Miami, Fl-Ultra Boutique Manufacturer Crémo Cigars releases it’s third blend, the Capa Caliente! The Capa Caliente features a luscious Ecuadorian Dark Habano Wrapper over a Nicaraguan Binder and sumptuous blend of perfectly aged Dominican and Nicaraguan Filler. The Capa Caliente takes the traditional Crémo Classic blend, originally blended by famed Master Blender Willy Herrera (now of Drew Estate), to another level by offering a full bodied and full flavored smoking experience with enticing elements of Espresso and Cocoa from the unique Dark Habano wrapper.
The Capa Caliente will be released in two Vitola’s, a 5 x 50 Robusto ($8.00 MSRP) and a 6 x 52 Toro ($12.00 MSRP). Like allCrémoCigars, the Capa Caliente, are made exclusively at the world renowned El Titan de Bronze factory located in the Miami’s famed Calle Ocho. A commitment to American production and a rich American history are hallmarks of the Crémo brand.
Under the watchful eyes of factory owner Sandy Cobas, and using the best level 9 rollers, Cremo Cigars are rolled in small batches the old Cuban Entubado style where each filler tobacco leaf is individually rolled, and then bunched, allowing the use of more tobacco. The Entubado style allows provides for more flavor and a superior draw. The cigars are then finished with a traditional triple cap head.
With the revival of Crémo, the tradition continues with taste and quality as well as class.
With the release of Capa Caliente, Crémo Cigars takes it to the next level for the discerning aficionado.
From the brainchild of Richard Stabile of Long Island Distillers makers of LiV vodka, Rough Bourbon and Pine Barrens Single Malt comes one of the best Rye’s I’ve tasted all year. What makes this rye so special is its aging and select finishing in wine barrels. The spirit is first aged for a minimum of four years in newly charred American oak casks. After aging it’s then finished in selected merlot and chardonnay casks. The result is a rye with a tremendous depth of flavor and a lingering finish. Speaking of “finish’, I just finished another bottle myself and the results are thus. Enjoy!
APPERANCE: A light copper color with legs that scurry down the glass. Swirling gives a nice feel of the depth of the spirit within.
NOSE: Initial flavors of oak, vanilla and spicy heat emerge. Second nose gives toasted wood, bread and some dried fruits.
TASTE: First sip is buttery with apricot some caramel and “merlot” flavors in its expression. The mouth feel is rich with flavors that demonstrates its balance. Both sides of the cheeks are coated with butter and spice that caress not overpowers the senses. The finish goes on forever with a velvety texture and flavors of caramel, toasted oak, butter and heat all at once. This is one of the most balanced and complex Rye’s I’ve tasted.
CONCLUSION: With Bull Moose Three Barrel Rye Long Island Distillers has produced probably my favorite spirit to date. This Rye delivers a cacophony of flavors on the palate and lingers on and on. This exceeded my expectations of rye and what can be done with it. The finishing in wine casks creates tastes and nuances that makes this a true sipping spirit. I’ve enjoyed most everything Rich Stabile has been putting out as of late but if I had to venture off with the “Rough Riders” and could bring only one spirit, this would be the bottle that I’d saddle up with.
LAS VEGAS, NV, July 8 2013—La Hoja Cigar Co., a revival of the famed Flor de Florez cigar company dating back five decades, is proud to announce the release of the Hoja de Flores Auténtico Maduro at IPCPR 2013. The new line follows on the heels of the immensely popular Hoja de Flores Black Label, unveiled in early 2013.
In an industry divided between the old traditionalists and the contemporary innovators, the Auténtico Maduro is a new boutique with an old soul. William Flores, President of Hoja de Flores, said, “we are proud to continue the tradition of quality and innovation which was exemplified by my father Carlos over fifty years ago.”
The new Auténtico Maduro is a Dominican puro that features a Corojo 2006 maduro wrapper. A blend of original piloto, ligero and seco Dominican fillers marry to create a smoke of exceptional strength, complexity, and smoothness.
