Acme Cigar Co. Debuting With Three Lines at IPCPR 2015 (Update)

The duo behind AKA Cigars, a Dallas retailer and a music industry executive are teaming up for a new cigar brand, Acme Cigar Co.

While the Acme name has roots back to the 19th century, the current company is new. According to filings, Tom Poehler and Jay Lundy—of AKA Cigars—have joined forces with Elliot Suied, owner of Cigar Warehouse, and Romereo Hartfield, ceo of Millennium Multi-media Inc. A press release described Hartfield as a partner and AKA as a “sister company.”

At this month’s IPCPR Trade Show & Convention in New Orleans, La., Acme Cigar Co. will launch with three lines: Acme Premier Ecuador, Acme Premier San Andres and Acme Route 66.

Premier Ecuador uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over Mexican San Andrés broadleaf and Estelí criollo binders, along with fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. As for Premier San Andrés, it uses a San Andrés broadleaf wrapper, San Andrés broadleaf and Estelí habano binders and four Nicaraguan fillers.

Both lines are offered in the same three sizes: 5 x 50 ($7.40), 7 x 48 ($7.90) and 6 x 54 ($8.40), with each offered in a 12-count box.

Acme Route 66 consists of an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a criollo binder grown in Jalapa and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Nicaragua. It’s offered in four sizes: Hot Rod Robusto ($5.90), Chopper (7 x 48, $6.40), Big Rig (6 x 54, $6.90) and Tandem (8 1/2 x 52, $7.40). All sizes are sold in boxes of 20.

That being said, Tandem is quite different than the rest of the line. It’s actually designed to be two cigars in one. It is capped on both ends and can be cut by a consumer in the middle, so you are left with two 4 1/4 x 52 cigars for $7.40.

All three lines are being produced at Nicaragua American Cigar S.A. (NACSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua with tobacco being provided by Oliva Tobacco Co.

“We are pleased to be working with NACSA which has a great tradition of making excellent cigars and with Oliva which is known throughout the industry as having the finest tobaccos,” said Hartfield in a press release. “It gives us the ability to make great tasting premium cigars at affordable prices.”

Update (Aug. 10, 2015) — The company will launch the cigars on Aug. 13 with a series of events:

• Aug. 13, 2015 — STOGIES World Class Cigars 6-10 p.m. (Houston, Texas)
• Aug. 14, 2015 — Club Humidor San Pedro 4-7 p.m. (San Antonio, Texas)
• Aug. 14, 2015 — Club Humidor Thousand Oaks 5-9 p.m. (San Antonio, Texas)
• Aug. 15, 2015 — Renegade Cigars 6-1o p.m. (Richardson, Texas)

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.