Cigars And Champagne To Bring In The New Year

(briarpatchcigar.com) The traditional match for a good cigar is often a strong spirit - perhaps the subtle sweetness of an aged rum, brandy, fine single malt Scotch or whiskey are faithful and true cigar companions.
For those of us who want something a bit lighter to bring in the New Year, champagne can serve as an excellent accompaniment to those cigars you plan on bringing in the New Year. Continued

Also: Make the Right Cigar Choice for New Year's Eve

Kenya: Migori Tobacco Farmers Smile All the Way to the Bank

(allAfrica.com) More than 50,000 tobacco farmers in Migori County have a reason to smile after two tobacco buying firms increased their leaf prices.
The farmers had in the past threatned to strike over poor prices.
According to the new price list released by the two firms on Christmas eve, Alliance One will now pay farmers Sh159 per kilo of the highest grade, while BAT will offer Sh158 for the same grade and quantity. Continued

Scandinavian Tobacco Breathes New Life into Lane Limited

A whole lot of updates on a whole lot of tobacco brands over at Pips Magazine. Brands mentioned include Captain Black, Lane bulk tobaccos, Sir Walter Raleigh, Borkum Riff , Five Brothers, Half and Half, Velvet, Paladin, Granger, and Smoker's Pride. Some are changing and some are staying the same. Click here to see what's what.

ITC yanks up Gold Flake cigarette price

MUMBAI (DNA) Tobacco major ITC is in no mood to leave anything to chance. In an attempt to hedge its bets, the Kolkata-headquartered company has raised the price of its flagship brand Gold Flake Kings by as much as 15% this week.
A pack of 10 Kings cigarettes will cost Rs55 this week, up from Rs48 in the last. The hike, analysts said, stems from an anticipation of a 15% excise hike on tobacco products in the upcoming Union Budget. Continued

Firefighters Tackle Massive Blaze At Tobacco Plant

(AP) Firefighters fought a massive inferno at a tobacco factory in Nanning City, southern China, on Wednesday night.
According to local broadcaster CCTV, the fire broke out shortly after midnight at the China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Company’s factory.
Firefighters arrived within minutes, but the fire had already engulfed the factory because of its highly flammable frame and protective netting around its pipe tobacco processing facility which was under construction. Continued

Bóveda Humidors by Savoy

(Cigar Aficionado) The first order of business when buying a humidor is to make sure it does its job, that is, maintains your cigars humidified to desired level.
But, for most of us, that’s not enough. You want your box to look nice if it’s going to occupy a place of honor in your den, billiards room or man cave.
If you can put those two attributes together with the easiest-to-use humidification system going and a reasonable price, that’s a win-win-win-win situation. Continued

PipesandCigars.com Posts Record-Setting Sales in 2011

(PRWEB) PipesandCigars.com is pleased to announce a 10% increase in orders from 2010 to 2011, making their 17th year in business their most successful to date. This increase in sales of cigars, pipes, pipe tobacco and accessories has necessitated a number of changes within the company including significant increases to the production staff and expanding the corporate workspace to include a brand-new office dedicated to the sales and customer service call center.
When completing the year-end sales totals, PipesandCigars.com reported sales of over 20 tons of bulk pipe tobacco, which is sold in increments as small as one ounce. Continued

Despite its last tobacco factory closing, Red Lion will still raise the big cigar

(York Dispatch) For the first time in 15 years, a cigar factory will not be in operation in Red Lion when the giant fake cigar is raised on New Year's Eve.
Van Slyke & Horton Inc., the last remaining factory from the industry that built the town, closed early this year.
"It's kind of sad we don't have a cigar manufacturer in this town anymore," said Joe Valenti, chairman of the Red Lion Area New Year's Eve Committee. "It's a shame."
But the show must go on. Continued

My Father 1922 Le Bijou Torpedo is First Box Press Cigar from Pepin Garcia

The latest shape in the My Father Le Bijou 1922 line, a 6 1/8 x 52 torpedo, is the very first box press size ever released by the company.
The original My Father cigar was created by Jose "Pepin" Garcia's son Jaime Garcia in homage to his father, while the My Father Le Bijou 1922 line is Pepin's homage to his own father, born in 1922. "Le Bijou" is French for "the jewel."
... Made at My Father Cigars, Inc. in Esteli, Nicaragua, Le Bijou contains a well-aged and full-bodied blend of Nicaraguan fillers and binder and is finished with a Nicaranguan "Habano Oscuro Oscuro" wrapper (Pelo de Oro). Continued

