Swisher to lay off 15 percent of workforce at Jacksonville cigar manufacturing plant

(jacksonville.com) About 15 percent of the workforce at Jacksonville-based Swisher International cigar manufacturers will be losing their jobs over the next few weeks. ... The Swisher operations make millions of cigars daily, perhaps most famously the Swisher Sweet cigar that is popular and sold on a mass scale at everything from convenience stores, grocery stores, bars and night clubs.
Creasman acknowledged company officials instituted the layoffs directly due to government regulation and taxes in the United States and some operations are being relocated to the Dominican Republic. Continued

Objects of Desire: Cigars

(columbusalive.com) When I went to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Mantey a few weekends ago for Mother’s Day, I could smell my grandpa before I could see him. Impressive, considering that he was competing with gas emissions from a 100-head herd of Holstein dairy cows that call his farm home.
It was the cigar he was smoking, the familiar scent of burning tobacco and chemicals and vanilla. Hi, Grandpa. Continued

KT&G adds low-tar BOHEM Cigar Mojito to lineup

(Korea Herald) Tobacco manufacturer and distributor KT&G announced on Tuesday that it has added a new low-tar product, Bohem Cigar Mojito 1mg, to its Bohem Cigar Mojito line that is popular among young smokers. Bohem Cigar Mojito 1mg, which will go on sale on June 1, contains 1mg of tar and 0.1 mg of nicotine, and is priced at 2,500 won ($2.10) per pack. Continued

Offroad Coola, White Portion Snus Tobacco Review

(Snus Girl) I have been wanting to try Offroad Coola, White Portion for months now, but have always passed over it for some other more exotic or fruity taste. I was pleasantly surprised when this arrived in my mailbox the other day and couldn’t wait to pop a portion in.
  Upon opening my can of Offroad White Portion Coola, my first impression was that it smelled medicinal with a hint of spearmint. Although I’ve tried several different kinds of snus, I’m partial to General Mini Mint, so the Offroad portions struck me as larger than what I prefer. After placing a portion under my lip, I noticed a licorice taste first. Continued

Christian Eiroa Returns to Cigar Business

(Cigar Aficionado) Christian Eiroa, the longtime president of Camacho Cigars, has returned to the cigar business with the formation of CLE Cigar Co. His long-term plan calls for several cigar brands made in various countries.
CLE stands for Eiroa’s initials (his middle name is Luís) and the first cigar to come from his new venture will be the CLE. A small-production brand, CLE will be rolled in a familiar spot for Eiroa, the Tabacos Ranchos Jamastran factory in Honduras where Camacho cigars are made. Continued

Early-season tobacco stunting issues fairly widespread

(SouthEastFarmPress.com) It’s impossible to say definitively what caused the injury in these fields, but significant stunting, and in very rare cases plant death, is likely a result of many factors including but not limited to: weather, carry-over of pesticides from previous crops, insecticide application method, disease pressure (in and out the greenhouse), transplant quality, fertilizer use and application, and insecticide rate. Because many factors that may influence stunting in early season tobacco fields and these interacting factors are so difficult to tease apart, we cannot predict when and how stunting will occur. There are, however, practices that growers can employ to reduce potential insecticide effects. Continued

A History of Old Virginia Cheroots

(National Cigar History Museum) In the Spring of 1853, an adventurous 15 year old boy set off Westward from his native Poland. His destination, the docks of Bremerhaven. There he caught a boat to New York, where he found relatives among that city’s teeming Polish population. In summer of the following year he set off once again, this time to Richmond, Virginia, where he moved in with an older brother, and began working as a tailor’s assistant. By 1859, the 21 year old lad had become an American citizen and joined the Richmond Grays, a militia unit made up largely of Poles and other European immigrants. When the war came Philip was assigned to the quartermaster corps where he made uniforms for two years. In 1864 he left the military to get married and purchase a Richmond tobacconist’s business, which he and his new wife ran during the remainder of the war.

