Quality Importers Trading Company Acquires XIKAR, Inc.

Weston FL (Jan. 31, 2018) – Quality Importers Trading Company (“QI”) has announced another major acquisition. With the involvement of Svoboda Capital Partners LLC, QI has acquired XIKAR Inc., creating the largest accessory supplier to the premium cigar trade. Kurt Van Keppel and Scott Almsberger will continue to run XIKAR’s operations as minority partners in the new enterprise, and will assume Executive Vice President roles respectively. Both will report to Michael Cellucci who will continue as President and Chief Operating Officer.  Mike Giordano will remain as Chief Executive Officer.

Mike Giordano commented “On behalf of the QI family of businesses, we are excited to announce the acquisition of XIKAR, Inc., which marks our largest and most impactful transaction since our inception 18 years ago.  This is a transformational event in the cigar accessory category, creating an industry-leading partnership with enormous growth potential in existing and new markets.  Unlike all of our previous acquisitions, XIKAR contributes a coordinated and experienced team of professionals, as well as a set of high quality, branded products and services, altogether enhancing the value proposition for our retail partners.  The pure enthusiasm we have witnessed from Kurt and Scott to join the QI team has been inspiring for all of us.  As with all transitions of this kind, there is much work to be done, and we will keep our focus on executing in the most effective manner for our customers and employees.  Along the way, together, we will continue making strategic acquisitions to fulfill our mission to be the most comprehensive supplier of smoking accessories in the industry worldwide.”

Kurt Van Keppel agreed, “We at XIKAR are extremely pleased to partner with Mike Giordano and Michael Cellucci at QI, to expand the global reach of both companies’ products and services. Through this process, my respect and admiration for Mike Giordano and the company he has built grew exponentially. Michael Cellucci was a great hire by Mike. His experience, strategic vision and natural leadership skills have really helped us bring the vision of combining these two great companies into focus.”

“I have a lot of respect for the company Kurt and Scott have built. They have established a strong portfolio of market-leading products,” stated Cellucci from the TPE tradeshow in Las Vegas. “We are excited for the combination of these two companies. This is a perfect marriage, leveraging the strong brand positioning of XIKAR, and full services of QI. Our goal is to deliver a single all-encompassing solution to our retail partners focused on aggressive sales planning, innovative product development, and outstanding customer service.” Cellucci continued, “This group has shown an unwavering commitment to succeed, a group that is filled with fight and drive – and I am proud to be a part of it”

About Quality Importers Trading Company, Inc.
QI is a leading source for product and service procurement, from general importing and distribution to fully customized solutions. We cater to retailers, distributors and manufacturers, delivering quality, excellence and value. Through a collaborative relationship, we aim to become a strategic business partner to help maximize your company’s performance and growth. No matter the scope of your needs, we provide preferred products and tailored solutions, from fulfilling orders to customizing a product, warehousing inventory,and more.

For more information about QI, visit www.qualityimporters.com.

About XIKAR, Inc.
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, XIKAR is the world’s leading cigar accessory brand.  Creator of the revolutionary and iconic Xi1 cutter, XIKAR sells cigar accessories under the XIKAR brand in thousands of retail locations around the world.

For more information about XIKAR, visit www.xikar.com

Viaje Jalapeno 2018 (4 7/8 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

After a one year hiatus, the Viaje Jalapeño is returning for 2018.

The Viaje Jalapeño, a cigar project that pays homage to the spicy pepper.  The cigar was first introduced in 2015, and made a return in 2016. Last year, the company opted to release two other “pepper” projects – namely the Viaje Ghost Pepper and Viaje GP 10.31.

Like the previous Viaje Jalapeño releases, details of the blend have not been disclosed. In the past, the cigar was produced at the Raices Cubanas factory in Danlí, Honduras, but no details on where  the 2018 edition has been produced. As with the other Viaje Jalapeño, the 2018 edition is a 4 7/8 x 50 figurado.

As you may remember I reviewed the Ghost Pepper last year. Just for fun here are the Ghost Pepper and Jalapeno side by side.

Once you remove the foil cap the cigar is beautiful and very well made. Here is a shot of the foot.

After taking the minimum from the cap the test draw was very firm but that could have been due to the narrow foot. Once I lit the cigar is was still very firm so I used the PerfecDraw tool to open the airway. The initial flavors were a very sweet chocolate, candy-like orange citrus, black coffee, and tons of black pepper which I rated at an 8 1/2. The finish initially was cocoa with lots of lingering black pepper. This was a very good start.

