July 25, 2015 Brian Burt IPCPR 2015

IPCPR 2015: Cornelius & Anthony

The Cornelius & Anthony booth wasn’t just cigars, a fact national sales director Spence Drake readily admitted wasn’t ideal. Cornelius & Anthony is part of S&M Brands, Inc., which is best known for its Bailey’s cigarettes brand. There are big plans in the works for the brand over the next year however, including four new blends and a separate booth to show off the new lines.

Cornelius and Anthony Meridian 1

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Cornelius & Anthony, but you’ve probably heard of its two recent hires. The aforementioned Drake, who formerly served as the national sales director for both A.J. Fernandez and Cubanacan, joined the company with Courtney Smith, who worked with Bill Paley for five years as he resurrected La Palina.

Cornelius and Anthony Meridian 2

Meridian
For now though, the Meridian is their first line with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominican and Ecuadorian binders and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Rolled at the PDR Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic, it will come in four sizes: Lonsdale (6 3/4 x 46, $7.60), Gordo (6 x 60, $9), Toro (6 x 54, $8) and Robusto (5 x 52, $7.60). They will all come in boxes of 20 and begin shipping in September.

https://vimeo.com/134025964

Cornelius and Anthony mascot

Lastly, what booth is complete without a mascot? Jersey, a poodle and yorkie mix, was running around being quite well behaved and greeting customers as they entered the booth.

Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
Cornelius & Anthony Cornelius & Anthony Meridian Courtney Smith IPCPR 2015 S&M Brands Inc. Spence Drake
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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.

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