Weekly News (September 12, 2011)

Editor’s Note: And we shall call this, the one where everything has been delayed. After the jump is news on four major releases that have all been pushed back for a variety of reasons. Three of them have been pushed back to the month of October, which by all accounts will be the biggest month in terms of major and noteworthy releases. The month has annual limited editions scheduled from Tatuaje (Monster Series), E.P. Carrillo (Edición Limitada), Illusione (Singulare), Liga Privada (Flying Pig — in fairness, this is just two years in a row, not an annual release per se), Andre Farkas (Skull & Bones ?) and Oliva (V Maduro). Then there’s major releases from Padilla (8 & 11), La Aurora (107 Maduro), Toraño (Vault), Habanos (Montecristo No. 2 Gran Reserva Cosecha 2005) and those are just the major introductions. My point? Either: A. Perhaps we need some better scheduling or B. start saving your pennies. — el niño diablo.

• Liga Privada Único Serie MF4 — There’s a lot more coming than the picture above, I believe more info is expected to be released through official channels later this week. This is also an October release, in case you were wondering.
• Tatuaje TAA — Pete Johnson released the info for the Tatuaje TAA (2011) via his Saints & Sinners forum this past week. Word is it is “similar to regular brown label with Conn(ecticut) Broadleaf (wrapper).” Size is 5 5/8 x 54 box-pressed with a closed foot. These will be offered in boxes of twenty, wet-packed. They should show up in two weeks at retailers who attended the TAA meeting in Cabo San Lucas earlier this year.
• Davidoff Madison 515 — In honor of Davidoff of Geneva’s newest Manhattan location (at 515 Madison Ave), Davidoff has released a limited edition exclusive to the (Madison Ave) store. It’s a 6 x 52 Toro offered in boxes of ten at $357.70. There’s no word on exactly how many have been made, but it is limited and offered only at the single location by the box. (Davidoff of Geneva will take phone orders for those interested.)
• My Father Commemorate 911 Cigars Blend 343 10th Anniversary — That is the official name, I think. These were blended by Jaime García for Chicago’s Casa de Montecristo and are honoring the 343 firefighters lost in 9/11. It’s a roughly 5 3/4 by 52-54 Toro with an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado and a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper. There will be nine of the former and eleven of the latter offered. A portion of the proceeds are to be donated. More details here. (No release date as of now.)

• Liga Privada Único Serie A — These just started shipping and were available at Jonathan Drew’s event this past weekend in Maryland. They are offered only at events. Blend is based off the T52.
• Tatuaje Meat Locker Cancelled — Indefinitely postponed would be another way of putting it. The official word from Pete Johnson was, “it’s not coming from me.” For those that are unfamiliar, the Meat Locker was a project slated for Gloucester Street Cigars and was supposed to be the culmination of a series that has already included the Porkchop and Pork Tenderloin. There were also rumors that Jose Agosto would be getting a new size relatively soon, called “Pork Belly”, but that is done as well. Meat Locker was alleged to include four sizes, but was not expected to include the highly popular Pork Tenderloin. Attempts to reach Jose Agosto of Gloucester Street for comment have been unsuccessful.
• Padrón Family Reserve No. 85 Delayed — September 8th is the date that Padrón releases their Family Reserve, it’s the same day every year, until now. Word is that Padrón won’t be shipping the Family Reserve No. 85 (which could also be referred to as the 47th, give it is the 47th anniversary of the company) until the end of the month, or perhaps early October. September 8th is the anniversary of the company, which explains the annual release. The 85 was used instead of the 47 as a way to honor José O. Padrón’s 85th birthday.

• MUWAT Packaging & Release Date — The Joya De Nicaragua and Subculture Studios collaboration got its trays shown off by Jonathan Drew this week. There are a few changes to the mock-up that was at the IPCPR trade show, this is (now) scheduled for mid-October.
• Cain F Lancero Delayed — The official word is that the tubos (packaging) are taking additional time to get made, whatever the case this is delayed until October and quite possibly early November. You can read my review, here.
• Undercrown by Drew Estate Delayed — What was originally slated for an end of the summer release has now been pushed back to… you guessed it, October.
• 262’s Newest Cigar — An update to a story from last week, 262’s newest cigar is slated to be released at the end of the year. It’s a limited edition and that’s about all that is known.

