Tobacco Products International magazine - Quarter 1, 2017

DE LOS REYES CIGARS

DE LOS REYES CIGARS

Nirka Reyes changes the mission of the Dominican Republic premium cigar maker, crafting fewer, but higher quality cigars

Nirka Reyes changes the mission of the Dominican Republic premium cigar maker, crafting fewer, but higher quality cigars

PLUS: • Oettinger Davidoff Invests in its Future

PLUS: • Oettinger Davidoff Invests in its Future

• Colibri Re-envisions the Tabletop Cutter

• Colibri Re-envisions the Tabletop Cutter

FEATURES

{CIGARMAKER PROFILE}

6 Nirka Reyes has taken an unusual approach in refocusing De Los Reyes Cigars since taking the helm in 2015.

BY FRANK SELTZER

{CORPORATE UPDATE}

10 Oettinger Davidoff continues to invest in in global luxury business despite significant regulatory challenges in the EU and USA.

STAFF REPORTZ

DEPARTMENTS

Passion Prevails Over Regulations

Despite the ever-increasing impact of significant regulatory hurdles affecting tobacco products around the world, premium cigar makers continue to emphasize that their products are enjoyed in a manner that is entirely different than mass market products. Whether that argument will ever be enough to carve out a less stringent regulatory approach for this smaller segment of the global tobacco trade remains to be seen, particularly in the face of stringent EU and USA anti-tobacco frameworks, but the message is clear: these products are targeted to adult consumers and are positioned as “affordable luxuries.” They aren’t marketed to youth. And many of the regulations will do little to alter premium cigar’s fundamental impact on health. Relax and enjoy a cigar as they say.

» Ted Hoyt, Editor

{ EDITORIAL }

E. EDWARD “TED” HOYT III Editor

ROBERT M. LOCKWOOD Publisher & President

FRANK B. SCHUETZE Director of Exhibitions

MIKE RUBISH Sales Associate

{ ART & PRODUCTION }

LILY LEE Art Director

MELINDA AYALA Production Coordinator

ROXANNE CORDOVA MELENDEZ Accountant

{ ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES }

central america, mexico, united states

Robert M. Lockwood

tel: + 1-212-391-2060, x109

fax: + 1-212-827-0945

email: robert@tobaccointernational.com

asia, canada, south america, caribbean, united states

Mike Rubish

tel: + 1-207-281-3022

email: mike@lockwoodpublications.com

europe

Frank B. Schuetze

tel: + 49 30 645 7212

fax: + 49 30 6409 1350

email: f.schuetze@eurotab.com

special sales representative

George E. Lockwood

tel: + 1-413-775-0005

fax: + 1-413-775-9010

email: lockwood.george@gmail.com

Tobacco Products International Lockwood Trade Journal Co. Inc., 3743 Crescent Street, Second Floor Long Island City, New York 11101 U.S.A.

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{Industry News}

Ban on STG’s Café Crème and Paradise Brand Names in France is Lifted

The French Ministry of Health and Ministry of Budget have issued an official notice annulling the ban issued in February 2017 against several brand names for tobacco products, including the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) brand names Café Crème and Paradis. The ban was supposed to take effect in February 2018.

The background for the annulment is a decision by the Conseil d’État (the French supreme administrative court) in a case not involving STG. The French court set aside the provision in French law which let the authorities declare brands non-compliant with the law as part of a general process for the approval of product prices.

The Conseil d’État in the relevant case also decided to ask the EU Court of Justice about the application of article 13 in the EU Tobacco Products Directive to established trademarks, and whether an application of the article to trademarks respects the property right, the freedom of expression, the freedom to conduct a business and the principles of proportionality and legal certainty. Article 13, as implemented in French law, is the provision which was used to ban Café Crème and Paradise. The EU Court of Justice on average takes 15 months to answer questions referred to it by the national courts.

STG expects the case, which it raised before the Conseil d’État in defense of its Café Crème brand name, to be closed by the court, as the brand is no longer banned.

Cigar, Cigarillo Markets Projected to Grow, But Alternative Products will Have Impact

The availability of several affordable alternative tobacco products is negatively influencing demand for cigars and cigarillos in Europe according to a new research report by Persistence Market Research (PMR). In addition, efforts such as government mandates to include statutory warnings on tobacco packaging and youth outreach programs continue to create awareness among smokers. This, along with ‘quit smoking’ campaigns is expected to reduce the number of smokers, thereby influencing the market.