At the close of the war in 1865, Whitlock hired six cigar rollers and opened the P. Whitlock Company. Continued

A Memorial Day Smoke to Commander Joseph Foster Stackhouse

(The Lusitania Resource) ... On the day of the disaster, Boulton sat down in the verandah café with Commander Stackhouse for a cup of coffee. Stackhouse was busy explaining to Boulton “how the Lusitania could never be torpedoed, that the watches had been doubled, and the people were looking out, and they’d see the periscope of the submarine a mile away . . .. And in the middle of his trying to prove . . . that the Lusitania could not be torpedoed,” Stackhouse was interrupted by “two almost simultaneous explosions.”
Water and debris crashed through the glass roof and the two men ran outside.

Lt. Frederic Lassetter then saw Commander Stackhouse, and the Commander told Lassetter to look for his mother Elisabeth. When Lassetter and his mother returned, they saw Stackhouse give his lifebelt to a little girl and assist with loading the lifeboats. He was explaining to those he helped that he could not join them because “There are others who must go first.”

During the Lusitania make her final plunge, Lassetter from his relative safety in the water, saw Commander Stackhouse standing calmly on the stern. Continued

Roanoke tobacco shop celebrates a century in business

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) The air was thick with cigar smoke, the shop crowded with loyal customers, as David and Renee Meyer celebrated Milan Tobacconists' 100 year history.
... The guest of honor was Carlos Fuente Jr., the President of Arturo Fuente & Company, one of the world's leading makers of premium cigars. "Milan Brothers, Milan Tobacconists, I've known for a long time," Fuente said. "As a young man, little boy, I used to pack orders for this company." Continued

Tobacco tin my grandad used during war

(thisisbristol.co.uk) A SMALL tobacco tin with a big story behind it is the family treasure that means a lot to one Bristolian.

David Betty, 68, inherited his grandfather James Holman's tobacco tin – with some tobacco still inside – and his First World War medals from his mother. Continued 

Japan Tobacco buying European roll-your-own company

(Reuters) Japan Tobacco Inc (JT), the world's third-largest cigarette maker, said on Thursday it will buy Belgian tobacco product maker Gryson NV for 475 million euros ($597.7 million) to cut its reliance on the domestic market. ... Gryson has established stakes in the markets for individually made machine and hand-rolled cigarettes in several European countries, including France, Portugal and Spain.
JT will acquire all shares in Gryson, which produces filters, loose tobacco and rolling papers for brands like Domingo, Fleur du Pays and Orlando, from unlisted GT&Co BVBA using existing funds and loan facilities. Continued

Vintage St.Bruno Tobacco Commercial

Deterring signals: Tobacco plants advertise their defensive readiness

(phys.org) Following herbivory, plants produce jasmonic acid, a hormone which activates several plant defense reactions. Scientists found that leafhoppers can evaluate whether tobacco plants are ready for defense when attacked. If jasmonate-signaling is activated, leafhoppers desist from feeding and test other plants. If the hormonal signaling system is dysfunctional, the herbivores start their attack. In field experiments, the leafhoppers proved as "bloodhounds" to locate plants hidden in natural populations which are naturally defective in jasmonate signaling. Continued

Dunhill Aged Range Cigars Gets New Look and New Factory

(Cigar Aficionado) The venerable Dunhill brand has a new look and new factory. Casually known as the “blue label,” the Connecticut-wrapped Dunhill Aged Range is now produced and distributed by General Cigar Co. Inc. It has an updated look as well, with a more modern composition band design instead of the old scripted logo.
Originally a Cuban brand, the Dunhill Aged Range was born in the Dominican Republic in 1989. Continued

A History of Punch Cigars and various knockoffs

(Cigar History Museum) Punch is one of the world’s longest-lived cigar brands, named after a 17th century British puppet best known for delighting audiences by noisily beating his wife Judy with a stick. On the cigar label and show figures, Punch is depicted in traditional jester’s garb. At least one writer has claimed the brand was named after the British satire magazine Punch, but that is unlikely since the cigars pre-date the magazine, having been registered in 1840 Cuba “by a German named Stockmann,” according to Min Ron Nee, author of An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars. Nothing is known of the registrant or subsequent owner(s) other than a B. Perera whose name is found on what appears to be an 1860s or 70s label to which new owner, Luis Corujo, appears to have hastily added his name. Continued 

Princes Street Mixture from Chief Catoonah Tobacconist

(Pips Magazine) Dick Silverman won the 2012 John Cotton Throwdown judging at the Chicago Pipe Show a few weeks ago, and now his award winning blend is available for purchase.
Dick has been a retail tobacconist and tobacco blender for over 30-years. His store is Chief Catoonah Tobacconist.
Dick tells how he chose the name for what was entered in the contest as "Blend Y". Continued

Rocky Patel Announces New Nicaraguan Edge Cigar

(Cigar Aficionado) Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has a major release coming to smoke shops this summer, and one of the company’s new limited-edition cigars will soon be made available to the public.
Company executive Nish Patel spoke about the Nicaraguan version of The Edge, a cigar being made at the Tavicusa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. He explained how the new smoke will be rolled differently than the original Edge, but with have the taste of early Edge cigars. Continued

Tobacco setting gets started in Bluegrass

(Kentucky.com) Tobacco setting is under way across the state.
About 30 percent of the expected crop has been planted, but we're missing a vital component: rain.
"We need some good rainfall," said Andy Bailey, an extension specialist for the University of Kentucky who focuses on dark tobacco but also works with the burley that is common in Central Kentucky. Continued

La Palina El Diario “Kill Bill” Cigars Pack a Wallop

(Smokemag.com) Going against the grain of the industry’s focus on large ring gauge cigars, La Palina has brought a new 4 1/4 x 40 petit corona to market. The petit corona has always been a favored vitola in company owner Bill Paley’s humidor, and is his preferred size for the daily drive home from the office. Jokingly referred to as the "Kill Bill" during initial blending stages of the El Diario line, the name stuck. The new size has been affectionately described as a “petit corona with the heart of a Churchill,” and is a line extension to El Diario's existing five shapes, comprised of Churchill (7 x 50), Torpedo (6 1/8 x 52), Gordo (6 x 58), Toro (6 x 50), and Robusto (5 x 52). Continued

How I tortured my cigar

(Gary Korb) ... So how did I end up torturing it? (Actually, I've always wanted to select a few different cigars, see how they held up to abnormal conditions and post an article about the results.) After surviving the wrapper repair, I was called away and left the cigar in an antique stand ashtray I use for smoking in the garage. When I came back, I noticed that not only had the cigar gone out, it had fallen-off the saddle and it now lay on the garage floor. I picked it up and WOW, it was still in good shape. This is where my cigar torture scenario kicked-in. Continued

Smokeless Tobacco Prices Going Up

(CSP) Altria Group Inc. has announced a smokeless price increase, according to an industry alert issued by Christina McGlone, an analyst with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., New York. The increase, effective May 25, is five cents per can on all moist smokeless tobacco and snus brands (Copenhagen, Skoal), including value-tier SKUs.

"While some of this could be promoted back at retail, on a list-price basis, it equates to more than 1.9% on Skoal/Copenhagen, more than 3% on promoted SKUs (Skoal Xtra, Copenhagen Wintergreen) [and] more than 2.7% on snus."

While Reynolds American Inc. has not yet followed suit, "we expect this imminently," said McGlone. Continued 

BAT launches budget Tobacco brand in Australia row

 (AFP) British American Tobacco Australia said Thursday it was launching a budget cigarette brand, the latest salvo in a row with the government, which in turn accused the company of targeting teenagers.
BAT, which is spearheading a legal challenge to Australia's plan to introduce mandatory plain packaging for cigarettes, said it was forced into the move to win back market share from illegal tobacco products.
It said that since the government hiked tobacco taxes by 25 percent in 2010, the market had seen massive growth in cheap cigarettes and contraband.
"They're trying to reduce smoking rates through excise but instead it's making people opt for cheaper or illegal options," said BAT spokesman Scott McIntyre. Continued

Cuenca y Blanco Cigar From Joya De Nicaragua to Debut

(Cigar Aficionado) In a collaborative effort between two industry veterans, Joya de Nicaragua president Dr. Martinez Cuenca and senior vice president José Blanco have teamed up to create the new brand Cuenca y Blanco, a multinational blend scheduled to be released at this summer’s IPCPR trade show.
The cigar will consist of what Joya de Nicaragua calls “air-cured black tobaccos” from four different countries: Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Ecuador. Continued

Red Buck and Richwood Tipped Cigarillos

(CSN) Tantus Tobacco, a company dedicated to bringing high-quality, value-priced filtered cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobacco to the market, has added tipped cigarillos to its product line. Red Buck Tipped Cigarillos are available in Pipe Tobacco, Wine Pipe Tobacco, Sweet and Wine varieties. New Richwood Grooves Tipped Cigarillos also are available in Pipe Tobacco and Wine Pipe Tobacco varieties. Continued

Unusual pests showing up in tobacco greenhouses

(SEFP) Last month, I posted about the potential for greater and more unusual insect activity in tobacco greenhouses due to our warm winter and relatively mild spring.

Spring has become less mild recently, but interesting insects are cropping up in tobacco greenhouses in eastern North Carolina.

Two unusual insect issues appeared recently in Wilson County. Continued

The Humidity Bead System by Cigar Sciences

(Cigar Aficionado) The greatest labor for cigar lovers is maintaining the perfect relative humidity. Finicky materials and frustrating fluctuations can be a headache for even the most careful guardian of a humidor, and most of the reliable systems out there take practice to learn how to use.
But while some humidity systems take a bit of doting, the Humidity Bead System by Cigar Sciences acts more like a workhorse. Continued

Aging your tobacco

(John Sutherland) ... Friday some of us got together to experiment with stoving tobacco. The genesis for this endeavor started when Chris Johnson offered me a bowl of five-year-old Rattray's Marlin Flake, given to him by Mimmo of Romeobriar.com fame. Let me tell you, it's absolutely scrumptious! Ted Swearingen had earlier that day discussed stoving some Haddo's, hoping to bring it closer in flavor to Sykes's ten-year-old version we sampled in Chicago and so the three of us decided we should try tossing some Marlin Flake in the oven and see how it would turn out. Continued

Davidoff Has New Size and New Look For Puro d’Oro Cigar

(Cigar Aficionado) Davidoff plans to release a sixth size in its Davidoff Puro d’Oro line next month called the Gigantes, and the new, fat size will debut a new band.
The two-year old brand will now have a bold and gold band reading "Davidoff" in embossed lettering. When Davidoff first released the line in April 2010, the cigars notably did not display the Davidoff name and were marked only with narrow, golden foot bands bearing the name of the particular size of each cigar. Continued

Suspicious fire burns big old tobacco warehouse

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) Fire inspectors continue to search for the cause of a fire that destroyed a former tobacco warehouse in Johnson City.
According to the Johnson City Press (http://bit.ly/Mk6cxz ), authorities are suspicious because there was no electrical service to the 100,000-square-foot building.
... The newspaper reported the building was believed to have been the last remaining tobacco warehouse in Johnson City. Continued

Iconic Cuban cigar goes un-smoked at home

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba (Miami Herald) The elderly cigar maker sits at a rustic table next to a tobacco field and a barn filled with hanging rows of aging tobacco and meticulously selects the brown leaves, rolling the most tender ones carefully for the center of the world’s most celebrated tobacco product: the Cuban cigar.
But here in the province that’s the heart of the tobacco-growing region, as in Havana, it’s largely tourists who light up. Very few of the Cubans themselves smoke cigars. The economics of smoking, given the locals’ low, government-set salaries, put cigars out of reach for most people, making the iconic Cuban cigar something that’s produced for foreigners – for export and for tourism. Continued

TattCafe Announces Launch of Companion Online Dating Site for Tobacco Lovers

(PRWeb) ... Thus the creation of a smokers dating site is is the logical next step for these two entrepreneurs. An online dating site that allows you to expose yourself as a smoker of varying levels as just one small aspect of who you are and what you have to offer a potential partner and relationship.
Smoking-Lovers.com hopes to fill this niche for worldwide singles, who either indulge in the occasional cigarette, are in the process of quitting or cutting down, or unashamedly puff away and will stop smoking when they are lowered into the ground! Continued

Extra Powerful Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve Cigar Coming this Year

(Cigar Aficionado) The second incarnation of the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve will debut in August at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers show, and distributor Miami Cigar & Co. tells Cigar Aficionado that it will be the most powerful cigar it has ever created.
Like last year’s Grand Reserve, the 6 1/8 inch by 52-ring cigar is made up of a Nicaraguan bunch and a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. The 2011 version had the same dimensions and price, but was a medium-bodied smoke. Continued

Kentucky burley tobacco production was down 9 percent in 2011

(Southeast Farm Press) Final 2011 burley tobacco production by Kentucky farmers totaled 128 million pounds, down 9 percent from the 140.4 million pounds produced in 2010.

Average yield was 2,000 pounds per acre, up 50 pounds from the 2010 crop. Acreage harvested was 64,000 acres, down 8,000 acres from 2010. Continued

Hooked on a vice and an old literary device

(Sydney Morning Herald) JEFFREY Eugenides is skulking around outside what he calls the only den of iniquity in downtown Princeton. It's a cigar shop called a Little Taste of Cuba, which is slightly ironic given that you can't buy a Romeo Y Julieta there because of the US embargo on trade with Havana.
''The reason it's a den of iniquity is all the guys go in there and they smoke cigars, the smoke pours out of the place and everyone walking by is horrified. Because everything else is pretty antiseptic in Princeton except this cigar store, and naturally I gravitate to it,'' says the American novelist, who is in the streets for better phone reception. Continued

Carter Hall Tobacco Revisited and London Dock Blend Information Request

(Mr. Tobacco) So after the ghosting from 2 other pipes while smoking the Cater Hall, i opted to smoke it in a unsmoked briar. Much better and hopfully a accurate review.

Also been asked about London Dock blend, anyone remember it. Going to make something along those lines but having never smoked it before i dont know which recipe is best.

Aganorsa S.A. is now a dominant force in Nicaraguan tobacco

(Cigar Aficionado) Nothing particularly unusual was going on in the acres of farmland that lay behind a locked gate in Jalapa, Nicaragua. The shade-covered fields that were once owned by dictator Anastasio Somoza were growing tobacco just as they had decades before. Nevertheless, in 2000, in the post-cigar-boom world, the operation was a source of some suspicion in the industry.
For one thing, its owner was new to the cigar world and his workers were all from Cuba. Furthermore, no one in the cigar busines had any idea who was buying all the leaf. Continued

Confessions of a Sloppy Smoker

(Sykes Wilford) I have something of a confession to make. I am kind of a pipe smoking disaster. I was visiting a friend recently and as we spent the afternoon hanging out, I watched him diligently clean each pipe he smoked. Every smoke was in a different pipe. He rotated, cleaned, and babied his pipes.

While I greatly admire this, I find myself utterly incapable of that sort of diligent care of, well, anything. My office desks, at work and at home, each have piles of pipes on them, in ashtrays and, occasionally, actually on pipe racks. Some of the pipes contain, gasp, dottle from previous smokes that I haven't yet cleaned out. I regularly run out of pipe cleaners, forgetting to buy more until my pipes are so grungy that cleaners become absolutely imperative. Once every great while, I sit down and clean twenty or thirty pipes at a throw because I've just let them get too nasty. I am a bad pipe smoker. Continued

House Resolution Cigars fight the good fight

(Smokemag.com) Jeff Borysiewicz, president and founder of Corona Cigar Co. in Orlando, Fla., spends a giant chunk of his time fighting back against the ever-growing threats of government regulation of premium cigars. And like many in the industry, he’s focused much of his efforts over the past year on preventing FDA oversight of premium cigars.
House Resolution 1639, “The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing & Small Business Jobs Preservation Act,” is a pro-active bill written to prevent the FDA from taking away American’s freedom to purchase and enjoy cigars. To commemorate this historic event in the cigar industry, Boryseiwicz and Corona Cigar have collaborated with the J.C. Newman Cigar Co., America's oldest cigar manufacturer, to create House Resolution cigars. Continued

My Second Ser Jacopo

(TPS) I was in Milan some years ago and while there, I visited Al Pascia, the pipe shop, in the heart of the city. After an hour or so talking with Leonardo and Cosimo, who own and run the place, I selected a Ser Jacopo bent pipe and have loved the thing ever since. Not surprising then, that my second Ser Jacopo should also come from them. The difference being, that I found this one on their website and bought it online. It arrived today. Delivery time from Italy was a week. Continued

Harvest in Famous Cuban Tobacco Plantations Ends

Pinar del Río, Cuba, May 7 (Prensa Latina) Known as the land of the best tobacco, this Cuban province concluded the stage of leaf collection, the final phase of farming in the famous plantations of Vueltabajo.
The samples show a higher quality than that achieved in the previous harvest, told to Prensa Latina Enrique Cruz, director of the sector in the territory, which represents almost 70 percent of all domestic tobacco production. Continued

Aging Room Brand Adding Two New Cigars

(Cigar Aficionado) Rafael Nodal, owner of Aging Room cigars, is adding a pair of new varieties to the boutique brand, which was named one of Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 cigars of 2011.
“We’re releasing two more Aging Rooms,” said Nodal. The Aging Room Quattro is a box-pressed cigar with an Indonesian wrapper. The cigars are already being rolled at Tabacalera La Palma in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, and will be on display this summer at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show. Continued

John Cotton Tobacco Throwdown Results & Reviews

(Pips Magazine) The 2012 John Cotton Throwdown event just completed moments ago at Pheasant Run Resort at The Chicagoland Int’l Pipe & Tobacciana Show. The winner that came the closest to the original John Cotton’s blend, decided by the expert judges is Dick Silverman, Chief Catoonah and the winner of the "People’s Choice Awards", which is the blend with the most votes comparing the three contestant blends, is Leonard Wortzel, Lane Limited. Continued

Speedy Cigars for Derby Day

(Cigar Aficionado) Billed as the fastest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby doesn’t allow much time for a drink and a smoke. Happily, the race’s signature cocktail—the Mint Julep—is a short one, not meant for sipping (as its crushed ice dilutes it quickly).
In that spirit, we chose to pair it with a short cigar. In the name of science, two editors lit up simultaneously and timed how long it took to finish each cigar. Continued

Planting projections hold surprises for U.S. tobacco growers

(Southeast Farm Press) When the National Agricultural Statistical Services of USDA issued its Prospective Plantings Report for 2012, it included some surprises.

Probably the biggest was that it projected the national burley crop will increase from 89,000 acres in 2011 to 94,700 acres this season, with big increases in Tennessee and Virginia.
Flue-cured plantings, on the other hand, are projected to be down six percent, from 206,700 down to 194,500 acres.
... All the secondary tobacco types are projected to be down modestly in acreage except the cigar types, which are projected up 11percent from 4,330 to 4,800 acres. Continued

Zimbabwe tobacco sales slowly rising

New Factory for New Illusione Cigars

(Cigar Aficionado) If you’re wondering why you didn’t see a Singulare release from Illusione last year, it isn’t because you missed the cigars—they never came out. But brand owner Dion Giolito is almost ready to simultaneously release two vintages of Illusione Singulare. The new cigars will come in the same package as previous ones, but these new cigars are being rolled in Nicaragua, rather than Honduras. Continued