Christmas Tobacco Gallery at Lamarde

Link

Coming Soon: Oliva Serie Vs Cigars Made in Miami

(Cigar Aficionado) The Oliva Serie V cigar is the top-of-the-line cigar from Oliva Cigar Co. Up until now they have all been made in Nicaragua, but soon cigar lovers will be able to smoke an Oliva Serie V rolled in Miami.
Oliva, which makes its headquarters in Miami Lakes, Florida, recently moved into a new Miami facility. Next month it will begin making preparations to roll cigars in that new facility. Continued

Kentucky, Tennessee tobacco crop could be a harvest to remember

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) The best quality dark air-cured and fire-cured crop in Kentucky and Tennessee since 2006 is making its way to delivery stations, says Andy Bailey, Extension dark tobacco specialist.
"Weights look good. I haven't heard of a 4,000-pound yield yet, but I know of some fire-cured yields in the 3,800 to 3,900 pound range and some air-cured yields of 3,400 pounds." Quality appears to be good, he says. Continued

Photo: A Tobacco warehouse, Louisville, Ky., c1906 (Library of Congress).

VegaFina Cigars New Look

(CSN) Altadis U.S.A. has added the Seijas 2011 to its VegaFina line of cigars, representing the culmination of José Seijas' many years of cigar mastery, the company said. Its fuller-bodied blend is highlighted by a rare San Andrés Criollo wrapper, premium Dominican binder and fine Dominican fillers.
It offers a rich, robust smoke with a myriad of flavor complexities and has been manufactured in a limited edition batch of 2,500 boxes that will be available to retailers. Continued

2011 Cigar Box Guitar Nation Christmas Album Released!

(cigarboxnation.com) The 2011 Christmas album is ready for [free] download. We hope you will enjoy the free holiday music our members have created for your enjoyment.
Some are traditional songs, and some are original tunes written by the artists. All are played/performed on hand made instruments.
This is our third year for our Christmas album. Continued

A boatload of tobacco questions answered by G. L. Pease

(Pips Magazine) ... I like a mixture developed by myself with cigar leaf. It is a basic English blend with 25-30% cigar leaf. The problem is that after the first half it begins to develop a harsh taste like a cigar butt which I do not like. In order to avoid that, I fill the bottom half with the regular English and then the top part with the cigar leaf mixture. It improves by doing so, but my question is if there is a way I can avoid that two mixtures combination. I need some advice on how to achieve this. Continued

Photo: The 1st Virginia Cavalry pauses for a smoke, Alfred Waud, 1862 (Library of Congress).

American Snuff Co. to Open New Memphis Facility

(CSP) American Snuff Co. is set to begin production in a new, nearly-800,000 sq.-ft. facility in January. The new facility is expected to double the company's current 800,000 unit-per-day production, according to a company spokesman.
American Snuff has been a Memphis-based business since 1900, but the additional capacity of the new facility was needed to meet increased demand, Richard Smith told Tobacco E-News. He said moist snuff volume has been increasing 5% to 7% annually. Continued

Rolfe’s tobacco crop launched a country

(Henrico Citizen) In June 1609, while voyaging from England to the Virginia colony, John Rolfe found himself on an unplanned, fateful layover in an island paradise.
A four-day storm (the same one that is said to have inspired Shakespeare's "The Tempest") scattered and destroyed ships, and Rolfe, his wife Sarah, and several other passengers were stranded in Bermuda. ... Some historians believe that during his Bermuda experience, Rolfe found tobacco seeds. But regardless of whether he obtained seeds there, he soon began experimenting in earnest with the blending and cultivating of various strains of tobacco. Continued

Photo: Pocahontas and John Rolfe by J. W. Glass, early 1850s (Wikipedia).

