Flawless Briar, Right?

(TPS) Well no. At least, not often these days although they can be found. Flawless pipes. But that is getting to be a rarity as the quality of briar is dwindling rapidly and I hear from pipe makers all over Denmark that are complaining about the blocks they are buying from Italy, Sicily, Tunisia and Morocco and other places south of my present location. The best of it was Corsican but production there stopped about four years ago.
There are a number of things that can ruin a block of briar. Continued

Eddie Ortega, President of EO Cigars, Resigns

(Cigar Aficionado) Eddie Ortega, the man behind such boutique cigars as 601, Cubao and Murcielago, has stepped down as president of EOBrands Inc. and left his partnership with Eric Espinosa in order to strike out on his own.
Ortega told Cigar Aficionado that he will be leaving EO and starting Ortega Cigars, a small company headquartered in Sunrise, Florida. Continued

Villiger cigar profits up

(World Radio Switzerland) Lucerne-based cigar company Villiger weathered the strong franc last year, booking 220 million francs in revenue.
That’s up 22 percent.
The company sold 1.3 billion cigars, 30 percent more than in 2010. Continued

Jungle Smokes Launches New Online Store for Affordable, High-Quality Honduran Cigars

(PRWEB) Why waste money buying "high-end" cigars or risk breaking the law smuggling Cubans, when Jungle Smokes' Honduran Cigars provide an unmatched sensory sensation?
Jungle Smokes' hand rolled cigars have three types of carefully selected tobacco, which impart a full-bodied aroma that everyone from the aficionado to the beginner can enjoy.
The online cigar shop sells everything from singles to packs of 50, with prices starting as low as $1.60 per cigar. The combination of fine flavor and low cost is unexpected, but much appreciated by those looking for the perfect "daily cigar" and those hesitant about shopping online. Continued

Basic Tobacco Blending Tips

(Mr. Tobacco) A video on how i blend, flavour and mature tobaccos.

Tobacco firms' trustee plans reorganization

(Winston-Salem Journal) The trustee for three bankrupt Mocksville tobacco manufacturers is trying once again to get the companies out of Chapter 11 protection.
But an escrow dispute involving the National Association of Attorneys General has become a big legal hurdle to exiting bankruptcy.
Peter Tourtellot filed a reorganization plan Monday that could enable Renegade Holdings Inc., Renegade Tobacco Co. and Alternative Brands Inc. to emerge from bankruptcy as early as late March. The companies have a combined 101 employees. Continued

Top 10 UK cigar bars

(thedrinksbusiness.com) Offering a legal destination for cigar lovers to indulge their hobby in comfort, these COSAs (Comfortable Outdoor Smoking Areas) are quickly emerging as a must-have for venues old and new.
Canny drinks brands are also capitalising on this cigar renaissance: just like the restaurateurs, hoteliers and clubs, they recognise the valuable revenue opportunities presented by natural partnership their product offers with the cigar occasion. Read on to discover the UK’s top 10 COSA destinations. Continued

New Padrón Cigar: 60 Ring No. 4

(Cigar Aficionado) Padrón Cigars Inc. is adding a size called the No. 4 to its immensely popular and highly rated Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series of cigars.
But unlike Cuban cigars bearing that name, which are diminutive petit coronas measuring 5 1/8 inches long by 42 ring, these cigars will be among the biggest ever made by Padrón, 6 inches long by 60 ring gauge.
The No. 4 will become the first new Padrón Anniversary since the launch of the Toro two years ago. Continued

Address Hotel opens new cigar lounge

(TradeArabia) Leading five-star premium hotel, The Address Downtown Dubai, has opened The Cigar Lounge, which has a stylish ambience that is heightened by strains of jazz and lounge music.
Philippe Zuber, general manager, The Address Downtown Dubai, said: “The Cigar Lounge is where business associations can be strengthened, camaraderie fostered, or one can relax totally, pampering oneself with their favourite after-work indulgences.”
Located on level 13 with the added convenience of Al Fresco seating, it is set to become the definitive destination for the city’s trend-setters and connoisseurs, offering a one-of-its-kind views of Burj Khalifa.
The menu includes premium beverages and a choice of the finest cigars from around the world, a statement from the hotel said. Continued

Tobacco Art: Stone Lithography

(CBLB) Most cigar box label enthusiasts have a fairly knowledgeable understanding of the lithographic process. Alois Senefelder, the inventor of stone lithography (1776), created a process of drawing images on to a stone surface using greasy inks or crayons.
Printing ink was then applied to the stone surface which adhered to the greasy drawing while being repelled by the wet areas. Later chromo-lithography was used where a different stone was used for each color.
What is not too common knowledge is during the mid 19th century there were actually other methods for creating images on a flat stone surface. Continued

