Weekly News (March 26, 2012)

Editor’s Note: Today is a slightly different note. Legendary sports historian Bert Sugar passed away yesterday at 75. Bert was a noted boxing historian and as a fan of boxing, his insight and memory was remarkable. Bert was also a cigar smoker, a noted cigar smoker. Need proof? Every picture of him on the first page of Google Images has him with a cigar. In an online chat with SportsNation a few years ago, Bert said of cigars, “Jorge, at my age, it gives me something to hold on to when I’m falling down. Of course I smoke them, but only where the smoke Nazis can’t catch me. But otherwise, I hold them, and wave them around. Anyone out there who councils me on cigars being harmful to my health, I’ll only tell you about George Burns helping him live to 100.” If you need a quick recap on his life, Dan Rafael’s blog or Max Kellerman’s Twitter account are good places to start.

• New Alec Bradleys — As was mentioned in my review of the Alec Bradley Fine & Rare Toro, George Sosa gave an interview with Emerson’s that indicates a few new Alec Bradley products for 2012, including: a new limited edition with the same blend as Fine & Rare for spring, It’s a Boy/It’s a Girl and American Heritage Sun Grown Blend, a blend based on American Classic.
• Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 Launches — Site sponsor Casa de Montecristo held the launch party for the Cojonu 2012, where books featuring the Capa Especial and Reserva versions were on hand. 2,012 books of 24 cigars will begin shipping shortly to select retailers, the regular production boxes are expected debut at IPCPR 2012.
• AVO LE2012 La Trompeta Launches — Press release here, the cigar begins shipping to retailers mid-week.
  
• Toraño Master Colossal 7 x 70 — This isn’t necessarily the final blend of these, but I’d suspect they are coming via Brian McGee.
• Tatuaje TAA Returns in 2012 — Post here, a recent tweet from Pete would suggest this will be of a smaller ring gauge.
  
• La Dueña Boxes Emerge — The Pete Johnson, Janny and Jaime García project set to debut at IPCPR now has boxes via Ben Pearson of Cigar In Hand.
• Flor de las Antillas from My Father — This was shown in last week’s news, but artwork and more info here.
  
• Nomad Cigar Company LE 2012 Fugitive — No clue what exactly this is, but picture via Dustin Schmidt.
• Toraño Announces Price Increase — Story here.
• Miami Cigar & Company Launches Blog — Barry Stein, formerly of acigarsmoker.com, has taken his talents to Miami and is now blogging for MCC.
• Havana Begins Banning Smoking — The AP did a story on government restaurants banning cigars.
• IPCPR Begins Fight of Prop 29 in California — Press release here.
• H.R. 1639 Gaines 160th Co-Sponsor — The House’s version of the bill to exempt cigars from FDA control added another co-sponsor this past week. Full details of the bill here.
• Hope for Maryland — It would appear that both the House and Senate in the state of Maryland have left premium cigar taxes alone in their respective versions of the budget.
• Cigar Taxes Rise in the U.K. — Story here.
• Davidoff Appoints Javier Plantada VP of Global Production — Press release here.
• J.M. Tobacco Launches Carnero — Press release here.
• Urbano launches Mixed-Filler — Press release here.

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.