Amphora Tobacco Commercial

Blue mold threatens Lancaster County tobacco crop

(pennlive.com) Local farmers have to deal with yet another weather–related menace.
This time an unusually early and widespread appearance of blue mold threatens Lancaster County's $30 million tobacco crop.
The disease has been found growing in tobacco fields in southern Lancaster County and in Chester County where 90 percent of the state's tobacco is grown. Continued

Sommar snus (summer snus tobacco)

(Snus Girl) I got this can of Sommar Snus (summer snus) shipped to me from Henrik at Gotlandssnus 3 weeks ago. Just seeing the can gave me a "summer-feeling" and I just wish the weather was a little bit warmer here in Sweden right now.
Once I opened the can I feelt this lovely smell of wild strawberries, (called "Smultron" in Sweden). I also feel it smells a little bit like freshly cut grass (which reminds me, to remind F, he has to mow the lawn!)
I agree with Sarah that the Jakobsson's from gotlandssnus portions are a bit too big. Continued

Tobacco Art: Carl Spitzweg

(Eric Squires) The Romantic period of the first half of the 19th century was born in rebellion against the embrace of science, reason, and the advancing Industrial Revolution which defined the Age of Reason by itself embracing flights of dramatic fancy, emotional and philosophical turmoil, and an idealized (often unrealistic) Medievalism. But then the Romanticists of central Europe got all the Sturm und Drang they could handle, via bloody political upheaval. Following this came, unsurprisingly, another art movement (defined less by a fixed time period, and more by a central mood) which brushed all of that aside for a focus on quieter, more sentimental subject matter; the Biedermeier. Given the introspective nature of this movement, I wasn't entirely surprised to find plenty of pipes popping up in the works of one of its more famous figures, the autodidactic Bavarian artist Carl Spitzweg. Continued

Tobacco sales in AP gather momentum

(Hindu Business Line) Guntur, June 28: Tobacco auctions in Andhra Pradesh have gathered momentum during the past two to three weeks and so far 103 million kg have been sold on the floors at an average price of Rs 98.99 a kg.

According to Mr V. Kannaiah, Manager (Auctions), the performance was comparatively much better than last year, as it took 124 days then to market a similar quantity. The average price was, however, slightly higher last year at Rs 101.50 a kg.

He said exports orders had been received by the trade and therefore the auctions had picked up momentum of late. Continued 

Tobacco Before the Fall

(P&T) “Then you must smoke only at the tar pit,” she said. “It already smells bad there and you can do no harm.”

Adam hated the tar pit, so he started experimenting with fruit juices and various flowers until his tobacco smelled like cheap incense. “That’s much better,” said Eve.

Adam disagreed. “It tastes awful and smells strange. What’s that word you made up last week to describe fresh wildebeest dung?”

“Aromatic.” Continued 

Mid-season tobacco pests, the burning question of tank-mixes

(Southeast Farm Press) Tobacco budworm populations have been booming in our research plots this summer, and as they often are, tobacco budworm larvae are present in fields at or near topping.
The logical questions that follow these tobacco budworm populations is whether or not they need to be managed. Continued

La Aurora's 100 Años Cigar Back for a Limited Time

(Cigar Aficionado) When Dominican cigarmaker La Aurora turned 100 years old in 2003, the leaders of the company celebrated by creating a limited run of 400,000 cigars called Aurora 100 Años. Stocks of this heralded cigar are long gone, but thanks to some creative blending and exceedingly good wrapper leaf, La Aurora is bringing back the 100 Años line.
Like the original, it will consist solely of Dominican tobacco, featuring what La Aurora calls a “silky Dominican Corojo wrapper that has been aged four years.” Continued

