New Head Europe at the Oettinger Davidoff Group
Albert Manzone assumes responsibility for the European market at Oettinger Davidoff Group.
Basel, 22 May 2012 -Â Â Albert Manzone has joined the Oettinger Davidoff Group as Senior Vice President Europe. He brings a deep knowledge of the European market from senior positions at Philip Morris, PepsiCo and Wrigley, where he was President Europe based in Munich. He was most recently President South East Europe for Novartis Consumer Health Division. He also spent significant time in the US with PepsiCo and McKinsey. Mr Manzone brings a highly international marketing and sales background in consumer and lifestyle brands and has a record of operational as well as strategic successes. He has managed very large and complex organizations in public as well as family companies. Albert Manzone is a brand and consumer focused growth leader with a strong track record of team building and integration and will make a significant contribution to the Oettinger Davidoff Group and its future business. Albert Manzone is 48 years old and grew up in Monaco. He holds an MA in International Business from Sorbonne in France and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in the USA.
Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO and President of Oettinger Davidoff Group, says: “In this new role Mr Manzone will be responsible for our entire European business, subsidiaries as well as export markets. Europe remains our biggest region, comprising strategic priority markets Switzerland, Germany, Spain and France as well as emerging markets such as Russia, and is of critical importance to our Company. Leading a team of country and area managers, Mr Manzone will be charged with driving our channel strategy, our expansion and balancing our efforts between critical mature markets and new, growing markets. With Mr. Manzone’s recruitment I have completed the selection of the Leadership team for our Cigars & Accessories business.â€
Albert Manzone adds: “I am delighted to join the Oettinger Davidoff Group, its organization, and its management team built around Hans-Kristian
Hoejsgaard. Davidoff premium branded cigars, tobacco products, and accessories are synonymous globally with savoir-faire, lifestyle, and the celebration of special moments. Thanks to a strong “crop-to-shop†philosophy, this experience is incarnated in the products, stores, and smoking lounges for the greatest pleasure of our customers. I look forward to seize upon the many exciting opportunities to continue to enhance the Davidoff experience and expand its presence across Europe with our Davidoff employees and business partners.â€
The CHF 1.3 billion Oettinger Davidoff Group with almost 4,000 employees around the world, traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family owned to this day with two distinctly different businesses: one that is focused on FMCG distribution in the Swiss market and one dedicated to the core business of producing, marketing and retailing premium branded cigars, tobacco products and accessories. The premium branded cigar business include Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino, Zino Platinum and Winston Churchill Cigars. The Oettinger Davidoff Group is anchored in a strong “crop-to-shop†philosophy, having pursued a vertical integration from its tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to its world wide network of 65 Davidoff Flagship Stores.
Reinado Grand Empire Reserva Box Pressed robusto
As many of  you know, Reinado was one of my surprised of the year last year on my Top Cigars for 2011.  This cigar popped on the scene with very little fan fare but developed a passionate following.  Using a secret proprietary fermentation process on all the tobaccos in the cigar, the cigar has a unique, very smooth flavor profile….one which I find quite enjoyable.  Antonio Lam, owner of Reinado Cigars, graciously sent me a sample of his newest blend, the Grand Empire Reserva.  This cigar features the same fermintation process, but uses a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper and an extra Nicaraguan filler tobacco.  Here is what Antonio had to say about it:
“All Tobacco used to create this cigar has been put through the Reinado signature Unique Fermentation Process like the core blend with the inclusion of a special element. This blend has been fermented for a longer period of time and we have added an additional type of aged Nicaraguan filler that gives the blend more depth and richer undertones in the overall complexity. The well balanced flavor profile was arrived at after a several months of rigorous sampling. “We see huge potential with the Reinado Gran Reserva and it is our intention to offer it to select retailers in the coming months”, says Antonio. More details to be announced. Pre Orders are now available. “
The cigar is a beautiful, boxed pressed 5 x 55 robusto.  The aroma of rich tobacco exude off the wrapper with a nice leathery, woody flavor on the cold draw.  Open lighting it up, I got a HUGE blast of sugar on the tip.  For awhile I was wondering if the cigar featured a sweetened cap, but wasn’t sure.  That died down almost immediately but never went away which had me thinking it was an over abundance of sugar naturally on the wrapper from the fermentation process.  Besides that, the cigar had flavors of rich earth, cedar, a blast of pepper which smooth out greatly after the first inch, cocoa and leather.  Even though I found the sweetness on the cap cloying, the cigar and really deep, rich flavors that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Check out the video for my full review.
HOYO de MONTERREY KICKS OFF BOX A DAY GIVEAWAY
Richmond, VA—To celebrate the launch of the new Hoyo de Monterrey website, General Cigar is rolling out a “Box a Day Giveaway†to share the unique flavor of the Hoyo Monterrey Reposado en Cedros® brand with cigar lovers across the U.S.
 
From now through July 31, 2012, consumers of legal smoking age are invited to visit the brand’s website (www.hoyodemonterreycigar.com) to enter to win a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigars, which feature a proprietary process called “Inmersión.â„¢â€
After being handcrafted by a handpicked team of artisans, each Reposado en Cedros cigar undergoes Inmersión, an innovative method of aging created at HATSA, General Cigar’s Honduran cigar factory. With this technique, each cigar is enveloped in fragrant cedar and left to rest for an extended period of time. The cigar matures to a complex, medium-bodied smoke that has won the brand stellar ratings and praise from the premium cigar category’s most discerning experts.
According to Kendall Rountree, brand manager for Hoyo de Monterrey cigars, “Since its debut, Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigars has developed a cult following among serious cigar smokers who are drawn to its uniquely spicy taste. We’re utilizing the launch of the Hoyo de Monterrey website as an opportunity to increase the brand’s legion of fans through the ‘Box a Day Giveaway’ and are confident that cigar lovers will enjoy the brand’s uniquely spicy taste.â€
Winners of the Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros “Box a Day Giveaway†will be announced every Monday on the brand’s website, as well as on the brand’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.
 
About Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros
Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros features three frontmarks, each packed in boxes containing 24 cigars. At 5 ¼†x 54, Sueño is a classic robusto that is available for a suggested retail price of $6.69 per cigar, while the Liso frontmark, a 7†x 49 Churchill carries an SRP of $6.99 per cigar. Marco, a figurado
(6 1/4†x 54) rounds out the collection with an SRP of $7.29 per cigar.
The cigars are packed in rustic wooden boxes, protected in canvas, and surrounded by cedar shavings to maintain the flavor and aroma imparted by Inmersión. Each box is truly a work of art, and continues the artisan tradition of the Hoyo de Monterrey brand.
Hoyo de Monterrey en Cedros cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., which manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar also produces Macanudo®, Cohiba®, Partagas®, Excalibur®, La Gloria Cubana® and several other leading premium brands. In addition, the company grows its own premium Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco, as well as natural and candela wrapper in the Dominican Republic. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.
® Hoyo de Monterrey, Reposado en Cedros, Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, , Excalibur, La Gloria Cubana and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
 ™ Inmersión is a trademark of General Cigar Co. Inc.
Miami Cigar & Company to Release Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012
Miami, Florida – May 16, 2012 – Following in the footsteps of the Cigar Aficionado 91-rated Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve, Miami Cigar & Company is set to release the 2012 edition at IPCPR in August.
The 6 1/8 x 52 box-pressed maduro cigar will be limited to 1500 boxes of 10 cigars. Rolled in Esteli, Nicaragua, this year’s edition of the Grand Reserve will have an extra kick, due to the added Nicaraguan ligero. Utilizing a dual binder this extraordinary cigar is capped of with a dark, oily Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper aimed to please today’s cigar smoker.  According to Nestor Miranda, “With the 2012 edition, we were looking to add another dimension to the Grand Reserve and what we have come up with is a cigar that is a full bodied powerhouse. I can’t wait to see the reaction of the consumers when they smoke this cigar!† The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012 will retail for $12.00 a stick, or $120.00 for a box of 10 before any local taxes.
About Miami Cigar & Company
Miami Cigar & Company, founded in 1989, is the exclusive US distributor of La Aurora brands
which include Guillermo Leon & Leon Jimenes. They are also the worldwide distributor of
Tatiana, Don Lino, La Sirena and Nestor Miranda line of cigars. They can found on the web at
http://www.miamicigarcompany.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/miamicigarcompany.