The new blend will be featured in three box pressed vitolas: Torpedo (6-1/4 x 52), Double-Toro (6-1/4 x 54), and Goloso (6×60).
“There is a conception among some that only Nicaraguan tobacco packs the punch,” said J. Carlos Gomez, Executive VP. “The Auténtico Maduro is uniquely cured to deliver a taste that can rival any other in strength, but also deliver the complexity that made Dominican tobacco legendary.”
On its 50th anniversary, the legendary Flores lineage has achieved its ultimate pinnacle of flavor, body and aroma: the new Hoja de Flores cigar. The new cigar will be sold in boxes of 20 and at a suggested retail price of $12.00 per cigar.
About Hoja de Flores
Hoja de Flores, owned by William Flores, is a revival of Flor de Florez, the iconic company that led the cigar industry in the second half of the 20th century.
Press releases give great exposure, lead to valuable business leads, and boost SEO.
Year after year, dozens of new boutique cigar companies hoping to make it big enter the market. But as we all know, cracking the nut that is the cigar industry is difficult. So what separates the winners from the losers? One major business component successful cigar companies include in their strategy is the writing and distribution of press releases.
This applies to small, mid, and large sized companies. Every cigar business owner that is serious about promoting and growing their business should have some sort of strategy for press releases, especially before major conventions like IPCPR.
Here are 6 reasons you should write a press release:
1. Your new product won’t announce itself
So you’ve just blended a new cigar and you put it to market. But who knows about it? Don’t expect cigar shops or customers to be familiar with your brand if you aren’t putting your best foot forward. Small and mid-sized businesses don’t have the luxury of a large audience of customers and media professionals to catch and amplify product announcements posted on your Facebook page. A press release, distributed to the right people, will ensure that cigar related websites and the blogosphere are getting your new product announcement out to the widest possible audience.
2. Press Releases boost website SEO
Press releases often include anchor text and hyperlinked urls to your company website. When google crawls the internet and finds 15 more websites linking your website with terms like “cigars,” “cigar industry,” “maduro cigars,” etc, Google interprets this as your page being an authority on that keyword, and places your website higher in searches for those terms. That boost in search can drive new sales and lead to important business opportunities.
3. Your Press Release will go social
Many websites, especially blogs, post Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr updates whenever a new post goes up on their site. If your product announcement is posted on ten blogs, or referenced in blog posts, you will achieve substantial social media exposure, earning you more brand awareness that can lead to sales and other opportunities.
4. The world wants to hear about your product or announcement
It’s easy for a small business to feel like no one is listening, but those businesses often aren’t talking. The truth is, there are tens of thousands of cigar enthusiasts who are looking for the next great cigar. If you are in the business, then you believe in your product. Why not tell them about it?
5. You need the media to notice
When press releases are distributed, important media contacts will be made aware of your announcement. This often results in requests for interviews, product reviews, and other kinds of coverage. It is this coverage that will push your product to new markets and territories.
6. You need consistent exposure
Do you remember that company that you read about six months ago and never heard from again? Neither do I. By using press releases to announce new products, new hirings, or new branding strategies, you build brand equity. This is especially helpful for small or mid-sized cigar or spirits brands trying to open new accounts. If a shop owner has seen your company appear often online, he/she is much more likely to know about your brand and thus more likely to trust your product and place an order. Whiskey companies like Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, Chivas, and others do this well – take a look.
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So those are a few reasons you need to write and distribute a press release. Here are the reasons why you should work with me:
I deliver professional quality writing
I’ve been writing press releases for a long time, and they stack up well against any boutique PR firm. (ask me for samples)
I have my own distribution lists
Expect to pay at least $250 just to distribute your press release on any mainstream newswire service – these services may or may not deliver your releases to the right place. I have distribution lists of local cigar shops, bloggers, media contacts, and news websites. On average, my press releases are published on 10-15 cigar related websites.
