By way of that press release, we have learned that Torano will be donning a new look and a new name. Take a look at the press release below for more information on the reboot of what we once knew as Torano Cigars.

Torano Family, armed with a new look, is back in control of its own distribution.

Date: July 15, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Miami, Florida) July 15, 2010 – The Torano Family, makers of some of the finest cigars in the world, is proud to announce that effective August 1st the family will distribute its own brands. To add to this exciting news, Torano launches a new company name, a new logo and two retail exclusive cigar brands.

The company name is changing from Torano Cigars to Torano Family Cigar Company to truly capture the family legacy and emphasize that this is a family-owned company. The taking over of its distribution is the result of the family’s decision to enhance its personal relationship with the trade and consumers.

“We are energized and excited to be announcing the positive changes,” said Charlie Torano, the company’s president.

The new logo, which combines a contemporary, yet classy look, is symbolic of the company’s new direction, one which will focus on the introduction of innovative cigar brands, unique blends and building a strong Torano Family Cigar community.

“We recognize the value of building communication,” Charlie said. “There’s no better way to reach cigar smokers and the trade than through social media, the internet, the use of viral campaigns and the personal touch and interactions at cigar events that only the family can provide.”

The IPCPR in New Orleans will be the platform for the unveiling of Master by Carlos Torano and Single Region, two retail exclusive brands. The company is also offering a value priced bundle cigar named Brigade

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming annual trade show and personally showing all of the changes which are taking place,” Charlie said.

A leader in the cigar industry, Torano Family Cigar Company is a four-generation company currently based in Miami, Florida. It enjoys a rich heritage and history in tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing.

Torano Family back in control of its own distribution is a post from: The Stogie Review

Unfortunately, with Jerry, Brian, Mike, and myself all spread out along the East Coast, only one of us were able to take them up on their offer.

Keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for Jerry’s coverage of the La Palina Launch in Washington DC. Until then, you can learn a little about the brand via the press release below.

La Palina Press Release:

La Palina Cigars Re-Launched
Founder’s Grandson Reveals Remarkable History and Taste

Washington, DC (May 17, 2010)—In June 2010 William C. (Bill) Paley will re-launch La Palina, a storied cigar brand famously linked to the early and fortuitous beginnings of CBS Broadcasting, originally founded by Bill’s father, William S. Paley. The brand debuts with the introduction of the “1896” Limited Edition cigar, fittingly dedicated to Paley’s grandfather, Samuel Paley, who founded the Congress Cigar Company in 1896. It was William S. Paley’s interest in promoting La Palina through the use of radio advertising that led him to the broadcasting business.

La Palina literally translates to “The Paley Lady” and was named for Sam’s wife, Goldie Drell Paley. Also the company’s most fashionable brand, La Palina was popularized by the image of Goldie in Spanish costume on the interior and exterior of the box. “With the revival of La Palina, a family tradition continues,” said Bill Paley, who sought to create a superb cigar to offer his guests at Lightbourne House, the family compound on Nassau in the Bahamas.

La Palina premium handmade cigars are a marriage of the finest tobacco leaves, aged, fermented, selected and blended by master artisans. The “1896” Limited Edition is a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco with an Ecuadorian wrapper and a Costa Rican binder. The first “1896” to be introduced is the “Sam” signature cigar (4.75 inch; 52 gauge) which retails for $19 per cigar or $190 for a box of 10.

The Family Series will be introduced later this year consisting of four cigar formats to include:

• The “Pasha” – a tribute to Bill’s father, William S. Paley. Though known as “The Chairman” at work, he was jokingly known as “Pasha” at home (7.25 inch; 50 gauge; unfinished foot)
• The “Babe” – dedicated to Bill’s mother Babe Paley, a noted fashion icon, socialite and inductee to the Best Dressed Hall of Fame (5.25 inch; 50 gauge)
• The “Alison” is dedicated to Bill’s wife Alison VanMetre Paley whose support and encouragement made the La Palina revival possible (6.5 inch torpedo; 52 gauge)
• The “Little Bill” is named for Bill Paley as it was the name used to distinguish him from his father (4.5 inch; 52 gauge)

All of La Palina’s cigars will be available at high end tobacco retailers around the country. For more information on purchasing La Palina Cigars please contact +1 (877) 812-0150 or e-mail info@lapalinacigars.com. For print quality images or more information contact Anthony Hesselius at +1 (703) 417-2703 or anthonyh@lindarothpr.com.

Press Release: La Palina is a post from: The Stogie Review

Danielle was awesome and had press information to me in short order. I was able to answer the email and save the day (maybe not save the day but I was able to answer that email). In addition to getting the press release, I also learned that there is a launch party on April 27th at the Davidoff Madison Avenue Store in New York. If you find yourself in New York City on April 27th, head on over to the event and meet Hendrik Kelner Sr. and Hendrik Kelner Jr.

If attending, be sure to contact Michael Herklots to RSVP. His information can be found in the Press Release below.

DAVIDOFF TO INTRODUCE NEW “PURO D’ORO” CIGAR

Featuring Exclusive Davidoff YamasáTM Wrapper

Stamford, CT (April 13, 2010) – Davidoff, purveyor of “The Good Life”, is set for an April launch of its highly anticipated, all-Dominican premium cigar, Puro d’Oro.

Since the founding of the company in the Dominican Republic twenty years ago, Davidoff has established itself as a socially responsible employer and important business leader in the community. There are currently around 1300 employed by Davidoff in well paying jobs that provide training and a full complement of benefits including medical insurance. During the course of the last two decades, Davidoff built a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and has reached a new pinnacle of success due in large part to the vigilant commitment and expertise of Mr. Hendrik Kelner.

In 1996, Mr. Kelner began to develop experimental tobaccos in pursuit of growing a puro Dominican wrapper. After his initial attempts failed he began to experiment with Criollo seeds, which he meticulously cross-bred with specially selected hybrid seeds. In 2003, Mr. Kelner planted for the first time in the untested region of Yamasá. Driven by an artisan’s passion and a scientist’s patience, Hendrik knew the rich, red, clay-like soil of Yamasá would deliver a truly unique flavor experience and enticing aroma that would meet Davidoff’s incomparable standard of excellence. It was in 2006 that he finally achieved the desired result. His perseverance not only innovated a new tradition of growing cigar tobacco in this region, it also resulted in the exclusive Davidoff YamasáTM Wrapper used for the new Puro d’Oro series.

The unparalleled palate stimulation of Puro d’Oro delivers a very distinguished taste. Its dark, slightly rustic, oily wrapper imparts a subtle dominance and complexity to the medium bodied puro blend of select Dominican-origin tobaccos. Coffee and spice notes combine to provide a long, pleasing finish.

The four format line will be available in boxes, packs, and an assortment box containing one each of—Magnificos (Robusto), Notables (Corona Gorda), Deliciosos (Corona), and Sublimes (Petit Panetela). The cigars are crafted with a traditional pigtail cap and an elegantly embossed golden band at the foot. In homage to the original classic Davidoff packaging style of the 1940s, the cigars are boxed into 25-cigar wheels and elegantly wrapped with a white silk Davidoff ribbon. The embodiment of ultimate luxury, Puro d’Oro resonates the passion for life embraced by the Davidoff connoisseur.

Davidoff’s flagship Madison Avenue store will host the April 27 media event to kick-off the Puro d’Oro U.S. launch tour. Mr. Hendrik Kelner will be in attendance at all 13 events, joined by other special guests.

www.davidoff.com/800.232.8436

Press Release: Davidoff to Introduce New “Puro d’Oro” Cigar is a post from: The Stogie Review

To celebrate La Aurora’s 107th Anniversary, Miami Cigar aims to repeat their success. 107 certified accounts have been selected to hand out free cigars, while supplies last. To get in on this giveaway, take a look at the press release below and see if your local retailer is on the list.

Rediscover La Aurora with the 107

107 retailers to hand out free cigars on April 30

MIAMI FL — Miami Cigar & Company, the exclusive distributor for La Aurora brands in the United States, announces the release of the La Aurora Serie 107 Anniversario to mark the company’s 107th year of operation in the Dominican Republic. As part of a year-long campaign to Rediscover La Aurora, 107 retailers across the U-S will be giving away 107 robustos on April 30th. The list of participating retailers can be found at http://rediscoverlaaurora.com.

Miami Cigar president Nestor Miranda says, “We have represented La Aurora for over 20 years and feel this is one of the best cigars they have made so far. We believe so much in the 107 that we are giving cigar smokers the chance to try it for free. All anyone has to do is buy a cigar, any cigar, at one of the participating retailers on April 30 and we’ll give you a free 107.” La Aurora vice president Guillermo Léon adds, “We realize that while our family has been making fine handcrafted cigars for more than a century, some cigar smokers still have not tried our products and others remember when we only made cigars in the mild range. La Aurora has been developing medium to full bodied cigars with full flavor and we want to let people know how we have changed. The Rediscover La Aurora is part of our outreach to those smokers.”

The 107, which uses a Sun Grown Ecuador wrapper over 6 year old fillers and binder from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, will come in boxes of 21 with a suggested retail price between $6 to $8, plus any local taxes. There will be 3 sizes: Robusto (4.5×50); Toro (5.5×54); and a Belicoso (6.25 x 52). The 107 will only be available at brick and mortar tobacconists.

Press Release: La Aurora Serie 107 Anniversario is a post from: The Stogie Review

Much like last years Punch Tax Relief Program, General Cigar is offering consumers the chance to get a hold of some of their product at a discounted price. This time around, General is focusing on the warmer months and the activities that go along with them.

If the first thought that went through your mind at a summer promotion was grilling, you would be absolutely right. Punch is offering a variety pack of their cigars, for a modest price, and pairing that offer up with a discount on Char-Broil equipment and a smoker box. Personally, the only thing that could make this deal better in my eyes would be the addition of a beer cozy. Lets face it, incorporating beer into a combination of grilled food and cigars would make for one sweet deal.

PUNCH CELEBRATES THE TWO REASONS MAN INVENTED FIRE

National BBQ Promotion Debuts at Tobacconists Nationwide

Richmond, VA—Two of the biggest names in smoke, Punch® cigars and Char-Broil® are teaming up to encourage consumers to break out the cigars and fire up the grill to kick off the much-anticipated barbecue season with the Punch “King of the Deck” promotion.

Consumers of legal smoking age are encouraged to visit their local cigar shop to purchase a Punch-branded steel smoker box while supplies last. Inside the smoker box, cigar enthusiasts will find one each of the following cigars: Punch Magnum, Punch Gran Puro Rancho, Punch Rare Corojo Magnum, plus the new Punch Upper Cut Robusto which is included free. In addition, the smoker box contains a coupon that can be redeemed online at www.charbroil.com for $100 off the purchase of a new Char-Broil grill valued at $399 and above. For the suggested retail price of just $19.99, this special offer also boasts the added benefit of the smoker box itself which, along with wood chips, can be used to add a rich, smoky flavor to the cigar lover’s favorite grilled foods.

According to Debo Mukherjee, vice president of marketing for General Cigar, parent company of Punch cigars, “For cigar enthusiasts who have a passion for grilling, we are pleased to bring these two great pleasures together under such well-respected brands as Punch and Char-Broil. To get people thinking about barbecue season, we’re taking this promotion one step further by engaging in a comprehensive social media campaign to spark online conversations about grilling tips, recipes and cigar pairings.”

A dedicated Twitter account (@PunchCigars) and a Facebook page (Punch Cigar) have been established to educate smokers as to which Punch cigars pair best with their favorite grilled fare. A mobile extension of the promotion’s website (www.punchgrilling.com) has also been developed to allow consumers to enter their favorite Punch cigar brand and preferred grilled meat to receive personalized pairings. In addition, a series of brief videos featuring grilling tips and Punch cigar pairings from Barry “CB” Martin, Char-Broil’s lead blogger and grilling expert, will be released throughout the promotion on www.punchgrilling.com and will also be available for download.

In addition to in-store events which will be held at tobacconists nationwide, Punch cigars will be sampled at noteworthy barbecue events throughout the year. Visit www.punchgrilling.com for more information.

Press Release: Punch Promotion with Char-Broil is a post from: The Stogie Review

Two weeks ago I found myself in the right place at the right time. I was chatting it up on Twitter and got to talking with Jackie from Bonita Smoke Shop. She made mention of the new Artesanos De Tabaqueros from General Cigar Co. and I asked if that stick would be in addition to the Artisanos De Miami or a replacement.

As luck would have it, Jackie was able to get me a response right away. Her local General Cigar Rep, Rick, was in store and gave me an instant answer. Being a fan of the Artesanos De Miami, I was glad to hear that this new cigar was a line extension and not a replacement.

To make things even better, Rick offered to provide me with one of his samples, which were in limited supply, as long as Jackie would be so kind as to ship it to me. A few days later a package arrived in the mail with not only one Artesanos De Tabaqueros, but two!

I smoked the first sample just a few days ago and was impressed. It isn’t very often that General Cigar Co. produces a cigar that gets me excited, but the first sample really did wow me. For more information on the new line, check out the press release below.

La Gloria Cubana Press Release:

ARTESANOS DE TABAQUEROS

Richmond, VA—General Cigar is pleased to introduce Artesanos de Tabaqueros®, the second edition in the critically-acclaimed Artesanos series from La Gloria Cubana®.

