Weekly News (June 18, 2012)

Editor’s Note: It will be a busy week at halfwheel and likely busy up until the trade show. I’m not sure if it’s entirely necessary. There’s a chicken and egg problem regarding new releases that runs rampant through the industry. There’s not enough space in most retail humidors because of a flood of new releases, but consumers keep asking for the latest and greatest and so manufacturers keep producing them. For the second year in a row Miami Cigar & Co. seems poised to take the award for most new releases at IPCPR. The majority of the following should be at IPCPR: three sizes of Añoranza, three size of Merlion, five size of Fernando León Reserva Familiar, a few sizes of Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut, Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012, at least one extension to Guillermo León by La Aurora, as well as a packaging change to the rest of the sizes, and the reintroduction of 100 Años. It’s unclear whether the Danno 2012 or new Preferidos sizes, both of which were alluded to earlier in the year will make it to Orlando. If the over/under is at 20 SKUs at IPCPR, you have to take the over.

• Christian Eiroa’s Profile Takes Shape — Details here.
• Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch IV Oscuro — Shipping later this week, later. Details here.
• Perdomo Unveils 20th Anniversary Cigar — Story here.
• NHC Selección Limitada Capa Especial 2012 — Here.
• Viaje Exclusivo Tower 45th Anniversary To Ship Thursday — Story here on the 2012 version.
• Viaje Summer Releases to Include Roman Candle — Story here.
• J. Fuego 777 Minutos — Details here.
• Gran Habano to add Corona Gorda to S.T.K. Barracuda — Story here.
• Gurkha Adds Wicked Indie Little Indies — Story here.
  
• Padrón W. Curtis Draper 125th Emerges — No other details except a debut in July.
• Davidoff Yearly Sales Up — Story here.
• Draig K by Emilio Cigars — Press release here.
• Asylum Cigars Launches — Press release on Christian Eiroa’s newest project, here and here.
• Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2012 — Press release here.
• CRA/IPCPR Petition Delivered to Vice-President Joe Biden — Press release here.
• S.1461 Gains 12th Co-Sponsor — Press release here.
• Oliva Opposes National Tobacco Corporation’s Black Cane Registration — Via CigarLaw.
• Aficionado Magazine Abandons Mark — After opposition from Cigar Aficionado via CigarLaw.

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.