Weekly News (Aug. 26, 2024)

Guillotina de Saka Cutter Goes on Sale This Week

This is a $395 cigar cutter from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust.

One of the least believable bits of the last few years has been Steve Saka, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust’s founder, saying that he would never sell the cutter. His reason: it would be so expensive that no reasonable person would buy it. Well, like the $100 Unicorn cigars before it, it’s now on sale despite all of Saka’s nihilistic marketing.

STG’s Revenue Grows During Q2 2024

After having a slightly down Q1, STG reports a slightly up Q2. Given that STG owns two of the most important cigar businesses—Cigars International and General Cigar Co.—as well as many others, the results serve as one of the key benchmarks for the U.S. cigar industry. Between these numbers and the premium cigar import reports, it seems like we are on course for a similar year compared to last year.

Registration Now Open for Puro Sabor, Nicaragua’s Cigar Festival

I used to attend this event regularly, but Patrick Lagreid now does it alone. If you are a consumer and would like to hang out with (Nicaraguan) cigar manufacturers, this is the best place to do it. As someone who’s been to all these festivals and most of the big cigar events, Puro Sabor offers the lowest barrier to entry to spending more than 15 minutes with lots of different cigar brand owners.

Cigar News

• Christopher Mey Leaves Rocky Patel, Launches Own Company
• Drew Estate Announces Return of Sweet Jane Dia de Los Muertos, New Liga Privada 10 Aniversario Selección de Mercado Corona ¡Viva! for International Markets
• Drew Estate Discontinues Nica Rustica Broadleaf Belly
• Les Fines Lames Releases Le Tag T100 Wearable Cigar Cutters
• Oscar Valladares’ Santiago Valladares Toro Arrives at Cigora
• Patina Cigars Announces LE 2024
• Southern Draw Celebrates 10 Years with Decennium
• Viaje WLP Szivar EL Heading to Select Retailers

Reviews

• Black Star Line Marun Toro
• Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Corojo
• Gran Habano Blue in Green Gran Robusto
• Plasencia Alma del Fuego Ometepe Edición Limitada
• SP1014 Antra
• West Tampa Tobacco Co. Red Lancero

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co.: Las Calaveras EL 2024 Sampler — Find out which 2024 Las Calaveras is your favorite by purchasing this sampler and the upcoming Las Calaveras Décimo Aniversario.
• Cigars Direct: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Sucesor LE 2024 Torpedo — This is the newest Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial from My Father. It’s offered in two vitolas; interestingly, the two vitolas each use a different wrapper.
• Corona Cigar Co.: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Sucesor LE 2024 Toro — And this is the other size.
• Famous Smoke Shop: Eiroa Dark Natural 50×5 — This is probably my favorite blend from Christian Eiroa and at a nice discount.
• Gotham Cigars: Big Easy Havana Punch — We’ve been working on an upcoing punch cutter review, so I’ve been thinking about punch cutters a lot more of late.
• JR Cigars: Oliva Serie V Churchill Extra 30 Percent Off + 12 Free Cigars — I’ve always thought that there’s five minutes of pure bliss in the middle of this particular vitola.
• LM Cigars: Padrón 1964 Anniversary Hermoso Natural — Great blend, fun size.
• Smokingpipes: ADVentura: Blue Eyed Jack’s Revenge Robusto — The newest from Henderson Ventura and Marcel Knobel.