Cavalier Genève Cigars has announced that a new brand is being introduced as part of their growing portfolio. Produced at Cavalier’s own FTC (Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco SA), Tres Delincuentes will make its debut during February’s Total Product Expo in Las Vegas. The plan is to begin shipping all three blends – Ecuadorian Connecticut, Honduran Habano, and a Mexican San Andres Maduro – as soon as the expo has wrapped up. Each utilizes a Honduran Connecticut binder and filler of Nicaraguan Habano, Honduran Habano, and Dominican Piloto. They will launch in 24 count boxes of Robusto, Toro, and Gordo sizes. The new project was named in reference to Cypress Hill’s “Los Tres Delincuentes” song, which happened to start playing as the Cavalier team was returning to the factory after a day in the fields of Jamastran. The cigars will range from $6.95 to $7.90 MSRP.
The new campaign for the Blackened “M81” just launched this week and includes the kind of swag that its creators have come to be known for. Leather shoulder bag, guitar shaped ashtray, it’s neat stuff. A series of live events have been planned and can be found on DE’s website. Nearing almost 30 full years since the inception of Drew Estate, it’s rather awe-inspiring to think that it all began with a 16 x 16 kiosk in New York City’s World Trade Center. Fast forward to present day, and the brand – sold by it’s founders to a multi-billion dollar parent company – is among the largest in the industry. They make movies about less than that. There are plenty of large cigar operations that simply focus on the tried and true favorites, only very occasionally attempting to play around outside their comfort zone. Drew Estate, it would seem, has no such trepidation and comes out with new projects and tries new things pretty regularly. Visit the schedule and see if there’s an event planned near you.
With the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival about a week away, many of the participating brands are in the process of finalizing their preparations. The 10th anniversary of Puro Sabor, as the festival is called, appears to be a cigar head’s dream experience and will be taking place mainly in Granada and Esteli. Over the course of 5 full days, attendees will be immersed in all things premium tobacco. This includes factory tours and hand-on activities at some of the most storied production facilities in the industry. AJ Fernandez, J.C. Newman, Aganorsa, Oliva, Padron, Drew Estate, and Plasencia are only a few of the many world renowned organizations involved. It’s also great to see Favilli front and center! It is a big deal for the them (and also for us as cigar lovers) to be kicking off the year with a new release and being featured throughout the event. Even if you will not be attending, check out the festival’s website for more information and a schedule for each day.
Cigars have been in the news all week, but not for one of the usual reasons. Traditionally, when one sees “cigars” and “Washington” in the headlines together, thoughts of legislation and regulation come to mind. This time around, the story is not about a overreaching new bill or the threat of higher taxes. The laws prohibiting smoking in public and federal buildings within the District do not extend to the lawmaker’s offices, and a growing number of those with offices in the House portion of Congress are taking full advantage. Smoking was completely banned on the floor, in galleries, and in chambers by 1914, but the offices have remained exempt. While permitted, it is typically limited to a smaller number of lawmakers. Reporting from Bloomberg confirms that the Capitol building is one of the only office buildings in the the entire country in which smoking is still allowed. Those opposed will find it an uphill battle trying to limit the new trend, as a majority of the cigars are being enjoyed by Congressman Tom Cole, who is also the new Chair of the House Rules Committee – the committee that ultimately dictates what is and is not permissible.
While not anyone’s favorite news to report or to be informed of, it is important to shine a light on rising prices within the industry. In just the last few weeks alone, brands like Espinosa Premium Cigars, Drew Estate, and E.P. Carrillo have announced increases of between 4 and 5 percent across most of their portfolios. Citing the rising cost of raw materials, increased tariffs, and a litany of other factors, many operations that have been holding out hope simply can’t wait any longer without it seriously impacting their long-term viability. For a clearer picture of what 5% mean for us as consumers, a $10 cigar will be $10.50 once the new pricing takes effect. More on this and other relevant issues as everything develops.
Responses will be compiled at the end of next week, so time is almost up to get your vote in for 2022’s best smoking experiences. Every time we arrive at the end of one calendar, and the beginning of another, cigar heads the world over get told what cigars they should be liking. From now on, we want to hear what you actually enjoyed throughout the year. Beyond that, we also want to know what you’d like to see when you visit Cigar Public each day, such as more interviews, more videos, and more in-depth tobacco education. This is your platform, take advantage of that and be heard.
Wishing you all another great week full of your favorite cigars and your favorite people. Keep on sending in your favorite cigar related news stories, posts and video. If anything from this roundup catches your attention, let everyone know in the comments below!