According to PMR, sales of cigars and cigarillos in Europe surpassed 9 bn units in 2015. This number is expected to reach around 11 bn by the end of 2024. Growth will be sluggish with PMR projecting a 2.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in terms of volume through 2024.

The market share of cigars and cigarillos with non-flavored tobacco is anticipated to register a slight increase to reach 77% by 2024 from 76.7% in 2016. Non-flavored tobacco cigars and cigarillos would remain the most preferred in the market during the forecast period. In contrast, flavored cigars and cigarillos are projected to exhibit a slight decline in their market share by the end of 2024.

EU5, the largest market for cigars and cigarillos (Eastern Europe is the second largest) is projected to witness a slight decline in its revenue share by 2024-end. Benelux’s market share will witness a slight increase. In addition, the cigar and cigarillos market in Germany and France is projected to register 2.5% and 1.9% CAGRs respectively. The full report is available for purchase at persistencemarketresearch.com.

Santiago Sanchez Appointed New RTI President

Republic Technologies International (RTI), a key player in the manufacture and sale of RYO and MYO accessories, and a worldwide leader in rolling papers, tubes, filters, and other related accessories, has announced the appointment of Santiago Sanchez as President effective July 1, 2017. Sanchez previously had served as Sales and Marketing Director of RTI since 2005 when he first joined the company. Under his leadership, RTI expanded its business in new markets and set the standards of performance in sales and profitability. Sanchez assumed his new position following the retirement of Philippe Parcevaux who had previously run the group as President for more than 20 years.

RTI Chairman Don Levin said that Parcevaux”took a small local manufacturer in the south of France and steered it to be the world leader in the RYO and MYO accessories market. We owe him for the brilliant position that RTI is in now.”

» Imperial Brands has hired medicinal cannabis expert Simon Langelier to join its board as a non-executive director. Langelier is a 30-year veteran of Philip Morris and current serves as chairman of Canadian firm PharmaCielo which supplies medicinal cannabis oil extracts.

Sanchez

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Nirka Reyes, President De Los Reyes Cigars Reducing Output in Pursuit of Quality

Nirka Reyes has undertaken one of the cigar industry’s most dramatic and surprising business transformations— cutting output significantly to focus on the finest craftsmanship and top quality cigars.

In an area of the Dominican Republic that has literally scores of cigar factories, there is one that is unique. How unique? Imagine a factory that was producing about 12 million cigars a year in 2013 and when the new CEO came in, she decided that was way too big and planned to cut production down about 85 percent. How many manufacturers are willing to give up the money that comes with volume? One did: De Los Reyes cigars outside Santiago

BY FRANK SELTZER

headed by Nirka Reyes, the 6th generation of her family to work in tobacco.

The Reyes family’s roots are firmly Dominican, like the tobacco the family first started growing in the Cibao valley over 150 years ago. For most of the Reyes family, growing, processing, and selling tobacco was the main focus. But making cigars came about in the 1990s when Tabacos de Flor de los Reyes began under the leadership of Nirka’s father, Au-

gusto Reyes. That name did not last long initially because the factory was not in a “free trade zone,” and Augusto realized he needed the duty free status in order to export his premium cigars. He bought a free zone named Corporacion Cigar Export and then dropped the de los Reyes name in favor of the new acquisition. De Los Reyes continued to exist, but primarily as a machine-made operation.

The company made many private label cigars for others and developed its own brands. Augusto ran the company as it continued to grow. Nirka started working for her father at CCE about 10 years ago. She was only 18, having finished high school and starting college. When not studying, she began learning all the ins and outs of the cigar business. At CCE, she learned every department. Says Nirka, “I went to financing, human resources, I did everything. I went to production. I had to make cigars, pack cigars, but I wanted to do so much. I had stud-

»

ied so much and I wanted to apply it but I didn’t have the experience.”

She continued her education, studying business administration and upon graduation she made a choice to work outside the family business. Nirka went to work for Banco Popular, figuring she could learn more processes and structure. After a year and a half, though, she was very unhappy. In 2012, Augusto called his daughter and asked if she would consider coming back. Augusto’s other company was heavily involved in producing machine-made cigars for an international giant and those responsibilities were taking time away from the CCE factory. Nirka leapt at the chance to go back to her passion.