How To Smoke A Cigar With Your Boss Without Looking Like An Amateur

(Business Insider) So you just closed your first big deal and it's time to celebrate. Your boss invites you upstairs to the boardroom where the executives are lined up at the long oak conference table, premium cigars by their sides to mark the occasion.
One by one they light up, oaky musks wafting, and finally it's your turn to spark your earthy blend. There's just one problem—you're totally clueless.
"The smoking is supposed to be the fun part," said Michael Herklots, world-class tobacconist and Executive Director of Retail and Brand Development at Nat Sherman, a cigar emporium in midtown Manhattan. "The last thing you want to do is fumble -- to light or cut the wrong end."
How does one avoid these fatal flubs? Continued

Shoe Peg Cigars and Their Many Makers

(Cigar History Museum) Shoe pegs are ¾” long wooden “nails” that in the 19th century and before were used in the manufacture of shoes and boots, especially to attach heels and soles. What do they have to do with cigars? And why name your cigar after them?
The answer lies in how a cigar is made. Cigars have rounded closed heads (the end that goes in a smoker’s mouth). The closed head requires a smoker to bite or cut the end of a cigar before he can light it and draw smoke through it. The bitten-off piece is spat onto the floor, where the small slippery lump stains the rug and otherwise annoys the woman of the house. A sloppy bite can loosen the wrapper or otherwise impair the smoking quality of the cigar.
Clever cigar engineers have worked on solving that problem almost as long as men have smoked cigars. Continued

In China, growing demand for cigars

(smartplanet) In an oak panelled room packed with slender boxes of imported cigars, Eric Li dons a pair of white gloves and gets to work. As manager of Cigar Legends, Beijing’s oldest dedicated Cigar Bar, Li’s stockroom contains a roll call of Dominican and Cuban brands: Montechristos jostling for shelf space with Cohibos and Macanudos.“Cigar smoking is a way of life, and a sign of success” Li explains as a Norah Jones record whispers in the background. Continued

November: A Festive Month for Partagás Cigars

Havana, Jun 26 (Prensa Latina) Already traditional, November will constitute a party for the Cuban Partagás cigars, especially during the celebration of the XXIII International Meeting for Clients and Friends of the House of the Cigar, announced tobacco industry executives.
Considered one of the most emblematic establishments for Cuban tobacco, The House of the Partagás Cigar, installed in the factory with a same name, means the first of the franchise in this Island, now with more than 140 in the entire world.
Inaugurated in 1991, the Partagás factory has a lot of history, starting from the creation of the brand in 1845 by Spanish Jaime Partagás, besides taking place at the present time even those pure Premium cigars in the same place of its origins. Continued

Oliva Creates New Serie V Cigar

(Cigar Aficionado) Oliva Cigars is expanding its Serie V line, the game-changer cigar that turned the company from a producer of bargain smokes into one that is known for making some of the cigar world’s most sought-after cigars.
... The cigars are named after Melanio Oliva, who is believed to be the first in the Oliva family to grow tobacco. Melanio Oliva grew tobacco in the 1800s on a small farm in San Juan y Martinez, Cuba, some of the best tobacco lands in the world. Continued

On Tobacco Pipe Photography Image Processing (with a tutorial)

(PfP) ... It is a common misconception among many people that good photographs come out of the camera, and that a great photographer doesn’t do any image processing – that it’s all done in-camera.
That’s bunk.
In my real job, I often hire first-rate commercial photographers, professionals who are paid far more than I am. They all post-process their images after the shoot or pay a professional image processor to do it for them, especially product photographers. That’s essentially the sort of photography we do when we photograph pipes: product photography.
While there are some image types that can be made nearly perfect in-camera, most can’t and most aren’t. Continued

La Sirena Cigars to Debut New Dominican-made Merlion

(Smke Magazine) La Sirena cigars and Dominican cigar maker La Aurora have teamed up to create a new cigar, Merlion, named after the mythical creature that is half lion and half mermaid.
Merlion will be rolled at La Aurora Cigar Factory utilizing six different types of tobacco. The wrapper is a silky-looking Ecuadorian Corojo, while the binder is Sumatra from Brazil. The filler has four different types of tobacco—Brazillian Bahia, Dominican Corojo, Dominican Criollo '98, and Nicaraguan ligero to add the strength that smokers expect from a La Sirena cigar. Continued

Malawi Tobacco Prices Fell 2.4% to $2.39 a Kilogram Last Week

(Bloomberg) Tobacco prices in Malawi, the world’s largest producer of the burley variety of the leaves, dropped 2.4 percent last week, Auction Holdings Ltd. said.
Prices fell to $2.39 a kilogram (2.2 pounds) in the period through June 22 from $2.45 a week earlier, the company, which manages the sale, said in a statement published in the Blantyre- based Daily Times newspaper today. It didn’t give a reason for the decline. Continued

Stanwell 84

(TPS) Here’s a pipe that I actually forgot was in the rotation. I had mislaid it at some point and found it today hiding away on the shelf above my whisky collection. Dusty and in need of a polish, I gave it a little tender loving care and decided the time was in to fill it up and smoke it again. It must be well dried by now. Reaching for the Dark Kentucky flake, I packed it and fired up. Heaven. Continued

Brick House to Offer "Teaser" Event Cigar

(Cigar Aficionado) J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is releasing a new size of Brick House, and it’s a short smoke designed to offer the smoker the foundations of the blend in a fraction of the time. The Teaser is 3 1/2 inches-long by 56 ring and is built like a Brick House but smokes for just a few minutes. It’s meant to give a quick taste of the Nicaraguan puro. 

J.C. Newman Cigar Co., the owner of the Brick House brand, says the cigars will pack the same complex flavors and aromas of as regular-sized cigar, and are designed to be “tasting” cigars. “Similar to a wine tasting,” they explain, “the size and blend gives the recipient just enough taste to experience the Brick House flavor.” Continued 

Discontinued: Thunder Coola Loose and Offroad Coffee Supreme Snus Tobacco

SnusCentral.org has learned that two of V2 Tobacco's snus offering are being delisted. Production of Offroad Coffee Supreme portion snus and Thunder Coola loose snus has been ended. Once retailer and V2 warehouse stock is depleted, these two snuses will fade into V2 snus history. Continued

Photo: Unidentified soldier of Laurel Brigade Virginia Cavalry Regiment with tobacco pouch (Library of Congress). 

Smokers Haven tobacco blends are again available

(APAP) For those of us who love Smokers Haven blends, it has been a long, dry patch without them. I ran out of all my blends years and years ago. Finally, three of the beloved blends are again available from Smokers Haven: Exotique, 20th Anniversary Blend, and In-Between.
I could not help but open the Exotique immediately. I love it. Love it. It is an English-Balkan blend that falls within the 759 style category – rich, layered with complexity, and full-flavored.
If you love looking at tobacco right after the tin is opened as I do, opening Exotique is a real treat Continued

Quesadas and Garcia Team Up for New Cigar Line

(Cigar Aficionado) Three of the most high-profile young ladies in the cigar business have collaborated to create a new, limited-edition cigar called Tres Reynas, which translates to “three queens.” The new project is the brainchild of Quesada sisters Patricia and Raquel of S.A.G. Imports in the Dominican Republic, along with Janny Garcia of My Father Cigars Inc. in Nicaragua.
“Janny is like a sister to us,” said Raquel Quesada. “We always have such a great time together, so we thought it would be fun to make a cigar that would represent our special bond. It is a project we have been discussing for a while and are so excited to finally be able to share it with the world.” Continued

Historian’s new book smokes out the reasons women take up tobacco

(Ottawa Citizen) Women didn’t — and still don’t — take up smoking because they’re naive, ill-informed or duped by advertisers or peer pressure.
“Women take up smoking because it does a lot for them. It’s empowering to women,” says historian Sharon Anne Cook, distinguished professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of Sex, Lies and Cigarettes, a new book that traces the relationship between Canadian women, tobacco and popular culture from 1880 to 2000.
The relationship is a complex one. Continued

