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Category: Around the Industry

  • El Septimo Celebrates 20Years with New Cigar

    El Septimo Celebrates 20Years with New Cigar

    In celebration of its 20th anniversary, El Septimo announced that “its most daring creation yet,” the Doble Gran Reserva cigar, will debut at the 2025 PCA Show in April. Only 1,000 boxes will be produced, each containing 14 Toro cigars (6 x 52 ). The limited edition will be distributed solely through the top-50 retailers worldwide, priced at $125 per cigar and $1,750 per box.

    The company said it sourced the finest tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica and meticulously aged them between seven and 10 years. The final blend was a collaboration of more than 60 “esteemed cigar connoisseurs, industry officials, and sommeliers [who] lent their discerning palates and expertise to the design, development, and blending process.”

    “With the Doble Gran Reserva, we have harnessed the collective wisdom of global experts and fused it with groundbreaking scientific techniques in the fermentation process to create an experience that transcends tradition,” said Zaya Younan, CEO of El Septimo. “This cigar is a living testament to our passion for innovation and our unwavering commitment to excellence and producing the best cigars in the world.”

  • Ibis Luis Leaving Plasencia Cigars

    Ibis Luis Leaving Plasencia Cigars

    Plasencia Cigars announced today (March 14) that Ibis Luis would be leaving the company after six years as its sales and marketing specialist. Luis is a Certified Bourbon Steward, a Certified Cigar Sommelier, and somewhat of a celebrity in the cigar world.

    “Ibis has been an incredible member of our team, profoundly shaping our brand and forging strong customer bonds,” said company vice president Jose Luis Plasencia. “While we will deeply miss her presence, we are thrilled that she will remain with us as a consultant. We eagerly anticipate this new chapter in our collaboration and her journey.”

    “Working with the Plasencia family has been an incredible experience, filled with growth, learning, and cherished memories,” Luis said. “They welcomed me as part of their family, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities. While I am stepping away from my full-time role, I am overjoyed to continue my connection with them as a consultant. The Plasencia’s have a special place in my heart, and I look forward to contributing to their legacy in this new capacity.”

  • La Galera’s Year of the Snake Coming to U.S.

    La Galera’s Year of the Snake Coming to U.S.

    Released earlier this year in Asia, La Galera announced that its limited-edition Year of the Snake cigar will be available in the United States April 2.

    “The cigars are made by Jochy Blanco at his Tabacalera Palma factory in the Dominican Republic,” Gregory Mottola writes for Cigar Aficionado. “Blanco also grew all the Dominican tobacco in the blend. La Galera Year of the Snake measures 7 inches by 47 ring gauge—a standard Churchill size—and is composed of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Dominican Olor binder and filler blend of all-Dominican leaf: Criollo ’98, Olor, Piloto Cubano and the hard-to-grow Pelo de Oro varietal. According to Blanco, it’s a full-bodied blend.”

    Each mahogany box is decorated with stamped leather made to resemble snakeskin and comes with a two-finger leather cigar case. La Galera did not indicate what portion of the 2,025 produced boxes will be allocated to the U.S. market, where it will have a suggested retail price of $430 per 10-count box.

  • NewCo Funding Clean Water in Kenya

    NewCo Funding Clean Water in Kenya

    NewCo announced a new initiative where it donates $300 to provide clean and safe water to Masaai communities in rural Kenya for every container of African-origin tobacco it sells.

    “As we celebrate 20 years of proudly serving our suppliers and customers, we want to give back to the communities that make our work possible,” NewCo owner Rainer Busch said. “Over 40% of Kenya’s rural population lacks access to clean drinking water, forcing families – especially women and children – to walk long distances daily just to fetch water. Many rely on contaminated sources, leading to severe health risks like cholera and dysentery.

    “With your support, we can fund sustainable water solutions; improving health, reducing hardship, and empowering entire communities.”

    NewCo is also accepting donations for the cause, with Busch saying, “Any amount, big or small, can accelerate our impact.”

  • Study: Students Vaping in South Africa 

    Study: Students Vaping in South Africa 

    Researchers from the University of Cape Town found that 16.8% of high school students in South Africa used e-cigarettes. The study focused on schools in major cities and included 25,000 students from 52 schools in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces. 

    Students who vaped were asked further questions about the habit, with researchers estimating 61% of the teen vapers could be seriously addicted to nicotine. They also found that household income was not a factor in the use of vape products. When asked why they began vaping, more than half cited social influences and the desire to fit in.

    Published in The Conversation, the study also found that 5% on the students used cannabis and 2% smoked cigarettes.

  • Study: Young Dutch Vapers Unaware of Nicotine

    Study: Young Dutch Vapers Unaware of Nicotine

    A study in the Netherlands found that nearly 40 percent of young people who vape monthly do not know if their e-cigarette contains nicotine, according to a report from the Trimbos Institute. The findings, which expand on 2023 data, highlight a significant gap in awareness about the potentially addictive substance.

    “Young people seem less aware of the nicotine in vapes. This is a serious issue because once addicted, it is very difficult to quit,” said Esther Croes, a tobacco expert at the Trimbos Institute. She added that nicotine use can disrupt brain development in the long term.

    The report surveyed Dutch youth between the ages of 12 and 25 who vape at least once a month. While many said they continue vaping because they enjoy it, nearly 40 percent admitted they did not know whether their device contained nicotine. Additionally, more than two-thirds of respondents said they do not feel addicted.

