There’s a much different style to the news, okay sort of… A few stories are still in paragraph form, but most will be in bullet points to try to make the whole story easier for you to read. Don’t get me wrong, I love comments – but, I never ask for them. I love hearing from other’s and in the case of the news trying to provide the most information, This time, I’m explicitly asking for comments. If you like this style, tell me. If you like the other style, complain. If you want TheCigarFeed Daily Video Newscast, keep dreaming.

On Thursday, el niño diablo’s ongoing State of the Brand Series continued, this time with My Father Cigars. Included in the article:

  • Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label Toro Gordo, 6 x 56 extension in boxes of 18
  • Jaime Garcia Super Gordo, 5 3/4 x 66 extension
  • Jaime Garcia Limited Edition to be launched at the IPCPR show in July
  • La Reloba San Andreas coming soon
  • My Father Limited Edition 2011 details
  • Info on the Bats and Cuban Pipes

General Cigar Co. was supposed to introduce the new Bolivar d’Oro at Nat Sherman this past Thursday, that event was cancelled due to weather. Fortunately, I did find out the info on the blend:

  • Wrapper: Honduran San Augustin
  • Binder: Mexican
  • Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican

The full-body cigar is sold at ten count boxes exclusively at Nat Sherman. Despite the weather the cigars are there and Lindsay Heller provided the picture below, it appears that Benji Menendez even lent his signature to that box.

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Smoke Inn hosted their annual Great Smoke, where Padrón’s SI-15, named for Smoke Inn’s 15th anniversary, was introduced. The box-pressed 6 x 60 is based on the 1964 Anniversary and available in both Natural and Maduro. It will go on sale in April in boxes of 15. It’s unclear if the price is actually going to be $20, but given some of the online info, it’s possible. Picture below comes from the Smoke Inn Facebook account.

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And the new news section…

  • Sal Fontana, Consigliere of Camacho, and one of the most influential figures in Camacho’s history passed away on Thursday.
  • Pete Johnson hinted that a Sumatra wrapper might be available on the Tatuaje Regios might be in the works, although it apparently is a bit strong. (via Pete’s Facebook.)
  • Pete also tweeted a picture of the new magazine ads for Fausto, showing off some of the branding. You can read more about Fausto in the State of the Brand: Tatuaje feature.
  • On Tuesday we broke news regarding the newest La Aurora 107, the Gran 107.
  • On Wednesday, we provided more details regarding the Viaje Tower Cigars 45th Anniversary.
  • Word out of the Dominican Republic is that the aging room at the Fuente factory possesses 1.4 million Opus X puros. Remember, most Opuses are aged for about a year before being released for sale.
  • Ernesto Padilla showed off the new prototype bands of the La Terraza, you can read more and view picture in our State of the Brand: Padilla article.
  • Dion Giolito of Illusione and Glenn Case of Kristoff joked that the latter was buying the former, remember folks, it was a joke.
  • Habanos S.A. introduced the Romeo y Julieta Julieta.
  • In other Cuba news, Altadis’ parent company, Imperial Tobacco, reported unexpected growth, largely due to Habanos S.A., which had growth in Russia, Brazil, the Middle East and Asia.
  • The Cain Daytona will ship to retailers in late February, meaning it will be in stores in time for the Studio Tobac World Tour kickoff, March 12th in Florida.
  • Here’s another peak of the new NUb Perfecto and the Cain F Lancero Tubos.
  • The Liga Privada MF-13 leaked onto the interwebs. It’s a prototype based off of the Liga Privada T52 that will be featured at a special private event hosted by Steve Saka at Top Shelf cigars in New Hampshire in March. In addition, Steve says he will have two other never before smoked prototypes on hand.
  • Toraño Family Cigars is launching five-packs of two of their lines, Casa Toraño Natural and Exodus Silver. Pictures below.
  • ProCigar is taking place in the Dominican Republic this week, Guillermo León, Jose Blanco and the rest of the La Aurora will be hosting this year.
  • In lawsuit news, Frank Herrera has reported that that Cigars by Chivas has defaulted in their trademark case filed by Chiva Holdings.
  • In addition, KUBA KUBA was found not registrable, this impacts other trademarks in some way that I’m sure Frank can explain much better than I ever could
  • New York passed an outdoor smoking ban in parks and beaches, Here are some thoughts
  • The State of New York’s Attorney General has sued six online cigarette retailers for lost tax revenue. Shipping cigarettes across state line is a federal crime, but what the state is suing over is something that could be applicable to online cigar merchants, lost taxes. Few retailers actually pay the tobacco taxes to the states they ship to, this has caused problems before, including UPS turning over shipping records for customers. It should be noted that this is not lost sales tax, although New York has a highly-publicized history with that matter give Amazon.com v. New York.
  • Michael Herklots tweeted about the newest exclusive to the Davidoff New York Stores, this time a Belicoso from Pepin. This is the newest exclusive from a manufacturer that is not Davidoff, joining others such as Fonseca, La Aurora and others. It is a new My Father blend and size, both exclusive to the Davidoff stores. Should be out before the end of the month. Picture below.

