Image Courtesy of StogieReview.com

Just how does Twitter get involved? Well, at the cocktail hour, accompanies live music and a choice of social lubricants, attendees begin sampling the items in their press kits and then engaging each other, and the social community at large, with reviews. On Twitter, you can use the # symbol, called a “hashtag” in Twitter speak, in front of a group of words or an acronym to thread together like-minded conversations. Imagine the possibilities this year as you’re watching your favorite football game, following a news trend, or learning about the latest cigar launched by your favorite brand.

Think it’s a fad. Consider this: all of the  TBOTLCH press kits sold out within 24 hours. The brands monitored the #TBOTLCH, reviewers volleyed back and forth over the complexities of a particular stogie, and aficionados everywhere, like this blogger, watched the live action unfold as if we were there. Bonus: you can know which products launched are must-have’s, which ones paid too much attention to packaging and marketing over flavor, and which ones can wait for improvements before they are enjoyed. #Awesome.

We’re on Twitter, too, if you want to follow us: @cigarlibre is our handle and we’ll be glad to tweet you about your favorite smoke, recommend a particular product to you, or send you some #FollowFriday love.

Image Courtesy of IPCPR

We had two particular favorites from this year’s tradeshow, the Drew Estate Dirty Rat and the E.P. Carillo Short Run 2010. Reviewed beautifully by  StogieGuys.com, you can also find a few other jewels released at this year’s show on their post.

We found the Drew Estate Blog online, check it our regularly for updates from this innovative company.

E.P. Carillo
Remember the Short Run of 2009? Well, the company has done it again with this year’s Short Run 2010. Reviews already posted to the company’s website say this premium blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos is slightly fuller than last year’s version. With a Sumatra wrapper and Nicaraguan binder, this is one stogie you don’t want to wait to sample. Current manufacturing forecasts have the company projecting enough product to sell for the next 2-3 years, with many retailers buying up the supply. The company has stated that they just finished building their new factory in Dominican, and expect that the 40,000-square foot facility will open them up to pumping out more great smokes and filling demand.

The IPCPR show was full of beautiful cigar debuts, there were truly new flavors and gauges for everyone, especially aficionados looking to mix things up a little from their everyday favorite smoke. If you’ve tried a new cigar debuted at the show, tell us about it.

Fresh from  the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association tradeshow, this week’s blog updates will be rolled in highlights from the show.

Image Courtesy of IPCPR

In case you might not know, the IPCPR tradeshow was held August 9 – 13 in the great state of Louisiana, New Orleans to be exact. That’s right, four days of all things tobacco-related. Was it hot in the Big Easy? Oh yeah, and humid too. But you know premium tobacco has to be kept in temperature-controlled environments, so the good people organizing the tradeshow made sure the air conditioning was pumping. You can almost smell the aromas, can’t you?

Probably the most eye-catching was the  19-foot cigar that weighed over 2,500 pounds with a 1620 ring gauge. Located at the Gran Habano booth, the show stopper made headlines across cigar blogs and news releases everywhere. Part homage to great cigars and part promotional item (Gran Habano debuted their Azteca at the tradeshow), the world’s largest stogie is attention-grabbing if nothing else. And yes, aficionados, the cigar was definitely smoke-able.

This year it seemed like the manufacturers were all announcing something. New products, new line extensions, revivals of old favorites; the opportunity to sample some new smokes on the market was everywhere you looked. If you came to  IPCPR and left empty-handed, it was not for lack of trying on behalf of all the great exhibitors.

The rest of this week we’ll be covering all the new products that made their debut at this year’s tradeshow, and we’ll be including links where you can make purchases or learn more about these enticing new smokes. In the meantime, we’ll be sampling the ones we purchased and will be sure to include reviews as well.

In case you didn’t make it to this year’s show, we hear  IPCPR 2011 will be held in Vegas.

It’s interesting to read, and consider, the American society’s viewpoint on tobacco use. The general attitude has gone from enjoyable pastime, to middle and low-class pleasure, to widely accepted society behavior, and today it’s viewed as ugly. What’s changed in that time? Today’s lawmakers seem like they’re out to punish tobacco users. Anyone enjoys a smoke or a chew gets hit with tax hikes in efforts to cover gaps in state budgets, and in many states you can’t even smoke in the apartment that you’re renting. Forget lighting up in a restaurant, on a sidewalk, or while drinking a beer and watching the game at your favorite bar. How did we get here?

Naturally this got me thinking about cigars, and the general attitude towards stogies. I venture that not much, save price and advertising has really changed. The cigar, the joy of smoking one, and the stereotype that comes with it has remained relatively untouched. It’s this blogger’s opinion that cigar smoking is viewed as a luxury; an opportunity to step out of the busy world and savor a piece of quiet as you mull over complex tobacco flavors and papers. Cigar smoking is attributed to men (and ladies) of leisure, authors, musicians, politicians, celebrities, and across all classes and societies. Want to give a sophisticated gift? Give a cigar. Celebrating a marriage, birth, or retirement? Smoke a stogie. Cigar smoking is still old world class, but structured with today’s new world rules.

Today, enjoying a puff or chew is no longer “smoke ‘em if you got ‘em,” but more “enjoy ‘em so long as someone hasn’t taken your right away or made you feel bad for choosing to”.

Maybe, as a society, we’ll evolve again to accept that tobacco use, like food consumption or alcohol enjoyment isn’t so much a group decision as it is an age-appropriate personal choice, and individual right.

A private tradeshow open only to members of the IPCPR, the annual convention is all about learning and discussing trends in tobacco, unveiling new merchandise, and showcasing the best products and ingredients on the market. And you can imagine the quality stogies being enjoyed, accompanied by jazz music in the after-show lounges. Ah, membership has its perks.

One of the best things to come from IPCPR are the new company and product announcements. New lines roll out, limited time smokes become available again, and everyone – from the biggest manufacturers, to the newest guys on the street – stand shoulder-to-shoulder in dedication of their lives’ appreciation of quality tobacco. Check back here for new announcements as details are sent around; we’ll be covering the breaking news from the biggest tobacco event of the year.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

On behalf of the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR for those in the know), General Cigar has pledged $20,000 for cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. General Cigar will donate the money to  Ducks Unlimited, the world’s leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. General Cigar spokesperson Debo Mukherjee, VP of Marketing, states in a press release that General Cigar chose Ducks Unlimited to receive support funds because they have been “particularly pleased with their response to the oil spill.”

Those following this blog, and aficionados in general, all know that Louisiana and the entire Gulf region are hosting the IPCPR events, which run from August 9 – 13th this year. General Cigar will be formally presenting a check for the donation on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at the tradeshow.

We applaud  General Cigar, Co. and their effort to make a difference in one of the messiest oil spills in history. During a time when lawmakers are imposing taxes on tobacco enthusiasts, and enjoying a smoke is becoming a taboo, we’re proud to see one of the biggest names in cigars stand tall among the crowd. General Cigar is a subsidiary of Swedish Match and produces Macanudo, Partagas, Cohiba, Punch, Excalibur, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana, as well as numerous other cigar brands.

Way to go General Cigar, today’s puff is for you. Many thanks to Patrick Lagried for the article.

Formerly using CAO International, as their preferred distributor, Torano has already set plans in motion for the distribution takeover by hiring new staff at their base in Miami, Florida. Spreading the word of company changes, Torano’s marketing plans for the brand include using social media and a busy tradeshow and conference schedule in 2011 with planned appearances by Carlos Torano himself.

Torano will also be rolling out three new cigars to their lineup and including a line extension – the “Torano 50 Years” line complete with new box pressed vitola.

We’re looking forward to seeing the new lines and watching the evolving Torano Family Cigar Company as they make big changes, all in the name of good cigar smoking.

Sending along care packages to troops that include boxes of cigars is not a novel idea, and the cigar industry has been working to take care of the men and women fighting in other countries in this way for years – even working with the USO to get stogies over to those who could really use some R&R. Nonetheless, Hero Cigar is a cut above – the outfit is truly dedicated to making the weekly military shipment happen. Those interested in sending troops a good smoke can jump online and order right through the Hero Cigar website,  www.herocigars.com, and choose between two basic donation options, include a personal message, and select a particular unit to receive the shipment. In the absence of a particular unit, Michaels will make the selection himself – checking off the next regular company set to receive their weekly shipment.

At the end of the day, who doesn’t deserve to kick back and take a few minutes to draw the simplest of pleasures from the end of an expertly rolled stogie? CigarLibre proudly congratulates Hero Cigar on the effort they’re putting in to taking care of the men and women who are taking care of us.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In the midst of tight economic times many states are ushering in new or heftier tax increases on tobacco in the hopes of filling gaping holes left in budgets. It’s an easy target, and one that too many cigar aficionados out there are forced to pay up in the name of enjoying one of the world’s most common pastimes. Pennsylvania itself is struggling to recover a missing $1.2 billion budget cash crunch. Still, it’s our take that lawmakers and politicians can find additional revenue streams rather than cashing in on tobacco crops.

Safe for now, Pennsylvania residents can still proudly call their cigar purchases tax-free. The reader may be interested to know that the so-called Keystone State is in fact one of only two states in the U.S. that does not tax cigars, claiming this other title with Florida. Pennsylvania: synonymous with liberty, freedom, and no-cigar tax. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Arizona has been in the news a lot lately for their tough crackdown on illegal immigration laws; some speculating that these laws incite racial profiling. In a bold move, the City of Los Angeles has even officially boycotted Arizona and its businesses including TexCigars.com, a premium cigar online retailer. In spite of this, support is flowing in from all over the country for the cigar company.

Illegal immigration is a hotly debated topic, especially under new regulations issues by the current administration. And as new legislation rolls out, other states plan on jumping on the Arizona bandwagon. Expect to see ripples across the media waves for states like Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Utah as they jump in line with the tough approach Arizona takes regarding illegal immigration. As for TexCigars.com, they stand by their home state’s views and happily continue ringing up sales for their premium stogies.

Jarrod Smith, Owner of Tex Cigars, Inc. recently expressed his “surprise” at the support pouring in from all over the country, saying: “I didn’t realize how much attention these laws were getting from outside states and people around the country…we’re getting several calls a day from people that want to buy from us simply because we are located in Arizona. We even got one call from Australia.”

If you’d like to show your support of Tex Cigars, Inc., please visit their website at:  www.TexCigars.com.

Big thanks to PRWeb for the coverage.