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After being available in various markets, including France, for quite some time, Canadian tobacconists finally got the latest two releases by Rafael Gonzalez and Quai D’Orsay.   The Quai D’Orsay No. 52, which as we remember had a glorious launch in Paris in 2022 was finally launched in Canada in mid-June.  The specialist tobacconists received it first while the other

The new regional edition for the French market is available in very limited quantities.   The Gloria Cubana Podium, a new French regional edition for 2024, is available in limited French cigar shops from this Tuesday, July 23. With a length of 150 mm and a 50 ring gauge, this cigar surrounded by a foot ring in the colors of

The first 2024 limited edition was launched a few months after its presentation in Cuba. “The Trinidad Year” continues. Launched last February during the XXIVth Festival del Habano, the year-long celebration of Trinidad’s 55th anniversary continued this weekend in London. After the world launch of the Bolivar Regentes LE 2021 at the beginning of the year, the British capital last

Summary Is Judo a cigar-friendly sport? While the cigar seems to have a more natural connection to rugby and golf, we have discovered that there are a great many aficionados in the judo world, particularly among its governing bodies.  For a start, the president of the ultimate authority, the International Judo Federation (IJF), even has cigars made and sold under

Since the start of the year, Chinese customs have dismantled at least four contraband cigar resale networks. For a few millions of euros value.   Régis Besko   For most aficionados, China is a blamed country. Notably because it is supposed to siphon off an already bloodless Cuban cigar market and would therefore increase the scarcity of vitolas. And the

The CAO brand has successfully carved out a niche for itself thanks to its originality and its many lines, often featuring exotic tobacco. Distributed by Scandinavian Tobacco Group, CAO’s blenders continue to innovate with exotic wrappers and tobacco from novel origins…  The Pilón line, one of our favorites, features cigars with distinctive characters; always well-crafted and aromatic, most importantly they

Anticipation is building as the annual highlight of the tobacco industry, the trade fair duo InterTabac and InterSupply, is just around the corner.  Sponsored content    From 19 to 21 September 2024, more than 700 exhibitors are expected in Dortmund to present their wide-ranging offers, products and innovations. This event not only attracts market leaders, but also representatives from all

Distributors not fully owned by Habanos expect deliveries to be down 30 to 50% compared to last year.   According to our sources, several Havana distributors which are not 100% owned by Habanos SA have been informed that their deliveries would be significantly reduced from this year. The Havana-based group has decided to favor distributors which are 100% under Cuban

Summary London: The City Where The Habano Is King There is a town teeming with beautiful shops boasting (often very comfortable) smoking lounges, where a wide selection of Cuban cigars is still available, and where the idea of banning heated terraces would be received, at best, with wry smile. In short, it is a paradise for cigar lovers. On the

The Sino-Cuban group has decided to skip the world’s largest trade show dedicated to tobacco.   According to our sources, Habanos S.A. has decided not to participate in the 2024 Intertabac trade-fair which will take place in Dortmund (Germany) from September 19 to 21. Despite the supply problems it has been experiencing since the pandemic, the Sino-Cuban group had maintained

In order du “safeguard, nurture and disseminate the rich artisanal heritage and traditional knowledge of cigare making”, two industry figures are launching the Cigar Academy. Ricardo Carioni (à gauche) et Thomas Gryson, les deux cofondateurs de la Cigar Academy. “We invite all cigar makers to join the Cigar Academy to help us scale up access to cigar education for all,

Exactly one year after their presentation at the Festival del Habano 2023, some cigars from the Partagás premium line arrived in the cigar shops in Cuba, the first country to market them.     Boxes of the Partagás Línea Maestra went on sale in Cuban La Casa del Habano during the Habano Festival 2024 and the week that followed. A

The author of the “bible” of vintage Havanas died on Saturday March 9. Min Ron Nee’s signature appearing at the bottom of the preface to his book (© DR) Min Ron Nee, cigar collector and author of An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars, a reference book for fans of vintage Havana Cigars, died this Saturday, March 9. L’Amateur de

L’Amateur de Cigare reveals the identity and functions of the woman who bought the Cohiba humidor for €4.5 million this Friday March 1 in Havana. Xiaohong Hu at a reception at the Kempinski Hotel on Saturday, March 2, the day after the XXIVth Habanos Festival.   Xiaohong Hu, chairman of the Chinese media group ZSHK, is not only the proud

Annie Lorenzo, Managing Editor of L’Amateur de Cigare, received the 2023 Habano Award in the Communication category this Friday March 1 in Cuba. Annie Lorenzo is part of the team that founded the French magazine in 1994, exactly 30 years ago, under the leadership of Jean-Paul Kauffmann, also winner of the Habano Award in 1999. This year, the other two

Summary Are the banks blowing smoke? This is the kind of crucial decision that most cigar lovers are unlikely to be aware of because they are made secretly by dark-suited bankers in plush offices. Under the cover of “commitments”, “initiatives” and “policies”, more and more European banks have decided to cut ties with the producers and distributors of cigars, refusing

Dag Holmboe, CEO of The Pacific Cigar Company, exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in Asia, denies the rumors. And confirms that the shortage of Havanas is global. Excerpts from the interview he gave us in L’Amateur de Cigare English edition #16, currently available for subscribers.   Interview by Jean-Pascal Grosso, our special correspondent in Hong Kong   L’Amateur de Cigare:

The Dominican Republic brand, La Flor Dominicana presents an exclusive cigar for the Canadian market. The “Exclusivo Canada” cigar was produced in a limited edition of 6 000.  The figurado measures 165 mm x 52 and comes in boxes of 20.  What is very interesting and cool about this cigar is that it features a special tobacco in the shape