The cigar industry is a hectic place right now. With a near endless stream of quality products exploding into shops near you and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show going into full swing down in New Orleans; it can be a bit much to keep up. Luckily, Cigar Inspector has you covered. Stay tuned here for announcements and updates concerning the goings on within the IPCPR.

Cigar Release: AJ Fernandez The Enclave

AJ Fernandez is adding to their line of top-notch cigars the “Enclave”. This one is a very special blend, following in the tradition of the New World cigars, which was created in a collaborative effort between AJ and his father Ismael Fernandez. Enclave’s name is in reference to its definition: A portion of territory within or surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct. AJ Fernandez wishes to celebrate the diversity and brotherhood within the cigar smoking sphere. Fernandez stated in reference to his new product line:
“There is no doubt that there is a special bond shared among those passionate about cigars. I experience it daily as I have the luxury of sharing my labor of love with my father, Ismael. We invite you to join our “Enclave” with this special cigar that we have patiently crafted to perfection.”

Rich Habana Rosado wrappers a Cameroon Binder, AJF’s Select Nicaraguan, and Nicaraguan Piloto Cubano fillers; notes of pepper, spice, cedar, and cinnamon greet your palette upon lighting. With a MSRP of six dollars, the Enclave is setting itself in the market to be a high quality cigar that can be a daily source of pleasure.

The Enclave will come in an adorned box of 20 cigars that come in four sizes and crafted under the supervision of AJ Fernandez in their Nicaraguan based factory:

• Robusto: 5 x 52
• Toro: 6 x 52
• Churchill: 7 x 52
• Figurado: 6 1/2 x 52

Cubariqueño Cigar Company will be Showcasing at IPCPR

Still reeling from the success of their launch earlier this year in May, the Cubariqueño Cigar Company has announced their presence at this year’s IPCPR trade show within La Zona’s massive exhibit space. They will be showing the Protocol which sold out of its initial run of 5,000 cigars in only two months.

Due to their product’s quick sales and solid reviews, the company is planning to increase their production capacity up to 6,000 for their next batch. Plans to incrementally increase production are in progress as demand rises as well as taking an additional 20 accounts at the trade show. The Protocol is wrapped in an Ecuadorian Oscuro leaf with a Nicaraguan Habano binder and a specialty filler blend consisting of quadruple Nicaraguan Ligero from Estelí and Jalapa. The cigar will be available in two sizes, the same as the original run:

• Toro: 6 x 52
• Corona Gordo: 5 5/8 x 46

CAO Cigar: Pilón and Steel Horse

General Cigar Co. has announced it will be giving a preview of its newest CAO cigars, the Pilón and Steel Horse, at IPCPR. Both brands are quite distinct from the other but both were developed by CAO blender and brand ambassador Rick Rodriguez.

The CAO Steel Horse is blanketed in wrapper called Connecticut Habana Grueso and contains a Brazilian Arapiraca binder with fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Steel Horse is a nod to motorcyclists much in the same was that CAO’s Flathead was created with the car lover in mind. This plan was announced in a press release by Rodriguez:
“We came out with Flathead in 2013 because the people I met at CAO events were always talking about cars when they weren’t talking about cigars, turns out the bikers felt left out. Believe me, I’ve heard all about it. So we decided to come up with a cigar that would appeal to the guys and gals that are into motorcycles.”

This cigar will not be a box-pressed cigar like the Flathead series; however, it does carry the Flathead cap like the original line. Steel Horse will ship initially in in two sizes:

• Bullneck($9.99): 6 1/2 x 66
• Apehanger($8.99): 5 1/2 x 58

The Pilón is steeped in Cuban tradition featuring a wrapper leaf that was fermented in a round pilón, a circular stack of tobacco leaf, which is part of what gives Cuban cigars their distinct characteristics. Rodriguez stated in a press release:
“We have experimented with pilón fermentation for several years. It’s a very labor intensive process and we took our time perfecting it. We thought it was the right time to create a line around this classic technique because it does such incredible things to the tobacco.”

CAO’s Pilón features a Cuban-seed Ecuadoran wrapper with its filler and binders coming from Nicaragua. Pilón’s initial launch with come in three different sizes:

• Churchill($7.25): 7 x 48
• Robusto($6.50): 5 x 52
• Corona($6.00): 5 1/2 x 44

Cornelius & Anthony: The Meridian

Cornelius & Anthony have announced their intent to unveil their first cigar release, the “Meridian”, at this year’s IPCPR.

The cigars are being rolled in the Dominican Republic with an Ecuadorian wrapper and a double binder from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. The filler will come from a combination of both Nicaraguan and Dominican giving the blend an intriguing sweet and spice with cedar notes throughout. The brand will initially be released in four different sizes:

• Lonsdale: 6 3/4 x 46
• Gordo: 6 x 60/li>
• Toro: 6 x 54/li>
• Robusto: 5 x 52/li>