Davidoff Lights-Up A New Era Of Fine Luxury

(Forbes) With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, gentlemen will begin to enjoy all that the summer season has to offer; relaxation, leisure time activities, and entertainment filled with outdoor dining, boating, rounds of golf and get togethers. Since 1911, the Davidoff name has been synonymous with enhancing memorable summer moments through top quality entertainment and affordable luxury in a diverse product and accessories range.
Made from a selection of premium Dominican tobaccos, Davidoff cigars have become some of the most sought after cigars in the world. Continued

Swisher Sweets Black Cigarillos

(CSP) Swisher International has introduced new Swisher Sweets Black Cigarillos, with a dark maduro-like wrapper that delivers a distinctive, rich aroma as well as a slower-burning, smoother smoke. The convenient cigarillo size is ideal for today’s on-the-go lifestyles, offering retailers the opportunity to take advantage of strong consumer demand for a truly distinctive tobacco product.
Exceptionally bold and smooth, the new sweet cigar is designed to appeal to those who truly savor the black-wrapper cigarillo experience. To encourage customer trials of Swisher Sweets Black Cigarillos, they are offered at special pricing: five cigars for the price of three, in addition to 25-count impulse units and box 60s, all featuring individual Sealed-Fresh foil wrapper. Link

Royal Blunts Cigarillos and 2XXL Cigar Wraps

(CSN) Two new products joined the Royal Blunts cigar line: Royal Blunts Cigarillos and 2XXL Cigar Wraps. Royal Blunts Cigarillos are available in five flavors: blueberry, sour apple, natural, wet mango and purple haze. The 2XXL Cigar Wraps offer two very large cigar wraps in a sleek, innovative, foil fresh re-sealable pouch, the company reported.
This Kush Flavor Collection product is available in kush Kush , blueberry Kush, wet mango Kush, sour apple Kush, naked Kush, peach Kush, purple haze Kush and white grape Kush varieties. Link

Gawith Hoggarth Balkan Mixture Tobacco Review

(Cake and Dottle) TAD has been getting the best of me lately. It doesn't help when you have friends that send you out of this world tobaccos you've never smoked before.
Esteemed tobaccoreviews contributor and Tamp & Puff member doctorthoss sent me a sample of Gawith Hoggarth Balkan Mixture. Before it was gone I had ordered two 500g bags, and I'm about to order two more.
I opened this bag and was hit by traditional English floral tobacco scenting. Oh brother. I have actually learned to love geranium, lavender and a few other floral elements in nasal snuff, but I've always had a hard line stance against anything that isn't tobacco in my pipe tobacco. Well, this tobacco is an exception. Continued

Customizing Your Favorite Tobacco Blend

(Pips Magazine) It’s been said that your ideal blend is out there, but I don’t necessarily believe that. I would rather say that your ideal blend is out there, but it may be in disguise. What I mean is that we all have tried a blend that is really close to what would be the perfect smoke, but just slightly misses the mark. Most people will simply enjoy the blend for what it is and will keep looking for their holy grail. For a relatively small and adventuresome group who can’t leave well enough alone, this is an invitation to try some home blending. Continued

Rocky Patel Decade Edición Limitada Cigars Available Now

(Cigar Aficionado) Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has released the Rocky Patel 2012 Decade Edición Limitada: a limited production Decade with a broadleaf wrapper and bolder blend.
The blend on the 2012 release is the same as in past years: a Pennsylvanian maduro broadleaf wrapper around a bunch of Nicaraguan filler and binder tobacco—with one special change. Continued

Malawi Sells Tobacco at 32% Below Government-Mandated Price

(Bloomberg) The average price of tobacco in Malawi, the world’s largest producer of the burley variety of the leaves, was 32 percent below the government-set price at an auction last week, Auction Holdings Ltd. said.
Tobacco sold at an average $1.23 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) in the week through April 27, compared with 81 cents in the same period a year earlier, the Lilongwe-based agency said in a report published in the Nation newspaper today. The government-set price is $1.82 per kilogram. Continued