2012 is well into swing now that January has already past us. The Super Bowl has been played and baseball is about to start. I already would have broken my resolutions, so it is probably good I didn’t make any. Why bother with the disappointment right? But looking back over 2011 and all of the changes that occurred in my life, I know 2012 is shaping up to be a great year. Hopefully that is also the case with the cigar industry as well. 2010 and 2011 saw many new faces join the ranks of the old guard and some old guard return in a new form. We saw new and innovative blends, partnerships, shapes, and sizes all jump into the market. We’ve seen the big ring gauge craze hit in full force but even small ring gauge product is making its own splash. So how does 2012 live up what I consider to be 2 good years in the cigar business and more so, how does it set its self apart and maybe even above the previous years? Read More »

Tobacco has a long and storied history when looking into the past. George Washington grew tobacco on his family’s plantation when he was young. Thomas Jefferson grew tobacco throughout his adult life. Winston Churchill was never seen without a cigar and was said to have smoked as many as 20 a day. And many people have heard about the men of Capitol Hill retreating after a State dinner to a back room to enjoy a cigar, beverage, and political conversation. It is safe to say cigars have played a deep role in how our society was shaped and was involved, in a small way, in major decisions that have been made throughout history. Yet with all of its historical presence and importance, we sit here today fighting those on Capitol Hill from banning this pleasure. A pleasure we as adults choose to enjoy and accept the risks of. Read More »