Iturbides Zaldivar, Director of Sales & Marketing at La Aurora says this re-release is “a very special product for me.”

“It represents our commitment to U.S. retailers and our desire to craft products that not only stay true to our roots in the Dominican Republic but represent the growing and changing palates of U.S. cigar aficionados.”

What is La Aurora Especiales?

Manuel Ynoa, La Aurora’s master blender, considered the input of over 100 cigar retailers before developing the blend for the original Especiales. The retailers involved visited and worked directly with the flavor genius over the course of six years. Six years of experimentation is a long time.

How did it turn out?

Especiales is a medium-bodied experiential smoke with a luscious Ecuadorian Cameroon wrapper, Dominican binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and United States. The 2025 cigar is a similar blend to the 2022 release of the cigar. Enthusiasts and aficionados describe the flavor notes as woodsy, with sweet cedar, nuttiness, coffee, spice, and light pepper.

Speaking on his side of the equation, Joshua Habursky, Chief Executive Officer of the Premium Cigar Association, says that he is “proud” of the collaboration.

“This is the second year that we are launching a major collaboration at our fall fundraiser, and we are very proud of the company we are collaborating with and the product itself. Over the past year the PCA team has worked with La Aurora on an Alliance exclusive cigar and they are hosting our pairing as part of the FIU Luxury Marketing Class this November. This is another win-win for both La Aurora, the association, and our retail membership.”

Last year’s fundraiser racked up nearly $40,000 to go towards ongoing advocacy efforts in the industry. It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out this year. Of course, I’m more excited for the launch of the Especiales.

How do I get one?

Anyone attending the PCA Fall Fundraiser on September 11 will have a chance to try the cigar as part of an exclusive pairing event. You can buy tickets for that here.

As mentioned after the fundraiser, La Aurora Especiales will ship out to retailers in October. Additionally, $0.50 from every cigar sold will go towards PCA to support its advocacy mission to protect and ensure the security of tobacco retailers and manufacturers.

La Aurora Especiales will be available in the following formats:

• La Aurora Especiales Robusto (5 x 50) — MSRP: $13.50
• La Aurora Especiales Toro (5 3/4 x 54) — MSRP: $14.50
• La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda (6 x 47) — MSRP: $14
• La Aurora Especiales Gran Toro (6 x 58) — MSRP: $15

Excited to give this one a try myself!

The post La Aurora Especiales relaunching thanks to partnership with PCA appeared first on The BS Lounge.

That’s kind of what’s happening now with a bill called the Tobacco Tax Equity S 819/HR 1798. Introduced on March 3, 2025, the bill has been rejected before, many times, but it’s back. While this bill is not likely to get major support from government leadership, it’s always important to stand against these movements when they appear.

The Premium Cigar Association does an excellent job of breaking down the bill and explaining why it’s a problem. You can also find a petition to send a message to your local state representatives, which I highly recommend doing. It only takes a few minutes.

Why is the Tobacco Tax Equity bill an issue

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Under the guise of promoting parity and fairness, the bill doesn’t actually address the diverse world of tobacco. It aims to create a uniform tax rate for all tobacco related products. Any cigar smoker knows there’s no equal in this world — cigarettes are not even close. Because of the aim, the tax would also have an unfair and disproportionate impact on select groups of society. Notably, the impoverished, through harmful regressive taxes.

Since many states already impose high taxes and fees on tobacco products, including for small business, this would largely affect family-owned manufacturers and local retailers. It’s not about competition, it’s about the resources required to support these events, and small businesses simply do not have the same resources as the bigger companies and conglomerates. This bill would effectively make it more challenging for local businesses to thrive.

There are other concerns, all addressed in the Premium Cigar Association’s breakdown, which you should definitely read.

How can we fight back?

Source: Vinicius Low / Unsplash

In addition to contacting your local and state representatives, however you prefer — whether through email, phone, or otherwise — you can sign the PCA petition. There are never any guarantees those slimy politicians will listen, mind you, but more voices means they can better gauge support or disdain for a particular piece of legislation.

It is my personal belief that all adults over the age of 21 should have the option to decide their lifestyles, including, but not limited to, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption and holistic consumption, whether that be medicine or another preferred drug. We own our bodies, plain and simple.

The post How to oppose the Tobacco Tax Equity bill appeared first on The BS Lounge.