Z-Plus Cigar Lighter Inserts

(Cigar Aficionado) Do you own an old Zippo lighter that you’ve always wanted to revive, but never got around to it? If so, then we suggest the new Z-Plus insert, an affordable device that breathes new life into your tired Zippo by making it a cigar-friendly torch.
The Z-Plus insert is simple to set up and runs on butane rather than lighter fluid, so there is no risk of altering your cigar's taste. You just remove the fluid/flint lighting unit from your Zippo case, slide the Z-Plus in its place, lock the arm, and voila!, a new torch lighter. Continued

Smoking Cigars Like Churchill in Cuba

(David Savona) ... The legend of Churchill (who once lived above what would become the Sautter shop, according to the store's biography) inspired Davis to rent the Presidential Suite at the Nacional during the Festival, and he gathered his people from the store and a few guests to recreate a dinner Churchill held there in February 1946.
We sipped Pol Roget Champagne and smoked our cigars, then moved from the spacious patio into the dining room portion of the suite, with its table set for 12, to dine as the great statesman did so many years ago. Continued

Ask G. L. Pease June 2012

(G.L. Pease) As I put the finishing touches on this installment of Ask G.L. Pease, I’m also finishing up the last bowl of an old fave, a no longer produced blend, from a tin dating to 2004. In the past month, I’ve burned through this one, and two similar tins from early and late 2001.
It’s been an interesting experience for me. I’m intimately familiar with the tobacco, as it’s one of my own. I knew it in its infancy, I know it in its relative maturity (anything over five years can certainly be considered mature for a latakia mixture, and this particular one won’t touch the borders of the state of senility for at least another decade), and I’ve known it at all stages in between. Continued

Philip Morris to Introduce Lower-Risk Cigarettes by 2017

(Bloomberg) Philip Morris International Inc. (PM), the world’s largest tobacco company, said it plans to sell a new type of cigarette that poses lower health risks by 2017.
The company is developing three products that would be sold under existing brands such as Marlboro, and the most advanced is a cigarette that heats tobacco rather than burning it, Chief Operating Officer Andre Calantzopoulos said in a speech prepared for a meeting today with investors in Lausanne, Switzerland. Continued 

London cigar merchant sells rare Beatles cigar collection

(BeatlesNews.com) Mitchell Orchant, the owner of C.Gars Ltd of London, has sold a shadow box containing 25 very rare Beatles cigars for £600.00 (about $950.00). He recently picked up this exceptional framed presentation box from an antiques collector in the UK. 
According to the information on the back of the frame, these cigars were presented to Charles Berman for his work on The Beatles second movie, HELP!, that premiered in London on July 29th 1965. This is believed to be the last surviving presentation cabinet of these cigars. Continued

In Japan, Your Tobacco Comes with a Sexy Twist

(weirdasianews.com) ... Cigarettes are so popular that they have vending machines in almost every neighborhood within the city. But even so, hand-rolled tobacco, or “shag,” as people call it, is not that much of a tradition in Japan.
Smoke Fresh Hands, Japan’s first hand-rolled cigarette bar, offers not only a humidity-controlled smoking environment but also something that might make even the non-smoker want a cigarette or two — hot girls who help you roll your cigarettes. Continued

A Short History of Red Dot Cigars

(Cigar History Museum) The first RED DOT cigar made it’s on-counter debut around 1905, the brainchild and blend of the Barnes-Smith Co., a small 20 man cigar factory recently-established in Binghamton, New York. The so-called “Parlor City” was a prime location for a factory, right in the middle of New York State’s top tobacco region. Blue collar and anti-union, the city had rail and canals to move goods. What passed for roads in 1905 were good enough to permit local deliveries to be made by auto, the same way most cigar salesmen were beginning to get around. ... Barnes-Smith and RED DOT quickly found a strong market for what fans described as the cigar’s lightly sweet ever-so-slightly minty blend. Continued 

