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Featured Press Release Whisk(e)y

Staghorn Opens Largest All-New Independent Distillery

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Staghorn Opens Largest All-New Independent Distillery Kentucky: Garrard County Distilling Co. Fast-Growing Spirits Company Founded by Industry Veteran Ray Franklin ATLANTA (January 17, 2024) – Atlanta-based premium spirits company Staghorn is pleased to announce the opening of its first distillery, Garrard County Distilling Co., which has officially begun production in Lancaster, KY. With its towering dual 45 feet tall 36” Vendome Copper and Brass Works column stills, Garrard County Distilling Co. is the largest all-new independent distillery in Kentucky. The $250+ million project is capable of producing up to 8.5 million proof gallons or 150,000 barrels of whiskey a year, while supporting the local economy with more than 60+ new jobs. This is the first commercial distillery in the formerly dry county since the 1800s. Located 30 minutes south of Lexington, the 210-acre site includes the 50,000+ sq ft distillery, as well as two 20,000 sq ft rickhouses, with plans for a total of 24 aging warehouses by 2030, each holding nearly 25,000 barrels. A visitor center with tasting room and restaurant is scheduled to open by the end of this year. The company already has nearly 17,000 sourced whiskey barrels aging onsite. “Staghorn’s vision for Garrard County Distilling Co. is to craft the finest whiskeys and spirits in the world at scale to make an immediate impact in the market,” said Staghorn Founder and President Ray Franklin, a near 25-year industry veteran. “To support this goal, we will be hiring nothing but the best in the business, respecting long-honored traditions and craftmanship to assure our products are nothing short of remarkable.” “Garrard County Distilling Co. is Staghorn’s first distillery and the dedication and size at which they are entering the category is a true testament to the worldwide appeal of bourbon from our great commonwealth,” said Kentucky Governor Andy…

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Cigars Press Release

Naked Cigars by Kafie 1901™ full line to be released at TPE 2024

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Naked Cigars – Kafie 1901™ full line to be released TPE 2024 (Booth 10069 / SW Wholesale) Cutler Bay, FL December 29, 2023 Since our move to La Aurora Cigar factory, our company has been producing nearly 8 unique blends of premium cigars all of which contain highly sought after tobaccos aged 4-5 years.  After nearly 2 years of producing our long filler premium cigars, we have been able to set aside the tobacco left over from the production of our premium blends. This high quality tobacco will serve a unique purpose. It will serve as filler tobacco used in all of our Naked Cigars by Kafie 1901™ bundles.  This is aged, flavorful tobacco makes the blends more intriguing. Moving forward this will be the only line of bundle cigars that we offer. These cigars will create a unique category in out portfolio, “great smokes at a tremendous value”. Dr. Gaby Kafie states, “in Spanish we have a saying, “que me busquen por bueno y no por barato” The English translation goes as follows … “That they look for us because we are good, not because we are cheap.”  These cigars are meant to be good, not cheap.  When you experience one, you will understand. The Blends: three unique offerings based on wrapper material. (All contain 4-5 years aged tobaccos) Ecuador Connecticut Habano Natural Habano Maduro Filler tobacco includes a mixture of: Dominican varieties, Mexico, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Honduras, Domincan Andullo, Ecuador Sumatra, Peruvian Pelo de Oro, and Nicaragua varietals.  These are full flavor bundles with an amazing retro-hale experience. Production is limited to 90,000 cigars a year for 2024 due to the limited availably of tobaccos from the production of our premium cigars. Offerings will come in the following sizes. Robusto           5 x 50              msrp    $4.30(each cigar)         $86.00 (bundle of…

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Cigars Featured News

Leaf n Grain 2023 Top 5 Revealed In Order

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Leaf n Grain 2023 Top 5 Revealed In Order In case you missed the latest episode of our Twisted Pair Year-End Review, here is the Leaf n Grain Society’s 2023 Top 5 Cigars in Order. Luciano Maria Lucia Limited Edition in honor of Luciano’s Mother Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Binder: Ecuador Sumatra Fillers: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru #2 Micallef Black Wrapper: San Andres Binder Ecuadorian Habano Filler Nicaragua #3 Ohana Nui Pulse Wrapper: San Andres Binder Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan #4 Apostate The Zarahemla Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Binder: Cameroon Filler: Dominican Republic, Mexican #5 Foundation Knight Commander Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Binder: San Andres Filler: Estili & Jalapa Nicaragua

