Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 379

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Nicaragua, which is on pace to surpass the Dominican Republic as the number one exporter of premium cigars to the U.S. market, has recently been hit by a series of earthquakes. For the population, the tremors are causing unease, and forcing many to recall painful memories of a disastrous earthquake 42 years ago. “Life in Nicaragua, whose capital was devastated in 1972 by a magnitude-6.2 quake that killed nearly 10,000 people, has become a tense game of waiting between shakes,” reports ABC. “The Sandinista government has placed the country on red alert, the highest possible level, and is urging Nicaraguans to sleep outside their homes until further notice.” In recent days, earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.6, 6.1, 5.6, and 4.6 have rattled the country of 6 million.

2) Atladis has announced a new H. Upmann brand called “The Banker,” which is expected to start shipping to retailers this month. It is reportedly named for a private label cigar two nineteenth century German bankers crafted from Cuban tobacco for their top clients. This time around, The Banker features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It will be available in three sizes and retail for $7 to $8.40.

3) Inside the Industry: Reinado Cigars’ highly-rated Grand Empire Reserve line will be distributed by Alliance Cigars. Alliance Cigars may not be a familiar name to consumers, but it sells numerous well-known cigar brands wholesale to cigar retailers.

4) Deal of the Week: Twenty-seven dollars lands you this five-cigar Silver Tray sampler. Included are the Nat Sherman Timeless Churchill, Wynwood Rout Corona, CAO Gold Double Robusto, Rocky Patel 1950 Robusto, and Room 101 Master Roxxo.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys