Weekly News (Nov. 18, 2024)

A Note About Mike Peacock

Last weekend, I was told that Mike Peacock—the founder of Michael’s Tobacco, two stores in the DFW area—passed away.

Beyond his work life—owning the stores and serving on various boards—Peacock was a husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many. He was the kind of person who would offer to pick you up from DFW airport and—albeit, not at the speed limit—drive you to his shop so you could have a cigar during a long layover. I know this because even in the era of Uber, Mike once did this for me. Prices at Michael’s are a bit higher than at other shops in the area, a decision made so that the staff at Michael’s can be paid a real wage, one that allows them to have families of their own.

I cannot speak much about Mike other than his work life, but I have to imagine that the little window I saw was indicative of his existence as a whole. He was the type of person who was uniquely interested in others succeeding and I cannot imagine there was a day that went by when he didn’t actively choose to invest in someone else.

Trump Plans to Nominate RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Donald Trump announced that he intends to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Given that the FDA handles tobacco regulation for the federal government, this is somewhat important to cigar companies. Unlike most of Trump’s cabinet picks, RFK Jr. is not a Republican, rather, he was a lifelong Democrat up until 2023. The more I learn about RFK’s thoughts on other matters, the less I believe that he would be friendly toward cigar regulation. It’s possible that he doesn’t get confirmed, or even if confirmed, he’s unable to influence tobacco policy, but it’s not as promising as most of Trump’s pro-business picks.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia

Raíces Cubanas Launching New Cigar Portfolio, Ralph Montero Returns

Two pieces of news in one story. First, Raíces Cubanas—the Honduran factory that has made cigars for Alec Bradley, Illusione, Viaje and others—has its own cigar brand. In fact, there are four new lines shipping to stores this week. Given how many great cigars Raíces has made over the years, this is a new company to pay attention to. Second, Ralph Montero—the behind-the-scenes guy for Alec Bradley—is working with the Endemaño family—Raíces Cubanas’ owners—for the new company.

Cigar News

• AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Heads to Stores (Update)
• Casa Turrent Appoints Ricardo Carioni as Head of Business Development
• Cigar Ambassador to Launch First Cigar Brand, Tobacco Queen
• Crowned Heads Announces Moose Kick, a Canada Exclusive
• E.P. Carrillo 2024 TAA Exclusive Heads to Retailers
• Escobar Cigars Picks JIT International for International Distribution
• Lure Releasing The Jolly Walleye Next Week
• Meerapfel Cigar’s Création Liberté En Route to Stores
• Mi Querida Green No.2 Torpedo Goes on Sale at Smoke Inn
• Oliva Year of the Snake Goes on Sale at International Retailers
• S.T. Dupont’s Game of Thrones Collection Begins Shipping
• Sobremesa Solita Red Slated for 2025 (Update)
• STG Closing Sutliff’s Cigar Distribution Service
• STG Reports Increased Revenue, Lower Cigar Sales for Q3 2024
• Stakeholders Mark Start of Brazilian Tobacco Harvest — via TobaccoReporter.com
• Tabanero Cigars to Debut Momentum at PCA 2025
• Tatuaje Ships Two Different La Riqueza SE 2024 Cazadores to Retailers
• Viaje Releasing Stuffed Turkeys, Mrs. Hatchet for 2024

Legislation

State

• Michigan Legislators Debate Requiring Nicotine Retailers to be Licensed Like Alcohol Retailers — via WLNS.com

Local

• Columbus, Ohio Sues to Shut Down Smoke Shop Over Flavored Tobacco, Underage Sales
• Columbus County, N.C. Council  to Vote on Ordinance Restricting Locations of Tobacco Retailers — via VaporVoice.net
• Oakland, Calif. Eyes Banning Smoking at Outdoor Bars
• Ocean View, Delaware Council Takes First Step on Smoking Ban — via CoastalPoint.com

Reviews

• Deadwood Sweet Jane Día de los Muertos (2024)
• HOF by David Ortiz Figurado
• Santiago Valladares Toro Exclusivo U.S.A.

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co.: Crowned Heads Belgian Blue LE 2024 — Here’s the latest from Crowned Heads.
• Cigars Direct: Alec Bradley Fine & Rare A(11)-FYT — The newest Fine & Rare just began shipping.
• Corona Cigar Co.: Espinosa Las 6 Provincias ORT — This is supposed to be the final cigar in Espionsa’s Las 6 Provincias. As with the five other releases, the packaging is very interesting.
• Famous Smoke Shop: 35 Percent Off Joya de Nicaragua Boxes — Simple enough.
• Gotham Cigars: Deadwood Sweet Jane Dia de los Muertos — If you’d like a vanilla-flavored cigar, here’s a great option.
• JR Cigars: Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno L’Attaché — Here’s a discount on a halfwheel staff favorite.
• LM Cigars: El Reloj Christmas Ornament — Tis the season.
• Smokingpipes: Buenaventura Favoritos 54 Connecticut — This is one of the newest releases from Curivari. Like so many of the company’s cigars, it’s very affordable.