The IPCPR had some thoughts on the Birmingham, AL smoking ban proposal…

A $13.3 million federally funded anti-smoking campaign aimed at making Alabama a smoke-free state will result in a loss of businesses, jobs, tax revenues and citizen rights, according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

The campaign organizers cite recent successes in small Alabama towns which passed no-exception or near no-exception smoking ordinances. The organizers are targeting larger communities next such as Birmingham, Bessemer, Gardendale, Hoover and Homewood, according to published reports.

“Federal and state governments are relying on tobacco tax revenues to fund SCHIP – State Children’s Health Insurance Program – which provides healthcare for children, yet they are doing their best to put tobacco out of business,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

“The bottom line is Alabama citizens want choice and, most importantly jobs, not Big Brother,” McCalla said.

“These are the very same career politicians – many who no doubt ran on a jobs creation platform — now spending tax dollars to pay a PR firm to kill those very same jobs, right in the middle of one the worst economic downturns in the state’s history,” he said. “Will someone please explain how that makes any sense?”

McCalla said that the claims of prohibitionists should be challenged as to their source and back up information.

“The 2010 Surgeon General’s Report does question even occasional exposure to secondhand smoke, but those claims have proven to be wildly exaggerated and unsubstantiated. Look it up. They are also contrary to the standards established by another government agency, OSHA – the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA set safe levels for secondhand smoke that are up to 25,000 times higher than the air quality levels found in the average bar or restaurant where smoking is permitted,” McCalla said.

The IPCPR says the well-funded tobacco prohibitionists have been buying breakfasts, lunches and dinners for Alabama opinion leaders in Dothan, Montgomery, Gadsden, Anniston, Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Mobile in hopes they will pressure Alabama state and local legislators to deprive business owners of their rights to decide for themselves what their smoking policies should be.

“Legislated smoking bans, for whatever reason, are unnecessary and inexcusable. They deprive business owners their right to make such determinations on their own. Business suffers and jobs are lost under legislated smoking bans. Beyond that, however, the anti-tobacco forces attempt to falsely justify their claims based on bad science, overreaching conclusions and ridiculous assumptions,” said McCalla.

“The campaign is taking public money to manipulate legitimate business owners and their customers out of their constitutional rights while jeopardizing businesses, jobs, and state and federal tax revenues,” McCalla said.

Legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee smoked some Toraño Reserva Selectas for his 90th birthday…

ANGELO DUNDEE CELEBRATES 90th BIRTHDAY WITH A BOX OF CIGARS FROM TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR CO.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Miami, FL) September 12, 2011- Hall of Fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee celebrates 90 years of age with a reunion with a piece of his glorious past and a gift from the Toraño Family Cigar Co. The legendary Dundee who trained 12 world boxing champions (most famously Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard) had the chance to slow down for one of the few times in his 90 years to reminisce about days past as he was presented with mounted brick from the original 5th Street Gym which was torn down in 1994.

Turning 90 this Tuesday August 30, 2011 Angelo Dundee was all smiles over the weekend as invited friends and fans came into the new incarnation of the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach which opened last year. Dundee who is still spry at 90 can’t get away from his passion of boxing as he sat ringside giving pointers to young boxers hoping to one day be Dundee’s 13th world champion. Friends wished him well for his birthday as he posed for pictures and signed autographs. Two special surprises came his way as boxing fan Ken Drodvillo surprised Dundee with a brick from the original 5th Street Gym and Torano Family member Carlos Llaca Toraño presented him with a box of Toraño Reserva Selecta.

Dundee seemed to get a bit nostalgic as he had a physical piece of a building which represented the golden age of boxing in his hands and the box of cigars took him back to the days of a free Cuba which is where he spent much time working with Cuban fighters. Dundee joked about his travels to Cuba using his “dirty-Spanish” which was a mix of his bad Spanish and his bad Italian to communicate with Cuban fighters. Dundee recounted how he started smoking cigars because of his frequent trips down to Cuba. Dundee looked over the glass tubes which encased the Torano Reserva Selecta cigars and was excited to call his son Jimmy over to show them and talked about plans to smoke them during their next poker night.

Carlos Llaca Torano said,” It’s an honor to represent the Torano family during special moments like these. To be in the presence of a living legend like Angelo Dundee as he turns 90 is quite humbling.”

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.