News of the week – June 11th, 2014

JUST IN TIME FOR FATHER’S DAY: General Cigars presents the Punch/Bassmaster Tackle Box, a nice little gift pack which includes 3 cigars (plus a 4th freebie!) and an exclusive fishing lure by Cotton Cordell! The cigars included are a Punch Grand Cru (Connecticut Shade wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a Honduran/Dominican/Nicaraguan blend filler), the Gran Puro (all Honduran), and a Magnum Natural (Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and H/D/N blend filler). To sweeten the deal, they’ve included a second Grand Cru at no additional expense, as well as a collectible jig lure featuring the Punch logo. YOU WON’T FIND THIS ONLINE, so don’t even try! Come see us and pick up a treat for the old man at an unbelievably low price!

SINISTER SAM IS IN THE HOUSE! New from CAO (and in case you were wondering, it’s pronounced “see-ay-oh,” not “cow”) is their summer small-batch exclusive: Sinister Sam! These 6.5×52 toros feature an interesting combination of Connecticut Shade wrapper and a broadleaf binder, with a new, ligero-heavy blend of Colombian tobacco. According to Cigar Press, “The flavor is similar to [that of the] CAO America, amped up with fuller body.” Limited to 2,000 boxes, Sam won’t be around long, so come on by and give him a try while we have ’em in stock!

MACANUDO GOLD STAR: A new, limited addition to their seasonal Gold Label line, General Cigars presents the Macanudo Gold Star, a hefty 6×64 vitola constructed of Golden Connecticut shade from the first and second primings and a combination filler of Cuban-seed Dominican and Mexican tobaccos. The result is a fine, mild flavored smoke perfect for a lazy summer afternoon (which we are sure to have in abundance any day now…). We’ve received only one box of these plump beauties, so stop over and help yourself to a few before they’re all gone.

LA GLORIA CUBANA CHAPTER 1 BACK IN STOCK! The blending war between LGC’s Honduran and Dominican factories continues! According to director Michael Giannini, “The idea is that Lady La Gloria has a twin who was born a minute later; she is a little more feisty, hence the name Rival Twin… The sisters are immersed in a blending duel; the story will continue next year, in a bigger way…” If you haven’t tried them yet, Chapter 1 is a 7 x 62 Honduran blend cigar featuring a Connecticut broadleaf-maduro wrapper; the Dominican Chapter 2 is a 7 x 64 cigar with an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The mysterious Twin seems to fly off our shelves, so hurry down and stock up before she vanishes into the darkness once more…!

SNUFF N’ STUFF! Did you know that we also stock a wide assortment of traditional powdered nasal snuff? Well, we do! Our snuff, made by Silver Dollar, is made in the Germanic style: medium ground, with a hint of moisture and a touch of menthol. Packed in 5-gram tins, we stock the following flavors: Original, Natural, Cherry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Raspberry, Apricot, and Spearmint. For the discriminating tobacco connoisseur, nasal snuff is a rare treat and is considered a “non-offensive” method of enjoying tobacco in social situations where smoking is discouraged (although it’s said that some pipe smokers enjoy adding a pinch as a condiment to their favorite bowl to boost the nicotine content). We have a couple of sampling tins open, so come on by and try some today!

SNÜS NÜS: (Note the technically-inaccurate ümlaut — It’s pronounced “snoose;” in other words, it doesn’t rhyme with “fuss.” This grammatical tidbit is provided free of charge by your pals at ASW.) For those of you who have never tried it, snus is a moist tobacco product primarily of Swedish origin, available in loose form on in “portions” sealed in small tea-bag like pouches. And we’ve just received a bunch of it, including things we haven’t had in a while, like Jakobsson’s Original and Mint, Thunder Xtreme and Coola (cola flavored), and — by popular demand — Off Road Original and Frosted (mint), which is available in both pouch and loose cut portions. We still stock General Snus as well, in Original, Mint, White, and Wintergreen. Stop on over and load up before supplies dwindle!

PITTSBURGH PIPE-SMOKERS CLUB THIS WEEKEND! Don’t forget: The PPSC meets this Saturday, the 14th (and on the second Saturday of every month) here at the shop. Good timing, too — we’ve just received a stock of some new blends from Esoterica (Margate, Blackpool, and …And So To Bed), Sam Gawith (the 4 Seasons assortment), and some nice Balkan Sobranie from Arango (in association with J. F. Germain). Come see us this weekend and relax with a bowl of your favorite leaf, or use our blending bar to concoct a new flavor to tempt your palate!