The Truth about Mix Filler Cigars

The subject of “mix-filler” cigars, which has been debated for years, the debate being “throw away tobacco”, “floor sweepings”, and any number of negative comments.

First of all, no manufacturer would attach his/her name to a product that has such perceived negatives.

What is a mix-filler cigar?
1. It is a cigar that uses fillers from the cuttings of long filler cigar, as it occurs from each cigar roller’s table.

2. The cuttings are prime, aged tobaccos, not tobacco that is less than smokable.

3. All cuttings are placed in a small hopper-type container, mixed well with a consistent taste, as the goal by a master blender.

4. Once this mix is available, then a binder and wrapper are selected to compliment the mix-filler.

It would be plain foolish to put the mix-filler with binder and wrapper that would make it less than enjoyable, “just to use the mix-filler”, that product would fail at the first puff.

Mix-filler cigars are usually on the mild side, burn very well, and taste and aroma are quite pleasant. For some smokers, mix-filler cigars are perfect, and their only type cigar. For others mix-filler is their beginning cigar of the day, and is as fine smoke as any others. If not told, it is doubtful many cigar smokers could not denote mix-filler from long-filler, they are simply made well.

Finally, most manufacturers will use the cuttings and have a mix-filler product available.

By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

A Heavenly Cigar Event at Thompson Cigar Store in Tampa

Visitors to the Thompson Cigar Store in Tampa last Saturday were very lucky. If they bought a box of Heaven Cigars, they received 30 free cigars, and they got a chance to meet the Heaven Cigar Angels. No captions needed for the photos below:

The Truth about Bundled Cigars

I have been asked to describe “bundled” cigars, because there are common misconceptions.

One inaccuracy is that of inferior quality and the cigar was made to use less than acceptable raw material. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Reason, these brands are meant to be bundled, it's the only packaging available. They have been introduced as a “bundle” cigar, with a specific blend, very smokable, and have and will remain available-year after year.

Secondly, you as a consumer who may have specific cigars for certain occasions, and sometimes a bundle fits perfectly. A cigar for your “everyday cigar”, and other cigars for special occasions.

This is not to say they are less than other cigars in the “collection”, only to say that they are a great value priced product. Of course there is a financial savings in a bundled cigar, when you consider other cigar product presentations of exceptional boxes, personalized cigar bands, and etc. Which other brands want for their product identity.

A common question asked, when viewing a bundled cigar for the first time “are they any?” and answer is they are very smokable, and manufacturers are proud of this entry.

Finally, there have been bundle entries that have less than acceptable particularly doing the so-called cigar boom years of 1995-97, they have disappeared, the cigar consumer made that decision.

By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

Stan Newman 1916-2006

We at Thompson & Co. of Tampa offer our condolences to the Newman family this week as they mourn the loss of Stan Newman, Chairman of the Board at J.C. Newman Cigar Co.

He will be remembered not only for his contributions to the cigar industry but as a mentor to our owner, Robert Franzblau, as he entered the cigar industry nearly 50 years ago.

We are sorry to have lost such a good friend.

The Thompson Cigar Family.

Devoted Cigar Industry Icon Dies On The Job At 90

By MARY SHEDDEN
The Tampa Tribune
Aug 19, 2006

TAMPA - Like clockwork, Stanford Newman drove his Cadillac to work each morning, dressed in a suit and tie, a pocket square tucked neatly in the breast pocket.

The 90-year-old felt invigorated by Ybor City's J.C. Newman Cigar Co., the family company he spent seven decades building and growing into a name known by aficionados around the world.

Read the rest of the story at the Tampa Tribune.

Or read the release at CigarFamily.com - The Passing of a Cigar Industry Legend, Stanford J. Newman.

Cigar, Cigars,
Newman, Fuente,

Cigar Artisans 2006 at Tampa's Hard Rock Casino

It's time to buy your ticket to the biggest cigar event in the country. Meet 20 of the top cigar makers in the world. Click the image...