Portsmouth cigar shop’s matchbook poll a primary tradition

(unionleader.com) For nearly 30 years, a wall of Federal Cigar has been covered in paper bags a month before the Presidential primary — and this year is no different.
Leonard Seagren started the traditional New Hampshire primary matchbook poll in 1984, allowing New Hampshire voters to cast ballots for all of the presidential primary candidates, from the frontrunners to the unknowns, by simply dropping a matchbook into a paper bag.
The “Federal Forecast” gained attention, and the likes of Gary Hart, Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump have visited the store on Ladd Street during the month-long poll. Continued

Photo courtesy of the National Cigar History Museum

La Gloria Obelisco Cigars Get New Five-Pack for Holidays

(Cigar Aficionado) General Cigar Co has released a five-pack of its box-pressed, obelisk-shaped La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco for the holidays.
The third installment of the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos series, the Obelisco debuted in the summer of 2010 and has since been sold in unique, fan-shaped boxes of 25. Continued

Glyn's Top 3 Tobaccos of 2011 (video)

Cohiba Behike Cigar - The Limited Edition Smoke that costs $420

(Business Insider) The Cohiba Behike Cigar would not be the first cigar to be a limited edition, but it certainly is one of the first few cigars to ever feature on The Rich Times.
Named after the tribal chief (or some would say head sorcerer) of the Cuban / pre-Colombian Taino tribe, this cigar is as good as it gets. Continued

Room 101 LTD Namukubi Limited Edition Cigars

(Smokemag.com) The newest installment of the Room 101 LTD series, made by Camacho Cigars, is the Room 101 LTD Namakubi Edition. The blend is comprised of Dominican and Honduran “Vuelta Abajo” fillers, a proprietary Honduran “Generoso” binder, and a Habano wrapper.
The strength of this latest release is medium to full in body for a powerful blend that's packed with flavor but isn't overwhelming or overbearing.
The inspiration for the name is a different story. Continued

Cuba's cigars: a black market tale of survival

(Reuters) ... A box of Cuba's prized cigars could cost hundreds of dollars in stores, but black market dealers sell it for a fraction of that price, usually to tourists.
In Havana, clandestine street dealers lead buyers up narrow staircases to small apartments where different brands of cigars in tightly packed boxes are spread out on beds.
Some workers smuggle surplus cigars out of distributors and sell them. Others make them in their homes using leftover scraps, dealers said. Continued

Trailer for "Cigars: The Heart And Soul Of Cuba"

In pictures: How to roll a Cuban cigar

(BBC News) These Cohiba cigars are made at the company's El Laguito factory in Havana. The factory was set up in 1968 to make cigars for then President Fidel Castro to give to visiting dignitaries, and the cigars were not sold commercially until 1982. Continued

The famous Camel Billboard in New York

Some old 8mm footage of the famous Camel Cigarette smoking billboard in New York.

Documentary on Legendary Cuban Tobacco Grower

Pinar del Rio, Cuba (Prensa Latina) Images and unpublished photos of Alejandro Robaina, were included in a documentary film produced by the Cuba''s Artv and dedicated to the world-famous Cuban tobacco grower, a Havana cigar ambassador until his death in 2010.
The 27-minute documentary is a tribute to the legendary tobacco grower, a true work of admiration and respect for his figure and legacy, Armando Alvarez, one of the producers, told Prensa Latina on Tuesday.
... After his death, we felt that we owed him a reverence, the audio-visual material proposes an encounter with him and with tobacco growers in the region, which supplies excellent raw materials for rolled cigars for exports, Alvarez commented. Continued

Could Other Tobacco Products Overtake Cigarettes?