A Rolling Debate: Consumer shops versus big tobacco

(Richmond Times-Dispatch) ... The rolling machines and cheaper smokes have put Tobacco Direct and stores like it in Virginia and other states at the center of a fierce, national controversy that highlights the complexities surrounding tobacco regulation and taxation.
That debate is now playing out in the Virginia General Assembly, with lawmakers so far voting against the roll-your-own businesses and for the views of tobacco companies such as Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., the parent company of top U.S. cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, who say the shops are evading taxes and regulation.
But Tobacco Direct's co-owner and manager, Eddie Siu, said his Chesterfield County store is offering convenience and affordability to people who like to roll their own smokes.
"We are not trying to get more people to smoke," Siu said. "Instead, we are trying to offer savings for people who already smoke and might be struggling in this economy." Continued

As Claims Add Up, Tobacco Is Connecticut's Big Crop

(Hartford Courant) Tropical Storm Irene swamped pumpkin patches, mangled apple trees and flattened corn fields, and combined with other extreme weather events in 2011 it might be a good guess that last year was the worst ever for insured crop damage. Across the nation, it was indeed a record.
But as the numbers nearly tallied, the wreckage last year wasn't nearly as expensive to Connecticut's crops as the blue-mold scourge of 2009 that ravaged tobacco. Farmers in the state received $4.3 million in claims last year, a number that will rise, but nowhere near the total of $14 million two years earlier.
That's not to say Irene wasn't devastating to Connecticut agriculture. It was. It's just that Connecticut broadleaf and shade tobacco is far and away more expensive than any other crop, and the world famous cigar-wrapper leaves were mostly harvested by the time Irene blasted over the state in late August 2011. Continued

Photo: New England hurricane. Tobacco barn in Connecticut, August, 1938 (Library of Congress).

Vintage Dr. Grabow Commercial

Habanos cigar sales drop in 2011

(cubastandard.com) Apparently struck by the economic crisis in Europe, revenues of Habanos S.A. dropped 10.3 percent in 2011, despite a 4-percent rise in sales of Cuban luxury cigars outside the European Union last year, Imperial Tobacco Ltd. said in its 2011 annual report.
The company had reported a 2-percent rise of Cuban luxury cigar sales for the six months ended March 31, 2011.
Even so, the Corporación Habanos S.A. joint venture, of which UK-based Imperial Tobacco holds half, doubled its after-tax profits last year. Continued

Museum opened to show Australia's old tobacco growing industry

(ABC) A museum to the now defunct tobacco growing industry has opened at Mareeba on Queensland's Atherton Tablelands.
It's now illegal to grow tobacco in Australia, after the Government elected to buyout and shut down the declining industry in 2006.
For decades tobacco was the main produce grown on the tablelands, and at its peak was worth $50 million dollars a year. Continued

Tobacco warehouses' new life is good news for Petersburg

PETERSBURG, Va. (WTVR) A construction boom has been been underway in Petersburg for the last three years
That's where old tobacco warehouses, some of which have sat vacant for decades, have become prime real estate – and major assets for the city.
In fact, phase one of the old Brown and Williamson Tobacco Warehouse opened Wednesday. Continued

Tobacco firms to explore patent settlement

(Reuters) Star Scientific Inc, a maker of smokeless and dissolvable tobacco products, said a federal court referred its patent infringement case with a unit of Reynolds American Inc to a magistrate judge for possible settlement.
The news sent Star Scientific's shares up as much as 39 percent in afternoon trade on the Nasdaq.
The lawsuit concerns two of Star Scientific's patents on tobacco-leaf curing methods that claim to prevent the formation of cancer-causing chemicals during the process. Continued

McCelland - Blue Mountain Tobacco Review

(Mr. Tobacco) My review of McCelland - Blue Mountain. What a smoke, almost like pure Latakia. Loved every bit if it, even my poor packing :)

Puro Vintage cigars from La Aurora Ships

(Cigar Aficionado) On January 19, distributor Miami Cigar & Co. shipped out the first boxes of the new Aurora Puro Vintage 2004, a double-tapered 6 1/2 inch by 52 ring Salomon-shaped cigar made in the Dominican Republic at the La Aurora S.A. factory.
This is the second release of the Puro Vintage since the 2003 edition hit the market in 2009. Continued

Cigars: The Heart and Soul of Cuba: An Interview with James Suckling

(Caribbean Journal) While Cuban cigars are renowned the world over for their quality and their history, the process of how Cuban cigars are made – and just what they mean to the Cuban people – have remained largely unexplored, particularly in film.
But thanks to the efforts of James Suckling – one of the world’s leading experts on cigars (and wine), viewers of his new film, Cigars: The Heart & Soul of Cuba, get a unique glimpse into the culture and production of habanos. Suckling, the former European Editor at Cigar Aficionado and now the pioneer of a new media venture, JamesSuckling.com, that provides cutting-edge analysis of wine and cigars, guides the film, which was written and directed by noted Canadian director James Orr.
To learn more, Caribbean Journal talked to Suckling about Cuban cigars, their importance to the Cuban people and what makes them one of the most sought-after products in the world. Continued

Photo: Cuban band members play on the Plaza de la Cathedral in Havana, Cuba, 2010 (Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress).