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Featured Press Release

Wolf Spirit’s Puncher’s Chance® Bourbon

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Wolf Spirit’s Puncher’s Chance® Bourbon Wolf Spirit Re-Enters Whiskey Ring with Heavy Weight Card: Puncher’s Chance® The Unified  Belt Bourbon/Irish Blend Limited-Edition Blends the Best of America and Ireland in this Three Cask Knockout  EUGENE, OREGON – December 5, 2023 – Today, Wolf Spirit’s Puncher’s Chance® Bourbon announces the fifth release in its award-winning portfolio of fine whiskeys. Puncher’s Chance THE UNIFIED BELT is a limited-release, three-cask blend of fine Bourbon and Irish Whiskey, serving as the follow-up to Puncher’s Chance THE UNDISPUTED Bourbon, which won a Platinum Medal and Best in Show 2nd Runner-Up honors at Tony Abou-Ganim’s heralded TAG World Spirits Awards in the American Bourbon Single Barrel category. With barrels sourced by IJW Whiskey Company of Louisville, KY, and crafted by IJW Master Blender Steven Hughes, THE UNIFIED BELT is the first cross-category whiskey blend from Wolf Spirit. First into the ring is a four-year-old high-rye base Kentucky Straight Bourbon distilled with a proprietary yeast and aged to four years in barrels featuring a #4 alligator char aged at a traditional rickhouse in Danville, KY; the mash bill being 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malt. That is married to a four-year-old Irish Whiskey crafted from 100% malted barley and proprietary yeast, then aged in former Bourbon barrels in a palletized warehouse in Ireland. To add further complexity and depth, a third cask joins the lineup, this being a 14-year-old Bourbon finished in first-fill Pedro Ximenez and Olorosso Sherry casks for up to 15 months. The mash bill of this precious liquid is 84% corn, 8% rye, and 10% malt. “Like we did with Puncher’s Chance THE LEFT CROSS, which was finished in Jamaican rum casks, we wanted to push our creativity to create a truly multidimensional whiskey experience,” said Umberto Luchini, Founder of Wolf Spirit. “The Bourbon and…

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Press Release

Crowned Heads: Danny Hennessy as Midwest Regional Sales Mgr

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Crowned Heads: Danny Hennessy as Midwest Regional Sales Mgr Crowned Heads is proud to announce the addition of Danny Hennessy to the sales team, where he will serve as Midwest Regional Sales Manager. Effective December 1, Danny will service the states of Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and South Dakota. Hennessy began his career in the premium cigar industry in 2018, when he was hired by Casa de Montecristo (Nashville). In January 2022, he was promoted to Assistant Store Manager, and soon entered into the Manager in Training Program where he has served since. This new appointment to the Midwest marks the third new sales hire in the last three months for the Crowned Heads sales team. “I’m thrilled to welcome Danny to the Crowned Heads team,” commented National Sales Manager, Miguel Schoedel. “Danny brings a combination of retail and managerial experience to our group, along with a level of customer service that is perfectly aligned with our goal of providing unparalleled customer support to our retail partners.” Crowned Heads is a premium cigar company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with factory partners in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Crowned Heads was founded in 2011 by Mike Conder and Jon Huber, and has product representation in over 1,200 stores in the United States, along with an international presence that includes Germany, Canada, Norway, Venezuela, Belgium, UAE, Hong Kong, and the Dominican Republic.

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Cigars Press Release

Black Star Line Cigars moving to retail exclusive sales

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Black Star Line Cigars moving to retail exclusive sales Black Star Line Cigars has ceased sales direct-to-consumer. Owner Aric Bey states, “ It’s time to make a change. We are a bigger company, and we don’t need to sell direct-to-consumer anymore. When the company started we sold direct-to-consumer to help spread the brand. We have grown tremendously so now we are letting our retail partners exclusively sell our brand. We fully support our retail partners in every way”.  Bey states, “Our website will continue to sell coffee, and various other swag for those that want branded items from us.” Here is a list of the retailers that sell Black Star line online:

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Cigars Press Release Shops n Lounges

Montecristo Cigar Bar is Now Open at Paris Las Vegas

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LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2023) – Rich cigars and classic cocktails are now served at Paris Las Vegas. Montecristo Cigar Bar has officially opened its doors, and industry leaders from top-level cigar brands and Caesars Entertainment executives joined together to commemorate its grand opening celebration on Thursday, Nov 2. “Cigar enthusiasts can now visit the newest lounge on The Strip, and we are excited for our guests to enjoy a premium experience at Montecristo Cigar Bar,” said Jason Gregorec, SVP and General Manager of Paris Las Vegas. “Paris Las Vegas continues to transform with elevated food and beverage destinations, and Montecristo is an excellent addition to our resort.” The gold standard of cigar lounges, Montecristo Cigar Bar at Paris Las Vegas features a premium selection with more than 300 industry-leading brands, including Romeo Y Julieta, H. Upmann, Padrón, La Flor Dominicana, Arturo Fuente, My Father, and its namesake, Montecristo. Guests can indulge in the perfect pairing with specialty cocktails, such as the Parisian Paloma, made with Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila, Fever-Tree grapefruit soda, lime juice and simple syrup. For a smoky cocktail, the Rolling Smoke features Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon, Laphroaig Islay Scotch whisky, coffee bean-infused Caprano Antica Formula vermouth and vanilla. Designed by the world-class architectural and interior design firm Bergman, Walls & Associates (BWA), the French-inspired décor features a fresh green color palette and stone finishes. Montecristo Cigar Bar spans 2,835 square feet with a state-of-the-art ventilation and air purification system, ensuring a comfortable guest experience. The new venue seats more than 70 guests and offers eight bar-top games. The destination is perfect for watching live events with eight televisions and an oversized LED TV wall measuring approximately 16 feet by 9 feet. Cigar connoisseurs can appreciate a walk-in, climate-controlled humidor featuring custom Spanish cedar shelving that store…

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