I could not be happier for owner Benjamin Holt. I have interacted with Ben through social media and through BLTC/ BLK WKS which he is a rep for and I am really excited to watch this journey unfold. I am very curious to see how he and James Brown push the envelope with these creations. Best of luck and I cannot wait to try these blends.
Press Release June 20, 2019 – Dissident to Launch Core Line at IPCPR 2019 The new Dissident cigar brand under the ownership of Benjamin Holt will launch at IPCPR 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dissident will showcase two core line blends at this year’s trade show; Soapbox and Bloc. All lines are completely new blends produced at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua. Both blends will be available in three sizes. Benjamin stated, “I am very excited about this. A lot of thought, time and work as been put into making this happen and I’m ready to show it to the world. I think these blends are very unique and offer a special smoking experience for those who love cigars. They really highlight the quality of tobacco that’s used at Oveja Negra.” Dissident will be distributed by LJ Zucca Distributors and will be present in Booth 2463 at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show.
Soapbox Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Brazil Binder: Ecuador Filler: Nicaragua Petite Corona – 4 3/4 x 46 (20 count) MSRP $8.00 Robusto – 5 1/2 x 52 (20 count) MSRP $10.00 Toro Gordo – 6 3/4 x 54 (20 count) MSRP $11.00
Bloc Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuador Maduro Binder: Ecuador Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Box Press Robusto – 5 5/8 x 46 (20 count) MSRP $10.25 Box Press Toro – 6 1/4 x 52 (20count) MSRP $10.50 Box Press Lonsdale – 7 x 42 (20 count) MSRP $10.00 For more information contact info@smoke-dissident.com.
June 19, 2019 — Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) will be showcasing a new release at this year’s IPCPR in Las Vegas.
LAST RITES VIATICUM will be available to BLTC retailers at this years IPCPR.This is a small batch release offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to retailers attending IPCPR 2019. Shipping will commence this fall.
“We wanted to release a cigar exclusively for IPCPR attendees as a way of showing our appreciation for the retailers who come to support our brands and the show. Last Rites has always been a special cigar to me. It was the first cigar I blended on my own, and I blended it to my personal tastes. It’s everything I wanted out of a cigar and a perfect representation of Black Label Trading Co. To celebrate our sixth anniversary, I wanted to do a Special Edition of the Last Rites. The Viaticum is an evolution of the Last Rites blend. It uses most of the same tobaccos but in different proportions and primings. It’s rich, dark and elegant just like Nicaraguan tobacco. We also box pressed the cigar like the original 2013 release,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
Last Rites Viaticum
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Maduro
Binder: Honduras Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan / Honduran
Robusto – 5 x 54 Box Press (20 count) MSRP $15.00
“Black Label Trading Company is redefining the standards for cigar making. With a less is more philosophy, Black Label Trading Co. creates hand crafted premium cigars of the utmost quality at their own factory in Nicaragua.”
Visit BLTC Booth #2463 at this year’s IPCPR 2019 for more information. info@blacklabeltrading.com.
I really hope hope I am able to try these. Last Rites is my favorite cigar from the Black Label lineup and I am sure this one will be amazing. More great things coming out of Fabrica Oveja Negra. #LongAshesFullGlasses
June 18, 2019 — Emilio Cigars is pleased to announce the release of Suave at this year’s IPCPR. Emilio will also be featuring La Musa for shipment later this year. Both are hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
Suave is a core-line product for Emilio that has been redesigned. The artwork and blending for these cigars has been done by James Brown. James, owner of BLTC and Fabrica Oveja Negra, stated, “I am very excited to release these cigars. They that have been given the Oveja Negra makeover in appearance and flavor.”
Suave will be shipping to select retailers later this month. Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Connecticut Binder: Nicaraguan Habano Filler: Nicaragua Robusto – 5 x 50 (20 count) MSRP $9.00 Toro – 6 x 50 (20 count) MSRP $9.50 Churchill – 7 x 48 (20 count) MSRP $9.50
La Musa, a limited release, will be featured at this years show. This will be the first edition of this cigar from the Oveja Negra Factory. Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Binder: Nicaraguan Habano Filler: Nicaragua Robusto – 5 x 50 (25 count) MSRP $10.50 Toro – 6 x 50 (25 count) MSRP $11.00
Visit Booth #2463 at this year’s IPCPR 2019 for more information. info@OvejaNegraCigars.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Claudio Sgroi President & Master Blender E: claudio@mombachocigars.com
MOMBACHO CIGARS ANNOUNCES WORLDWIDE SHIPMENT OF COSECHA 2014
Cosecha 2014 is the latest release from the successful yearly limited edition Cosecha line in the market since 2012. GRANADA, NICARAGUA. – (June 18th, 2019). Mombacho Cigars S.A. announced today that the highly anticipated Cosecha 2014 is shipping worldwide. Cosecha 2014 is a vintage Nicaraguan puro and will be available at select cigar retailers in the near future. The cigars will be distributed to retailers around the globe once they reach the warehouses Mombacho uses to serve its international markets. “True vintage is almost impossible to find in the cigar industry and we have created a cigar that showcases the best of Nicaraguan tobaccos with Cosecha. Cosecha 2012 was great and Cosecha 2013 was even better, Cosecha 2014 will surprise the aficionados once again.” said Claudio Sgroi, President and Master Blender of Mombacho Cigars. “Cosecha is a project that has been in my heart since the day I started working with Mombacho and I am thrilled to share it with all of you now” added Sgroi. The Spanish word “Cosecha” translates to “harvest” in English and is the perfect name to convey the genuine vintage nature of the Cosecha line. The Cosecha 2014 is the third release of this limited vintage line and features Nicaraguan tobaccos harvested in 2014. The cigars have been in the aging room at Casa Favilli, Mombacho’s state-of-the-art factory in Granada, since early 2016. Currently, Cosecha 2015 cigars have already been rolled and are resting in the aging room at Casa Favilli and Cosecha 2017 will be soon in production until ready for distribution in 2022. Cosecha 2014 is a 6 x 52 toro with a pigtail cap and is available in 10-count boxes with an MSRP of $21.95 per cigar. A total of 750 boxes were produced and they will be shown at the IPCPR in Las Vegas at the booth #2867. ABOUT MOMBACHO CIGARS Mombacho Cigars S.A. is a “totally made by hand” cigar company established in 2006 that entered the US market in 2013. The international interest in Mombacho has grown rapidly and Mombacho cigars are now available in 15 countries around the world. Mombacho produces all of its cigars at its state-of-theart factory Casa Favilli, in Granada, Nicaragua.
For more information please contact Claudio Sgroi, President & Master Blender of Mombacho Cigars, at claudio@mombachocigars.com. – 30 – mombachocigars.com | f/t/i: @MombachoCigars
One of the most common things I get asked when I ask about new content and things people would like to see more of is pairings. Cigars and spirits, cigars and wine, cigars and foods, etc. This is not only one of the most requested topics but it is by far the hardest topic to do. Simply by the sheer numbers of combinations that are available to us I would venture to say would be in the billions. Which, when you consider it, is a very good problem to have! If we only had 5 cigars and 10 spirits to pick from, it would be no problem.
I will be the first to admit that the topic is one that really appeals to me as I love to try new things but the overwhelming number of options make it a challenge I am not sure I want to tackle. Not only that, it is also highly subjective. Much like cigar reviews, it comes down to each individual. You may find certain flavors and notes that I simply just don’t get. Lord knows I read reviews and wonder what the hell is this person smoking because I have never gotten Lucky Charms Marshmellows covered in Dr. Pepper in my cigar profile…ever. Not even smoking an Acid.
My other thought about this topic is that I am honest enough to admit that my palate is not well rounded enough, IMO, to do the topic a lot of justice. Not saying that I wouldn’t be willing to give it a shot but just know that it may not be of much value. Again, a super subjective topic. I have done bourbon tastings and cigar tastings with friends and rarely to we all agree on the notes and flavors. While we may find some common undertones and primary notes, the subtle differences varies greatly across the group.
Another thing to consider with pairings is your own personal range and likes. As someone with a heavy palate that really enjoys medium rare steaks, red wine, bourbon and maduro cigars as my go to options I am going to have a real challenge doing pairings on things like Connecticut’s with white wine, beer or vodka. While those may make for some absolute dynamic pairings, I am not sure I would be able to enjoy them.
I have a ton of respect for people like James Brown of Black Label Trading Company and Black Works Studio that was heavy in the wine industry and has trained his palate as a sommelier. I believe this is what makes him so successful as a cigar blender. That is someone who I think would provide some serious pairing options because of his experience.
Another thing that plays a HUGE factor in creating perfect pairings has nothing at all to do with taste. It has everything to do with experiences. I can remember one of my most favorable pairings was something I rarely even drink and when I do, the first few sips are terrible. I was at a work conference in Scottsdale, AZ with my now current boss (we had just met for the first time) and he found out I was a cigar guy. He was a scotch guy. I am not. I am a bourbon fan but scotch has not been favorable to me. I gave him a cigar and he purchased us a Lagavulin. For those that know, or don’t, this is like drinking campfire smoke from the heavy peat. Drinking it now, it takes me a few sips to ease into it and I wonder what the hell was so different about it from what I remembered. What I remembered was that drink, in AZ, paired with a Padron 1964 maduro and the atmosphere and conversation was one of the best experiences I have had, making it one of the most memorable pairings in my recollection.
To sort of wrap this up a bit, my suggestion is to try different things, take notes on each. Write down pros/cons, likes/dislikes of the cigar you are smoking and whatever you are pairing it with. As you experiment I think you will find trends and patterns in the flavors and profiles of things you like and you don’t. If you have a cigar that you absolutely love and a wine or spirit that you absolutely love, try pairing them if you don’t already. I have done that in the past and have been really disappointed in the findings. Sometimes the flavor combinations actually overpower or work against each other. Once you have put together a solid list of 5 or so choices, switch them up. Try a cigar you had more pros than cons and pair them with a drink you maybe had more cons that pros and see if anything changes. It’s a super challenging and fun thing to do. Keep making tweaks and changes to your pairings until you lock one down that you absolutely enjoy. Then start all over. Lol. That is the game and that is what makes it such a fun and interesting topic, Variety is the spice of life and we are blessed to be able to sample so many different things. Stop smoking the same cigars you always have, stop being the “I’m a XYZ man/woman, I only drink this or smoke that”. Life is too short to be narrow minded. If you have some favorite pairings, please feel free to comment and share.
Thanks for reading and following. Make sure you share this article with friends and follow us on Social Media. Until next time, #LongAshesFullGlasses
PRESS RELEASE – Black Label Trading Co. PRESS RELEASE June 17, 2019 —
Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) will be debuting new artwork and packaging for its core-line at this year’s IPCPR in Las Vegas. Visit Booth #2463 to see the display. Royalty, Salvation, Lawless and Last Rites have each been given unique artwork designed by James Brown, creator of BLTC. These cigars are part of the original core-line that BLTC launched in 2013. Benediction was also part of the original core-line but will be replaced with Porcelain to complete the spectrum of BLTC’s five core-line cigars. New Packaging will begin shipping after IPCPR. “I’m very excited for the re-boot of the BLTC Core Line. Black Label is celebrating its six year anniversary and it was time to change things up a bit. I believe every cigar has it’s own personality and tells a story. I wanted to give our core products the chance to tell that story through unique artwork for each line. It was also time to tweak the blends a bit. The blends didn’t change, I just played with different proportions of the original tobaccos creating a new, unique version of the cigars,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra. “Black Label Trading Company is redefining the standards for cigar making. With a less is more philosophy, Black Label Trading Co. creates hand crafted premium cigars of the utmost quality at their own factory in Nicaragua.” Visit BLTC Booth #2463 at this year’s IPCPR 2019 to place your orders. info@blacklabeltrading.com.
Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Sir Robert Peel as a regular production release for the 2019 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The Cigars will be offered in a natural & maduro format. The Protocol Sir Robert Peel is produced at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The cigars will be available in a 6 x 52 box press format in boxes of 10. MSRP has been set at $119.50 per box. The blend incorporates an Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper covering Nicaraguan binder and fillers.
The second blend utilizes the same filler but a Pennsylvania Broad Leaf wrapper. The cigar will become available nationally at the 2019 IPCPR located in Las Vegas. Sir Robert Peel is regarded as the father of modern day policing. Cubariqueño Cigar Co again pays homage to the profession of its owners Bill Ives & Juan Cancel who are police officers. We left no stone unturned for this release. Both cigars are smoking phenomenal and we took the packing up to the next level stated Juan Cancel. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. will again be partnered inside the Espinosa booth at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Official Misconduct Corona Gorda as a new size & regular production release for the 2019 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The Official Misconduct will continue to be produced at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This second size in the line – Corona Gorda – will be available in a 5 5/8 X 46 format in boxes of 10. MSRP has been set at $99.40 per box. The blend incorporates an Ecuadorian habano wrapper covering a Nicaraguan binder as well as filler tobaccos hailing from both the Estelí and Jalapa growing regions of Nicaragua. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. offered a select amount of boxes at our 4 Year Anniversary Party on June 1st to our loyal supporters attending the event. The cigar will become available nationally at the 2019 IPCPR located in Las Vegas. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. will again be partnered inside the Espinosa booth at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announces the release of the Protocol Themis Corona Gorda as a regular production release for the 2019 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. The cigar was originally introduced as a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive on September 8, 2018. The cigars will continue to be produced at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Themis Corona Gorda will be available in a 5 5/8 X 46 format in boxes of 10. MSRP has been set at $99.40 per box. The blend consists of an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. & Famous Smoke Shop have had a great relationship and success with this line and are excited to offer this cigar to all of our retail partners. Cubariqueño Cigar Co. will again be partnered inside the Espinosa booth at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Claudio Sgroi President & Master Blender E: claudio@mombachocigars.com