About an inch in (24 minutes) the pepper toned down just a bit. It's still around a 7 1/2 so it's still very good. You still have the massive amount of sweet chocolate, candy-like citrus, loads of black coffee, and loads of black pepper. The lingering black pepper is amazing. The finish is still one of cocoa. The cigar is very close to full bodied. Intermingled in all the front end flavors is a very small amount of nutmeg, not very much but it's detectable. The first third rating is a 93.

At the midpoint (50 minutes) you still have the nice chocolate notes, candy-like orange citrus, black coffee, and lots of black pepper but now there are also caramel notes, which add more sweetness. The cigar is full bodied. The finish is now one of cocoa and caramel notes with lots of lingering black pepper. The midpoint rating is also a 93.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 11 minutes. The flavor notes at the midpoint continued right to the end. The chocolate/candy-like citrus notes work very well together. The black coffee adds quite a bit of depth and the black pepper is amazing. The finish continued the same, also. The lingering black pepper is one of the high points of the cigar. The cigar ended very full bodied. This has been an excellent cigar and if you can find the buy as many as you can. They went fast initially and hopefully your local shop will have some on hand. The final third rating is also a 93. This was a great cigar. 

Overall score: 93

Black Label Trading Co. Deliverance Nocturne Perfecto (5 x 56)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

The Deliverance Nocturne made its debut in 2015 as a limited edition extension of the Deliverance line. The blend features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, and fillers from Pennsylvania and Nicaragua. Deliverance Nocturne is produced at Black Label Trading Company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra.

“This is the 3rd release of Deliverance Nocturne. The crop of Pennsylvania tobacco we received this year is exceptional, the Nocturne highlights everything I love about PA Broadleaf. This year’s vintage is rich, complex and finishes with a bold earthiness. Once again the Nocturne is a perfect representation of the balance between strength and flavor,” says James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.

As with the 2016 edition of the Deliverance Nocturne, the 2017 brings back the Salomon Snub Nose, Short Salomon Snub Nose, and Perfecto sizes.

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaragua and Pennsylvania

Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Fabrica Oveja Negra)

Vitolas Available

The Salomon and Short Salomon remain packaged in 12 and 18-count boxes respectively. The new Deliverance Nocturne Perfecto will be in 20-count boxes.

Perfecto: 5 x 56 (20 Count boxes, SRP $10.00 per cigar) REVIEWED TODAY

Salomon “Snub Nose”: 6 1/4 x 36 x 56 (12 Count boxes, SRP $12.00 per cigar)

Short Salomon “Snub Nose”: 4 3/4 x 40 x 56 (18 Count boxes, SRP $10.00 per cigar)

This cigar is beautiful. I love the perfecto shape. Here is a shot of the foot.

The test draw after taking the minimum from the pointed cap was very firm and hard to draw. So, I used my PerfecDraw tool to open the draw to the perfect amount. The initial flavors were black licorice, caramel, cinnamon, and black coffee. There was a lot of coarse ground black pepper which I rated at an 8 1/2. 

About 1 inch in (20 minutes) the licorice notes are gone. There are now sweet dark chocolate notes, caramel, cinnamon, and black coffee. The black pepper remains very good. The finish is a mix of caramel and chocolate with a lot of lingering black pepper. I would call the cigar medium to full bodied. The cigar is quite tasty and dark noted at this point. The first third rating is a 91.

At the midpoint (44 minutes) the flavors lost a lot of sweetness. They are now heavy dark chocolate with very little sweetness, nutmeg, heavy black coffee, and black pepper. There is a touch of brown sugar but it is minimal. The cigar is still medium to full bodied. With the ring getting much larger the cigar turned much darker and less sweet. Therefore, in my opinion the midpoint rating dropped to an 87.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 18 minutes which is quite a burn time for a 5 inch cigar. In the final third the brown sugar notes came back somewhat making the cigar sweeter. There were still a lot of dark chocolate and black coffee notes. The caramel notes are so faint you may say they are gone. The pepper was still very good. The finish was unchanged for the most part. The cigar reached full bodied status. With the resurgence of the brown sugar the final third score moved up to an 88. This cigar made big swings in sweetness due to the ring size making a big change. Some of you may like a dark noted cigar with little sweetness. With this cigar you get both; sweet flavors and heavy dark noted unsweetened flavors. For me the cigar was best in the first half but overall a pretty good cigar. Averaging out the scores gave the cigar a respectable overall score. You can purchase these cigars HERE.

Overall score: 89

La Flor Dominicana La Volcada (7 x 48)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

The South American country of Uruguay is known for its popular dance, the Tango. La Flor Dominicana draws inspiration from both the country and its dance as it unveils its signature release for the year, La Volcada. One of the steps that is a part of the Tango is known as “La Volcada”.