Created to showcase the artistry of La Gloria Cubana “tabaqueros” (artisan cigar makers), Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars are a stunning embodiment of the time-honored craft of cigar making. So exacting is the skill required to handcraft cigars of this complexity that Benji Menendez personally selected an elite group of just 18 master cigar makers, representing the cream of the crop from El Credito Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic.

According to Debo Mukherjee, vice president of marketing for General Cigar, parent company of Artesanos de Tabaqueros, “This exciting collection represents the brain trust that is Team La Gloria Cubana. They pooled their collective talents to showcase the best that General Cigar has to offer: aged and proprietary tobacco, passionate and talented cigar makers and an unwavering commitment to innovation. It is with pleasure that I commend Benji Menendez, Michael Giannini, Yuri Guillen and Rick Rodriguez on yet another exciting addition to our portfolio of brands.”

Meticulously crafted to combine two different wrappers and two distinct tastes in one eye-catching cigar, Artesanos de Tabaqueros is a world-class smoke that opens to a rich and intriguing spice and ultimately reveals a depth of flavor that can only be achieved through a precise balance of unique and rare tobaccos. Hand selected from General Cigar’s extensive library of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos, the cigars are dressed in both a supple Connecticut Shade and hearty Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The blend is made solely of proprietary tobaccos, each aged five years or more.

Presented with two different wood treatments to promote the unique tastes promised in each cigar, Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars are protected in boxes of 25. The collection will debut in early April with three frontmarks, each named to according to its dimensions: 650 (6” x 50, SRP per cigar is $8.00), 652 Belicoso (6” x 52, SRP per cigar is $9.50) and 750 (7” x 50, SRP per cigar is $9.00).

“To truly experience this gem of a cigar is to smoke it and taste the masterful artisanship that comes to life when one wrapper ends and the other begins in balance and harmony,” noted Michael Giannini, director of marketing for La Gloria Cubana.

Press Release: La Gloria Cubana Artesanos De Tabaqueros is a post from: The Stogie Review

That was the very first time I heard about this new line extension. The literature didn’t grab my attention, only showing a band as I recall, so I shook my head indicating that I hadn’t heard anything about it and handed the pamphlet back to him.

I can only assume that the sales brochure was a teaser for retailers because the big news hit the blogosphere today. Within fifteen-minutes I saw mention of the press release making its way onto three separate blogs. We aren’t fond of republishing the same press release once it has begun to make the rounds (which is why you don’t see them often on Stogie Review). Jerry, Brian, Mike, and I all generally focus our efforts on original content.

After reading over the information, two things crossed my mind that I’d like to get your take on. Just to get you up to speed, if you haven’t already seen it, the press release can be found below.

Camacho Cigars Press Release:

April 5, 2010, Miami, FL – Camacho Cigars, makers of the widely popular LegendArio brand, proudly announces it’s launch of the NEW LegendArio Connecticut cigars. This new blend features an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper, and fillers from both Honduras and the Dominican Republic. The LegendArio Connecticut’s flavor profile is quite pleasant and provides for a rich, creamy, and savory smoking experience with medium strength. As with the original LegendArio release, the NEW Connecticut delivers top quality tobacco and construction at a very reasonable price point.

The new line will begin shipping to retailers nationwide this week and should reach national distribution by the end of the month.

The NEW LegendArio Connecticut comes packed in boxes of 25 cigars and is available in the following (3) popular formats:

• Toro – $6.50 per cigar
• Figurado – $6.50 per cigar
• Bertha – $6.50 per cigar

The first thing that enters my mind is very simple, why is the brand being promoted with a product photo that looks like an artistic rendering? The photo looks as if it was created, in its entirety, in Photoshop. With the line shipping to retailers this week, why isn’t a true representation of the product available?

I don’t know if it is just me, but Camacho Cigars product seems to be slowly creeping higher and higher up the price scale. Ever since I talked about the last rendition of the Camacho LegendArio, I have stopped purchasing them. Before then, I seem to remember the line being considerably less expensive than $6.50 per stick (even accounting for SCHIP it seems high).

What was once an excellent value cigar seems to be slowly, but surely, pricing itself out of the market. The most recent price increases could have much to do with the acquisition by Davidoff some months ago, but it could also be that Camacho is positioning themselves as a super premium line. With the brand sponsoring events such as the Oscars, I would assume that it would need to appear more appealing to the high rolling crowd than the average Joes, such as myself, that used to smoke the line frequently.

Thoughts on the new Camacho LegendArio Connecticut is a post from: The Stogie Review