MOMBACHO CIGARS ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A EUROPEAN WAREHOUSE IN GERMANY Mombacho Cigars S.A. to serve the European market through a warehouse in Germany in collaboration with PasionPuro GmbH & Co. KG GRANADA, NICARAGUA. – (June ……, 2019). Mombacho Cigars S.A. announced today that it will start serving the European market through a warehouse based in Dusseldorf, Germany. “In the last two years we saw a tremendous growth in Europe and now, with the support of PasionPuro’s team, we have a bonded warehouse in Germany to better serve our European partners in their respective markets. We’ll be able to ship cigars to the countries where we already have a presence and the new ones opening soon, faster and with a lower cost of shipment”, said Claudio Sgroi, President and Master Blender of Mombacho Cigars. “We strongly believe, that boutique manufacturers with high market potential are getting faster and more efficient distribution within the European Union (EU) by using a warehouse in the union territory. Sure there is still paperwork to do, but comparing to an import from Nicaragua, it is much faster and cost effective to get Mombacho within the EU. The European market is fragmented into 28 different countries, each with their own laws and regulations, besides the EU Big 5 (UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy); there are 23 smaller markets. To be able now to ship from one EU-warehouse to another EU-warehouse easily, makes it more attractive for smaller distributors to take Mombacho into their market”, said Tuan Hung Ma, owner and CEO of PasionPuro. The new warehouse will receive the first shipment before the end of June 2019. Mombacho Cigars are already distributed in Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Italy; the company plans to open Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg before the end of 2019. Mombacho will welcome US retailers at the IPCPR in Las Vegas at the booth #2867 and both Mombacho & PasionPuro will be present to welcome every European distributor at booth E.30, Hall 4, at Intertabac in Dortmund. ABOUT MOMBACHO CIGARS Mombacho Cigars S.A. is a “totally made by hand” cigar company established in 2006 that entered the US market in 2013. The international interest in Mombacho has grown rapidly and Mombacho Cigars are now available in 14 countries around the world. Mombacho produces all of its cigars at its factory in Granada, Casa Favilli, where over 30 members of the Mombacho Family work. For more information contact Claudio Sgroi, President & Master Blender of Mombacho Cigars, at claudio@mombachocigars.com. – 30 – mombachocigars.com | f/i: @MombachoCigars
I am pretty happy to land the first interview with owners Lee and JR of the newly launched Stolen Throne cigar brand. Their official launch was June 1 and they are currently available at https://store.cigarfederation.com/products/stolen-throne-cigars?variant=23292854861882 Be sure to check them out! Let’s get a little more info about them and the brand shall we?
Tell us about the brand. Does the name have a story behind it? How did you pick a factory to work with?
Lee: It’s a funny story actually. As we have said this has been years in the making. Well someone in the industry, who we won’t name didn’t take too kindly to the idea of JR and I venturing into the business. They made some off color comments to the effect of “there is no seat for you at the table.” Well, me being me I responded with choice words and ended with “I’ll steal one…” Stolen Throne was born. LOL
Working with Noel Rojas has to be a pretty cool experience. Care to discuss that a bit?
Lee: Noel has been great. I can’t say enough about him. He really let us loose and control the blending process which was really important to me. He has so much knowledge and lessons learned to share. We have just clicked and I can’t really envision Stolen Throne being produced with someone else.
Let’s talk about the cigars. (Blends if you want to disclose or not is fine, sizes, price point, etc.)
Lee: The Crook of the Crown is our baby lol. It’s a 10 year aged San Andres Maduro wrapper over Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers.
What can people expect from the blends?
JR: Crook of the Crown is a full-bodied, medium plus strength smoke that offers strong espresso notes balanced with some black pepper spice and rounded out by a subtle sweetness from that beautiful well aged wrapper.
The artwork is really cool. Any story behind the names or artwork?
JR: Coming up with a name was arduous process. We came up with numerous names, but none was appealing. Finally, Lee floated the names Stolen Throne and Crook of the Crown. Perfection doesn’t come easily, lol
Lee: The artwork is all JR. He actually sketched it up on a napkin while we were smoking and a few bourbons deep I believe. lol
Where can they be purchased?
We are happy to announce that Crook of the Crown can be purchased from Cigar Federation!
What can we expect over the next few months?
We have already started on future projects, but our major focus is to continue to get the Crook into the hands of the people.
Anything else you want to add?
We just want to thank everyone for the support as we start this journey, the feedback has been excellent! Thank you Scott for giving us a voice.
Thanks for taking the time to do this. We look forward to watching this journey and experience these cigars. Best of luck to you!
Cigar Hawk | NEWS REVIEWS INTERVIEWS 