Once again Nirka went through all the departments, guided this time by CCE general manager Pedro Almonte. She moved up through the company, learning all the while. Her father was calling the shots, but Nirka was studying her passion.

“Uncle Leo [one of the largest Dominican tobacco growers] came every Friday to smoke a cigar and drink coffee,” she recalls. “We would smoke a lot of puros, so I could get a sense of the tobaccos. I have to say I am not a natural; I had to develop my palate a lot. Blending did not come easy to me.”

By the time the Procigar Festival in the Dominican Republic rolled around in 2013, Augusto had decided to let Nirka spread her wings…although she did not know it until the 11th hour. At the festival, member cigar makers delivers short speeches. The day before his scheduled speech, Augusto told Nirka he did not want to do it and she should instead.

“I had never spoken in front of the industry and I was like ‘are you serious?’ No don’t do this to me!” Nirka recalled. “I was so excited doing it, I started laughing during the speech. The Monday after the festival my dad came to me and said, ‘you know this is all yours.’”

The first year at the helm of CCE was crazy for Nirka. When she took over, the factory turned out 12 million cigars a year with 386 employees. They made cigars for just about everybody. Unfortunately, that was not Nirka’s vision. She wanted to go smaller. “Focus on the quality and focus on our best rollers. Financially, it was tough because all those cigars were cash for us. It was a very hard decision, but it had to be done. It wasn’t that we weren’t doing our best, but it was the

Nirka and her father traveled around to all their customers telling them that they would work to make the transition smooth, but they would no longer be producing cigars for them. “It was a smooth change for them as much as they needed to find a new supplier, we complied with that. Something that I learned from meeting people is that my dad is known for being the greatest gentleman on earth. He is very attentive and does everything right and that is what he taught us. That is

heart and the passion that we actually felt toward the industry was being somehow lost in translation in this production,” she explains.

Reyes is right at home checking on curing tobacco at the family’s own farming operations (opposite), overseeing cigar production at the company’s factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic (top), or hosting farm tours during the annual ProCigar festival (right). For its 20th anniversary in 2015, Reyes brought back the family’s corporate name.

the way he raised me and that is how we work,” Nirka adds.

Back at the factory, Nirka changed everything, dropping from 386 workers to 78 people today. “When you have rollers who are used to making as many cigars as they can, to say ‘hey, stop, think about it, slow down. We want quality.’ We had to change their incentives. We have incentives by piece, by sizes, and by brands, and the incentives are for quality standards, not by numbers. We have limited the number of cigars they can do, we actually hired people to count how many cigars they can do by shape because it is not the same thing to make a robusto or a perfecto. And then we

were redoing all the processes. Before, we wouldn’t do much other than the press and test the draw, but now we have many checks to insure a good draw and quality bunching before the wrapper is put on. We don’t just have an aging room, we also have a resting room that after the cigars are ready they are kept in an area to keep them ready for the packaging at the same humidity level. It is a more a controlled environment at every single level.”

By 2015, Nirka had another change in mind. She asked her father and uncle Leo to drop the CCE name and go back to the family moniker. De Los Reyes became the formal name of the company for its

20th anniversary because Nirka says it meant something and CCE did not.

Today, De Los Reyes makes about 2 million cigars a year. It produces its own Don Julio line named after Nirka’s great grandfather; the SAGA Golden Age; SAGA Blend No. 7; and the SAGA Short Tales. The factory also makes Debonaire and Indian Motorcycle brands for Phil Zanghi and Patoro for Patrik Martin in Switzerland. Nirka says the factory could make more cigars, but any growth has to be carefully planned. As for others coming to the factory for product, she is very specific.

“Some people go to a factory and say we want a cigar that is medium, blah blah blah, and then you make it for them. We don’t do that. The people who come to us, we have them sit down and smoke with us. Let’s blend until we get it. Sometimes it is very easy, other times it is very hard.”