Certainties and Bets of a Cuban Cigar Man

Pinar del Río, Cuba, Jan 25 (Prensa Latina) Far from expressing any vanity, Hector Luis Prieto, the world's youngest Habano Man (the Cuban cigar is called an "Habano), says he feels optimistic about the results of the tobacco harvest in his legendary plantation in western Cuba.
After concluding the picking of covered tobacco, he announced that the volumes exceed those of previous harvests, in spite of delays caused by the inclemency of the weather.
Though it is still too soon for an appraisal, the farmer says the harvest was abundant and the quality of leaves was the best. Continued

Behind Cigarettes' Brands

(CSP) Newport Non-Menthol continues to hang in, Marlboro's promotions will keep building share and Pall Mall's performance is increasing, according to retailers in the latest UBS-CSP Tobacco Survey.
Continued

Photo: http://lamarde.com/

Clear Havana cigars in Chestnut Hill? Here’s How

(Patch) “Ask us about our Legal Cubans” says a sign on the door of B’n’B International Cigars, the newish tobacco retailer on the 7900 block of Germantown Avenue. Last week, we obliged them.
Their story goes like this: The storied Cuban cigar became illegal in 1962 when the embargo with Cuba went into effect and has remained so ever since. That is until Paul Magier, a New Jersey-based tobacco merchant and owner of Puros de Armando Ramos cigars, found a loophole. This particular loophole was a warehouse. Continued

Modest Cigar Price Hikes Planned for 2012

(Cigar Aficionado) ... In addition to the the rising costs of raw materials, cigarmakers said the increase costs of manufacturing and shipping factored in on the decision to raise prices. Continued

Tobacco History: Middle East Cigar Themes

(National Cigar History Museum) Not many boxes used a mid-east them; those that did were mostly in the 1920s after Tutankhamun and Howard Carter sparked public interest in Egypt especially, but neighboring cultures as well. The region at that time was largely run by Europeans, and populated by people who were tired of that. Continued

Skruf Stark Loose Snus Tobacco Review

(snusauthority.com) ... Skruf Stark loose contains 10mg of nicotine per gram of snus, and has 42 grams of snus per can, making it a strong variety of snus. Since loose snus is generally priced the same as portioned snus is, you can get almost double the snus for the same price (you do lose some of the convenience of having portions though) by purchasing loose.
Upon opening the can, I was greeted with a nice aroma of tobacco and bergamot. Continued

Cigar Question: Brush Off the Plume?

(Cigar Aficionado) Question: If after aging my cigars for a few years and they develop plume, do I brush it all off or do I smoke the cigar with the plume still on the cigar? Answer: Continued

Shine a Light on Me: Why Ostensible Pipe Tobacco is Real Pipe Tobacco

(A guest editorial by P. V. Nasby) Awhile back, the do-gooders of America got together with the politicians and raised the taxes on cigarette tobacco so high that working people couldn't afford to roll their own cigarettes anymore. This was done on the theory that the middle class knows better than anyone poorer than them and thus can lord it over the working class. Fortunately, the politicians showed the working man and woman a little mercy by leaving a loophole in the pipe tobacco tax. Tobacco companies took the hint and started marketing shag-cut tobacco as pipe tobacco, which it is, but it can also be rolled into (gasp!) cigarettes. The do-gooders are having hissy fits over the loophole, which is to be expected.
What I didn't expect was how fast the self-proclaimed pipe smoking community was ready to throw the rest of us tobacco users under the bus. By "pipe smoking community," I mean those half-baked pseudointellectuals one can find pontificating all over the internet, with their dainty tins of "sublime" anglophile smoking mixtures which they blather on about between Lord of the Rings marathons. They think they are the only pipe smokers in the world.
But they are not the only pipe smokers in the world, in fact, they are, thankfully, a distinct minority. The rest of us smoke cheap tobacco in cheap pipes, which we also roll into cigarettes. If those so-called "brothers of the briar" knew anything at all about tobacco history they would know that this used to be the norm. Back in the day, the lion's share of the tobacco market was advertised as multi-use tobacco: you could smoke it in a pipe, roll it into a cigarette, or even chew it. That's back when most of us were poor, then World War Two came along and we all got, more-or-less, wealthy. Suddenly everybody with an extra buck was a connoisseur of something or the other. You couldn't just listen to the radio, you had to have a stereo, and you couldn't just have a beer, oh no, it had to be imported, and of course your tobacco had to be as froufrou as possible.
Which was all fine and dandy as long as they kept sharing the wealth, but the wealth, my friend, is going away. We are all getting poorer. First they busted the industrial unions (how dare those steel workers earn a living wage!), but even that wasn't profitable enough, so they shipped all the factories overseas. Then the construction industry collapsed, and now, they're going after the government workers. Soon nobody will make much more than minimum wage. Be warned: that cheap tobacco you look down on today, may be all you can afford tomorrow! (Cigars too, don't even get me started on those posers.)
Did I mention that this is a tobacco review? Well, it is. The other month my girlfriend brought home two bags of tobacco: Midnight Special and Southern Steel. What names! Why, you have all of southern American history right there: one brand, Midnight Special, named after a song by the famous folk-singer and early civil rights advocate Huddie Ledbetter aka "Leadbelly," and the other, Southern Steel, from a sour grapes Confederate anthem called "The Good Old Rebel" written by James Innes Randolph. I happen to be partial to both songs, such are the paradoxes of being an American.
Both of the varieties she bought were menthol flavored. Midnight Special is sold as a cigarette rolling tobacco. It makes for a very good cigarette and a tolerable pipe smoke. It is a smooth and mild cigarette with a nice balance between the tobacco and the mint.
The Southern Steel is marketed as a pipe tobacco and, surprise surprise, has a rougher cut and a higher moisture content, in other words, it really is pipe tobacco - that you can also roll into a cigarette (just like Prince Albert etc.). It is also the only menthol pipe tobacco ("MAXIMINT," they call it) worthy of the name, exhibiting a strong minty flavor all the way down to the end. If you like menthol in your pipe, this is the one to get. It's cheaper than dirt, but it tastes like heaven.

