Cigar Assessor

Cigar Assessor

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

GENERAL CIGAR HIRES SAM LECCIA AND ACQUIRES BRAND



Richmond, VA -- General Cigar Company is excited to announce today they have hired Sam Leccia as “Cigar and Blend Specialist.” General Cigar has also acquired the Leccia Tobacco Company cigar brands, as part of the Foundry Tobacco Company, and will market and distribute the Black, White and Luchador lines, effective today.

Sam has built a strong reputation in the premium cigar category through his non-traditional approach to cigar making and brand building.  He is best known for developing contemporary blends that put a unique and exciting spin on the tradition of premium cigars. In his new role at General Cigar, Sam will continue to develop his brands while leveraging the company’s vast tobacco resources, premium cigar blending expertise and creative talent. He will also bring new, innovative products to the premium cigar market.  As an ambassador for his brands, Sam will continue on his quest to share his passion for premium cigars with retailers and consumers across the country.

Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “I am impressed with what Sam has achieved.  He broke into the industry, worked tirelessly for years, and made a name for himself by developing interesting cigar brands.  Sam will provide additional creative talent to complement the expertise of our existing team, enabling us to build on the success of his and our current brands. I look forward to his contributions in helping us accelerate our plans for Foundry Tobacco Company, and to the personal perspective he will bring to our entire brand portfolio.”

“To say that I am thrilled to be joining General Cigar Company is a gross understatement,” said Sam Leccia. “Even before I began my career in this business, I experimented with different tobaccos to create new flavors and smoking experiences. Having creative freedom, access to the resources of General Cigar, and the ability to work with the company’s master blenders and tobacco experts is like a dream come true. I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to take my passion for this business and my love of delivering the unexpected and put them to work for General Cigar.”

About General Cigar Company
General Cigar Co. is the leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®,  La Gloria Cubana®, Partagas®, CAO®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories. In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. In 2010, General Cigar entered into a joint venture agreement with Plasencia Group to expand its leaf growing and processing expertise and increase its access to tobacco.  Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

® Macanudo, Cohiba, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, CAO, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Company.

Richmond, VA -- General Cigar Company is excited to announce today they have hired Sam Leccia as “Cigar and Blend Specialist.” General Cigar has also acquired the Leccia Tobacco Company cigar brands, as part of the Foundry Tobacco Company, and will market and distribute the Black, White and Luchador lines, effective today.

Sam has built a strong reputation in the premium cigar category through his non-traditional approach to cigar making and brand building.  He is best known for developing contemporary blends that put a unique and exciting spin on the tradition of premium cigars. In his new role at General Cigar, Sam will continue to develop his brands while leveraging the company’s vast tobacco resources, premium cigar blending expertise and creative talent. He will also bring new, innovative products to the premium cigar market.  As an ambassador for his brands, Sam will continue on his quest to share his passion for premium cigars with retailers and consumers across the country.

Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “I am impressed with what Sam has achieved.  He broke into the industry, worked tirelessly for years, and made a name for himself by developing interesting cigar brands.  Sam will provide additional creative talent to complement the expertise of our existing team, enabling us to build on the success of his and our current brands. I look forward to his contributions in helping us accelerate our plans for Foundry Tobacco Company, and to the personal perspective he will bring to our entire brand portfolio.”

“To say that I am thrilled to be joining General Cigar Company is a gross understatement,” said Sam Leccia. “Even before I began my career in this business, I experimented with different tobaccos to create new flavors and smoking experiences. Having creative freedom, access to the resources of General Cigar, and the ability to work with the company’s master blenders and tobacco experts is like a dream come true. I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to take my passion for this business and my love of delivering the unexpected and put them to work for General Cigar.”

About General Cigar Company
General Cigar Co. is the leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®,  La Gloria Cubana®, Partagas®, CAO®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories. In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. In 2010, General Cigar entered into a joint venture agreement with Plasencia Group to expand its leaf growing and processing expertise and increase its access to tobacco.  Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

® Macanudo, Cohiba, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, CAO, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Company.


Thursday, September 4, 2014

California Mega Herf with Jonathan Drew - New ticket Pricing.

For a limited time, we are providing members of affiliated groups a special package:
1 Cigar Cruise ticket,
1 Cigar Crawl ticket and
1 General Admission Mega Herf with JD pass
...for a special TOTAL price of $100.

DRESS CODE: Dress for comfort. Shoes and shirts required

NOTE: Please retain your receipt of payment. Physical tickets will be mailed to you shortly.
If you have questions, please email luimoran87@gmail.com. Thank you and keep it smokey!
We thank you for your support and looking forward to meeting all of you very soon!

Michael Pugh and Lui Moran
Producers, Cali Mega Herf Weekend

Click on picture for more information and tickets.

http://calimegaherf.com/groupOffer_092628

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Cohiba Comador


Size: 6 X 52

Wrapper: Connecticut Grown Habano Seed

Binder/Filler: Caribbean and Central American Tobaccos



Video Review


Monday, August 25, 2014

Drew Estate Unveils “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera” for Barrister Cigars






Miami, FL – Drew Estate Tobacco Co. announced today the release of the first “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera”, a concept cigar by Willy Herrera. Made at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in extremely small batches, the Tienda Exclusiva line is specially crafted for one retailer per release, with only a few releases scheduled per year. The inaugural “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera” blend was produced for the owner of Barrister Cigars in Union, New Jersey, David Mallow, following the 2013 New Jersey Cigar Festival. 

When asked about the blend, Willy Herrera responded from Estelí, Nicaragua: “This was one of the blends that I was working on through 2012 and 2013. David smoked it at the Festival and kept coming back for more. Eventually, he smoked every cigar I had brought, which I thought would be enough for the entire week! I knew he loved the blend and it felt right assigning it to him for my first Tienda Exclusiva.” 

David Mallow, owner of Barrister Cigars, said that, "the ‘Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera’ is a truly beautiful project that I am honored to be involved with. It’s no secret that Willy is one of the most talented tobacco blenders out there, and we can’t wait to have the cigar in our humidor.” 

As stated previously, every “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera” blend is a limited quantity production cigar made at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. Jonathan Drew noted, “I recommend you don’t sleep on this one. These are one and done. Willy has a lot on his plate right now as Master Blender of La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. As I’ve said before, ‘Boutique is in the Heart’ and Willy has spent so much time creating and experimenting with blends. We have some real gems out of the blends he has worked on. Now, it’s time to get them into production.” 

The “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera” for Barrister Cigars is packed in 10-count boxes and will sell for $12.00 MSRP per cigar, plus applicable state taxes. They will be offered for sale on September 2nd from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at a Barrister Cigars event in Union, New Jersey, with Willy Herrera and Jonathan Drew hosting the event. 

In the meantime, enter the “Tienda Exclusiva by Willy Herrera” giveaway for your chance to win the first box of this Tienda Exclusiva release, signed by Willy Herrera. Enter at http://drewestate.com/exclusiva. For more information on this release, please contact John Brooke at jbrooke@drewestate.com. 

About Drew Estate, Inc.
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”TM, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” 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 a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Natural, Nica Rustica, Tabak Especial, UnderCrown, and Java by Drew Estate.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Nat Sherman Timeless Dominican Republic Toro


Size: 6 1/4 X 52

Wrapper: Honduran

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Nicaraguan/Dominican



Video Review


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Bill Bromley Butter Robusto


Size: Robusto

Wrapper: Sumatra Claro

Binder: Honduran

Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Panamanian



Video Review


robert@cigarassessor.com

Jordan Alexander III Premium Cigar Company officially announces a rebranding of the company.




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



DALTON, PA. Jordan Alexander III Premium Cigar Company officially announces a rebranding of the company to include a new logo, band, and release. The new logo, which will be incorporated into future releases and marketing materials, can be seen attached to this release. Replacing the original “lions and crest” logo, this design exemplifies the family tradition theme of JA3Cigars. The rebranding logo is based on the Alexander Family Coat of Arms. 


Partnered with the rebranding of the company, JA3Cigars is proud to officially announce a new blend produced through the Quesada Cigar Factory, expected to be released mid-Fall of 2014. Replacing the current corojo blend, the new release (known as the Jordan Alexander III Corojo) is constructed with a Dominican Corojo wrapper, Dominican binder, with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. The Jordan Alexander III Corojo will be available in four vitolas; robusto (5 1⁄2 x 54), toro (6 x 52), double toro (6x60), and belicoso (6 x 52). All vitoals except the belicoso will feature a pigtail cap. The new release will feature a new band, incorporating the “Alexander Coat of Arms” logo, which will be unveiled with the release. 


Retailers interested in carrying the Jordan Alexander III Corojo are asked to contact Sales@JordanAlexanderIII.com or call 1-866-216-3349. Shipment priorities are given to current retailers and are first come, first serve. Reviewers interested in pre-release samples and/or release samples are asked to contact Alex@JordanAlexanderIII.com.
The previously carried corojo, along with the original band and logo, will be discontinued at the release of the Jordan Alexander III Corojo. Current retailers wishing to maintain stock of our previously released blend are asked to contact Sales@JordanAlexanderIII.com regarding limited production options. 


Questions regarding this announcement and requests for digital files of the new logo or permissions can be directed to Alexander Miller at Alex@JordanAlexanderIII.com or at (570) 335-3143.




26 Franklin Valley Road Dalton, PA 18414
Sales@JordanAlexanderIII.com 1.855.216.3349 www.JordanAlexanderIII.com