I work one on one to craft a release that is consistent with your branding and message
You don’t want to hire a writer who will put your brand through a cookie-cutter press release template. I will meet with you in person or over the phone/email to hear the full story on your announcement and refine the release to your specifications.
My work in the cigar and spirits industry gives me an edge over other PR firms
I know how cigar and spirits companies want to represent themselves better than a non-industry writer. This means I’ll get you a release that you are more satisfied with, faster than anyone else.
Is it time for you to invest in a smarter public relations/marketing strategy? If so, send me an email for my work samples, rates, and any other questions you have. I also work with non-cigar/spirits related companies and individuals, so if you want a great press release but aren’t in cigars or spirits, I’ve got you covered.
Fans of Irish Whiskey have something to celebrate. A new distillery has been granted the first license in over 130 years to distill spirits in Northern Ireland. The distillery opens at a time when whiskey distilleries are opening up around the world to meet the strong demand in the distilled spirits market.
Echlinville Distillery
Echlinville House, Gransha Road, Kircubbin, Co Down BT22 1AJ
History made as a second Northern Irish distillery starts operations
Echlinville Distillery has now been granted the first licence to distil spirits in Northern Ireland in over 130 years by HM Customs and Excise.
The granting of this crucially important licence was announced today by Shane Braniff, a local business man from the Ards, who launched the ever successful Feckin Irish Whiskey brand in 2005.
The licence award coincides with planning approval for a new state-of-the art distillery complex on the Echlinville Estate, just outside Kircubbin on the Ards Peninsula.The investment planned will include a visitors’ centre, restaurant, bar, distillation hall, maturing warehousing and museum.
Mr Braniff, outlining his plans, said: “We have been planning this distillery now since 2005. It will bring many tangible benefits to the Ards Peninsula in terms of additional employment and as an attraction for tourists and other visitors.
“The success we are enjoying with the Feckin Irish Whiskey, particularly in the US, has led us to invest in this new distillery. As our experience with Feckin has demonstrated, demand for Irish Whiskey is growing strongly in global markets. In fact, Irish whiskey is now the fastest growing brown spirit worldwide.
“Our plan is to continue with Feckin Irish Whiskey, the unique Feckin Spiced Irish Whiskey and then develop a range of drinks that can be sold almost immediately without having to wait the three years for our whiskey to mature, and finally to develop a premium/super premium malt whiskey.
“It is great that Echlinville Distillery is now up and running. We have had equipment in place since last Christmas but could not even turn it on until now. The road ahead is not going to be an easy one for us. Our competitors are mostly large Cooperation’s with millions of pounds/ dollars to spend in marketing and design. We are going to have to think outside the box in every approach we take with this business.
“We are located on the Ards Peninsula which boasts a very unique micro climate and is well suited to the production of whiskey. It may be the most suited location in the whole of Ireland, Scotland and the rest of the UK. I do believe this gives us an edge. We have the experience and the skills in place along with some great equipment to produce some of the best tasting whiskey’s ever experienced .
“In addition, we have a longstanding distribution agreement in the US with World Spirits, a division of Minneapolis-based Phillips Distilling Company. This gives us access to an established distribution network that covers virtually every state in America.
“No business has any right to success. It must be earned. I believe we have the best location, we will employ the best people, we must engage with the best partners and finally we must produce the best possible product with no compromising whatsoever to quality.”
The new Echlinville Distillery is already registered as an Invest Northern Ireland client and has received some assistance to date in the development of its business plan, marketing strategies and new product development.
Notes
Echlinville Distillery takes its name from the Echlinville Estate, a graded B1 listed site of great historical importance, which was owned during the 18th and 19th century by the Echlin family, who originally moved to Northern Ireland in the year 1613 when Robert Echlin, originally from Fife in Scotland, took up his post as Bishop of Down and Connor.
The Echlin family through this period in time were very influencial and powerful, and in 1779 one of the bishop’s descendants, Charles Echlin, formed the Echlinvale Volunteers with another well-known individual as their chaplin, William Steele Dickson. Mr Dickson later became heavily involved with the United Irish Rising of 1798.
The Echlinville apple tree which can still be purchased in Ireland and the UK also originated from this stately home.
Echlinville Distillery has already planted around 100 acres of its own malted barley to be used exclusively in its own whiskey production, giving not only full traceability on raw materials, but also reducing the distillery’s carbon footprint. Echlinville whiskey will truly be the greenest of whiskeys.
May 24, 2013 (Tamarac, Fla.) — The East India Trading Company is proud to announce the upcoming cigar launch of ‘Rogue’. This much-anticipated brand will hit cigar stores nationwide this summer and be distributed by the Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc.
The mischievous Rogue is the third cigar release under the East India Trading Company and also the name of the top secret, ‘pre-release’ cigar that the company has been featuring at in-store events during the first quarter of 2013, which has received rave reviews from cigar enthusiasts.
“We are very excited about the upcoming launch of Rogue,” said Juan Lopez, National Sales Director of Gurkha Cigar Group. “We feel this is one of the most complex blends we have come out with to date and we are looking forward to this cigar going to market.”
Using a carefully selected blend of tobaccos, Rogue is a bold, box-pressed cigar with a pronounced complexity and richness on the finish, beautifully constructed with an un-finished foot. The blend features a golden Ecuadorian, Habano wrapper, combining a rare Ecuadorian binder with a specially chosen blend of 3-year aged ligero’s from Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic. This full-flavored cigar has complex tasting notes of spice; rich tobacco and roasted chestnuts that make this blend the optimum cigar for indulgence.
Wrapped in ornate ribbons, Rogue will be available in 20-count wooden boxes and will offer a full range of vitola’s: 51/2 x 46 Rascal, 5 x 52 Tyrant, 6 x 54 Ruthless, 6 x 60 Bamboozle and 6 x 66 Armageddon. MSRP: $5.99-$11.99.
May 22, 2013 (Basel, Switzerland) — Davidoff tobacco masters have created these very special Limited Edition “Club House” Toro Cigars with moments of shared pleasure in mind. The connoisseur’s choice, wherever he or she is relaxing, particularly enjoying the fairways on a golf course.
Creation of the Davidoff Masters Edition 2013 “Club House” Toro
For this cigar, the Davidoff Master Blenders decided to play the long game, taking adventurous, sometimes risky, shots. They mixed rare and specially matured tobaccos, focusing on delivering delightful aromas rather than pure strength.
The majestic Gran Toro format allows the aficionado to enjoy the cigar’s intensive but balanced and nuanced taste over its entire length: the exceptional Yamasá wrapper, Mejorado filler and Ecuadorian binder develop mildly peppery and creamy notes, followed by elegant hints of chocolate, caramel and coffee.
Finally, displaying a playful elegance, both the cigar box, which is finished in high gloss white, and the second band carry a golf ball pattern.
The new Davidoff Masters Edition Club House Toro is the ultimate way to fill your time beautifully on a golf course with your friends.
This exclusive edition is limited to 7’000 boxes worldwide and the Davidoff Masters Edition 2013 “Club House” Toro can certainly be described as a collector’s item. As we all know, the perfect round of golf depends upon the choice or club and cigar.
This Limited Edition will be available from the end of May onwards in Appointed Merchants across the US.
Price: $21.90 (each)
Price: $219.00 (box of 10)
Format: Gran Toro
Length: 15.9 cm, 6 ¼”
Ring gauge: 2.1 cm, 52 RG
Wrapper: Yamasá- Marron Claro (matured for 3 years)
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Piloto Viso, San Vicente Mejorado Seco, Piloto Mejorado Seco, San Vicente Mejorado Viso, Vicente Mejorado Viso
Alan Winchester, Master Distiller of The Glenlivet led the inaugural tasting of a new mystery expression, The Glenlivet Alpha at a media launch event held at the Whisky Shop in Piccadilly on 8th May.
Chivas Brothers CEO, Christian Porta, attended the event to support the launch of the new expression, which is limited to 3350 bottles.
Guests were also invited to try a range of sensory challenges launched by the Glenlivet in collaboration with Greyworld to help whisky enthusiasts master their senses to unlock the secrets of The Glenlivet Alpha. The sensory challenges are hosted on The GlenlivetFacebook page and http://www.theglenlivet.com/.
Alan Winchester (pictured above leading the tasting) will reveal the tasting notes and cask information for the mystery expression in a video broadcast on 6th June at 12:30pm. To watch the reveal live, visit The Glenlivet’s Facebook page.
Notes
Follow The Glenlivet on Twitter via the handle @The_Glenlivet and stream the campaign through #alpha
The Glenlivet is the No. 2 single malt Scotch whisky in the world. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824, it is the only whisky with the unchallengeable right to be called The Glenlivet.
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
May 15, 2013 (Richmond, Va.) — La Gloria Cubana® is making a bold departure from its Dominican roots with the launch of two new Nicaraguan collections, the first-ever La Glorias to have Nicaragua as the country of origin. Both expressions will mark the expansion of the top-selling Serie R line which started the large ring, full flavor craze back in 1999.
According to Michael Giannini, General Cigar’s director of innovation, “When Serie R debuted, we established a market for bold cigars, and inspired other manufacturers to follow suit. We’re shaking things up again, by further expanding the size and flavor spectrum of our cigars with two unique and different full-flavored Nicaraguan blends, each in ultra-large ring gauges. Both new collections are trend setters in the making.”
The first of the two new Nicaraguan collections is a puro called Serie R Black. The blend features viso leaves from Jalapa and Esteli, and a Jalapa viso binder. The use of Jalapa viso as a binder and in the blend speaks to the spectacular characteristics of this tobacco, which was cultivated by a small, independent grower named Pedro Joaquin Guardian. It was Pedro who took a bold step by raising the tobacco on several small, unconnected plots on the craggy Jalapa mountainside. The blend is punctuated with an audacious Jalapa ligero wrapper. Harvested from the 2009 crop, this flavorful tobacco was fermented for an entire year, and aged for two and a half years.
Serie R Black debuts with a trio of brawny frontmarks, each in 18-count boxes. This includes: No 58 (6.87” x 58, SRP $6.99); No 60 (6” x 60, SRP $7.24) and No 64 (6.25” x 64, SRP $7.49). This collection will only be available for purchase through Internet/catalog retailers.
Initial details about the second Serie R offering will be released in June, with a full reveal in July at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. This new line will be a brick and mortar exclusive.
Giannini noted, “What’s also significant about both new blends is that they have the full flavor that’s characteristic of Nicaraguan tobacco, but they’re not about power. They are meant to deliver the smoking experience of a well-aged, refined and balanced Nicaraguan smoke, and we believe we’re delivering that in spades.”
May 17, 2013 (Miami, Fla) — Moya Ruiz Cigars has announced they are adding a 6 x 60 vitola called Ancho to their La Jugada – Prieto line. The line is available in five sizes, Robusto (5 x 52), Belicoso (6-1/8 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Doble Corona (7-1/2×49), and now Ancho (6 x 60).
The Ancho vitola is now available and ready to ship to retailers. It is presented in boxes of 20 cigars with an MSRP of $8.80 a cigar.
Moya Ruiz Cigars introduced their first cigar brand in late 2012 called La Jugada – Prieto, which is Spanish for “the move” or “the play”. This was an ode to their love for dominoes and poker. La Jugada – Prieto is med-to-full bodied and comes in a dark San Andres Maduro wrapper with binder and filler from Nicaragua. The La Jugada – Prieto is full of complex flavors like, cedar, sweet spice, expresso, and dark chocolate. This is one of the first side lines blended and rolled at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Danny Moya and Nelson Ruiz are the men behind the Moya Ruiz Cigar company. For more information visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/moyaruizcigars.
