News & Notes
There are so many happenings around the cigar world now as we lead up to the industry trade show. This year IPCPR will be held in Las Vegas from July 13-17. We will be providing immediate coverage and reports from the show. Anyone who is in Las Vegas and would like to join us for a cigar one evening during the show, please contact us here. Just let us know how to get in touch.
Oliva to introduce Machine Made Cigars in Europe
Oliva Viejo Mundo, the first machine-made cigar from the Oliva Cigar Company, will be introduced this month in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Switzerland. Future plans include an introduction in the United Kingdom in October and the United States in 2014. The Viejo Mundo is a full flavor cigar for the smoker who appreciates a rich premium tasting cigar at a machine- made price.
La Palina to Debut 3 New Sticks at IPCPR
Three new items of note from La Palina at the show. They will debut the Mr. Sam, anemd after company founder Sam Paley. At 4 ¾ x 54 this is a must have Robusto. It is made at El Titan de Bronze in Miami. I have been there and try to drop in frequently to see what they are up to. Anything they make is great and this is sure to be no exception. La Palina will also add three sizes to its Classic line. The sizes are actually classics themselves, all being more traditional smaller sizes that the industry seems to have gotten away from recently. Finally, the La Paline Maduro 40 is introduced. This is a nice fat shorty that should be great. I’m looking forward to trying it.
Fratello Cigars Scheduled for Launch This Summer
Entrepreneur Omar de Frias is pleased to announce the launch of the Fratello cigar (label/brand). Fratello will compete in the premium cigar market. de Frias is test marketing Fratello at select stores in the Greater Washington DC area with an official launch scheduled for September, 2013.
Fratello is a life-long dream for industry newcomer de Frias, a cigar aficionado for more than 15 years who grew up next to a cigar retail shop in his hometown of Santo Domingo D.R. “ I would come into the shop and the manager Don Rafael would always kick me out since I was not of age. One day he brought me in to watch a torcedor (Cigar Roller) perform his art, when he finished the cigar, he gave it to me and said, “Kid welcome to the true gentlemen’s club.” “Fratello, has been my nickname since college, means brother in Italian and embodies the true nature of this industry, camaraderie, family and friendship,” said de Frias.
de Frias, is an ex-professional basketball player with a love for cigars. Originally from the Dominican Republic, de Frias has worked for NASA, Baxter Healthcare Corp, and earned an MBA from the University of Puerto Rico. He spent two years defining The Fratello Cigars line and perfecting its blend. He resides in Northern Virginia with his wife and two kids.