Top Photo: Portrait of P. V. (Petroleum Vesuvius) Nasby by Thomas Nast.

Cuban Tobacco Farm, Remedios

Cigar Journal visits a filler farm in the Central Province of Cuba and explains the differences between this farm and the farms in the Vuelta Abajo.

Ask G. L. Pease January 2012

(G. L. Pease) As I sit down to compile this month’s column, I’m smoking a lovely little Peter Heeschen briar, in his signature P shape, filled with a prototype blend that I’ve been obsessing over for some time, and which is finally approaching the point where I am ready to move it towards production. Now begins the process of finalizing everything. Scaling batches from what I do to the final form can be, um, interesting. Continued

Zimbabwe tobacco Marketing Season to Open Next Month

(allAfrica.com) THIS year's tobacco marketing season opens on Wednesday February 15 with individual sales while contract sales commence the following day.
Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chairperson Mrs Monica Chinamasa told journalists yesterday that four auction floors would operating this season while seven buying teams will be in operation.
These are Tobacco Sales Floor, Boka Tobacco Auction Floors, Millennium Tobacco Floors and a new player Premier Tobacco Auction Floors. Continued

Peterson Nutty Cut Tobacco Review (video)

(MrTobacco) My first & second impressions on the new Peterson - Nutty Cut tobacco.

Urbano Connecticut Joins Sumatra, Corojo Cigar Blends

(smokemag.com) The latest addition to Urbano Cigar’s premium cigar line, the Urbano Connecticut, completes the startup cigarmaker’s portfolio of boutique premium cigars. “It is mild-to-medium-bodied, yet has a startlingly opulent flavor profile,” says Matt Urbano, founder and owner of Urbano Cigars.
The cigar’s Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper and Dominican filler and binder are triple-fermented naturally, significantly reducing the tobacco’s nicotine and natural starches and sugars, yielding a notably refined smoke. The tobaccos are aged a full two years, and the finished cigars rest for another four months. Continued

United Tobacco comes to Piedmont Big Sale Warehouse in Danville

(WSLS) Another tobacco company will use the Piedmont Big Sale Warehouse on Riverside Drive as part of its business expansion plans.
United Tobacco Company of Wilson, N.C., will use the 142,000-square-foot warehouse as a receiving station this year and will start contracting with growers next week, said CEO Steve Coyte. “We think Danville’s a great location for a station,” Coyte said. “It’s very accessible to the growers in North Carolina and Virginia.” Continued

Photo: Tobacco warehouse district, Danville, Virginia (Carol Highsmith/Library of Congress).

Get a carp humidor for only 880 clams

(Cigar Aficionado) If the tranquility of a koi fish pond can bring peace and balance to your garden, then perhaps a koi fish humidor can bring the same kind of harmony to your cigar smoking experience.
Siglo Accessories has captured the essence of these ancient, decorative fish by incorporating fluid marquetry designs for a soothing, minimalistic Feng Shui effect. Continued

Photo vis Lamarde

A Taste of Cuba in Bali

(balidiscovery.com) Occupying a 300-meter site and with its own dedicated parking lot, Cubana Bar and Grill has opened in the heart of the busy restaurant and night-spot area of Petitenget, Bali.
According to its management, Cubana draws its inspiration from a decadent retro 1940-1950s pre-Castro style Cuban Bar, grill restaurant and cigar bar concept. The building is located within a small development of trendy boutiques in the Petitenget fine dining and villa area.
Cubana fills the demand for a “themed” rum and cigar bar with a generous range of cocktails. Targeting tourists, expatriates, and fashionable locals for late afternoon, and both pre and post dinner drinking, the concept also embraces a BBQ grill concept for either a full-fledge dinner or a repast of savory tapas. Continued

Stanwell Christmas 2011

(TPS) Being honest, I didn’t get this one for Christmas. My birthday falls in November and so it was, that my dear wife, being aware of my affection for the unusual in pipes, bought this one for me.
Basically, it follows the lines of a prince but the boxwood section on the shank and the reduced, almost saddle, stem makes this one stand out a bit in my otherwise overfilled racks.
The boxwood is separated from the briar with a decorative vinyl ring and the stem bears a silver ring to delineate the shift from shank to stem. Continued

Photo: http://www.smokingpipes.com

Martin Luther King: Tobacco Farmer?

SIMSBURY, CT (registercitizen.com) Lynne Sloan never lived in civil rights battlefields like Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma or Memphis. But the Simsbury, Connecticut registered nurse, wife and mother was pinching herself last week at the thought that the late Martin Luther King, Jr., as a teenager, lived, worked and preached on the footprint of her subdivision.
... According to the Simsbury Fire Department website, King lived in a tobacco workers’ dormitory owned by cigar maker Cullman Brothers Tobacco in the summers of 1944 and 1947. The building was the summer home to scores of students attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, who worked on the tobacco farm as a way of earning money for college. Continued

Shotgun Shell Cigars from Boutique Brand Viaje

(Cigar Aficionado) After a day of shooting clay discs during target practice, Viaje brand owner Andre Farkas was inspired to create a shotgun-themed cigar called the Viaje Super Shot. It’s a short, squat cigar intended to be smoked in short intervals and packaged to look like live shotgun ammunition.
“I recently took up clay shooting and I noticed that the cigars I brought weren’t short enough to enjoy between rounds,” said Farkas. “I’d start smoking and before it was finished it was my time to shoot again, so the smoke kept going out.” Continued

Photo: Annie Oakley

Hotel smoking areas cater for women who love a good cigar

(thisislondon.co.uk) The cigar room of yesteryear, where gentlemen in hotels and clubs would retire for a smoke without disturbing the ladies, is making a comeback.
The smoking ban hit the tradition of the after-dinner cigar because there was nowhere warm and comfortable where guests could legally smoke.
But now London hotels are finding ways of creating cigar rooms outdoors, and some are designing them to be more appealing to women.
They include The Lanesborough, The Langham and now The May Fair, which said it would be opening one in May beause of the level of interest from guests. The Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge will also have a smoking room when it opens in April. Continued

Registration Opens for Cuba's 14th Annual Habanos Festival

(Cigar Aficionado) Registration is now open for the annual Festival del Habano, the world’s biggest cigar festival. The weeklong event, a celebration of all things related to the Cuban cigar, begins on February 27 and concludes March 2 with a gala dinner in Havana.
This is the 14th annual time the event (also known as the Habanos Festival) will take place. Retailers, distributors, journalists and lovers of Cuban cigars from all around the world will attend—participants from more than 60 different countries are expected this year by host Habanos S.A., the distributor of all of Cuba’s cigars.
Expect several new cigar releases to be unveiled at the show, as this is the traditional time for Cuba’s cigar industry to show off its latest products, which will come to market later in the year. Continued

Snoop Dogg Launches New Cigar Brand

(Billboard) Snoop Dogg is launching his own tobacco cigar line called, Executive Branch. ... The first product to be released from Executive Branch will be the Executive Branch Cigarillos. They will be sold for "$0.99 a pouch, with two cigars per pouch." The cigarillos are manufactured by Dufort Holdins SA and distributed by Good Times USA. Continued

Godfrey Phillips India launches 'Cigaroma - The Cigar Shop'

(afaqs) Godfrey Philips India, one of the largest cigarette makers in the country, today announced the launch of “Cigaroma – The Cigar Shop”.
The first of its kind, exclusive shop for, Cigars, Cigarettes and Cigar Smoking Accessories, at the renowned luxury mall, UB City, Bengaluru.
Cigaroma’s objective is to create awareness amongst the discerning consumers about Premium Cigars, and Cigarettes available in the in the market as well as to provide an opportunity to the consumers to interact and understand the products better. Continued

Tobacco Trends

(talkingtobacco.com) We don’t tend to think in terms of trends when it comes to pipe or cigar smoking, but they definitely exist. Just looking at cigars shapes, the perfecto was the big thing in the early nineteen-hundreds.
By the time the twenties had rolled around, the corona had become the most popular shape and remained so (with a bit of a challenge from the Churchill) up until the sixties. At that point, the even thinner panatela became very common, and the longer Lonsdale (a long corona) and lancero (a long panatela) also had a decent share of the market. Continued

New 2012 Snus Tobacco Releases from Swedish Match

(Snus Authority) We’re nearly two weeks into the 2012 new year and already a number of new snus products have been released or in the process of being released. In addition to new offerings from V2 Tobacco and others, I’ve recently leaned that major snus manufacturer Swedish Match will be releasing quite a few new types of snus at the beginning of next month. In addition to releasing new snuses, the General Smooth brand will be discontinued during the second week of February, apparently due to low sales. If you’re a fan of Smooth, I suggest that you stock up now. Continued

Photo: Ivar Kreuger, founder of Swedish Match (Wikipedia).