The cigar itself will be a single-blend release in the form of a 7 x 48 Churchill. The blend consists of a San Andres wrapper, Ecuadorian Corojo binder, and Dominican fillers grown at the company’s La Canela farms.

Company owner Litto Gomez was born in Spain, but grew up in Uruguay. Last year, he paid homage to his birth country of Spain with the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull. It’s also not the first time the Tango has been referenced in a La Flor Dominicana cigar. In 2015, the company released the La Flor Dominicana 1994 Tango – a line extension to its 1994 line.

Blend Profile

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican

Binder: Ecuadorian Corojo

Filler: Dominican

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Flor)

Vitolas Available

La Volcada is being released in one size – a 7 x 48 Churchill.

The cigar is well made and almost black. You can see how dark it is when you compare the band to the cigar. It has a fairly dense feel in the hand.

The cigar's cap is finished in a pigtail.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors were sweet and dark noted. I got sweet cedar, black licorice, butter, black coffee, and black pepper which I rated at a 7 1/2 to 8. 

2 inches in (26 minutes) the flavors are changing somewhat. They are now a tangy cedar which appears to have citrus notes attached to it, chocolate, brown sugar, a touch of cinnamon, butter, and coffee. I no longer had the licorice notes. The finish is chocolate with a lot of lingering black pepper. The cigar is a low grade medium to full bodied. The first third score is 88.

At the midpoint (46 minutes) there have been no significant changes. The pepper seems to stand out. The same flavors that were present in the first third are also present at the midpoint. The strength is also unchanged. The midpoint score is 88.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 25 minutes. In the final third or so there was a decrease in the tangy citrus notes on the cedar. The chocolate notes were prominent and there was still some buttery notes. The pepper remained very good. There was a nice coffee base. The finish was unchanged but the pepper seemed to increase on the finish. The cigar ended at a low grade full bodied. The La Volcada was a good cigar but the loss of the tangy citrus notes was a negative to me. The score for the final third is an 87. These should be on shelves now and LFD fans should give this one a try. You can purchase these cigars by going HERE.

Overall Score: 88

VILLIGER CIGARS TO UNVEIL THE VILLIGER LA VENCEDORA

(Miami, Florida) January 24, 2018— Villiger Cigars begins 2018, which is the 130th year anniversary of the company, with the announcement of the newest Villiger Cigar brand, the Villiger La Vencedora. The Villiger La Vencedora is the follow up blend to the Villiger La Flor De Ynclan which attained a top 10 ranking in Cigar Aficionado Magazine’s top 25 Cigars for 2017. The Villiger La Vencedora which translates to “The Victor” is the first ever full-bodied Villiger cigar, and carries a special meaning to Villiger Cigars chairman of the board, Heinrich Villiger.

The years 2016 and 2017 have served as breakthrough years for Villiger Cigars. The company mostly known for creating premium machine manufactured cigars, made a huge splash in the handmade premium market. The Villiger San’Doro Colorado, Villiger La Libertad, and the most recent, the Villiger La Flor De Ynclan have all garnered high ratings, and multiple top 25 rankings. For Heinrich Villiger, it meant it was time to unveil a legacy brand to complete the Villiger handmade premium cigar portfolio.


The Villiger La Vencedora or “The Victor” represents to Heinrich Villiger the arrival of Villiger Cigars to the premium handmade cigar segment. It was time, in his opinion, to push to the envelope and create a legacy cigar that will serve as a proper follow up to the acclaimed Villiger La Flor De Ynclan brand. This Nicaraguan puro wrapped in a beautiful Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro, boasts a potent full-bodied smoking experience, featuring highly seasoned, hearty flavors.

Heinrich Villiger said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to use our 130 years of experience to create what I feel is a very special cigar in the Villiger La Vencedora.”

Rene Castañeda President of Villiger Cigars North America stated, “We as a team feel that the Villiger La Vencedora is a palate pleasing, full-bodied, yet elegant cigar, that will satisfy the cigar connoisseur as well as the casual smoker.

The Villiger La Vencedora will be expressed in three sizes:

Robusto (5x50) MSRP: $9.00

Toro (6x50) MSRP: $9.50

Churchill (7x50) MSRP: $10.00




ABOUT VILLIGER SONS LIMITED AND VILLIGER NORTH AMERICA: Villiger Sons Limited was established in 1888 by Jean Villiger in the small town of Pfeffikon, Switzerland, where Villiger remains headquartered to this day. The company manufactures and sells more than 1.5 billion cigars annually, world-wide. Today, under the leadership of Heinrich Villiger, the company prides itself in its commitment to quality, in all their products made in many countries around the globe.