(CSP) Nik Modi, analyst at UBS Securities LLC, New York, isn’t shy about predictions for the tobacco industry. During CSP's Tobacco Update CyberConference On December 7, sponsored by Swedish Match, for example, he predicted that cigarette prices would go up before the end of December.
Later that same day, Philip Morris USA Inc. announced a five-cent-per-pack increase, which was followed by a five-cent increase at Reynolds American Inc. and a six-cent increase at Lorillard Inc.
Modi also predicted during the CyberConference that other tobacco products (OTP) will go from 10% of the tobacco category to 30% by 2015, and even overtake cigarettes for 55% of the category by 2025. Continued

Drew Estate Cigars iPhone app

The official Drew Estate iPhone app is here! We’ve worked hard to perfect it, and it’s finally ready for you, our fans. Keep up with everything that’s going on at Drew Estate with this app, which includes the following features:

- Easily browse our cigar brands, including description, size, and quantity information
- Find nearby stores that carry our brands
- Visit Kult Shop, our online store, to see truly unique Drew Estate branded merchandise
- Browse through photos and videos from our many events
- Browse our Facebook, Twitter and blog posts to keep up with our latest news from anywhere
- Find cigar related events near you
- Browse through details, photos and videos from our one-of-a-kind travel experience: Cigar Safari
- Ever wonder how Drew Estate got started? Find out from Drew Estate founders Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel themselves including a few pictures from the journey
- Manage your subscription to "From Under the Bridge", the official Drew Estate newsletter Continued

Bugatti Cigar Cases

(Cigar Aficionado) Made from fine, Cognac-colored leather with Macassar ebony wood sides that shine like glass, Bugatti’s set of cigar cases are for the enthusiast who appreciates understated elegance.
The cases come in two styles—Churchill and Robusto— in two- and three-finger options. Each opens and closes with a nifty magnetic flap, and each is lined with Spanish cedar housing. The Spanish cedar, along with the entire construction of the case, is solid enough that one won’t have to worry about crushed cigars. Continued

Three New Hearth & Home Marquee Tobaccos

(P*p*s Magazine) This line has only been in existence for about a year but has garnered strong accolades. The first three blends, Magnum Opus, Sweet & Savory and Lakeland Brickle have been well-reviewed and continue to sell very well. The Series has become so popular that there are now eight blends, including the 2011 Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown winner, BlackHouse. The three new blends are a mixture of old and new approaches to pipe tobacco. Continued

Camacho Cigars Signs Three-Year Sponsorship With the Orange Bowl

Davidoff of Geneva and the Orange Bowl Committee announced today a new 3-year agreement making Camacho Cigars a "Corporate Sponsor" of the Orange Bowl Festival, which includes the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Discover Orange Bowls and 2013 Discover BCS National Championship.
The sponsorship includes a large presence at several game day events at Sun Life Stadium leading up to the 2012-2014 Discover Orange Bowls and 2013 Discover BCS National Championship. Football fans, VIP's and Committee members will have access to on-site Camacho lounges where premium cigars can be enjoyed throughout the day. At the Orange Bowl Game Day Fan Zone, the Orange Bowl's largest pre-game event, guests can relax before kickoff in a beautifully appointed Camacho Club Lounge. There will also be two cigar lounges located in the designated smoking areas of the stadium on the Club Level for attendees of the Orange Bowl VIP pre-game party. Continued

Photo courtesy of the Cigar History Museum

Big Three Raise Cigarette Prices

(CSP) Following an announcement Wednesday that Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris USA is raising its cigarette prices, Reynolds American Inc. also confirmed a five-cent list-price increase. And Lorillard Inc. is also reportedly instituting a six-cent increase.
David Howard, spokesperson for Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds, told CSP Daily News, that its increase affects its growth brands of Camel and Pall Mall, as well as its support brands of Winston, Salem, Kool, Doral and other others. Continued

Photo: Lionel Stander, with cigarette hanging from his lips, testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee (Library of Congress).

We the People Cigars, Made in America

(Smokemag.com) Marcus Daniel, president of Bidwell Cigar, Inc., says he’s made “buying American” easy when it comes to hand rolled cigars. The company’s We the People cigars are produced in small batches by the El Titan de Bronze Factory on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, Miami. These cigars are completely made by hand and are extremely limited, with production of only 200 boxes each month in four sizes; 50 boxes per size.
Even more unusual however, is the fact that the sharp-looking traditional cigar boxes are handmade in Miami as well, and the even the classic bands are manufactured in the United States. Continued

Are there still “readers” at Cuba’s cigar factories?

(Havana Times) Question: Could you please tell me if there are any people (lectores) that still read at the cigar factories? I heard that there is a reader at Partagas factory in Havana, but I can’t confirm this.
I am interested in visiting cigar factories all over the country, including Baracoa, and am especially interested in any that may possibly still have lectors. ...

