Weekly News (Nov. 13, 2017)

This week’s Weekly News starts on a sad note, as we share the passing of Jill Hoffman of Hoffman Sales. Jill was the sales representative for a number of cigar and accessory companies in the southwestern U.S, including Drew Estate, Alec Bradley, Rocky Patel, and many more. She was beloved by the cigar communities of Phoenix and many other cities for her dedication to the industry and her customers.

Jill was one of my earliest friends in the cigar industry after I moved to Phoenix, and was always happy to have me pick her brain at cigar events about the products she had on offer that day. I count the numerous conversations I had with her as part of the base of my cigar knowledge, and a reason I quickly grew so passionate about the cigar industry.

The halfwheel staff sends our condolences to her friends and family. —Patrick Lagreid

Cigar News

• 2018 Habanos Release List Emerges
• Cigars International Details Plans for Texas Expansion
• Cohiba Talismán EL 2017 Debuts in London
• Colibri Begins Shipping Allure Lighter
• Colibri Ships Daytona Lighter
• Crowned Heads Ships Four Kicks Maduro
• Debonaire Daybreak Begins Shipping
• E.P. Carrillo Shipping Revamped Elencos
• Fernando Zacarias Leaves Espinosa Premium Cigars
• La Flor Dominicana Football Special Edition 2018 Heading to Minnesota in January
• Muestra de Saka Nacatamale Ships
• STG Announces Q3 Results, Confirms Cigars International Expansion
• STG, Parent of Cigars International, Confirms Two Texas Stores for 2018
• Swedish Match Sells STG Stake, Exits Premium Cigar Business
• Viaje Shipping Omakase, 2017 Stuffed Turkey & Farmer Bill Next Week
• XIKAR Teases Lounge Scents Candles — via XIKAR

Legislation

• FDA Expands Ingredient Listing Extension for All Manufacturers
• Israel Expanding No Smoking Areas — via The Jerusalem Post
• New Travel Restrictions to Cuba Go Into Effect
• Senators Introduce Bill to Raise American Smoking Age to 21
• Singapore Raising Minimum Tobacco Age to 21
• South African Health Minister Calls for Smoking Ban, Plain Packaging, and Ad Ban — via IOL News
• Vatican City Will No Longer Sell Cigarettes; Cigars Still O.K. — via CruxNow.com

• Utah Lawmaker Wants to Make State Capitol Tobacco-Free — via SLTrib.com

• Aspen, Colo. Voters Approve Tobacco Tax Increase
• Bloomington, Minn. Raises Tobacco Purchase Age to 21
• Bridgewater, Mass. Won’t Ban Tobacco Sales — via EnterpriseNews.com
• Gary, Ind. Proposes Smoking Ban — via NWITimes.com
• Klamath Falls and Klamath County, Ore. Finalizes Tobacco Retailer Fees to Begin in January 2018 — via HeraldAndNews.com
• Mankato and North Mankato, Minn. Delay Tobacco Purchase Age Increase Discussion Until January 2018 — via MankatoFreePress.com
• St. Cloud, Minn. Raises Purchase Age, Mayor Vetoes
• Traverse City, Mich. Moves Forward With Smoking Ban — via theTicker
• Wausau, Wis. Parks and Recreation Committee Approves Smoking Ban — via Wausau Daily Herald.

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co. — CAO Amazon Anaconda (Box of 20, $189)
• Cigar Hustler — The Wise Man Maduro Churchill (Pack of five, $52.25)
• Corona Cigar Co. — Brick House Connecticut Robusto (Box of 25, $129.50)
• Elite Cigar Cafe — Tatuaje Event (Black Friday, Addison)
• JR Cigar — Tatuaje The Michael (Box of 10, $130)
• Payless Cigars & Pipes — Quesada Heisenberg Corona (Box of 10, $49.12)
• Smoke Inn — The T Lonsdale (Pack of 5, $52.50)
• STOGIES World Class Cigars — H-Town 10-Count Sampler ($89.95)

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.