Weekly Cigar News Sampler: Cohiba Blue Announced, Drew Estate Ships Swamp Thang and Swamp Rat, and More

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 528th in the series.

1) General Cigar is expanding its Cohiba brand with a new line called Blue. “The Cohiba blending team created a velvety, medium-bodied cigar with a rich, complex taste and enticing aroma,” reads a press release. “To achieve the desired flavor, they began with a silky, rosado-hued Honduran Olancho San Agustin (OSA) wrapper and took a unique approach by selecting Honduran OSA for the binder as well. The layered wrapper-binder deepens the smoking experience and imparts subtle, earthy notes. The blend consists of Honduran Jamastran, Nicaraguan Ometepe, and Dominican Piloto Cubano to provide hints of cocoa and caramel, with a light touch of sweetness.” Four vitolas will retail in the $8.99 to $10.99 price range, each packaged in bright blue boxes of 20: Churchill (7.5 x 50), Robusto (5.5 x 50), Rothschild (4.5 x 50), and Toro (6 x 54).

2) Drew Estate announced on Wednesday it will begin shipping Kentucky Fire Cured Swamp Thang and Swamp Rat, two cigars that debuted at the IPCPR Trade Show last summer. Both represent the company’s first foray into Candela-wrapped cigars. Three formats will be offered—Swamp Thang Toro (6 x 52), Swamp Thang Robusto (5 x 54), and Swamp Rat (6 x 46)—each of which will be packaged in 10-count bundles (similar to the current Kentucky Fire Cured lines). “Pairing the smokiness of fire-cured tobacco with the sweetness of Candela wrapper… [creates] a uniquely balanced, complex, and savory cigar,” reads a Drew Estate press release. “We continue to demonstrate our leadership in the fire-cured tobacco segment, making history as the first company to blend Candela and Kentucky fire-cured tobaccos in the premium segment,” said Jonathan Drew.

3) You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for good bourbon or rye. Here’s a list of solid American whiskeys you can actually find on the shelf of most decent liquor stores.

4) From the Archives: Warm days were made for rum, whether you prefer light, dark, golden, or spiced. Here are five delicious concoctions you’ll want to try.

5) Deal of the Week: For today only, here are 100 deals including cigars from Fuente, L’Atelier, E.P. Carrillo, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Tatuaje, and more. Free shipping is included on any purchase. If you really want to stock up, add promo code “GBP20D” at checkout to knock $20 off an order of $150 or more.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys