To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the New World brand (already in 2024), A.J. Fernandez is launching the New World Decenio at PCA 2025. Meeting Laurel Tilly, Brand Development Manager of the company, is always a good idea because it is very nice to chat with her about cigars and in general. Even if, traditionally, […]
For its newest cigar, introduced at this year’s PCA Show, La Flor Dominicana (LFD) returned to its first cigar, released way back in 1994. Known then as “Premium Line,” that first cigar was a very mild and delicate smoke, and the cigar later became known as Suave. But over the years, LFD’s Litto Gomez’s blending […]
La Gloria Cubana asked an old friend to create its latest cigar, Los Glorioso. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo returned to his roots to create the cigar, which means “The Glorious Ones” in Spanish, very much representing a “Back to the Future” feel to the legendary brand. Made at the Casa Carrillo factory, Los Gloriosos is a complex […]
The first Nicaraguan puro in Karen Berger Cigars’ history, Ixtelli reportedly takes its name from an old word once used to describe today’s Esteli region. Using a Habano Criollo wrapper, Habano binder grown in Jalapa and filler tobaccos all grown on Berger’s Nicaraguan farm, Ixtelli debuts in the Toro (6 x 52) vitola. Packed in […]
The Blue was a highly anticipated release that was met with high praise at the 2025 PCA trade show in New Orleans. It is the first release out of the company’s new factory in Honduras. It has a Connecticut broadleaf rosado wrapper with a binder and filler blend from the company’s first farm in Honduras, […]
DBL Cigars has been working on a project for the past five years and Francisco Almonte’s painstaking efforts came to fruition this past weekend at the 2025 PCA trade show in New Orleans. DBL Cigars’ chief horticulturist, Chengo, spearheaded the growing efforts of the new Dominican hybrid tobacco seed, T-13. This tobacco is used as […]
“I firmly believe that this cigar is my greatest project yet,” says Dr. Gaby Kafie, founder of Kafie 1901 Cigars at the 2025 PCA Show in New Orleans. He is, of course, referring to the company’s newest cigar, Stiltsville, made at the La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic. The cigar takes its name from […]
Dion Giolito has been a busy man of late. The Illusione founder and owner used the 2025 PCA Show to introduce the first Epernay line extension, Tuonela; the second of Group of Five and OneOff cigars; and the first tubos in Illusione history with the launch of Original Documents Corojo and Habano tubos. Epernay Tuonela […]
As always, the La Aurora booth is a hive of activity. Gustavo Velayos, Marketing and Sales Director for Europe and Asia, shows me the company’s latest brand addition with great enthusiasm: the La Aurora Family Creed Series Fuerte Sol. “We’re launching three formats; first the Robusto and the Toro, then the Gran Toro in the […]
Ten years ago, Nick Melillo left Drew Estate after a 12-year career as the manager and master blender of the company’s Nicaraguan factory to establish his own company, Foundation Cigars. While the move was risky and fraught with obstacles to overcome, Melillo is now celebrating Foundation’s 10th anniversary with the release of a brand new […]