Photo: uglyhedgehog.com

House panel warns FDA off regulating premium cigars

WASHINGTON (McClatchy) A congressional committee moved Tuesday to exempt so-called "premium hand-rolled cigars" from oversight by the Food and Drug Administration.
The carve-out, backed in large part by lawmakers from Florida with close ties to cigar makers, wouldn't outright prohibit the FDA from regulating the fancy cigars sold primarily at high-end tobacco shops.
But there's a stern warning in the language accompanying an FDA spending bill that the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed Tuesday: "The committee reminds FDA that premium cigars have unique characteristics and cost-prohibitive price points and are not marketed to kids. Any effort to regulate cigars should take these items into consideration." Continued

First Look at L'Atelier, Pete Johnson's Newest Cigar

Pete Johnson, the owner of Havana Cellars and the Tatuaje cigar brand, is starting a new company, and Cigar Insider has all the details on its flagship brand.
Called L’Atelier Imports, the new company will be headquartered in Miami, rather than Los Angeles, where Havana Cellars is based. The company plans to debut a flagship brand, also called L'Atelier, that will be rolled at My Father Cigars from all-Nicaraguan filler and binder and wrapped in Ecuadoran leaf. Continued

Tobacco Art: Katsushika Hokusai

(Eric Squires) When we think of pipes in art, it's easy for our first thoughts to be of images specifically from Western works. From Adriaen Brouwer's unflinching scenes of early 17th-century hedonism, to the stylized Cubist still-lifes of Juan Gris, to the sentimental illustrations of Norman Rockwell, the tobacco pipe has indeed seen great popularity in the art of Europe and the Americas alike. The Occidental world, however, hardly has had a monopoly on the enjoyment of tobacco - indeed being responsible for its dissemination across the globe. Of course, the people of each culture that adopted the pipe also adapted it to suit their own tastes, their environment, and their supply of tobacco itself. Continued 

What exactly is a toothy cigar wrapper?

(Cigar Aficionado) ... Certain types of wrapper tobacco naturally develop pockets of oil that look like little bumps on their leaves. These pockets, called "tooth," are most frequently found on Cameroon-seed wrapper grown in Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Continued 

Northerner Wintergreen Snus Tobacco Review

(Snus Girl) ... A perfect blend of small, discreet and dry makes for an enjoyable snusing experience for those who love snus but hate all the side effects associated with some of the other heavier brands. What I found unusual was the fact that this variety discourages refrigeration. I was under the impression that all snus had to be kept cold in order to preserve freshness, but not this one. Dry is the main priority which makes it perfect for work or travel when refrigeration is not an option. I have never tasted any of the other northerner products in this range but I enjoyed the taste of this one. The smell of it is far more fierce then the taste. Continued 

McClelland - Dark Navy Flake Tobacco Review

(Video by Mr. Tobacco AKA Glen Who Likes Tobacco etc.)

Nicaragua and Miami In Future For Eiroa Cigars

(Cigar Aficionado) Christian Eiroa's Tabacaleras Unidas, the company behind his new CLE brand of cigars, has plans for several cigar lines, including Nicaraguan puros, a new factory in Honduras and a boutique brand rolled in Miami.
Eiroa is involved with Asylum Cigars, which was created by Kevin Baxter and Tom Lazuka. Asylum is coming out with three cigar lines, each of which is a Nicaraguan puro. Two are premium, and one is made from short-filler tobacco. Continued

Amsterdam tobacconist - La Casa del Habano

(Video by Dubinthedam)

