Weekly News (July 2, 2018)

Cigar News

• American Caribbean’s Bella Mundo Debuting at IPCPR 2018
• American Caribbean Cigars Adding The Bouncer at IPCPR 2018
• AVO 22 (2018) Arrives in Stores
• Black Works Studio Announces Yellow Jacket for IPCPR 2018
• Boutique Blends Overhauls Portfolio, Announces Five New Lines
• Colibri Unveils S-Cut Serrated Cutter
• Crowned Heads Adding Luminosa Gigantes LE 2018
• Crux Announces Limitada RedLine, Gunner
• Crux to Debut Epicure Galant at IPCPR 2018
• Debonaire Adds Single Packs for Indian Motorcycle Cigars Dealership Program
• Debonaire Sends Conservatory Selection to Serious Cigars
• Factory Smokes by Drew Estate Debuting at IPCPR 2018
• Foundation Debuting The Wise Man Maduro Lancero at IPCPR 2018
• Gurkha Cellar Reserve 15 Year 10th Anniversary Returns in Boxes
• Gurkha Adding Chateau de Prive at IPCPR 2018
• Gurkha Bringing Marquesa to IPCPR 2018
• Gurkha Debuting Ghost Gold at IPCPR 2018
• HVC Adding Edición Especial 2018
• Joya de Nicaragua Clásico Returning at Casa de Montecristo, JR Cigar Stores
• JRE Tobacco Co. Aladino Corojo Reserva Coming This Summer
• La Aurora Puro Vintage 2007 Debuting Next Month
• La Aurora Slates Hors d’Age for September
• La Galera Adds Four New Vitola via The Cubes Project
• La Barba Debuting Primitivo at IPCPR 2018
• LH Bringing Back Original Claro
• MBombay Adding MQBA at IPCPR 2018
• Miami Cigar & Co. Adding Tatiana Caribbean Chill, Harvest Moon
• Nestor Miranda Collection 75th Anniversary Slated for August
• Oscar Valladares Honors Honduran Heritage with Altar Q
• PDR Cigars Promotes Richie “Riot” Otero to Director of Sales
• Punch Diablo Coming to IPCPR
• Quesada Announces Vega Magna
• Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Returning to Retail
• Shanda Lee, Gurkha Part Ways
• Southern Draw Increasing Prices Aug. 1, Discontinues QuickDraw Petit Corona & Short Panatela
• STG Announces New CFO
• Ventura Cigar Co. to Distribute Island Lifestyle Brands, Tommy Bahama Cigar Accessories
• Viaje Zombie 2018 Emerges

Legislation

• 17 Senators Send FDA Letter to Exempt Premium Cigars
• Cigar Industry Gets Its Day in Texas Court
• World Trade Organization Upholds Australia’s Plain Packaging Requirement

• Maine’s Tobacco Purchase Age Now 21
• Massachusetts Senate Approves Tobacco 21 Bill
• Rhode Island Cigar Tax Cap Remains Untouched
• South Dakota Legislators Oppose Proposed Tobacco Tax — via DakotaFreePress.com

• Augusta, Ga. Crafts Smoking Ban Plan — via AugustaChronicle.com
• Boyne City, Mich. Bans Smoking in Parks
• Cedar Rapids, Iowa Considering Smoking Ban for Parks — via CBS2Iowa.com
• Depew, N.Y. Passes Resolution Banning Smoking in Parks — via LancasterBee.com
• Dover, N.H. Becomes First in State to Raise Tobacco Purchase Age to 21
• Fountain Hills, Ariz. Bans Smoking in Parks
• Houlton, Maine Modifies Smoking Ban to Allow Smoke Smoking in Parks and Civic Center — via TheCounty.me
• Monroe County, N.Y. Won’t Raise Tobacco Purchase Age
• Plainfield, Ill. Prohibits Smoking in Parks — via Patch.com
• Plano, Ill. City Council Petitioned to Ban Smoking in Parks — via WSPYNews.com
• St. Paul, Minn. Caps Tobacco Retailer Licenses
• Steamboat Springs, Colo. Considering 40 percent Tax on Tobacco Products — via SteamboatToday.com
• Tempe, Ariz. Considering Tobacco Purchase Age Increase — via AZCentral.com
• Tokyo, Japan to Ban Smoking in Most Bars and Restaurants — via Business-Standard.com
• Westport, Mass. Approaching Beach Smoking Ban — via HeraldNews.com

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co. — AVO 22 30 Years (Box of 19, $256.50)
• Cigars.com — Crafted by Jaime Garcia Robusto (Box of 10 + 8 Cigars, $69.95)
• Corona Cigar Co. — CroMagnon Sampler (Sampler of 10, $69.95)
• Famous Smoke Shop — AVO 22 30 Years (Box of 19, $256.99)
• JR Cigar — Crafted by Jaime Garcia Toro (Box of 10, $74.95)
• Lighter USA — Palio V-Cutter ($22.50)
• Serious Cigars — CAO Fuma em Corda (Box of 20 + 10, $188.82)
• Thompson Cigar —Oliva 10 Cigar Robusto Sampler (Sampler of 10, $39.95)

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.