At 28 years of age, Nirka is excited about the business. She sees people around her age taking more responsibility, like Tony Gomez at La Flor Dominicana and Liana Fuente at Arturo Fuente. De Los Reyes does not have a big sales force, instead it looks for brand ambassadors who can sit down and talk with anyone about cigars. Last year, the company participated at the Intertabak trade show, and plans to return again in 2017. The key is finding people as passionate as she is, Reyes notes, adding, “Every year there is something new in the industry. Two years ago, it was Cuba, this year is more FDA [in the U.S.A.], and you have the European [TPD2] regulations. We are going against so many things at the same time. As my father says at the end of the day, ‘If you have to stay with just five rollers to continue our passion, we’re gonna do that.”

TPI

De Los Reyes Cigars, Parque Industrial de Zona Franca El Limonal, Santiago De Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, Tel: +1-809-276-7400, Email: info@reyescigars.com Web: reyescigars.com

> Saga Blend No. 7 (top), Saga Golden Age (above left), and Don Julio (above right), are De Los Reye’s principal brands. It also produces Patoro, Debonaire, and Indian Motorcycle cigars for

Davidoff Cigars

Investing in Global Luxury

Oettinger Davidoff AG, the world leader in the premium cigar business, was able to further expand its global market position in an increasingly challenging environment in the fiscal year 2016. The company reported that total sales in the fiscal year 2016 increased on a comparable basis by 8.2% to CHF 595 million, with an outstanding growth of 20% of the core Davidoff brand.

“2016 was a challenging year for the cigar industry as new and costly anti-tobacco legislation was introduced in both the EU and the USA,” said CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard regarding the course of business over the past year. “While we are extremely pleased with the continued double-digit growth of Davidoff and

our global market share gains, we did not achieve all our goals for 2016,” he added.

Strategically, the Basel-based company took a significant step with the divestment of Contadis AG in its ongoing pursuit of, and concentration on, its core business. As announced last year, the Contadis AG wholesale and logistics business of Oettinger Davidoff was taken over by Lekkerland Schweiz, and the logistics facilities of Contadis AG in Oberentfelden, Switzerland were sold. As a result, Oettinger Davidoff not only completed an important strategic step toward its goal of becoming a “pureplay” company with the core business of cigars and tobacco accessories as well as international sole agencies, but also

responded to marked changes in wholesale and retail trade in Switzerland, especially in cigarette sales, Contadis AG’s core business. With the sale of Contadis’s activities, Oettinger Davidoff’s turnover was reduced by almost half in 2016.

Increasingly Complex Anti-tobacco Legal Framework in the EU, USA

The regulatory requirements will further challenge the industry in the current year in Europe and in the USA. In 2016, additional legal limitations prevailed in the cigar industry. The EU Tobacco Product Directive No. 2 (EU TPD2) took effect on 20 May 2016. Through new packaging specifications, this regulation increased the complexity and compliance requirements, which led to considerable additional costs. This directive changed the regulatory landscape significantly.

In the USA, on 8 August 2016, the new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deeming regulation came into effect. This specification, by far the strictest that was ever passed in the USA, is extremely expensive for the industry. It requires authorization of all products brought onto the market since February 2007, and advance authorization of new products for market introductions starting on 8 August 2016.

Investments in Asia, Honduras

Oettinger Davidoff further emphasized its focus on Asian markets by acquiring a majority stake in its longtime Asian distributor, Bluebell Cigars Asia Ltd., and subsequently repositioning it as Davidoff of Geneva Asia. The move came a little over a year after Oettinger Davidoff had acquired a minority stake in Bluebell, which has been associated with Davidoff for over 50 years and handles all Asian markets other than China.

The company also entered into a threeyear joint venture agreement with China’s Sparkle Roll Group Limited, establishing a minority stake in a new firm—Sparkle

In a challenging market, Oettinger Davidoff continues to grow the cigar business and expand its global position.

Roll Cigars China—to carry out the retail business for the import and distribution of Oettenger Davidoff’s cigars and smoker’s accessories in China. The investment represents what Davidoff considers the “greatest potential market of the future,” the People’s Republic of China.

Meanwhile, a new factory was opened in Honduras as further commitment to the company’s crop-to-shop philosophy. After purchasing tobacco plantations in the Condega region of Nicaragua and in the Jamastrán Valley in Honduras, in 2015 the company purchased a property for building a new cigar factory in Danlí, Honduras’s main tobacco region southeast of the capital of Tegucigalpa, on the Panamerican Highway, a few kilometers from the border with Nicaragua. The 11,000 m2 facility, which also includes 3,500 m2 of new warehouse space, features several production halls, cold rooms, loading/unloading zones, a spacious guest house, and the refectory for employees which meet the highest standards of technology and logistics. The new compound was inaugurated in January 2017. With this strategic step, the company responded to the rapidly growing worldwide demand for its key Camacho brand.

