The news, reviews and more from the past week.

The governor is looking to make sure Maine no longer has the lowest tobacco tax rate in New England. For a cigar with an MSRP of $9.50, it would mean an increase of more than $2 in taxes.

Enrique Seijas was inspired to add Peruvian tobacco to the blend of the Special Edition because of his father’s love of tobacco from that country. Sadly, José Seijas passed just a few weeks after the cigar was released.

The new size is scheduled to arrive in about a month, geared toward shorter smoking times due to the colder weather. It becomes the fifth size in the line, which debuted in March 2024.

Officially, the cigar is called “Fuente Fuente OpusX La Familia X to the 25th Power.” Each box comes with 20 cigars and a key.

A Vietnamese company has been given access to 3,500 hectares of land in Pinar del Río. Yes, the same Pinar del Río that is Cuba’s most prized tobacco-growing region.

The Goat was once a single vitola private label for a store in Haiti. Now, it’s offered in Toro, Robusto and Gordo sizes.

The increase is needed to keep pace with supplier costs, the company says. It goes into effect in early February.

The line debuted in 2014 and was created to honor those close to Crowned Head’s personnel who had passed away in the past year. This cigar is a special limited edition to commemorate 10 years of the Las Calaveras line.

The company says persistent inflation is to blame, citing rising labor and tobacco costs. However, not every line will see its price go up.

Five of the cigars have been created for American retailers celebrating major anniversaries. Beyond that, stores in Ireland, Korea as well as Davidoff’s own Swiss stores are getting anniversary cigars.