauge at the fattest point, near the foot. Continued


Wine Tasting To Help Raise Funds To Rebuild Historic Tobacco Shed



GLASTONBURY, CT - The Historical Society of Glastonbury will hold its annual wine tasting on Sunday, Oct. 23, to help raise money for the rebuilding of a historic tobacco shed. ... The society is hoping to re-build one of the last surviving Consolidated Cigar Corp. sheds. The shed – used to dry tobacco leaves - was dismantled to make way for a new magnet elementary school in North Glastonbury. Continued

Cigar history on display during V.M. Ybor Home Tour



(TBO) ... Its style is typical of the homes built in V.M. Ybor as the cigar industry and its immigrant work force transformed Ybor City into the cigar capitol of the world.
Patriarch Arturo Fuente had moved from Cuba and opened a cigar factory in Key West in the late 1880s. In 1912 he moved his operations to Ybor City where he joined other factory owners such as Ignacio Haya, J.C. Newman and Vicente Martinez Ybor.
On Sunday, the Neely's historical home will be part of the 3rd Annual V.M. Ybor Home Tour along with seven other residences and the city's last remaining operational cigar factory. Continued

Photo: "This building's architectural and historical significance is derived from its contribution to the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District. Ybor City is a section of Tampa founded and built by Vicente M. Ybor and Ignacio Haya as a cigar manufacturing center and town. This house represents cigar factory worker housing within the larger context of the cigar manufacturing company town. This company town was planned by Gavino Gutierrez to include cigar factories, workers housing, public spaces, and commercial buildings. This Frame Vernacular residence is representative of the larger collection of worker housing in Ybor City." (Library of Congress)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

2011 Kardus Snus Tobacco, Coming Soon!


(Snus Authority) Having tried and enjoyed the 2010 Kardus, I was excited to learn that this years Kardus sounds like it is going to be as equally impressive as last years.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kardus, it is a limited edition snus which is labeled as being “a highly exclusive snus for the true connoisseur.” Every year Since 2005, a new and unique Kardus has been crafted by Swedish Match by selecting blends of the finest tobaccos around the world and combining them with incredible flavors in order to create the some of the highest quality snus blends available. Continued

Pleasures of the hookah



(P&T) Seventeenth-century Istanbul: An elegantly dressed woman sits cross-legged on a low cushion before her nargile, a Turkish water pipe handcrafted by the finest artisans in all of Istanbul. It is a beautifully decorated Beykoz crystal flacon, ornamented in silver with a long sinuous tube covered in velvet extending from it. The ceramic pipe bowl is filled with dark, strong Latakiyya tobacco imported from Syria. Her servant brings a nugget of oak charcoal and carefully places it on top of the dampened tobacco as the woman brings the tube to her mouth, drawing leisurely on the amber mouthpiece in a series of slow, controlled puffs. Continued

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