“It is not only a milestone in the history of our company, but also reflects our global crop-to-shop-philosophy with this extension of the vertical integration of the business,” said Hoejsgaard. “Our investments mirror the strong growth of Camacho over the past five years which saw its global sales double, as well as the needed production capacity to continue expanding Camacho globally.”

Oettinger Davidoff has also started growing “Original Corojo” leaves in the Jamastrán Valley region, which is often compared with the renowned Vuelta Abajo in Cuba thanks to its ideal climatic conditions and the quality of its soil.

Corojo tobacco is the cornerstone of the Camacho brand, lending it the intensity and the characteristic bold flavors

that have helped make it a success. Davidoff’s first Corojo crops are expected in June 2017.

Davidoff continues to place greater emphasis on pushing the boundaries of its traditional blend profiles, sourcing an ever-growing range of tobaccos from a eclectic range of origins and in some cases developing its own proprietary strains and curing processes. The company’s master blenders have been challenged to craft blends that will “help aficionados to discover the wider world of tobaccos and experience cigars with exciting and surprising tastes,” explains Charles Awad, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Oettinger Davidoff. “We truly believe that it is not where a cigar comes from, but where it takes you and how it fills your time beautifully,” he adds.

Expect to see more releases like the company’s Brazilian-inspired cigar Escurio line, which includes several different types of Brazilian tobaccos in the filler and binder for an “intense, spicy sweet palate stimulation,” or Davidoff Nicaragua, a 100 percent Nicaraguan leaf puro with peppery notes, spicy aromas, and earthy flavors. That taste profile was intensified further in the Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed which swaps in a more power ligero leaf in the filler and a sharper, richer

wrapper selection. The Davidoff Yamasá series combines spicy and sweet tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic with an earthy proprietary wrapper as well as binder from the Dominican Republic’s Yamasá region. All three of these lines, which Davidoff is referring to as its “discovery range,” have recently added a large ring gauge 6” x 60 format to allow enthusiasts additional time to explore their flavors.

Another interesting recent release is the first Davidoff Culebras Limited Edition, a unique opportunity to explore all three of the very diverse discovery range blends braided together in the unconventional Culebra format.

Outlook for 2017

Hoejsgaard foresees different growth patterns for the prime markets Europe, the USA, and Asia. “We expect a challenging and difficult 2017 as new restrictions in our core markets [of the] USA and Europe take hold and retailers hold back and await clarity. We are confident that we can continue to gain market share through our strong innovation and global retail footprint,” says Hoejsgaard. TPI

Opposite page: The new Winston Churchill The Late Hour cigars uses Nicaraguan tobacco that has been cask aged in single malt whiskey barrels. Right: Davidoff will introduce its third Master-Built release, Camacho Nicaraguan Barrel-Aged, to European markets in 2018. Produced at its new Danlí, Honduras Camacho factory (above), the cigar already debuted in the US earlier this year.

STG Relaunches Macanudo Inspirado Black with New Blend for Global Markets

The Macanudo Inspirado line, which Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) launched in 2014 in European, Asian, and Middle East markets and in 2016 in the U.S. with the release of Inspirado Orange, has now been expanded with a new blend for global release: Macanudo Inspirado Black, a bold and peppery relaunch of a line that was previously marketed only in catalog and Internet channels in the U.S. The previous product has been retired.

Macanudo Inspirado Black features a Nicaraguan-dominant blend of proprietary tobaccos grown in Estelí, uniquely fermented to produce maximum strength and flavor, combined with an Ecuadoran Sumatra binder that enhances the strength and flavor of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that underwent a proprietary and experimental process of stalk-ripened leaves, resulting in a “rich and radiant” maduro wrapper with a unique dimension of sweetness. Three vitolas are offered: Robusto (4 7/8” x 48), Toro (5 7/8” x 54), and Churchill (7” x 48). Both blends are hand crafted in the Dominican Republic and presented in 20-count Cuban-dress boxes.

STG, Søborg, Denmark, Tel: +45 3955 6200, Web: st-group.com.