Answer: Havana Times spoke with Jorge Rodríguez, manager of the Romeo and Julieta cigar factory. He said that all of the tobacco factories still have readers. Link

Montecristo Gran Reserva Cigars on Way to Stores

(Cigar Aficionado) Montecristo Gran Reservas, extra-aged, ultra-expensive versions of Montecristo No. 2s, are heading to cigar shops.
The cigars, which were presented to retailers and fans of Cuban cigars in grand fashion at the final dinner of the 2011 Habanos Festival in Cuba last February, are expected to reach many shelves before Christmas.
The same size as a regular Monte 2, 6 1/8 inches by 52 ring, the Gran Reservas are made with older tobaccos than those in a traditional Monte. Continued

La Flor Dominicana to release double claro cigar

(Examiner) La Flor Dominicana released a picture via their Twitter account of a new Double Claro cigar that they say will be released in January 2012.
Double claro cigars, otherwise known as candelas, are known for their pale green wrappers, and are rarely seen in the cigar market for a pair of reasons - most cigar smokers think cigars should have a purely brown color and are hesitant to buy them, and double claro/candela wrappers often have much lighter, grassier and occasionally vegetal flavors that not all cigar smokers are willing or able to enjoy. However ... Continued

Gift Ideas for the Cigar Lover from Nat Sherman

(JustLuxe) Is there a cigar lover on your Christmas list? New York City’s legendary tobacconist Nat Sherman has you covered. Their luxurious Townhouse on 42nd Street in Manhattan, a destination for gentlemen cigar aficionados for over 80 years, is well stocked with a selection of fine accessories that make perfect gifts. Highlights include the palladium plated S.T. Dupont Chinese Lacquer Lighter ($1,225), the design of which harks back to the Shang Dynasty (1046 BC). Continued

Altria Confirms Price Increase

(CSP) Altria Group Inc. has confirmed that the company is raising its cigarette prices, effective December 12. Pricing will increase five cents per a pack across all cigarette brands, according to company spokesperson Greg Mathe.
L&M took a change in its off-invoice promotion allowance by 21 cents per a pack. He declined to comment on the reasoning behind the changes. Continued

Malawi musicians fundraise for tobacco farmers

(The Daily Times) It was a mixture of fun, dance and laughter when the Black Missionaries popularly known as Ma Blacks recently held a fundraising show for tobacco farmers in Lilongwe.
... He said PTGA will give loans to tobacco farmers which will enable them buy farm inputs such as fertilisers and seeds. He cited how tobacco sales have not been very successful for most farmers as not all sold their tobacco so it created challenges in sourcing money to finance their subsistence farming. Continued

Molotov Cocktail Cigar From Manuel Quesada

(Cigar Aficionado) S.A.G. Imports Inc., the distributor of Quesada Cigars, is putting the final touches on a limited-edition line of cigars called Q d’etat—a play on the concept of “coup d’etat”—in an attempt to help unite cigar smokers in support of their rights.
There will be just 1,000 boxes released, each with ten cigars, and there will be three sizes in the line. So far the company is not releasing names or specs on the second and third installments, but it has revealed that the first release will be called the Molotov, a reference to the Molotov cocktail. Continued

Why cigar size matters more than ever

(The Economist) A GOOD cigar should be smoked slowly and relished, reckoned Zino Davidoff, a Swiss tobacco merchant; a puff a minute is about right, according to his 1967 “Guide to Cigar Etiquette”. But fewer people are sparing the time. Cigar sales have declined by a fifth in the past five years—part of a general decline in smoking. Yet miniature cigars are holding steady. They now make up 60% of the British cigar market, according to Nielsen, a research firm. Continued

Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Step Up Transplanting

(allAfrica.com) TOBACCO growers have stepped up transplanting following delays caused by late rains, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board has said.
TIMB chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri said as of Friday last week, about 22 000 hectares had already been planted out of this year's target of 70 000ha. Traditionally, tobacco planting officially ends on December 31. Continued

