October 14, 2024 Patrick Lagreid Weekly News

Weekly News (Oct. 14, 2024)

Bentley Tobacco Launches AI Cigar Project, Survey

AI has come to the cigar industry in a new way, as the German company has launched what it calls “the first complete use of artificial intelligence (AI) to craft a premier, consumer-driven cigar experience, merging cutting-edge technology with the artistry of traditional cigar craftsmanship.” There’s currently an online survey with about 30 questions about shopping habits and what a consumer looks for in cigars; those responses will be analyzed by an AI process, looking for nuances in the answers to help master blenders create a new cigar line that is scheduled to debut at the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show.

Alsack Labels Suffers Fire

Unfortunately, yet another story of a fire affecting a company in the cigar business, and in this case, multiple companies. Alsack’s most well-known client is likely PDR Cigars, which has 95 percent of its boxes made by Alsack, according to Abe Flores, PDR Cigars’ owner. It also produces bands for a number of other brands, which almost certainly means some delays in product availability. The second floor of their building was used for tobacco storage, meaning a loss for whichever company had tobacco there. After a string of these stories, hopefully, this is the last one we have to write for a long time.

Luis Tiant, Red Sox Great, Passes Away at 83

News of Tiant’s passing hit me both from the baseball and cigar angles, and while I don’t believe I ever had the opportunity to meet him, his legend in the game is well-known by any serious fan of the past few decades and almost certainly by most Red Sox fans of a certain age. Tiant, born in Havana, Cuba, was not shy about enjoying cigars during and after his playing career. He even started his own cigar brand along with his son, Daniel, beginning work on them in the early 2000s and reaching their most prominent in the late 2000s and early 2010s before the company ceased operations. A big personality who contributed to two things that I really enjoy, and someone I wish I would have had the chance to know.

Cigar News

Legislation

Federal

  • New Requirements for Tobacco Purchases in Effect — via NY1.com

International

  • Spain Eyes Plain Packaging — via El Diario

Local

  • Kansas City, Mo. City Council Postpones Vote on Flavored Tobacco Ban — via KMBC.com
  • Santa Cruz County, Calif. Votes to Ban Sale of Filtered Tobacco Products — via KSBW.com

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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.

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