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV

(Cigar Explorer) Today's review comes from a brand that I don't smoke all that often, but one of which I have had my fair share. Although I am a fan of a few of the La Flor Dominicana blends (more specifically the Limitado IV), I had never had one of their cigars blow me away.
The LFD Factory Press IV was released in November of 2011. The Factory Press line has been a pretty big hit for La Flor Dominicana and I wasn't surprised that a new version of this stick had hit the shelves. Continued

Photo: Fermenting tobacco at La Flor Dominicana

Zig-Zag Cigarillos

(CSN) National Tobacco Co. has released three new flavors of Zig-Zag cigarillos, currently available in re-sealable, two-cigar foil packets.
Sweets, White Grape and Strawberry join the existing Grape, Mango, Peach and Straight Up-flavored cigarillos. Other Zig-Zag products include premium wraps, available in Preach Frenzy, Melon Burst, Cherry Rush, Blue Berry, Apple Blitz and Purple Thunder flavors. Continued

Uganda MPs warn Continental tobacco over failure to pay farmers

(UGPulse) Members of parliament on Agriculture , fishers and animal industry warned the managers of continental tobacco Uganda limited that if the company doesn’t pay farmers money worth 23.6 billion shillings soon the company will be forced to close operations in the country.
Addressing the press at the premises of the company during a tour today the woman member of parliament for Ibanda district Mary Kiboijana said that many tobacco farmers from Kibale have not been paid their money for last year.
MPs also noted some tobacco farmers have been blocked from accessing the weighing scales by the agents so that these tobacco farmers do not know how much they own on their receipts. Continued

Also: Investors held over tobacco farmers’ Shs20b

Japan Tobacco's new Peace cigarette

(4-traders.com) Japan Tobacco Inc. has announced that it will launch The Peace, the masterpiece in the history of the Peace brand, offering the ultimate experience of aroma, in early February across Japan at a limited number of retailers.
Peace has been a long-selling premium brand whose aroma has made it immensely popular with consumers ever since its launch in 10-cigarette packs in 1946.
... The Peace is made from 100 percent select Virginia tobacco, which is known among the different types of leaf tobacco for its particularly mellow but rich aroma. Furthermore, the full aroma of the select tobacco leaves of this Virginia blend is brought out by expert blenders. The Peace is also the first brand in Japan to employ a process called ''new trimming'' whereby unpleasant aroma and taste are eliminated by flash heating the fine cut tobacco. As for the flavor ingredients, a more stringent selection process than with ordinary Peace was used, resulting in more tobacco aromas being brought out. Continued

Tobacco farmers expect Philip Morris to announce station closure

GREENE COUNTY, Tenn. (tricities.com) Local tobacco farmers expect bad news this week after years of shrinking sales. They're worried Philip Morris will close a key facility in Northeast Tennessee.
For decades, Greene County boasted the biggest burley hauls in the state. But by 2010, the county had slipped to sixth as fewer and fewer farms cultivated the cash crop.
The Philip Morris receiving station in Midway (also called Tennessee Valley Tobacco Services) still takes in 6,000,000 pounds of burley tobacco a year -- most of it from Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Continued

Best Bargain Cigars of 2011

(Cigar Aficionado) A good cigar doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Cigar smokers want as much value for their dollar as anyone else, and there are fine smokes out there that won’t break the budget.
So with that in mind, we assembled a list of every cigar rated by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider in 2011 that scored 88 points or more with a suggested retail price of no more than $6 per cigar.
This year’s Best Buy list includes great smokes from such big names as Arturo Fuente, Oliva, Padrón, Punch, Rocky Patel and Romeo y Julieta as well as smaller brands. Continued

White Owl Launches Hottest New Cigar Flavor - Unflavored

(PRNewswire) White Owl announced today the launch of the hottest new flavor to hit the cigarillo market, White Owl FoilFresh® Silver Cigarillos. The newest addition to the White Owl Cigarillo product line is in stores now.
"This is an example of how White Owl is on the cutting edge of consumer trends," according to Katherine Macomber, White Owl Brand Manager. Continued

Photo via pophistorydig.com

Scientists Confirm Tobacco Use By Ancient Mayans

(Eurasia Review) Archaeologists examining late period Mayan containers have identified nicotine traces from a codex-style flask, revealing the first physical evidence of tobacco use by ancient Mayans.
The study published in Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry reveals the flask is marked with Mayan hieroglyphics reading, “y-otoot ’u-may,” (“the home of its/his/her tobacco,”) making it only the second case to confirm that the text on the exterior of a Mayan vessel corresponds to its ancient use. Continued

