Editor’s Note: This past week halfwheel launched its own blog. While the posts will not appear on the front page, they will show up if you subscribe to the RSS feed and/or get updates via e-mail. As explained here, the purpose of the blog will be to better have a dialogue with the readers about halfwheel itself. I’d expect the next blog entry shortly. In other news, we are in the middle of festival season. ProCigar 2012 was held last week in the Dominican Republic (more on that below) and both the XIV Festival del Habano and Cigar Family Celebration 2012 are being held this week.

  • Viaje Ships Friends and Family — The known details are here, but there really isn’t much known.
  • Viaje Ships WLP Winter Classic & Super Shot 10 — These are in stores. Original story here.
  • Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro Heads to BURN & Tobacco Grove — Details, including how to preorder, here.
  • Cohiba Pirámides Extra, Romeo y Julieta Churchills Reserva 2008 & Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills Shown Off — Perhaps most interesting is the hybrid BHK band on the Pirámides Extra. Press release and images here.
  • Rocky Patel Releases Three Sizes of Burn — Details here.
  • Quesada Announces Q d’etat Howitzer — Details here.
  • La Aurora Announces 107 Sumo Short Robusto — Details here.
  • Prometheus Announces 20th Anniversary Collection — Information here.
  • La Aurora 107 Maduro Postponed, to be Reblended — Miami Cigar & Co. confirmed that the blend that went to Cigar King in November will not be the one released to other stores. Instead, a new blend will be developed, no time table has been confirmed, but the hope is to have it out at IPCPR 2012 in August.
  • My Father Discontinues JJ Maduro — Story is here.
  • Habanos Claims Rise in Sales — Story here.
  • My Father Changes Packaging for Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ and Cuban Classic — Details on the packaging change for Blue Label, White Label and Black Label here.
  • Cook County Taxes May Result in Cigar Shops Moving — Details about one of the most important counties in the retail cigar market here.
  • West Virginia Proposes Targeting Flavored Tobacco — Story here.
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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.