STG Debuts Single Cigar Humi-pack Format with Inspirado Orange, Don Tomás Clásico

Designed to keep premium cigars fresh without the need for a humidor, the new Humi-pack signle-cigar package from Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) features a polycoated transparent foil that seals in humidity, allowing the the packages to be merchandised by retailers, and stored by consumers, without a humidification.

Two cigars will debut in the new packaging format: Macanudo Inspirado Orange Mareva (5 1/8 x 42) and Don Tomás Clásico Robusto (5 1/2 x 50).

“With Humi-pack packs, STG has created the opportunity to display cigars outside of the humidor,” said Stephan Brichau, international sales & marketing manager for STG. “This concept is groundbreaking for shop owners as they can now have secondary displays within their shops. It also allows us to gain new touchpoints for consumers, expand distribution and enhance brand awareness. Cigar lovers will benefit, too, from increased portability, and the ability to enjoy a cigar in optimal condition anytime, anywhere. STG, Søborg, Denmark, Tel: +45 3955 6200, Web: st-group.com.

La Aurora ADN Dominicano with Andullo Tobacco

La Aurora pays tribute to the oldest Dominican tobacco with the launch of La Aurora ADN Dominicano, featuring a multinational blend built around traditional Dominican Andullo.

Although little known today, Andullo—a hard-to-work Dominican tobacco that is unique in cigar making— is deeply ingrained as an essential part of the Dominican Republic’s tobacco culture and its processing practices for hundreds of years. To create Andullo, native Dominican tobaccos are heavily compressed under pressure into a long tube or log where the slow fermentation and aging process creates a tobacco with a truly unique taste. Its strength, inspiring aroma, and sweetness—when combined with a well-balanced blend—provides an exceptional smoking experience, says La Aurora.

Andullo is used as a whole leaf in ADN’s filler blend, which also contains tobaccos from the Dominican Republic’s Valle del Cibao, Pennsylvania, and Nicaragua, surrounded by an authentic African Cameroon binder and a Cibao Valley, Dominican Republic wrapper. Churchill (7 x 47 ), Gran Toro (6 x 58), Robusto (5 x 50), and Toro (5 3/4 x 54) sizes are offered.

La Aurora S.A., Santiago, D.R., Web: laaurora.com.do.

Alec Bradley Releases Prensado Lost Art and Black Market Estelí to Global Markets

For the first time in two years, Alec Bradley Cigar Co. has announced the global release of two premium cigars. Prensado Lost Art and Black Market Estelí are iterations of two of Alec Bradley’s most popular cigar lines and were unveiled to tobacconists worldwide during the 2017 International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) show in Las Vegas in July.

“Lost Art and Estelí have been previously marketed in limited quantities and are now ready for their global release,” said Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley Cigar Co. The blends and flavor profiles of bothnew releases were created to be compliments to their original lines.

“There is a natural succession among these premium iterations,” Rubin says. “We have taken two well-performing brands that are highly rated and fan favorites, and we introduced unique variations that still live up to their original namesake.”

Prensado Lost Art features five different Central American tobaccos: Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, a dual Nicaraguan and Honduran binder, and a Honduran wrapper. The cigars are box pressed and presented in a 20-count box, offered in 5 x 52 Robusto, 6 ¼ x 52 Gran Toro, 7 x 50 Churchill, 6 1/2 x 52 Torpedo, and 6 x 60 Double T (Gordo) sizes.

Black Market Estelí features four different Central American tobaccos: Nicaraguan fillers, Nicaraugan and Honduran dual binders, and a Nicaraguan wrapper. It will be presented in a 22-count box and will come in the following sizes: 5 x 52 Robusto, 6 x 52 Toro, 6 ½ x 52 Torpedo, 7 x 50 Churchill and 6 x 60 Gordo. Alec Bradley Cigar Co., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., USA, Tel: +1 (954) 321-5991, Email: info@alecbradley.com, Web: alecbradley.com.

Improved Dr. Perl Junior Active Charcoal “Connoiseur” Pipe Filters from Vauen

Ongoing research and development has led to the further improvement of the Dr. Perl junior activated carbon filter in the Dr. Perl junior filter system. This complex filter system was developed to provide smokers with additional filtration and less draw resistance, thereby ensuring a more pleasant smoke. The differing number of holes in the white and blue caps on opposite sides of the filter creates a pressure drop inside, leading to a greater swirling of the smoke, causing the dust-free activated carbon to work more effectively and remove more toxins. The filter stem now has increased moisture absorption thanks to a new paper structure.