Watch Out for Father's Day Cigar Spam

(PC Magazine) Cyber-scammers are gearing up for Father's Day this Sunday with a new spam campaign promising dads a box of premium cigars.
Sophos researchers have intercepted a large number of "Buy your Dad a cigar" spam over the past few days, Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, wrote on Naked Security. The spam campaign offers 12 premium cigars, a lighter, and a cutter for just $19.95. When the unsuspecting recipients click on the link in the email message, thinking they have found the perfect gift for dad, they are routed to gambling websites, Cluley said. Continued

Renegade Tobacco owner Calvin Phelps may serve up to 43 years

(Winston-Salem Journal) Calvin Phelps, owner of four bankrupt Mocksville tobacco companies, pled guilty Thursday to federal charges of committing fraud, making false statements and unlawful financial transactions.
According to Phelps' plea agreement, he faces up to 43 years in prison and a requirement to forfeit up to $2 million of his money.
The plea was made in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, where Phelps has been the subject of a criminal investigation for nearly four years.
Companies involved in the scheme were Alternative Brands Inc., Renegade Holdings Inc., Renegade Tobacco Co., and Cutting Edge Enterprises Inc. Continued

The New Old Guys: Ventura Cigar Company

(Cigar Aficionado) Ventura Cigar Co., the new California company behind the launch of the new Pura Sangre and Estilo Cubano premium cigar brands, may not be a familiar name to many cigar smokers, but the startup is the brainchild of storied companies with long histories of selling cigars and tobacco products.
Ventura is a subsidiary of Kretek International Group Inc., a Moorpark, California company that has been selling tobacco products for three decades, mostly to convenience store chains. Kretek has a very big business selling little clove cigars under the brand name Djarum. Kretek is an Indonesian word for a clove cigarette—the word is meant to describe the crackling sound made by burning cloves contained in the cigarette. Continued

Philip Morris USA, Reynolds Raise Cigarette Prices

(CSN) In a move that was not completely unexpected, Philip Morris USA has increased its cigarette list price 6 cents across all its brands. The hike, which is equals approximately 2 to 3 percent, goes into effect Monday, June 18. Continued

(Winston-Salem Journal) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. said Thursday it will raise the list price on seven of its cigarette brands by 6 cents, effective Monday.
The list price is geared toward wholesale and direct-buying customers.
Reynolds spokesman David Howard said the brands affected by the increase are Camel, Doral, GPC, Kool, Pall Mall, Salem and Winston brands. It is raising the list price on Camel Snus, a smokeless tobacco product, by 10 cents a tin. Continued

Cigar seller moves up supply chain

(pe.com) Riverside entrepreneur Bill Bromley developed a taste for cigars during smoke breaks on construction sites when he was in his 20s.
He turned his hobby into a business in 2006 when he took over operation of the Mission Tobacco Lounge in the city’s downtown. Now, Bromley, 35, is moving further up the supply chain with his own brand of cigars and a partnership in a manufacturing facility in Honduras. Continued

New Punch Cigar for the U.K.: Medalla d'Oro

(Cigar Aficionado) A new Punch cigar has made its way to Great Britain, just in time for the Summer Olympics, which are coming to London in 44 days. The Punch Medalla d'Oro had its official launch on May 31 at the summer party thrown by Hunters & Frankau, the importer of Cuban cigars into the United Kingdom. It is now in stock in British shops. Continued

Cigar maker Davidoff boosted by Asian sales

(Reuters) Oettinger Davidoff Group, the world's biggest premium cigar maker, reported slightly higher full-year sales driven by growing demand from Asia and the United States.
"Asia is growing strongly, as did our single biggest market, the U.S., while Europe, with the exception of Spain, held up well," a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday.
The Basel-based family owned group, which makes Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, Griffin's, Zino and Winston Churchill cigars, said that while the number of cigars it manufactured at its factories in the Dominican Republic rose by 6.8 percent, sales in Swiss francs fell 2.3 percent to 1.29 billion Swiss francs ($1.34 billion) as the strength of the currency took its toll. Continued

Peter Stokkebye Bullseye Tobacco Review

Review of Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake Tobacco etc.

Cigar Connoisseur's Corner: A Massive Montecristo Scores 98 Points

(Cigar Aficionado) Unlike fine wines, which are typically the product of one vintage year, most great cigars are made by blending tobacco from different crops. While that alone makes vintage dating harder to determine in the cigar industry, there are years that are known for higher quality than others. We smoked four cigars from the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly superb years for Havana smokes, and were quite smitten with the results. Continued

Interview with J. Thomas Ryan of Swisher Cigars

(jaxdailyrecord.com) ... The plant moved here in 1924 and the Swisher family was involved in the business at the time. They had the plant in Toledo, Ohio. The story is that Carl Swisher came to Jacksonville because a lot of the tobacco that we were using in some of our products came from Florida.

The story goes that the mayor was driving down the street and he (Swisher) was interested in talking to him. He jumped on his running board and was able to get an audience with the mayor and they hit it off pretty good. Continued 

Canadians make a big tobacco sale to China

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) ... The sale appears overdue to some observers, since the bright leaf Ontario growers produce always seemed a good fit for the Chinese demand for “lemon” leaf. Grand River Enterprise delegations visited China three times last year and found officials there mistakenly believed tobacco was no longer grown in Canada, president Steve Williams told the Simcoe (Can.) Observer. “[But] the Ontario tobacco growing industry is starting to work again. We’re looking forward to a very long working relationship.” Almost all Canadian tobacco is flue-cured and almost all is grown in Ontario.  Continued

Peterson 2012 Summer Time Tobacco Blend

Peterson 2012 Summer Time Tobacco Blend

Hoyo de Monterrey Cigar Relaunched in Mexico

(Prensa Latina) Havana Cigar aficionados in Mexico will be able to enjoy from Friday one of its top brands, Hoyo de Monterrey, which was relaunched here.
During the ceremony, held at the Embassy of Cuba, Ambassador, Manuel Aguilera, highlighted qualities of Havana cigras, which is the best in the world, as experts agree. Continued

Renegade Tobacco trustee reaches agreement with five states

(Winston-Salem Journal) Peter Tourtellot, the trustee for three bankrupt Mocksville tobacco companies, said in a legal filing Thursday that he has come to an escrow agreement with five states, including North Carolina.
As a result, North Carolina could receive $6.58 million — or about 40 percent of the $16.7 million delinquent escrow amount being requested by the National Association of Attorneys General for 16 states.
The combined amount for Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky and Utah was $32,453. North Carolina's escrow share is much larger because a significant amount of Alternative Brand's sales took place in the state. Continued

Alec Bradley American Cigars Go Sun Grown

(Cigar Aficionado) Alec Bradley Cigars is releasing a new, bolder version of its American Classic brand and it will feature a darker wrapper and more spice.
The Alec Bradley American Sun Grown Blend will have a Nicaraguan core of Estelí and Condega filler tobaccos and a Jalapa binder, the same as found on the Alec Bradley American Classic. But instead of a Honduran Connecticut seed wrapper, American Sun Grown will wear a sun-grown Habano leaf from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua, making them Nicaraguan puros. Continued

Kentucky tobacco farmers provide model for deregulation, increased production and profit

(phys.org) ... "The farmers who stayed began growing specialty tobacco used for cigars or chewing tobacco," Kirwan said. "The niche markets for tobacco haven't been hit as hard as the main cigarette market so without the quota system, restrictions were lifted. Farmers no longer had to grow only burley tobacco; they could diversify in chewing tobacco or cigar tobacco, which are specialty, higher-value tobaccos." Continued

London to Host World’s Largest Auction of Boxes of Sealed Vintage Havana Cigars

(smokemag.com) The gavel will go down on 150 boxes of rare pre-embargo Havana cigars at C.Gars Ltd.’s sixth auction at Boisdale Canary Wharf, London on July 2.
Mitchell Orchant, managing director of auction sponsor and cigar merchant C.Gars Ltd., says there will also be “a good and wide selection of much sought-after Davidoff and Dunhill premium cigars, all kept—like the Havanas—in perfect condition.” Continued

Judge: Tobacco companies aren't in danger of liquidation

GREENSBORO (Winston-Salem Journal) A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge said Tuesday he doesn't believe three bankrupt Mocksville tobacco companies are in danger of liquidation.
The ruling by Judge William Stocks gives Renegade Holdings Inc., Renegade Tobacco Co. and Alternative Brands Inc. at least another six weeks to try to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time. ... The companies have a combined 94 employees, down from 140 when they initially entered bankruptcy in January 2009. Continued

Zippo manufactures its 500 millionth lighter

(AP) Zippo Manufacturing Co. in northwestern Pennsylvania has produced its 500 millionth lighter.
The brass case of the lighter, plated with brushed chrome, was stamped with the time that it was finished on Tuesday: 10:51 a.m.
The family-owned company's 620 workers lined up in Bradford, about 130 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and handed the case and the lighter's innards down a human conveyor line to company President Greg Booth. Continued

Photo by Raf.f

Miami-Made Panetela from La Palina Cigars

(Cigar Aficionado) La Palina is set to launch a limited batch of cigars, each of them made in Miami by the same cigar roller. Called the La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No. 2, the cigars were all rolled by Maria Sierra, who learned the art of rolling thin, elegant smokes at the hallowed home of the size, El Laguito, the Cuban cigar factory in the Miramar neighborhood of Havana.
Sierra started rolling cigars in 1967. Continued

Thunder Cool Orange Snus Tobacco Review

(Snus Girl) I was visiting V2 tobacco in Denmark last week. If I were to describe the trip in one word, it's probably AMAZING. I’ll tell you more about my visit to the factory later. I really admire the V2 tobacco brothers. They feel so very creative, imaginative and forward. Continued

Where Your Tobacco Comes From

(Russ Ouellette) Tobacco comes from all over the world, but some people might be surprised by where certain tobaccos are grown. It’s fairly common knowledge that an experiment to try to grow Oriental varietals in the United States failed miserably when the transplanted seeds brought forth tobacco that was more like Burley than Smyrna or Bashi Bagli. Other strains, however, have faced greater success when grown elsewhere with unique characteristics that made them very useful and valuable in a wide range of blends. Here’s an overview of the different types of component leaves and where they’re grown. Continued

Dona Flor Cigars Back

(Cigar Aficionado) After a long absence from the U.S. market and a lengthy trademark lawsuit, Dona Flor cigars are ready to come back to retail thanks to new distributor Dona Flor USA.
The Dona Flor brand, which is made by Brazil’s Menendez Amerino y Cia., first hit U.S. tobacconists in 2005 via American distributor Brazil Cigars & Tobacco LLC. But a trademark dispute between the manufacturer and the Florida-based distributor has kept the brand in turmoil since 2007. Continued

Zimbabwe Earns $362 Million From Tobacco Sales Since Feb. 15

(Bloomberg) Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe earned $362 million from sale of the leaves so far this year, the Tobacco Marketing and Industry Board said.
 ... Zimbabwe, which sells tobacco that vies for quality with the U.S. crop, has sold 96.3 million kilograms of mainly flue- cured Virginia tobacco this year, the marketing body said, without giving a comparative figure. Continued 

Padilla Restructures Entire Cigar Portfolio

(Cigar Aficionado) Boutique brand maker Ernesto Padilla made a pivotal decision last November—he stopped production of his signature lines. The Padilla Miami, 1932, Dominus and Artemis, cigars that put his company on the map, have all been cancelled. Padilla discontinued them quietly and has since been restructuring his entire company portfolio.
Today, Padilla is looking for a fresh start, and he’s preparing to introduce three new cigar lines this summer at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in Orlando, Florida. Continued