December 18, 2023 Patrick Lagreid Weekly News

Weekly News (Dec. 18, 2023)

As a reminder, voting in our inaugural Reader’s Choice Award for the best cigar of 2023 is open, but closes on Christmas Day. You can submit a nomination by clicking here.

Arturo Fuente, Padrón Legends Collaboration Delayed Until 2024

This week, the company confirmed that retailers and consumers will have to wait a bit longer for the Legends project to arrive after it was announced that a number of the humidors in the first shipment were damaged in transport to the U.S. When that will be remains to be seen, as it was not announced, nor was the price, which remains undisclosed. I’m undoubtedly intrigued by the project, as were a good number of retailers who crowded in for the release announcement at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, and seemingly a good number of our readers are as well, judging by how many clicks subsequent articles have received. To borrow from a comment that Charlie Minato made, how much of the build-up and letdown could have been avoided had this project never been announced publicly until it was ready to go? I don’t know if I’ll ever see this release, let alone smoke the cigars, though I’d certainly like to think I’ll get the opportunity at some point, but like many, the ongoing delays and lack of information are beginning to wear on me, much like the ones I used to allow myself to endure with Habanos S.A.’s releases and the occasional flight delay, before simply resigning myself to accept that they will get here when they get here.

Abbina Launches Sodas Made to Pair With Cigars

I’m not much of a soda drinker, but I’m almost certainly going to find a way to get my hands on some of these sodas designed to pair with cigars. Pairings have long been a part of the cigar conversation, as people love to make recommendations about which beverages go best with a certain cigar. I’m fascinated to see just how much of an impact Abbina’s sodas can make given a part of the cigar experience that has long gone unaddressed.

Falmouth, Maine Passes Ban on Flavored Tobacco Sales

When I wrote this story, the first thought that went through my head was here we go again. Given that Maine is up to six cities to enact a ban on the sale, it reminded me of how Massachusetts passed Tobacco 21 legislation on a city-by-city basis several years ago, effectively increasing the minimum age in the state to purchase tobacco products on a patchwork basis since the state legislature wouldn’t act. It was also a reminder of how important it is to stay involved in local legislation; while federal and state issues tend to get the vast majority of attention, there is a lot of legislation passed at the local level that affects day-to-day life. Beyond that, the comments by Councilmember Jay Trickett are worth listening to, as he makes an impassioned plea for the council to really think through their decisions and make sure they are truly helping their constituents.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.

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