Follow the NEW Villager Cigars North America on social @VilligerCigarsNorthAmerica #TheOriginalClassic

Altadis U.S.A. Expands Distribution On Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Altadis U.S.A. and renowned cigar master AJ Fernandez have teamed up again with the introduction of Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta, expanding the portfolio of one of the most recognizable cigar brands in the world.

This elegant cigar crafted in Estelí, Nicaragua, brings today’s connoisseurs a contemporary take on the rich and robust profiles of the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta collection. This exceptional premium offering employs an aged San Andrés wrapper, considered one of the most flavorful leaves used in today’s premium cigar market.



In the creation of Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta, cigar master AJ Fernandez, in collaboration with Rafael Nodal, founder of Aging Room Small Batch Cigars and current Head of Product Capability for Tabacalera USA, selected only the finest San Andrés wrappers available. This refined leaf has been meticulously aged to carefully fashion what’s considered to be the hallmark of this luxuriant release. The signature wrapper has been scrupulously rolled over a Nicaraguan binder, and a robust filler core, derived of rich Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. The intricate complexity of these choice components culminate in one of the most sophisticated and flavorful Romeo y Julieta selections ever presented.

Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta is an ultra-premium cigar in every sense of the word — medium to full in body, and bountiful in both flavor and aroma. The tantalizing combination of superior construction from the famed cigar masters, along with rich and robust tobaccos, and one of the most delectable wrappers in the world today, make for an unmatched top-shelf masterpiece sure to please a diverse core of adult smokers.

Priced between $9 - $10 per single cigar, Romeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta is presented in vibrant boxes of 20, and  available to adult consumers in four vitolas: Robusto (50 x 5), Toro (54 x 6), Pirámides (52 x 6 1/8), and Short Magnum (60 x 5 ½). A full distribution to all national trade channels is expected to begin in March 2018.

For more information regardingRomeo San Andrés by Romeo y Julieta, please contact Joseph Fernandez at JFernandez@altadisusa.com.  

Sizes:                           50 x 5 Robusto

                                    54 x 6 Toro

                                    52 x 6 1/8 Pirámides

                                    60 x 5 ½ Short Magnum

Wrapper:                      Aged San Andrés

Binder:                         Nicaragua

Filler:                           Nicaragua & Dominican Republic 

Box count:                    20

MSRP:                           $9.35 – $9.85 USD

Gilberto Oliva Reserva Robusto (5 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

Five years ago, Oliva Cigar Company launched the Oliva Serie V Melanio, a line that paid homage to company patriarch Melanio Oliva. Now the company has an all new line that pays homage to Melanio’s grandson Gilberto. This year, Oliva Cigar Company launched the Gilberto Oliva line. Gilberto Oliva is intended to be a value priced line. It’s the first new line since the Melanio brand was launched. It’s also Oliva’s first new line under in the J. Cortès era.

There are two blends. being introduced under the Gilberto Oliva brand. The Gilberto Oliva Reserva features a Sumatra wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and all-Nicaraguan filler. Meanwhile, the Gilberto Olivae Reserva Blanc features a Ecuadorian wrapper and binder over all-Nicaraguan fillers. Both blends are offered in five sizes (Corona, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, Churchill). Pricing for the Gilberto Oliva Reserva Blanc ranges from $5.25 to $6.40 while the Gilberto Oliva Reserva ranges from $5.75 to $6.90.

The cigar has an average feel in the hand for a robusto. 

The test draw after cutting the cap was good with a touch of firmness. The initial flavors at light up were a dry cedar, whipping cream notes, and an earthy black coffee. There was black pepper at an above average amount. I rated it at a 6 1/2 to 7. 

1 1/2 inches in (14 minutes) there are still somewhat dry cedar notes. There are also a lot of brown sugar and buttery caramel notes. The black pepper is increasing. It's up to a 7 1/2. The finish is a caramel with a nice amount of lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. The cigar has changed and improved from the initial light up. The first third is rated at an 86.

At the midpoint (32 minutes) I don't think anything has changed. Every flavor note is just as it was in the first third. To say the cigar is consistent at this point is an understatement. Therefore, the midpoint rating is also an 86.

