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The Blend Review: Escobar Cigars Habano Robusto
Escobar Cigars Habano Robusto Size: 5 x 50 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua Country of Manufacture: Nicaragua MSRP: $13.50 per cigar or...
What We’re Smoking: Black Star Line Lalibela Toro
Cigar: Black Star Line Lalibela Size: ToroSmoke time: 1 hours, 25 minutes Appearance & AromaI am smoking the Lalibela in my office. I am not pairing anything with the cigar...
Beats and Blends: The Story Behind Escobar Cigars
What do you get when you take a couple of committed cigar enthusiasts turning their passionate hobby into a business, ally them with two of the world’s top cigar producers making...
New Member Highlight: Black River Tobacco Co., Dunn, North Carolina
Premium Cigar Association (PCA): Tell us about your shop.Frank D’Alesio: The Black River Tobacco Company started in 2021 out of a passion for cigar smoking, spending time with...
Big Sky Cigar Co.: Telling the Montana Cigar Story
If you had to pick a state with a rich tradition of cigar manufacturing, dating back to the early 20th century, Montana might not be the first one to leap to mind. And yet, as...
Smoke, Lies, and Government Overreach: The Truth About the War on Premium Cigars
In an age where facts are routinely sacrificed on the altar of political expediency, the latest campaigns targeting premium cigars in Louisiana and Detroit offer a masterclass in...
What We’re Smoking: H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toro
Cigar: H. Upmann by AJ FernandezSize: ToroSmoke time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Appearance & AromaThe gorgeous blue and gold band is only the first in a list of amazing qualities...
Member Benefits: Continuing Education Opportunities
Continuing Education Opportunities Proper training and education are key to success in most industries, and the premium tobacco industry is no exception. A retail tobacconist...
PCA Retailer & Manufacturer Survey, Quarter 1, 2025
PCA Retail Survey Results (Qtr. 1, 2025) *112 PCA retailer members anonymously surveyed1. Compared to 2023, did you do better, the same, or worse during the 2024 holiday season?...
The Cigar Women Who Lead
When I was first elected to the PCA board of Directors, I had the goal to provide a space for women in the cigar and pipe industry to get together to network and share ideas....
Seize the Day: Keeping Pipe Smoking Alive
I wonder if anyone recalls what I wrote in this space just three short months ago, in a column I titled “The Smoker in Winter.” I wrote, “The best things in life are...
The Villainous Archetypes
If you are a retailer reading this column for the first time as a PCA member at our 2025 trade show in New Orleans, don’t judge these musings too harshly. My intent is not...