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My Father Belicoso, Exclusive to Davidoff New York Stores

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Toraño images via Brian McGhee

Finally, I got invited to the Esquire Home event at Nat Sherman, here’s the press release with photos below, including of the special edition cigar. No word on Miss Decker.

New York, NY (January 24, 2011) – Walking into the Nat Sherman flagship store on the corner of East 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City is an experience unto itself. The iconic “Tobacconist to the World” has showcased an array of fine smoking goods and lifestyle accessories for 80 years. Starting this spring, there is a new reason to visit: From February 15 through April 15, Esquire magazine and the newly launched Esquire Home Collection of furniture and accessories will transform the 8,000-square-foot Nat Sherman flagship store into the ultimate members-only club: Esquire Home @ Nat Sherman.

During these eight weeks, Nat Sherman and Esquire will host a number of exclusive, invitation-only events. A celebrity-attended opening party on Wednesday, February 16, will celebrate the collaboration, and a launch party for the Spring 2011 Esquire Big Black Book (a newsstand-only, semi-annual fashion periodical that Esquire has published since 2006) will be the final event at the club on April 8th. Those invited will enjoy the billiards humidor room and the lauded Esquire Home Collection (now available for purchase at ABC Carpet and Home) as well as fine food and drinks. In addition, Nat Sherman will showcase an enviable selection of its cigars, cigarettes, lighters, timepieces, and other unique accessories, including a limited-edition cigar created specifically for the Esquire Home @ Nat Sherman showcase. During the store’s regular business hours, the club will be open for customers eager to view the Collection. For more information and the list of events, go to www.esquirehomeatnatsherman.com.

“Nat Sherman International truly embodies the essence of Esquire’s ‘Man at His Best,’ says Nat Sherman CEO Joel Sherman. “We feature a wide array of men’s lifestyle and luxury items that can satisfy the need of any gentleman of discerning taste, including the limited edition Nat Sherman cigars that will be served to celebrate this unique partnership and series of events.”

Esquire Home @ Nat Sherman extends the magazine’s philosophy of “Man at His Best,” a lifestyle of comfort, luxury and sophistication, to create a unique experience centered around a branded furniture collection with the same attention to detail as a fine cigar. Incorporating items across key home areas including furniture, area rugs, lighting, and other decorating accessories, the Esquire Home line debuted in select retail outlets last fall.

“Nat Sherman is an ideal partner to bring to life Esquire’s legacy of style and substance,” said Stephen Jacoby, associate publisher/marketing for Esquire. “We’re thrilled to have the ‘Tobacconist to the World’ showcase the Esquire Home Collection.”

Also on view for purchase at Nat Sherman will be three unique home décor pieces made especially for the flagship store. The designs, a new addition to the iconic Nat Sherman Stars & Stripes Collection, were created by HALO Group, makers of the Esquire Home Collection. The collection is an ongoing design collaboration with multiple designers, the first was bespoke British furniture and accessories maker LINLEY, and will debut during the showcase.

Sponsors of Esquire Home @ Nat Sherman include ABC Carpet and Home, The Halo Group and Gentleman Jack.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.