    According to NL Times, data shows that young people feel more addicted to traditional cigarettes than to vapes. Among those who vape monthly, only 28 percent reported feeling addicted, compared to 50 percent of cigarette smokers. Despite these figures, addiction experts warn that nicotine dependence may develop gradually, and that young people may underestimate the difficulty of quitting.

    According to the study, many respondents cited flavors as their main reason for starting. Social influence and curiosity were also key factors.

  • Zimbabwe Court Approves Urgent Hearing in Pacific Cigarette Tax Dispute

    Zimbabwe Court Approves Urgent Hearing in Pacific Cigarette Tax Dispute

    Pacific Cigarette Company secured approval from Zimbabwe’s High Court for an urgent hearing after it entered into voluntary business rescue over a $19 million tax dispute. The demand from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) rendered Pacific insolvent, threatening the operations of the nation’s second-largest indigenous tobacco producer.

    The case centers on whether the tax obligations imposed on Pacific during its corporate rescue contravene established insolvency protections or represent enforceable liabilities under Zimbabwean law.

    Pacific argues that the tax demand infringes insolvency protection and so its formal request for a tax clearance certificate from ZIMRA should be granted. The authority, through its tax and revenue management system, established conditions for issuing such certificates in 2023, which Pacific asserts it complied with yet faces contested liabilities following ZIMRA’s revised taxation approach for toll manufacturers. This change saddled Pacific with the disputed tax obligations, compounded by ZIMRA’s garnishment of its bank accounts to make sure the money was paid.

    Justice Gibson Mandaza recognized the urgency of Pacific’s application and directed the case to proceed. He said the draft order under challenge required adjudication on its merits, specifically concerning whether a company under corporate rescue is exempt from tax obligations. The court acknowledged that corporate rescue, a process governed by insolvency laws, aimed to enable companies to reorganize their affairs without undue liabilities and needed to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and could not be presumed at the earlier stages.

  • My Father Cigar’s Honduran Factory Rolling Out Cigars

    My Father Cigar’s Honduran Factory Rolling Out Cigars

    My Father Cigars’ Honduran cigar factory is fully operational and expects to be shipping product by late May or early June, Jaime Garcia, a master blender and key figure in the family-owned company, told Cigar Aficionado in an interview. The “My Father Blue” line will be offered in four sizes: Petit Robusto, (4.5 inches by 50 ring gauge), Robusto (5.25 by 52), Toro (6 by 54), and Toro Gordo (6 by 60).

    The 78,000-square-foot factory with a capacity of up to 200 rollers was completed in November and production began in February. Located on 890 acres in Talanga, the property was purchased three years ago in what was previously untouched, overgrown land

    “You couldn’t see the soil,” Garcia said. “It was all bushes but it’s surrounded by rivers. You had richness. When we saw those soils, we had a flashback to Cuba and San Luís. It’s virgin soil and was not a tobacco farm. There are three types of soil on the farm so you can grow stronger and softer tobaccos.”

  • Canadian Tobacco Settlement a Step Closer to Complete

    Canadian Tobacco Settlement a Step Closer to Complete

    After years of mediation to resolve long-pending tobacco product-related litigation in Canada, the court-appointed Mediator’s and Monitor’s Plan of Compromise and Arrangement was today (March 7) sanctioned by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in the ongoing proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The sanctioning was a significant step in finalizing the $22.7 billion settlement agreement with Imperial Tobacco Canada (a BAT subsidiary), JTI-Macdonald Corp., and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (a PMI subsidiary). The settlement has been in negotiations since March 2019.

    Following a judicial hearing on the proposed plan, the three companies reached a consensual resolution of all outstanding objections to it. The plan will resolve all Canadian tobacco litigation and provide a full and comprehensive release to the companies.

    “We are pleased that the Court has sanctioned the Mediator’s and Monitor’s Plan of Compromise and Arrangement, a critical milestone in the CCAA process, Imperial Tobacco Canada wrote in a statement. “We look forward to the successful implementation of this plan, which maximizes value for claimants, resolves outstanding tobacco litigation, and allows us to emerge from CCAA protection. While there are still some steps that must be taken to implement the settlement, Imperial Tobacco Canada is committed to continue working with the relevant parties to complete this process as quickly as possible for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

  • PMI Retains European Vape Patent

    PMI Retains European Vape Patent

    European patent officials tossed a challenge from a British American Tobacco subsidiary allowing Philip Morris to retain its patent for a type of power supply for electronic vapes.

    The patent from PMI primarily describes a power supply system for an e-vaping device, including a sensor and a sensor holder designed to regulate airflow and house a power source. Nicoventures claimed the patent was not new because it used similar features in three older patents for its “Vuse Solo.” The BAT side argued that there were several features in the older patents that effectively served as sensor holders similar to the PMI design.

    In a Feb. 20 decision that was published yesterday (March 5), the appellate board at the European Patent Office upheld an earlier decision dismissing Nicoventures’ opposition because Philip Morris’ power supply design contains a unique structure.

    “The board concurs with the respondent’s arguments [that] the structure of the e-vaping device in [the older inventions] and the patent are not identical,” the Technical Board of Appeal said.

    PMI further argued that Nicoventures failed to prove that Vuse Solo “was available to the public before it filed its own patent application, therefore Nicoventures cannot argue that its design is not new,” Law360 wrote.