Editor’s Note: I was searching through e-mail earlier this week and ran across some e-mails from last October when Brooks, Steve Valle, Patrick Mize, Charlie Stahl and myself were working on moving over and editing nearly a thousand posts from SmokingStogie and TheCigarFeed, all this in virtual secrecy while continuing to run both sites. At this time last year, by my count less than 20 people knew about halfwheel. It was an incredible amount of work, but it was all made to present the best possible rendition of our labor. Much like last year, October will be a crucial month for the future of halfwheel and while I will admit we are not planning on a complete shutdown, relaunch, redesign and merger like last year — we do have a lot planned, all centered on our guiding principal for halfwheel — creating a site we want to read.

  • Oliva Serie V Maduro 2012 Set for November Release — Details here.
  • Arturo Fuente Draper’s 125th Released — Story here.
  • Oliva Serie V Diadema (9 x 52) Headed to Europe — Exclusive here.
  • Miami Cigar & Co. Begins Work on Nestor Miranda 70th Birthday Cigar — Story here.
  • San Rafeal, CA Enacts Anti-Smoking LegislationHere.
     Cuenca y Blanco
  • Joya de Nicaragua Rebrands Cuenca y Blanco to CyB by Joya de Nicaragua — Image of the new packaging via Joya de Nicaragua, press release here.
  • Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure de Luxe Heads to La Casa del Habano — Press release here.
  • J.C. Newman Announces Holiday Gifts — Press release and images here.
  • Punch Announces Six Packs and Sweeps — Press release here.
  • Tuscaloosa, AL Seeks to Ban New Tobacco Shops — Press release here.
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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.