Pianissimo cigarette brand undergoes makeover

(themalaysianinsider.com) Japan Tobacco is to launch redesigned versions of seven of its popular Pianissimo brand of cigarettes in mid-January.
Pianissimo is the top-selling brand in Japan’s 100mm slim menthol category and has proven particularly popular among female smokers for what Japan’s largest tobacco company says is a “smooth, unassertive and refreshing menthol flavour and aroma.” Continued

Cuban Partagas Cigars earned good profits in 2011

(cubaheadlines.com) The outstanding work of employees of the House of Partagas cigars made 2011 concluded last 2 million with earnings of $ 300,000, keeping the company among the best in the world.
Abel Exposito Diaz, director of the premises belonging to Grupo Empresarial SA Caracol mall, told reporters that the effort, dedication and work of the small cohesive group allowed to increase sales, an increase over the $ 300 000 over 2010. Continued

Affordable New Premium Blends from C&C Cigars

(Smokemag.com) C&C Cigars, a new Bradenton, Florida-based cigar company founded last year by former Cusano Cigars president Joe Chiusano, has rolled out its full line of three different Dominican-made C&C blends to cigar shops.
The company hand crafts cigars in keeping with its philosophy of providing “consistent, high quality cigars at reasonable prices.”
... The company’s flagship line consists of three different blends ranging from mild to medium-bodied, each presented in 18-count slide-top boxes. ... All three blends are available in robusto (5 x 50), toro (6 x 52), and Churchill (7 x 50) sizes, and retail from $3.99 to $4.49 per stick, before taxes. Continued

'A last bastion for Munster smokers' stubbed out

(irishtimes.com) A FAMILY-OWNED tobacconist business that has been in operation for more than 100 years in Cork city has closed.
MP O’Sullivan was founded by Patrick O’Sullivan in 1905 when he opened his first shop on Princes Street.
He launched the Red Abbey tobacco factory on Mary Street in Cork in 1927, which was famous for manufacturing the Coupon Plug brand. Continued

Tobacco operation puts down new roots

Danville, Ky - The owners of one of the few remaining independent tobacco warehouses operating in the state have moved on from one historical site to another building used by another former tobacco auction mainstay during the fall selling season. Months after Farmers Tobacco Warehouse No. 1 was demolished, owner Jerry Rankin has set up shop and held auctions in what had been Peoples Tobacco Warehouse on Harding Street behind Toliver Elementary School.
... Growers have come from as far away as Indiana, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, and Rankin said about 2 million pounds of tobacco have been sold at the two warehouses. Continued

Photo: Louisville, Ky., a tobacco auction, between 1890 and 1910 (Library of Congress).

Churchills of Norwich Christmas Blend Tobacco Review

Zimbabwe Tobacco Industry On Recovery Path

(Zimbabwe government via AllAfrica.com) THE tobacco industry in Zimbabwe is on the recovery path following a decade of decline when production dipped to a low of 48,8 million kg in 2008, down from a peak of well over 200 kg in 2 000.
The adoption of multiple currencies in 2009 ignited recovery with about 60 million kg being produced, doubling to 123 million kg the following year.
Last year, tobacco sales closed with about 131 million kg having gone under the hammer.
Tobacco production has been the main driver behind the 34 percent growth in the agricultural sector. The introduction of contract farming through which tobacco companies and buyers have provided training and inputs to small-scale farmers has been the major stimulant for the recovery. Continued

NFL Hall of Fame Running Back Launches Thurman Thomas Cigars

(MMD Newswire) Thurman Thomas, NFL Hall of Fame running back, announced that he has launched a new online cigar retail business, Thurman Thomas Cigars. The business will sell premium cigars and high quality accessories, nationwide, via a website, ThurmanThomasCigars.com.
"As someone who has enjoyed smoking good cigars for many years, I am excited about this opportunity to get involved in the fast growing e-commerce and premium cigar business", said Thomas.
Thurman Thomas Cigars has also teamed up with StogieBoys.com for industry leading products, web services, and sales and marketing support. StogieBoys.com is America's fastest growing online cigar retailer. Continued

Photo: 1935 Green Bay Packers are featured inside this very rare box created by George Barth,204 N. Chestnut, Green Bay factory 283. (National Cigar Museum).

Mitt Romney Wins Federal Cigar Matchbook Poll

(Patch) Mitt Romney scored a decisive victory in the 2012 NH Primary Federal Cigar Matchbook Poll on Friday afternoon.
The former Massachusetts governor received 191 votes, or 43 percent of the matchbook ballots cast in the Portsmouth, Dover and Epping stores.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 88 votes, or 20 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich, who received 43 votes, or 9.5 percent; Jon Huntsman received 24 votes, or 5.5 percent; followed by former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer (8 votes, 2 percent) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (7 votes, 2 percent). Continued

New Year, New Snus!

