Friday, July 10, 2026 🚨 NEW THIS WEEK 1️⃣ Ashton’s San Cristobal Golden Hour Arrives Ashton Distributors has expanded the San Cristobal portfolio with a completely new line called Golden Hour. This is more than another size added to an existing cigar. It gives San Cristobal a new blend and a fresh identity inside one of Ashton’s strongest premium portfolios. This will be one to watch as it begins reaching retailers. (Cigar Aficionado⁠) 2️⃣ Patina Plans Red Pill Sumatra Patina Cigars announced another version of its Red Pill project, this time using a Sumatra wrapper. Patina has already released different versions of the Red Pill, and this new Sumatra direction gives smokers another profile to compare. For TSC, this is especially worth watching because we have already smoked with and learned directly from Patina founder Mo Maali. (halfwheel⁠) 3️⃣ Black Label Trading Company Announces Bishops Blend 2026 Black Label Trading Company is bringing back Bishops Blend for 2026. This year’s version uses an Ecuadorian Maduro and Connecticut Broadleaf barber-pole wrapper, along with an Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. That is a serious tobacco combination and one of the more interesting limited-release announcements this week. (Cigar Coop⁠) 4️⃣ Jamie Foxx and Ray Lewis Get Their Own AG Cigars AG Cigars has launched two cigars through its new Legendary Moment Series, honoring actor and musician Jamie Foxx and NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. Celebrity cigars are nothing new, but this continues the industry’s movement toward using recognizable personalities and personal stories to introduce premium cigars to new audiences.

Today marks 5 years of marriage, and I'm celebrating with two of the most legendary products in the world. The Arturo Fuente Opus X 25th Anniversary Limited Edition — one of the most sought-after cigars ever made. The cigar that changed the game. The one that defines what premium truly means. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch — a rare bourbon bottle that collectors hunt for. Smooth, complex, legendary in its own right. **THIS IS A PAIRING FOR THE AGES:** When you bring together a legendary cigar and a legendary bourbon bottle like this, you're not just smoking and sipping. You're honoring the craft. You're celebrating mastery. You're marking a moment that deserves nothing less than the best. **REAL TALK:** Both the Opus X and the Colonel E.H. Taylor are rare. Both are special occasion only. Both demand your full attention and respect. Just like a marriage that's built to last. Five years in, I'm still discovering new layers with my wife. Still appreciating what we've built. Still grateful for the journey. And today, we're celebrating with the bottles that match the moment. Here's to 5 years. To the woman who makes every moment worth savoring. To the rituals we've created together. To honoring big moments with legendary bottles. If you've ever had an Opus X, you know. If you've ever found a Colonel E.H. Taylor, you understand the hunt. If you've got a pairing that defines a moment for you, share it. Drop a comment: • Have you experienced this pairing? • What's your legendary cigar and bourbon moment? • How do you celebrate the wins? 🔥

Hands down, June has been the best month of my year so far. It wasn’t perfect, but maybe that’s why it meant so much. Pride Month still carried the sting of losing Renegades. There were moments where I could feel that ache all over again. But walking in the parade as an ally reminded me why I never stopped believing in showing up. Love deserves to be celebrated. Respect costs nothing. Hope is never silent. That walk didn’t erase the hurt—but it helped close the distance between grief and gratitude. Juneteenth and Father’s Day became moments to slow down, reflect, and appreciate the people, history, and responsibilities that helped shape the man I continue striving to be. Those days reminded me that freedom, family, and community are things worth honoring—not just with words, but with how we live. As a proud #Cigarlier, I’ve learned that self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s maintenance. A good cigar at @missionpipeshop after a day of work has become my reset button. And as a #Scentmelier, I’ve come to appreciate something I didn’t fully understand before: fragrance can heal in its own quiet way. On the days when my spirit wasn’t at its strongest, smelling my best helped me feel more like myself again. Scent became part of my mental wellness, a small ritual that reminded me I was still here, still moving forward. Then came the greatest gift of the month: returning “home 🍎.” Waking up excited for work again. Enjoying the people around me. Even the drive through traffic doesn’t bother me because I know where I’m headed. It’s a feeling I genuinely missed, and one I don’t take for granted. June reminded me that healing doesn’t always happen in one grand moment. Sometimes it arrives through community, history, fatherhood, self-care, several favorite fragrances and cigars, and the simple joy of looking forward to tomorrow. I’m gonna carrying that feeling into July and the rest of 2026. #ally #pridemonth🌈 #mensmentalhealth

Friday, June 19, 2026 🚨 NEW THIS WEEK 1️⃣ Fuente Celebrates 50 Years of Don Carlos Biggest story of the week. Arturo Fuente is releasing the Father And Son 2026 Historic Collection to celebrate 50 years of the Don Carlos brand. This is a 10-cigar collector’s box with rare Fuente cigars, including special Don Carlos The Man cigars, OpusX, Don Arturo, Sangre de Toro, and Don Carlos 90 Años. This is one of those releases Fuente collectors are going to chase hard. 2️⃣ Villiger Adds 1888 San Andrés Villiger announced a new addition to the 1888 line: Villiger 1888 San Andrés. That matters because San Andrés wrappers continue to be one of the most popular directions in premium cigars right now. Smokers love that darker, richer, earthy profile. 3️⃣ PCA Announces Mexico Initiative The Premium Cigar Association announced PCA Connect Mexico 2026, a new international market-development initiative happening August 24–30, 2026. This is worth watching because PCA is clearly trying to expand its reach beyond the U.S. trade show model and build more international connections. 4️⃣ Arturo Fuente Cigar Club Celebrates 30 Years The Arturo Fuente Cigar Club, co-owned by Carlito Fuente and Ciro Cascella, celebrated its 30th anniversary. This is not just lounge news. This is cigar culture history. Fuente has one of the strongest legacy stories in the industry, and this lounge is part of that bigger Fuente lifestyle. 5️⃣ Holt’s Northeast Cigar Bar Gets Bigger Holt’s Northeast Cigar Bar has moved into a new and larger location. Retail/lounges are still investing in bigger spaces, which tells us one thing: the cigar lounge experience is not slowing down. 🔥 STILL TRENDING PCA Releases Are Still Hitting Retailers We are still in that post-PCA window where cigars announced earlier this year are starting to land. The big conversation is shifting from “what was announced?” to “what is actually worth buying?” Boutique Brands Still Have Momentum Smokers continue to chase brands with a story, limited runs, unique factories, and blends that feel different from the normal shelf.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ember-ai-cigar-companion/id6761503587 (available for Android as well) This app is a cigar journal- log each stick you smoke, get suggestions, and track your journey from newbie to aficionado.