History of the Calabash

(briarbooks.com) The History of the Calabash Pipe is a fascinating story of one of the least understood pipes that ever graced the pipe racks of tobacco smokers. Author Gary B. Schrier uncovers the origins of the eccentric-gourd pipe made famous by Edwardian-era British pipe manufactories and the Sherlock Holmes character.
With this second edition, every aspect of this absolute pipeman's requisite is covered in-depth, including the discovery, gourd agriculture, design evolution, materials, manufacture--past and present, commercial-trade channels, the makers, brand identification with an expanded English-hallmark guide, insight into the Sherlock Holmes connexion along with a colorful pastiche, the photographic profiles of three pipe collections from well-know figures in the hobby, famous admirers, a section of questions and answers, along with a scholarly index--a must-read for every pipe collector and smoker ane a long-awaited update to the knowledge base of Pipedom. Link

Partnership for Ploom and Japan Tobacco International

(JT International) Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Ploom announced today that they have entered into a strategic agreement. Under the exclusive long-term cooperation agreement, JTI will commercialize Ploom's new generation smoking alternative products outside the United States. As part of the agreement, JTI has taken a minority stake in Ploom.
Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco, Ploom designs and develops pocket-sized smoking devices that heat tobacco contained in pods to a constant temperature, vaporizing nicotine and flavor without burning the materials or producing smoke. Ploom was originally developed by Adam Bowen and James Monsees while graduate students at Stanford University. Continued

America's Heartland: Connecticut Tobacco Farm (Video)

Say "tobacco farming" and people usually think of leafy fields in the south and southeast. But Connecticut farmers have been raising a particular type of tobacco for more than a century.

Di Fazio Cigars is Now in Washington D.C.

(PRWEB) Di Fazio Cigars is definitely in an expansion mode and this time it has targeted Washington DC to have all the ligas and vittolas present in the most upscale and prestigious stores of the city. These magnificent cigars are now present in California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Nevada and New York and in more than one hundred and seventy stores nationwide.
"We are constantly working to improve the offerings of premium hand made cigars to our customers with very well built and designed cigars that will definetely enrich your smoking experience" says Carmelo Di Fazio, president of Di Fazio Cigar Corp. "Rest assure that the quality is there and look forward for our new release, the Barroco Box Pressed 6x56, which we will launch at Signature Cigars DC this coming Thursday from 4 pm to 8pm ET.
I will be there to show you the Di Fazio Cigars including the Picoso, the Maduro and the Conneticut in all its vittolas and the Barroco, our latest creation". After the brand was created three years ago the acceptance of these cigars has been consistently growing and now the brand is well known in different media places such as Cigar Aficionado and other related magazines. Cigars have been very well rated and as time goes by more stores want to have them in their offerings.
The price and quality of these cigars are in perfect harmony and is worth trying them.

U.S. Post-Harvest Tobacco Production Report

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) ... The highest state average among the four leading flue-cured states may have been harvested in the Old Dominion. Extension and state specialists and NASS all project the yield at 2,400 pounds per acre or close to it. That would put volume at NASS' figure of 46.8 million pounds, up from nearly 40 million pounds the year before. Plantings were up nearly 20%. Continued

Vintage Aged Cigars

(smokemag.com) After smoking thousands of cigars, talking with manufacturers for countless hours, and walking miles through tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Central America, it took a bottle of red wine to germinate retailer Mike Khalil's vision.
"The waiter asked us if we'd like a bottle from the vintage room," said Khalil, who retold a story from a 1999 trip to Las Vegas for the annual cigar industry trade show and a stop at Zeffirino Restaurant in the Venetian Hotel. "Everybody remarked how smooth and delicious the quality of taste was. When the waiter told me about the aging process it got me thinking. If the wine customer has the option to enjoy something that good, why can't the cigar smoker have the same opportunity?" Continued

County Gives Cigar Factory to Bartow

(The Ledger) County commissioners voted unanimously today to turn the former cigar factory building over to Bartow.
The historic building has been the center of discussion between preservationists and local government officials for nearly a decade.
... The agreement averted a plan by county officials to demolish the building along Third Avenue near East Church Street after Bartow officials missed a deadline for coming up with a plan for taking over the building. Continued

