2016 releases

[jhedrick83]

For those of you who don't know, IPCPR is in a couple weeks and with the looming FDA regulations, by all accounts, it's going to be a madhouse of new releases because all cigars released August 8th or later will be subject to FDA approval prior to marketing. I've heard industry media saying they expect close to 1,000 new releases as companies are going to clean out their pipelines of new blends. I don't blame the companies at all but I would think that outs shops in a bit of a bind as how will they evaluate what they want to carry from that glut of new releases. I'm sure a lot of the new releases will be good but I'm sure a good portion will be half baked and pushed to market just to beat the deadline.

What new releases are you guys excited about? Does that number of new releases excite you or make you nervous that many won't be good?

[allusred]

For one I'll welcome some new cigars to smoke.

[BlueDevil07]

I'm eyeing the Belles Artes from AJF.

[DogRockets]

I had read somewhere that some cigar companies will be releasing lots of new cigars at the show, but in only the minimum quantity to get them considered "released" for this new rule by the FDA, a soft, or flaccid, release if you will, with a harder, more erect release this fall when they would normally release them.

Not sure exactly what it means overall. Is selling 5 boxes of a release enough to get it to qualify? That sort of thing.

As for releases I'm looking forward to, I know there is a new L'Atelier Maduro size coming out. Not a new release, just a new size. The Crowned Heads Le Careme sounds tasty. I'm not a big CH fan, but I'll probably try a couple.

Also, the Tat Krueger dress box will probably be on display. You all know that makes my motor hum.

[Emperor Zurg]

A cigar's a cigar to me as long as it's not something awful like a Ron Mexico or Swisher Sweet. I could care less about new releases as cigar trends seem to be driven mostly by fad and not by flavor or quality. IMO All the new releases and limited releases are is fad bait - like people posting Youtube vids and hoping theirs is the next one to go viral. My concern with the coming regs is that cigars will become more scarce in general and the prices will go thru the roof - that and I fully expect Big Bro to squash internet sales like they did when they started 'regulating' cigarettes. We'll end up with B&M prices x3 which is just want the gov't wants.

[jhedrick83]

Not sure exactly what it means overall. Is selling 5 boxes of a release enough to get it to qualify? That sort of thing.

It's my understanding that they have to be "Available" to count. I would think there may be a lot of "shipping delays" on new releases.

[Merovius]

Wait and see for me. Ill wait to see what my trusted compadres have to say about things. Should be plenty of stock to go around. A lot of this stuff wont actually be available til later this year or well into 2017. Im chasing less and less new stuff as the years go by and Ive already been picking up stuff I was excited about and had on my wishlist: Viaje Leaded, Bio-hazard, My Father Bijou Pelo, MF Garcia/Garcia, Illusione Miserere (best new cigar of 2016 for me btw). Ill probably go in for 5ers of Todos Las Dias and some El Titan De Bronze stuff. Other than that Ill be on the lookout for surprises from my favorite blenders.

[WNYTONY]

Crowned Heads La Careme..... with a bat signal to @AndyCAYP

[jhedrick83]

Part of the problem will be reviews. With so many new releases, there's no way the normal outlets can provide reviews of most of the new releases in anywhere close to a few months. It may not matter as many new releases may not hit shelves for many months but then will they have samples available for review. If they do how much will the profile end up changing by release. Maybe they end up re-blended or need more time to settle after rolling and how they smoke as IPCPR samples will be very different from how they will smoke when released. It's going to be a madhouse and a crapshoot IMO.

[Old Smokey]

I haven't kept up with the upcoming new releases, so I will be in the wait and see group. I think they call it Group W.