Vapor’s Updated Voice
The vapor category is still solid with tobacco retailers—but with some new twists. As competition heats up in the premium cigarette segment with heightened...
A Tribute to Donald John Bores
I first met Don Bores in 1998 in a hotel conference room in Pennsylvania, where he had summoned a handful of people to hear...
In Memoriam: Avo Uvezian, 1926-2017
Avo Uvezian, jazz pianist and cigar manufacturer, has died. He was 91 years old. Uvezian launched his own cigar brand, Avo Cigars, which is...
The Making of The Impossible Collection of Cigars
Author Aaron Sigmond has made a career out of writing about luxury products and brands, including premium cigars. Sigmond was the founding editor of...
The Crossroads of Fun and Business: Crux Cigars
Before he entered into the tobacco retail business, Jeff Haugen, the owner of Crux Cigars, wanted to own a hardware store—several of them, to...
Son of Tobacco: Tabacalera El Artista’s Ram Rodriguez
As a child, Ram Rodriguez didn’t care much for tobacco. That was something he would eventually grow out of as he assumed more responsibility...
The Battle to Preserve the Premium Cigar Industry is now a Two-Front War
At 1 p.m. on July 28, a voice bellowed within the convention hall in Las Vegas and announced that the 2016 International Premium Cigar...
Camacho Cigars: Crafting a Built-Bold, Live-Loud Experience
Fire, motorcycles, steel, barrels—these aren’t typically objects you would associate with premium cigars, but they perfectly capture the spirit behind Camacho Cigars, a brand...
Monkey Shoulder’s Triple-Play Appeal
Meet Monkey Shoulder, the world’s first triple-malt scotch. Its name refers to a temporary ailment named “monkey shoulder” that was suffered by maltmen after...
Cigar Marketplace: A Simplified Solution
Many businesses are born from the attempt of an entrepreneur trying to address a problem within the market. In 2018, Starky Arias saw that...