The Gilberto Oliva robusto lasted 1 hour 4 minutes. The cigar stayed fairly consistent from the midpoint on with the exception of a few more dry cedar notes. There were still brown sugar and caramel notes. The pepper remained very good. The faint marshmallow notes that were noted in the beginning were noted here in the final third. The finish was unchanged. The cigar never got above medium bodied. This was a good basic cigar from Oliva. It had nothing that really stood out bur it had nothing that detracted from it either. With the elevated dry cedar notes I am giving the final third a rating of 85. The Gilberto Oliva cigars are value priced and can be purchased HERE.

Overall score: 86

Muestra de Saka Nacatamale (6 x 48)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

Just before the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust had started taking pre-orders on the second installment of the Muestra de Saka series, the Nacatamale. Muestra de Saka follows a “one size, one blend” model where each installment of the series has a unique blend mapped to a particular vitola. The Nacatamale features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos from a single farm.  It is available in one size, measuring 6 x 48. Like the first installment, the Muestra de Saka Exclusivo, the Nacatamale will be packaged in an individual coffin with seven coffins packaged per box. Production for 2017 is 2,250 boxes.

Saka explained some more background on the project on this social media post:

What made this cigar a unique blending challenge was I went “viejo granja” style with it. For over a century most cigars’ entire filler recipes were comprised of just ONE farm’s tobacco and any complexity was introduced by extremely careful leaf processing, selection and positioning within the bunch. Whereas these days as we have hundreds of ingredients to work and blend with to create interesting and satisfying ligas.

So, the challenge was to see if I could make an “old farm” style liga that could hold its own with the modern blends we create today. I am genuinely curious to see what the feedback on this cigar will be and I have probably poisoned the pool a bit by stating it is a single ingredient liga, but at the same time I am really proud of this blend – amazing the amount of effort it took to pull this one off and of all the Muestra’s I don’t believe any other will be as challenging skill wise.

This cigar is considerably more robust than the Exclusivo and since this puro’s tripa are all from just one small, independent farm in Jalapa, Nicaragua, I will not be disclosing the name of the vega.

Note: The Nacatamale Coffins feature a crossed knife and fork to make them identifiably different than Exclusivo when viewed in the coffin on the shelf.

Saka says he has sold 99.5% of his inventory and will be keeping the remainder for himself.

The cigar is flawlessly made. Almost no visible veins. The wrapper is dark brown and oily. The density shot shows a very dark assortment of tobaccos.

The cap is finished with a small pigtail.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors were a candy-like orange citrus, cream, cinnamon, brown sugar, heavy leather, and a black coffee base. There was a massive amount of black pepper rated at an 8 1/2. The leather, although heavy, is smooth and makes an excellent bridge connecting all the sweet flavors. The leather is in no way oppressive. It tastes like it belongs there. The cigar is very sweet and the leather compliments those sweet flavors perfectly. The cigar tastes full bodied. The finish is a leathery cream with slight citrus aspects and heavy lingering black pepper. The cigar had an excellent start.

2 inches in (28 minutes) the citrus notes are morphing over to a sweet cedar. You also have a lot of brown sugar and cinnamon to go along with it and now there are nice, sweet, thick, rich honey notes. The leather notes have decreased but they continue to be smooth and in the perfect amount. There remains a black coffee base. The front end flavors are so very sweet and rich. The black pepper remains very good and lingers very nicely on the finish. The cigar is medium to full bodied at this point. The cigar is somewhat complex due to the changes it is making. The cigar is almost perfect at this point. The first third rating is 95.

At the midpoint (48 minutes) the previously described flavor of sweet cedar is again morphing back to a citrus but it's like a citrus liquer. It's very sweet and deep. The honey notes continue to be amazing. There are nice brown sugar notes and cinnamon plays a big part in the flavors. I also got white chocolate. That's a lot of flavors but that's what I got from the cigar. The leather continues to be creamy and works so nicely with the other flavors. The subtle coffee base continues, as well. The black pepper remains very good. The cigar is full bodied. The finish is unchanged and very good. I urge you to smoke this cigar as slow as you can. You will get all these amazing flavors. At the midpoint the cigar continues to be great. The midpoint score is also 95.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 13 minutes. It continued to have those amazing flavors but it changed just a bit. At the end the orange liqueur had a lot more brown sugar and cinnamon notes. Rather than white chocolate I got a much darker flavor of molasses although the honey notes are still there. The leather notes continued to be creamy and smooth. The light black coffee based continued. The pepper remained very good. The cigar is very full bodied. You can feel the ligero surging through your veins. The finish was unchanged. This was nothing short of an excellent cigar. You will be hard pressed to find these but if you do you will be in for a treat. The final third score is 95. You can purchase these cigars HERE.

Overall score: 95