(Snus Authority) First off I’d like to begin this post by wishing all Snus Authority readers a happy New Year! 2011 was an exciting year for snus fans, with many new brands and flavors being released. Likewise, 2012 is already shaping up to be a great year for those who enjoy snus. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the new brands of snus that are in the process of being released. Continued

Prominent European Musicians to Attend Habano Cigar Festival

Havana, Jan 6 (Prensa Latina) The relevant European musicians Jack Bruce and Phil Manzanera will attend the 14th Habano Festival as guests of honor, said a statement from the organizers of the meeting.
The Habano Festival, which is the most important meeting on premium cigars, will be held in Havana from February 27 to March 2, and is expected to be attended by professionals and cigars enthusiasts from 60 nations.
... This year's Festival will be dedicated to the 520th anniversary of the discovery of tobacco and to the cigar brands Cohiba and Romeo y Julieta. Continued

Cigar Aficionado Magazine Names Cigar of the Year

(BUSINESS WIRE) Cigar Aficionado Magazine, the magazine dedicated to the pursuit of the good life, has named the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill as its Cigar of the Year.
The cigar outperformed more than 700 other cigars tested by the Cigar Aficionado panel throughout 2011. It scored 96 points on the magazine's 100-point-scale, and has been called a "classic smoke."
The Alec Bradley, which is made entirely by hand in Honduras, is an affordable luxury, retailing for $10.25. Some of the cigars it outperformed sell for twice the price or more. Continued

Photo: Alec Bradley

Balkan Sobranie Tobacco: Some History

(G. L. Pease) ... It’s difficult to fix a precise point in time when Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture first appeared, either for home trade in the UK, or for the export market. Those who romanticize the brand speak of it as though it has been around forever, or at least forever as it applies to modern pipe smoking, and some even allude to the fact that it existed as early as the 1920s. I’ve found no credible support for this claim, though the cigarettes bearing the name were certainly produced as early as 1897, and much of the earliest literature in which Balkan Sobranie is mentioned is, in fact, referring to those.
In fact, the earliest reliable mention of the smoking mixture that I could find was an advert in a 1949 issue of The Strand (vol. 118), wherein it was stated, "For this is a tobacco that is not just a smoke but a way of living, not just another fill but another outlook, not just another brand but a bond that links you and your pipe forever to the surname Balkan Sobranie;" a wonderfully romantic image, and little wonder that some mystique exists to this day. Continued

Photo: Balkan Sobranie Cigarettes, 1921 (Official gazette of the United States Patent Office, Volume 289).

Goodbye Thunder Chrome snus tobacco but Coffee Supreme will return

(Snus Central) V2 Tobacco announced that effective 28 December 2011, they had stopped producing the Thunder Chrom (Chrome) Long + Portion Snus Limited Edition Snuses. V2 sources commenting on condition of anonymity since they are not authorized to talk about anything to anyone, stated lower than projected sales were the primary reason for discontinuing the Chrom Series. Of the five Thunder Chrome offerings, only Frosted will continue to be produced in a Long + portion.
I believe it wasn't the flavors as much as the nicotine level and perhaps the moisture content of the long + portions themselves which accounted for the weakness in demand. With no other alternatives, 12mg/portion nicotine was not a popular enough strength by itself to popularize a flavor. Continued

Philip Morris tobacco receiving station moves to Yanceyville

(GoDanRiver.com) Philip Morris USA’s tobacco receiving station has moved from Danville to near Yanceyville, N.C., a company spokesman said.
Philip Morris USA had been purchasing tobacco at the Piedmont Big Sale Warehouse at 1098 Riverside Drive for the past 11 years. The company notified its contracted growers at the end of November that it would receive tobacco this burley buying season at a facility 16 miles away at 93 Industrial Park Drive in Blanch, N.C., said Philip Morris USA spokesman Ken Garcia. Continued

Photo: Saturday afternoon, Yanceyville, Caswell County, North Carolina, 1939 (Marion Post Wolcott/FSA/Library of Congress).

Soil amendment impresses North Carolina tobacco grower

(southeastfarmpress.com) When Hiddenite, N.C., farmer Lawrence Branton took a look at his greenhouse filled with dying tobacco transplants his stomach churned and he could envision what would come next, and it was all bad.
Branton bought the transplants from neighbor and friend Chad Blake in nearby Union Grove, N.C. “I knew Chad and I would work something out, but I didn’t know how we would do it,” Branton recalls.
The young tobacco plants in three greenhouses were dying — it was obvious they weren’t getting enough nutrient uptake to survive and build a strong root system. Continued

Cigar Aficionado dribbling out its "25 Best Cigars of 2011"

Cigar Aficionado has started listing its 25 favorite cigars of the year, starting with numbers 10, 9, & 8. Look for its best bargain cigars list on January 10th, though what they call a bargain - sheesh. Link