Limited to just 750 tickets per session, Thompson Cigar Co. is assembling twenty of the world’s most prestigious cigar manufacturers for Cigar Artisans 2006.

Scheduled for September 30, 2006 at Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Session 1 runs from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM and Session 2 runs from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM. Cost is $110 per ticket.

In addition to the open bar and hot & cold hors d’oeuvres, ticket holders will automatically be entered for drawings for fabulous door prizes listed below. Everyone in attendance receives $225 worth of cigar freebies including: travel bag, ball cap, jacket, golf cigar holder, cigar cutter and twenty premium cigars.

And every ticket holder gets a 10% discount on the purchase of cigar samplers from each of the manufacturers, as well as discount coupons for our cigar retail outlet in Tampa.

These coupons may not be redeemed online or by mail order. The list of manufacturers/brands and owners represented at the Cigar Artisans 2006 event reads like a who’s who of the cigar industry:
Toraño
Altadis USA
Arturo Fuente
Ashton Distributors
Camacho
C.A.O.
Cusano
Drew Estates
Felipe Gregorio
General Cigar Co.
J.C. Newman Co.
La Aurora
La Gloria Cubana
La Perla Habana
Oliva
Padron
Perdomo
Puros Indios
Rocky Patel
Thompson Premium Brands

Thompson’s Cigar Artisans event represents a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to meet all these renowned master cigar makers at one time while taking advantage of the fabulous giveaways. Don’t miss it!

Hand Made Cigars

The cigar industry continues to show excellent growth, and there are several reasons, but one factor is dominant, the quality of raw material and workmanship remembering “Hech A Mano” is hand made.

All manufacturers are superb in their pursuit of growing, curing, fermentation, and raw material, in continual stages, with strict monitoring of every bale in warehouses that can stretch to a football field in length.

As we presented earlier, their inventory of raw material, aging to four years for some time, will assure the completed blend, remains just as you have been accustomed to, box 1 to 15 to infinity.

It has been said “no manufacturer tries to make a bad cigar or try to go out of business” their intentions are evident, the cigar industry continues to grow, and consistency is the by-word, to match quality of cigar smoking experience.

By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

More about Flavored Cigars

This area of discussion, flavored cigars is a phenom. Never before has a product extension, caught the consumer’s attention and continues to grow, so quickly.

The basic reason seems to be two parts of our original discussion-“Taste and Aroma” not that “appearance” is lacking, but the dominance of taste sensation and aromas, make this product continue to grow.

They are very pleasurable, and consumers have made those brand manufacturers, enlarge the flavor offerings, I will list some: vanilla, rum, honey, chocolate, menthol, cappuccino, cherry, peach, blackberry, cherry cream, orange, honey nut, coffee, and many more.

This explosion of flavors is not to confuse, but to satisfy a particular taste that, you as consumer like as that favorite as a commodity. There are purists that explain a flavored cigar will do some harm to the palate. We can think of the many food tastes we enjoy, which may never have an effect on future food enjoyment.

There are manufacturers and brand owners whose total production and identity rests with flavored cigars, and they are growing. There are regular cigar manufacturers in the flavored business, and pleased with the line extension.


By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

Mix-Filler Small Cigars Explained

The subject of mix-filler small cigars has been a subject of discussion for many; some claim it to be less than enjoyable. To explain is simple, the use of cuttings after a full-length cigar has been made, is how the tobaccos to be used is achieved.

The next step is to select a wrapper to compliment the mix-fillers, to assure a consistent small cigar in taste. This manufacturing procedure has been in place for hundreds of years, and all manufacturers, package this product, in very convenient and attractive units, with a company logo shown very proudly.

A mix-filler cigar is usually very mild, and is for that time of day when a large cigar would take far to long to enjoy, and time constraints are a problem. They remain, as always, a great product, made well, and a pleasant smoke any time of day.

By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.

Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice

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Thanks for visiting and reading Al Remp's series on cigars.