Vauen Pfeifenfabriken, Nuernberg, Germany, Tel: +49 911 424 3680, Email: info@vauen.de, Web: vauen.de.

Smoking Thinnest: Smoking’s Thinnest Rolling Paper Ever

Smoking Thinnest is Barcelona-based Smoking’s thinnest paper ever—20 percent thinner than average papers on the market. At 10 g/m2, it combines maximum transparency with optimum strength. The product is FSC Certified and comes with a strip of glue made of 100 percent natural vegetable gum, with no colorings or other additives. This gum comes exclusively from Senegalensis Acacia, also called acacia gum, and is used in all Smoking varieties. For user convenience, a sticky tab on all packs comes in handy for attaching packs to one’s favorite pouch of tobacco.

Six formats are offered: Regular contains 60 leaves, size 69 x 37mm; Medium contains 50 leaves, size 77x44 mm; Double pack with a patented anti-sliding system, contains 120 leaves, size 69 x 37mm; King Size Slim or King Size + Tips contains 33 leaves, size 108 x 44 mm; and Rolls contains 4 meters per roll.

Smoking is currently one of the leading brands in the rolling paper booklet market. Moreover, it is one of the leading Spanish exporters, with a presence in five continents and more than 90 countries worldwide.

Miguel y Costas, Barcelona, Spain, Web: www.smokingpaper.com

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Colibri’s Quasar Desktop Cigar Cutter

Colibri Group has uveiled the Colibri Quasar desktop cigar cutter, a two-in-one combination of the pocket Colibri V-Cut and S-Cut cigar cutters but interpreted into a desktop/tabletop format. Taking its design language from the Colibri Quasar series of luxury desktop humidors and cigar ashtrays that feature a four-sided pyramidal peak motif, the Quasar cutter is beautifully and deceptively simple. On two opposing sides of the Quasar are housed two different cutters: a “V-Cut” blade on one that cleanly cuts a wedge as deep as 7mm on 60ring cigars, and an “S-Cut” blade on the other that provides an equally crisp straight cut on cigars up to a 70-ring. Both blades are engaged by pushing down on the top peak, which releases and pops up the cutting unit with both blades ready in unison. The mechanism operates on oiled quad pistons to ensure smooth action when in motion. The body is a sturdy all-metal form and the bottom is lined with a strong, non-slip rubber gasket to prevent sliding during uss. and a clipping cleanout cap. Four finishes are offered: matte black, matte red, metallic chrome and metallic gunmetal. The Quasar Desktop Cigar Cutter is slated to ship retail channels in fall 2017. Suggested retail is US$125. Colibri, New York, N.Y., U.S.A., Email: jmiudo@colibri.com, Web: colibri.com.

IMCO Super Triplex Lighter Returns

IMCO, the second-oldest operational lighter brand in the world (founded in 1918 in Austria) continues its return to global markets with its most famous model, the petrol Triple Super. The market’s first semi-automated lighter, lighting itself when the cap is opened, Triple Super was launched in 1936, upgraded with technical improvements in 1955, and retooled and relaunched in 2015 under new ownership. The lighter remains faithful to its original design featuring a stainless steel body and original chrome nickle finish as well as new gunmetal, copper, or gold versions. A contempory countertop merchandising display is available. The full IMCO line includes numerous petrol and contemporary torch models.

Curly & Smooth Handels GmbH, Germering, Germany, Email: info@curlysmooth.de, Web: curly-smooth-de.

Xikar Adds XO Cigar Cutters with New Finishes

Xikar has expanded its innovative XO double guillotine cigar cutter line with the introduction of four new finishes. Red with Black Blades, Black with Black Blades, and Gunmetal Honeycomb with Black blades all have a suggested retail price of US$119, while the Chopper Orange with Chrome Blades has a US$99 retail price, as do the original four finishes of Black, Blue, Bronze, and Gunmetal, all with chrome blades. Xikar launched the XO line last year, featuring razor-sharp dual stainless steel blades that operate on a patent-pending planetary gear system and a round lightweight aluminum body. The devices offer one-handed operation and can clip the cap of cigars as large as 70 ring gauge. Xikar, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A, Web: xikar.com.