Help Exempt Premium Cigars From FDA Regulation!

Help Exempt Premium Cigars From FDA Regulation! H.R. 792 / S. 772 - A bill to clarify the FDA's jurisdiction over certain tobacco products.				Taken from CRA website.

Between April 26, 2010 and November 27, 2013 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration publicly posted their intent to deem cigars as subject to federal regulation. Therefore, it's incumbent upon the cigar enthusiasts of the United States to voice their opposition to any proposed new regulation of premium/traditional cigars by the United States Government.

H.R. 792 and S. 772 have been filed in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate under the banner "To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify the Food and Drug Administration's jurisdiction over certain tobacco products, and to protect jobs and small business involved in the sale, manufacturing and distrubtion of traditional and premium cigars." This bi-partisan legislation would decree that premium/traditional cigars should be off limits to FDA regulation and, 'to clarify the Food & Drug Administration's jurisdiction' in the 'sale, manufacturing and distribution of traditional and premium cigars.'

Such legislation could have a profound impact on protecting the industry, from the fields and factories of Central America , to the supply-chain throughout this nation, to the community tobacconist, to enjoying a cigar in the local shop, club or back porch.

We can assure you, nothing could rip the soul of the cigar industry apart, like FDA actions. For example, some of the (again) hypothetical possibilities, but that are not beyond the realm of reason include: No more walk in humidors (Canadian model); Limits on advertising and promotions; Banning the very word cigar or tobacco; Manufacturers having to submit blends to FDA for "testing," before heading to your local shop - imagine the impact on boutique cigar makers; Adverse impact on flavored tobacco products; And price impact due to new fees on manufacturers. This, is the short list.

 H.R.792 protects thousands of small businesses like my local cigar shop and the jobs that make up the fragile, intimate, premium cigar industry.  If the FDA is allowed to expand the Tobacco Control Act's regulations to include premium cigars, hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic would be at stake.

Why is H.R.792 so important?  Because I want to continue to have the freedom to purchase and enjoy a fine cigar!

Some of the regulations the FDA may consider include:

• Ban walk-in humidors, self serve cigar displays, and mail-order/internet cigar sales;

• Ban all flavored cigars, that are enjoyed by legal-age adults;

• Deface ornate, decorative cigar boxes, often considered an art form with grotesque graphic images;

• Ban cigar events where free cigars (samples) are available to legal-age adults;

• Limits on cigar marketing and advertising;

• Imposition of new ‘user fees' [tax] on cigars, to finance FDA regulators;

• Eliminate special release, vintage and small-batch cigars, due to mandates that cigar blends be submitted, tested and pre-approved by the FDA before being released for sale;

• Ban logo cigar merchandise such as hats, t-shirts and jackets.

Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced legislation that would exempt premium cigars from the FDA’s authority under the Tobacco Act.

I’m urging you to join several of your colleagues and co-sponsor H.R. 792, "To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify the Food and Drug Administration's jurisdiction over certain tobacco products, and to protect jobs and small businesses involved in the sale, manufacturing and distribution of traditional and premium cigars."

Thank you for your support!
To sign the petition, click here.

Drew Estate Press Release

Drew Estate Announces Exclusive Distributorship of
Tsuge Pipe Company

Miami, FL.

May 2, 2014:

Drew Estate and Tsuge Pipe Company Ltd. have announced a new strategic alliance between the 
two companies with news that Drew Estate will become the exclusive distributor of Tsuge in the 
United States and Canada. Drew Estate will begin selling the Tsuge lineat the 2014 IPCPR show in 
Las Vegas, Nevada in July 2014. Drew Estate entered the pipe market byreleasing a line of custom 
pipe tobacco blends at the 2013 IPCPR tradeshow, and this new announcement stands to cement 
their involvement in the premium pipe and pipe tobacco market.

Started in 1936 by Kyoichiro Tsuge, Tsuge Pipe Company and the Tsuge family have a rich history
of craftsmanship.  Prior to making pipes, the Tsuge family were Samurai swordsmiths for hundreds of 
years. Kyoichiro Tsuge started making pipes around the turn of the century and, as a company, Tsuge 
has mastered the art of pipe making. Tsuge draws from the traditions of Italian and Danish pipe makers,

having trained with world renowned pipe maker Sixten Ivarrson, and has added unique touches of 
Japanese artisanship along the way.

Tsuge is best known for their renowned “Ikebana” line of handcrafted briar pipes. The “Ikebana” collection 
features Tsuge’s highest quality work, retailing for up to multiple thousands of dollars. Tsuge is also known 
for their machine made line of briar pipes, which features unique shapes and metals. This portion of Tsuge’s 
pipe collection is a more affordable option compared to the “Ikebana” line. When reached for comment, Drew 
Estate president Michael Cellucci stated,  “I have been a fan of Tsuge’s incredible pipes for many years.

We approached Tsuge about distributing their pipes in the United States and Canada, and they were receptive 
of the idea. Drew Estate’s efforts in the pipe tobacco market have proved to be successful, and we hope to 
channel this success into representing the Tsuge brand in the United States and Canada.” Jonathan Drew, 
co-founder of Drew Estate, commented from his Miami office: “One of the most honored moments of my life 
was when Sab Tsuge, president of Tsuge,came to our third meeting in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan dressed in a 
formal black kimono and accepted our proposed deal to grow the Tsuge brand in North America together.

Drew Estate Announces Exclusive Distributorship of Tsuge Pipe Company Mario Takeyama, Executive 
Director of Drew Estate Solution Lab and Head of Marketing, my dad ‘Bait Fish Gary’, and I shared a 
unique experience of eating a loach fish together with Sab Tsuge, Hiro Mitsui, Lars Ivarrson, his daughter, 

Nanna Ivarrson, and 10 of Tsuge’s top Japanese resellers at Komagata Dojo restaurant in old downtown Tokyo. 
We listened to stories and history; Mario Takeyama’s family is from Asakusa town where Tsuge has their factory 
and headquarters. The bond between Mario and Sab Tsuge was evident throughout all of our meetings and 
illustrates the global direction of Drew Estate. Drew Estate representatives will be stationed at the Tsuge booth 
at the upcoming Chicago Pipe Show, being held at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois on May 3rd 
and 4th, 2014. If you would like to speak with Drew Estate representative about this news, please visit the 
Tsuge booth.

About Drew Estate:

Founded in New York City in 1996. Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco

companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”™.

Drew Estate has led The“Boutique Craft” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique

tobaccos and blending styles that have attracted new and old cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica

Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces successful brands such as ACID,

Herrera Estelí, Java by Drew Estate, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Natural, Nica

Rustica, Tabak Especial and UnderCrown.

About Tsuge:

TSUGE has paved the way of the Japanese pipe making with Kyoichiro who dedicated his life to

pipes. The global brand TSUGE continues to step forward as a bearer of smoking culture in 

the future. Pipes of the TSUGE brand are made with infinite passion and excellent techniques 

of the craftsmen. The unparalleled beauty and quality have attracted pipe lovers around the world.

1502 Cigars Announces New Release of Lancero Emerald Cigar.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1502 Cigars Announces New Release of Lancero Emerald Cigar

Miami, Florida, April 21, 2014 – Nicaraguan manufacturer and seller of 1502 Cigars, Global Premium Cigars, is pleased to announce their new vitola for the well-reviewed 1502 Emerald: Lancero.

The Lancero vitola is sure to strengthen the already highly-rated 1502 cigar line. Measuring 7'' x 40,'' the Lancero offers the popular Nicaraguan blend present in all 1502 cigars, and is also finished with the signature "Cigar Lock," a partially covered foot. The Lancero Emerald will also be offered in boxes of 25, box-pressed.

Current 1502 tobacconists interested in purchasing the cigars, can easily contact the Global Premium Cigars by emailing: info@globalpremiumcigars.com and new tobacconists can easily sign up at: http://www.globalpremiumcigars.com/prospective-stores

1502 Cigars CEO Enrique Sanchez anticipates cigar aficionados everywhere to be thrilled about this new vitola. “The Greatness lies in the power of being different,” he stated. Individuals interested in this new Lancero Emerald are encouraged to order before supply runs low.

ABOUT 1502

With cigars made with the highest quality, 1502 Cigars is an elite cigar maker. With three incredible flavors and global fans, we are proudly Nicaraguan. We take pride in every moment of a cigar's formation, from the sowing to the harvest, curing, aging and selection of every tobacco leaf. Each of our cigars unlocks a different flavor that is savory and unique. For more information, please visit http://globalpremiumcigars.com

FDA to regulate cigars.

The FDA is going after cigars. Why not close down all the fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King that entice children to eat their low quality dog food with junky toys made in China and poisoning them. The agenda of the anti-smoking bandits is for the next generation to be tobacco free by continuing to chip away at our rights as adults.

I guess they also want to decimate our economy and job market even more by eradicating around 1 million jobs, not counting the shops and accessory companies that will close and put more people out of work. What is their plan to replace them? 

FDA BREAKING NEWS: Regulation has arrived…today, the FDA has posted their deeming rules regarding cigars; and it’s not without a surprise: they're considering TWO options for cigar regulation:

Option 1 would be for the FDA to regulate ALL cigars – premium, machine made, etc – as THE SAME kind of product. We don’t want that to happen.

Option 2 would make a NEW DEFINITION for “covered cigars,” under which the FDA would consider premium cigars.

More news to follow...‪#‎getfiredup

Adwani by AJ Fernandez

Drew Estate Announces Undercrown “Dogma” Commemorative Cigar & “5 Days of ‘Dogma’” Giveaway

Drew Estate Announces Undercrown “Dogma” Commemorative Cigar & “5 Days of ‘Dogma’” Giveaway

Miami, FL – Drew Estate announced today their plans to release a new size within their Undercrown cigar line. The size will be called Undercrown “Dogma”, and has been created to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the online community Cigar Dojo. The blend of “Dogma” is based on the Undercrown Corona ¡Viva! and is comprised of Mexican San Andreas wrapper, Connecticut Stalk-Cut Habano binder, and Nicaraguan & Brazilian Mata Fina fillers. The “Dogma” will come in a 6 x 56 box-pressed vitola.
When asked about the “Dogma” project, Jonathan Drew said, “we have been major supporters of Cigar Dojo from the beginning. A handful of Drew Estate employees, myself included, are Dojo members, and we have always been floored by the support Drew Estate has received on the app and website. When Eric (owner of Cigar Dojo) approached us about coming up with this special commemorative cigar, it was a no-brainer. My dad, “Baitfish” Gary, came up with the name ‘Dogma’.”
The “Dogma” will be a limited run of 10-count bundles, and will be sold exclusively through Smoke Inn, a South Florida cigar retail chain, owned by Abe Debabneh. For those based outside of Florida, the cigars will be available through Smoke Inn’s web store. The “Dogma” will be priced at $9.95 MSRP per single and $99.50 MSRP per 10-count bundle.
The flavor profile of the “Dogma” aligns with that of the Corona ¡Viva!, featuring notes of cocoa, earth, and a rich spicy character. If you enjoy the Corona ¡Viva! but would like a longer, 56 ring gauge smoke, the “Dogma” will be a new favorite.
In tandem with the release of the new “Dogma” size, Drew Estate will be running a social campaign and giveaway through their website which will allow consumers to try the cigar before it hits the market. To enter, visit http://drewestate.com/dojodogma. Unfortunately, the giveaway is not available in MA, MI, and VA due to anti-tobacco promotion laws within those states.
The Undercrown “Dogma” will be available for pre-order Friday, March 28th, 2014, through SmokeInn.com. In the meantime, make sure to enter Drew Estate’s “5 Days of ‘Dogma’” giveaway for your chance to try the cigar before anyone else in the country. If you have any questions, please contact Drew Estate’s Public & Media Relations representative, Johnny Brooke, at jbrooke (at) drewestate (dot) com.


About Drew Estate:
Founded in New York City in 1996 by two former college fraternity brothers who shared a dream to become world-class cigar makers. Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel led Drew Estate to become one of the largest and fastest growing cigar companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”™ Drew Estate has defied the odds by innovating new elements to the cigar industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that have attracted new and old cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, their Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces successful brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Java by Drew Estate, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, My Uzi Weighs a Ton, Natural, Nica Rustica, Tabak Especial and UnderCrown.

San Lotano The Bull

Size: 5 X 54

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Hanging at a great cigar lounge called ShamLux during an Alec Bradley Event, I was talking to a cool guy, Clay Roberts the West Coast Rep for San Lotano. After chatting for awhile, he tells me about The Bull and has some sticks sent to me. Being a fan of AJ Fernandez cigars I am excited when I received the package in the mail. The cigar comes wrapper in cedar with a bull's head branded on the cedar. The foot has a black ribbon around it and the cigar band is the one on all the San Lotano line.

This box pressed, dark brown cigar has very small veins if any in the wrapper. Very well constructed and it's very hard to find the seams. The cedar wrap and ribbon slipped off very easy. I smelled dark chocolate and hay from the foot and sweet barnyard from the stick. I clipped the cap very easy with my Colibri Slice cutter and took a nice dry open draw of chocolate and cinnamon. Then a bit of spice. I toasted the foot with my Colibri Enterprise II double torch flame lighter. The first few puffs of sweetness are a nice start. The smoke starts off full. I then tasted a mild cedar. Leather and espresso rounded off the first section of this cigar. So far, so good.

I tapped off the nice dense grey ash before the second section so it didn't fall on me while I was driving. The smoke is full and creamy and I tasted hints sweetness and white pepper. The smoke still full and the ash fell during this section and burned my hand. (See the video for a laugh.) The nice band came off without incident. No tearing, cracks, glue or defects underneath.

 
Notes of leather, white pepper and sweetness round off the last third of this cigar. The full creamy smoke continued and the burn was even.

Another very tasty cigar by AJ Fernandez and it is a Cigar Assessor Approved Cigar. If you get a chance to smoke one of these, you should. You'll be glad you did. Thanks again, Clay Roberts!

Video Review