General Cigars’ Outstanding Social Responsibility Program for their Workers
Ben:  When we visited the General Cigar factory in the Dominican Republic in October 2011, one of the things that amazed all of us was the length of tenure of most of the employees.  Most every employee we asked had at least 20 plus years at the factory and the short timer was “only” 14 years.  One of the biggest reasons no one leaves is all the great things that General Cigar does for their employees like continuing education, funding a fully stocked, non-profit grocery store for their employees, medical care, etc.  I asked Victoria McKee to send me some information on the program which she gratefully sent me after our trip.  Most people would think a huge cigar company, like General Cigar, would be more interested in their bottom line than the welfare of their employees like most large companies, but this is not the case.  Here is some of the things General Cigar does for their employees.
General Cigar Corporate Social Responsibility
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Renowned for producing best-selling premium cigars including Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, Punch, La Gloria Cubana and CAO, General Cigar Company also engages in arguably the most comprehensive corporate social responsibility program among those that exist within the premium cigar category.
Just as they are dedicated to cultivating tobacco and world-class cigars, General Cigar is also passionately committed to increasing the well-being of its employees, stimulating the economy and supporting both the people and environment of the Dominican Republic and Honduras.
Since 1984, General Cigar has actively assisted the people of the Dominican Republic and Honduras through a variety of initiatives which are underwritten solely by the company. In fact, in the 27 years since these outreach initiatives began, General Cigar has continuously financed its socially-conscious programs without soliciting donations of any kind.
Education
General Cigar believes that education is the key to a better future in the Dominican Republic and Honduras. The company allocates hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to support programs that increase literacy among employees and residents of the D.R. and Honduras, while also providing scholarships for its employees and providing complete funding for schools in both countries.
 General Cigar began its “Literacy Initiative†in 2004, and today, this program remains one of the company’s most unique corporate social responsibility endeavors. General Cigar underwrites the program, provides instructors and holds classes within its Dominican and Honduran facilities. Under this campaign, company employees, as well as citizens who live in urban and rural areas surrounding the company’s farms and factories are taught to read and write based on curriculum mandated by the Dominican and Honduran governments. Students who pass the course receive a diploma that is formally presented during an annual graduation ceremony, the most important event held by General Cigar in a given year. To date, more than 600 Dominicans and Hondurans have advanced under this program.
General Cigar is also very proud of its “Continuing Education†program which continues to offer a range of professional development courses designed to provide employees with additional skills and training relevant to jobs within the company. More than 4,000 employees have prospered under this program which boasts more than 50 unique areas of training, each developed in cooperation with technical education institutions in both countries.
Another component of the company’s commitment to education is General Cigar’s support of continuing education for its employees. In a given year, approximately 30 employees are able to attend college or pursue advanced technical training, directly due to financial assistance from the company.  As a result of this program, General Cigar currently employs more than 64 college graduates, with 16 of these employees holding master’s degrees. In fact, all of General Cigar’s upper and middle management employees hold college degrees. This investment continues to make General Cigar one of the Dominican Republic and Honduras’ most professionally and technically-advanced companies.
Under the “School Sponsorship†endeavor which was created in 1997, more than 2,500 students have benefitted from General Cigar’s support, which helps to broaden the scope of learning and ensure a better future for the children. Through this initiative, General Cigar provides broad-based financial to support to four economically-challenged Dominican schools. The company underwrites infrastructure costs, while also providing students with school supplies and sporting goods. General Cigar has also utilized this program to bring technology to remote urban areas by appointing the schools with modern computers.
 Health/Well Being
General Cigar also dedicates considerable resources toward creating a better quality of life for its staff. Â Health insurance, dental exams and blood pressure screenings are available for employees of both countries. In addition, the company provides transportation, including new bicycles to employees and conducts intramural baseball and soccer leagues within their Dominican and Honduran facilities.
For those employees who need assistance in paying for home repairs, General Cigar has a dedicated fund which allows employees to secure no-interest financing for home improvement projects. Over the last 27 years, this program has dramatically improved the quality of life for many employees and their families.