This Just In: Acting Easier Than Chopping Tobacco

(telegraph.co.uk) The 50-year-old, who is strongly tipped for an Oscar for his latest film The Descendants, said acting was a breeze compared to his early careers cutting tobacco or selling insurance.
"I cut tobacco for a living in Kentucky. That was hard work," Clooney told the Hollywood Reporter. Continued

The New Look of Nat Sherman Cigars

(Cigar Aficionado) Nat Sherman cigars have been sold via catalogues and discounters, but the New York City retailer is about to launch a new brick-and-mortar version of its cigar brand.
The cigar is called Nat Sherman Timeless Collection, a four-size line that will go on sale in a couple weeks. Continued

Photo by Kevin Carrico

Pranidhi Holdings and Pramod Jain want to take back bid for Golden Tobacco

MUMBAI (Economic Times) The hostile takeover story of Golden Tobacco, the maker of cigarette brands such as 'Panama' and 'Chancellor', has taken a new turn. Acquirers Pranidhi Holdings and Pramod Jain, who announced their bid two years ago, have recently written to capital market regulator Sebi, seeking its permission to withdraw the unsolicited open offer. Jain, a minority shareholder with a 6% stake in Sanjay Dalmia-controlled Golden Tobacco, has alleged that a substantial value of the company has eroded with the promoters resorting to a poison pill strategy after the offer was announced. Continued

Tobacco Review: Cornell & Diehl Red Odessa

(Cake & Dottle) Looking at the component tobaccos in Cornell & Diehl's Red Odessa, you'd think that this blend was a fairly standard Lat blend with some added Perique. It contains Red Virginia, Turkish, Latakia and Perique.
I know I did. In fact, my hope was that this was a decent Lat blend with Perique at a good price. A poor man's Artisan's Blend if you will. Continued

Captain Black Tobacco commercial with Billy Martin

Cuban Cigar Factories Close to Visitors

(Cigar Aficionado) Cuba’s cigar factories have been closed to tourist visits. According to Habanos S.A., the exporter of all Cuban cigars, the decision was made by Tabacuba, the governing agency for Cuba’s cigar factories.
Previously the Partagás, La Corona and H. Upmann cigar factories were open to tourists who paid a fee of 10 CUC ($10) for a tour. The policy is being reviewed. Continued

Cuban Machine Made Cigar Will Boast a New Image

(cadenagramonte.cu) Cuban machine made cigar Guantanamera will come out with a new image that highlights Cuban cultural traditions looking for greater promotion in the international market.
Mario Arcila Gonzalez, the marketing specialist of the enterprise commercializing the Cuban product, Empresa Internacional Cubana de Tabacos S.A. (ICT), told ACN Guantanamera cigars are made using high technology and that they comply with international standards.
With the new image, the cigars will come in a brown color similar to that of the leaves used for its confection. Continued

Smokeless Tobacco Sales Show No Signs of Dipping

(CSD) Sales of smokeless tobacco products keep increasing and convenience store operators are enjoying the ride.
But keeping that graph line headed north means keeping a wary eye on proposed federal regulations, keeping sets fresh, properly allocating shelf space, rotating product, keeping tabs on expiration dates and weeding out slow sellers.
Sounds like a full-time job. Continued

Next few days crucial to Historic Cigar Factory’s future

(Lakeland Ledger) The future of the Bartow Cigar Factory will be clearer by next week.
Polk County and Bartow officials were negotiating today on an agreement to finally turn the building over to the city. The sticking point has been liability because Polk County’s risk management staff didn’t want to be on the hook for any potential blowback if Bartow’s or private supporters’ fund-raising attempts don’t work out and an increasingly decaying, unsafe building remains. Continued

Mugabe’s Seized Farms Boost Profits at British American Tobacco

(Bloomberg) Robert Mugabe devastated Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry in 2000 by driving white farmers off their land and giving it to his allies. Now British American Tobacco Plc is profiting from tobacco grown on those properties.
BAT, through its partner Northern Tobacco Ltd., is among processors that buy from farms taken by backers of the 87-year- old president. In addition to purchasing the leaf, the companies lend to finance crops, even as the ousted white farmers retain title deeds. Continued