Just as General Cigar is passionately committed to advancing tobacco cultivation, the company uses its vast resources to contribute to the health of the Dominican and Honduran people. General Cigar purchases citrus fruits, vegetables, dairy products, livestock and fish which are then sold at below wholesale prices to company employees. Providing nutritious and affordable food is another way that General Cigar contributes to the well-being of its employees.
General Cigar also maintains a “Natural Disaster†fund allowing the company to readily provide its employees and people in the Dominican Republic and Honduras with food, clean drinking water, necessities such as diapers and medical supplies as well as home repairs and shelter.
 Reforestation/Environmental Protection
Protecting the environment and preventing pollution are two additional areas of focus for General Cigar’s corporate social responsibility programs. Perhaps the only cigar manufacturer to have its own reforestation program, General Cigar replenishes cedar and mahogany trees to replace those that are depleted in making their handsome cigar boxes. Each farm in the Dominican Republic and Honduras participates in the reforestation activities which are now part of the company’s standard agricultural operations. To date, more than 35,000 trees have been replanted.
General Cigar is also pleased to have been recognized for being in compliance with “ISO 14001†standards which acknowledge the company’s commitment to conducting its business in the utmost environmentally-friendly manner.
In addition to its Dominican and Honduran charitable initiatives, General Cigar supports various charities in the United States, to benefit literacy initiatives, support members of the U.S. armed forces and their families, and provide funding for medical research and disease prevention.
With the recent addition of CAO to the General Cigar family, the company now has a dedicated cigar making facility in Nicaragua. They have already begun exploring the possibility of replicating and expanding their corporate social responsibility programs in that country.
Paul Garmirian Gourmet Reserva Exclusiva corona extra
I was introduced to Paul Garmirian cigars by Shawn about a year ago, but I didn’t smoke one until recently. Â Shawn gave me a Gourmet robusto a while back that I put up for aging and, honestly, didn’t give it much thought. Â That was until I was a guest on the StogieGeeks.com show. Â We had a great time and one of the cigars they constant rave about are the PG cigars. Â I just had to try it, so I dug out the PG Shawn gave me and lit it up. Â It was lighter than I expected, but had great flavor. Â I’ve been trying to hunt more down, but they have been pretty hard to find. Â Tim from StogieGeeks graciously sent me a Reserva Exclusiva which has true 10 year old aged tobaccos in it. Â Wow, what amazing flavor. Â In short, it is one of the best cigars I’ve ever had. Â Instant box worthy. Â I will hunting these down every chance I get. Â Watch the video for the full review and thank again to Tim from StogieGeeks.com. Â Great site and bunch of guys. Â If you don’t subscribe to their podcast and visit their site, you are really missing out.
Merlion by La Sirena Coming Ashore!
 Miami, Florida – May 04, 2012 – In what one can term Beauty & The Beast; La Sirena and La Aurora have teamed up to create a new cigar, Merlion.. The name Merlion comes from a mythical creature that is half lion and half mermaid, the perfect fit for La Sirena and La Aurora.
 The Merlion will be rolled at La Aurora Cigar Factory utilizing 6 different types of tobacco. The wrapper is a silky looking Ecuadorian Corojo, while the binder is Sumatra from Brazil. The filler, has 4 different types of tobacco including; Brazillian Bahia, Dominican Corojo, Dominican Criollo
’98, and Nicaraguan ligero to add that strength that you expect from a La Sirena cigar.
Merlion which comes 20 in a box is available in 3 sizes, Robusto (5 x 50 / $9.00); Toro (5.5 x 54 / $10.00) and Gran Toro (6 x 58 / $10.50). All prices are before local taxes.
According to Brand Manager, Arielle Ditkowich “We are very excited to be working with Guillermo and La Aurora, they have blended us a beautiful medium bodied cigar that is extremely complex and offers a nice contrast to our existing line.”
The Merlion by La Sirena is expected to start shipping late June 2012.
 About Miami Cigar & Company
Miami  Cigar & Company, founded in 1989, is the exclusive US distributor of La Aurora brands which include Guillermo Leon & Leon Jimenes. They are also the worldwide distributor of Tatiana, Don Lino, La Sirena and Nestor Miranda line of cigars. They can found on the web at http://www.miamicigarandcompany.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/miamicigarcompany.
La Flor Dominicana rebrands Premium Line as LFD Light, April 2012
Coral Gables, FLÂ April 2012 – La Flor Dominicana rebrands its original line “Premium Line” as LFD Light.
La Flor Dominicana, who has a reputation for some of the strongest cigars on the market, will be giving its Connecticut shade wrapped mild cigars a facelift. The changes will include a couple new sizes as well as new shelf friendly packaging.
“This line is very special to me and we need to ensure that it stays consistent with where our brand is today. We have come a long way since we originally released this cigar and most people are unaware that we even make mild cigars,” says Litto Gomez, who co-owns La Flor Dominicana with his wife, Ines Lorenzo-Gomez.
The two vitola additions will be a 54×6, called the Maximo, retailing at $8.50 and the Governador, a 60×6 1/4 that will retail at $9.00. The packaging will be in the company’s taller “space saver” boxes as opposed to the flat wide boxes that seem a bit outdated in today’s humidors.
“We’re obviously known for our fuller bodied cigars and as I travel around the country I meet so many people that have no idea that Litto started with very mild cigars that are still in our portfolio. I’m excited about these changes, because I think there is still a large segment of the market that enjoys a milder smoke,” says Andrew Brennan, Vice President of Sales LFD.
LFD Light is expected to be landing on humidor shelves in May of this year.
La Flor Dominicana is a vertically integrated premium cigar company, where we proudly control the process from the seed to the final grading, inspecting and packing process. Our tobaccos are grown at our farm in La Canella, Dominican Republic. Our factory is located in Tamboril.
COUNTERFEIT COHIBA CIGARS SEIZED IN MIAMI
COUNTERFEIT COHIBA CIGARS SEIZED IN MIAMI
Richmond, VA— General Cigar announces that a team of special agents from the Miami Office of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco conducted raids yesterday resulting in the seizure of over 10,000 counterfeit COHIBA® cigars with an estimated retail value of more than $200,000.
The counterfeit cigar seizures followed an investigation conducted by law enforcement, in cooperation with General Cigar, which is the exclusive owner of the COHIBA trademark in the U.S.
The raids took place at retail stores located on Calle Ocho, a popular tourist destination in Miami’s Little Havana district. Law enforcement officials are expected to file criminal charges for violations of Florida state law relating to counterfeit goods.
The seized counterfeit cigars featured cigar bands displaying the word COHIBA® and “Republica Dominicanaâ€Â and were packaged in various styles of wooden boxes which also displayed the COHIBA® mark. According to the special agents involved, approximately 1,800 boxes of counterfeit COHIBA® cigars were seized.
Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “Protecting cigar consumers from counterfeiters and maintaining the integrity of our products is a top priority for the company, and we are very grateful for the efforts of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation continues.â€
General Cigar devotes significant resources to protecting the COHIBA® brand, which is a frequent target of cigar counterfeiters. In November of 2011, the company’s cooperation with federal and Florida state law enforcement agencies led to the seizure of more than 3,000 counterfeit COHIBA® cigars from seven tobacco retail stores located in Key West, Florida.
About General Cigar
General Cigar Co. Inc., a division of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, COHIBA, La Gloria Cubana®, CAO, Partagas®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories.
In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and also exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.
® COHIBA, Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.
Altadis USA announces the new ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta
Altadis USA is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the latest act in this enduring love story – ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta.
A Romeo y Julieta cigar unlike any to come before!
 Ever since 1875, cigar aficionados have been passionate about Romeo y Julieta.
As one of the premium cigar world’s best-known and most highly trusted brands, Romeo y Julieta has always been revered for its consistently excellent, mild smokes.
Now, Romeo brings new excitement to the contemporary aficionado with this line of modern, fuller-bodied cigars. The new cigar will be available at retail tobacconists in May.
Robust, full-bodied and rich in complex flavor nuances, Romeo is meticulously crafted at the famed Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic by the skilled hands of the factory’s most accomplished artisans, each with decades of expertise, chosen specifically to create this uncommon cigar.
The new cigar will be available in four sizes: Churchill, Piramide, Robusto and Toro.
We’ve made an early introduction of the new Romeo cigar at the TAA meeting and start presenting the brand during the week of April 23.
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta – a spectacular smokedestined to set a new trend in luxury cigars.
