Tag Archives: STG

News: Diesel Sunday Gravy Grappa Announced

I’ll admit, I’m behind on sampling the Sunday Gravy series. The first one was pretty good, and I’ve been meaning to revisit it. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the others. I’m not a big fan of tomatoes, so that gets into my head a little, and, subconsciously, I don’t tend to look for them. A sampler would be nice, now that there are five versions!

 

It’s a widely held belief that Italians wrote the book on eating and drinking. Food, libations and socializing are part of the culture and meals can stretch on for hours.  Not for the faint of heart is grappa, an Italian-made digestivo made from the distillate of grape seeds, stalks and stems. The distilled spirit is enjoyed as a palate-cleansing firewater. And when the grappa comes out, things get interesting.

Or so says Justin Andrews who explained that the fifth Diesel Sunday Gravy expression was named “Grappa” in a nod to the blend’s bold flavor profile and the brand’s ability to spark conversation. “Diesel Sunday Gravy Grappa, like our previous Sunday Gravy expressions definitely packs a punch. It’s a great, medium-plus blend, handmade with premium tobaccos. And given its affordable price, Diesel Sunday Gravy Grappa is a cigar that’s meant to be smoked with good friends during spirited discussions.

 

Blended by AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews and crafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua, Diesel Sunday Gravy Grappa is rolled with an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Honduran filler. It is a layered smoke that delivers notes of leather, earth and spice.

 

Grappa is being released in a robusto gordo size only.

Grappa (5” x 56); SRP per cigar $4.99

 

Diesel Sunday Gravy Grappa will be available nationally from July-September 2022, or until the blend is sold out. The sixth and final Sunday Gravy blend will be released in October, 2022.

 

Diesel cigars are produced by Scandinavian Tobacco Group and distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

 

About Diesel Sunday Gravy

Diesel Sunday Gravy launched in August 2021 as a full-time line of seasonally-released, Nicaraguan-forward smokes, blended and handcrafted through Diesel’s winning partnership of AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews. Blends will be released quarterly, sold until their limited supply is deleted and offered at an unbelievable SRP of less than $5.00 per cigar.

 

About Diesel

Handcrafted by artisans in Esteli, Nicaragua, Diesel cigars are “bold by design.” The brand challenges the current conventions of the handmade cigar category through the bold, unapologetic style of its Cigar Master, AJ Fernandez. Diesel cigars are unified by their deeply complex flavor which is achieved through AJ’s steadfast adherence to time honored cigar making techniques and his insistence on using the highest quality tobacco. The Diesel portfolio includes Hair of the Dog which was released in 2019; Whiskey Row which launched two expressions, one in 2019 and one in 2018, and Diesel Grind which debuted in 2017. For more information, visit www.dieselcigars.com.

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News: STG Acquires Room 101 Cigars, Hires Matt Booth

Crazy news from STG!  I have it on good authority that they were in the market for a boutique cigar company to purchase, I’m a little surprised at this though.  Considering the amount of money I heard thrown around,  Mr. Booth would have to be mad to not consider making a deal.  Obviously, he did! I’m hopeful that everyone involved makes the most of this opportunity! 

 

 

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) announces today that the company has acquired the Room101 cigar brand from Matt Booth and has retained Booth as creative director.

 

 

The acquisition is limited to Room101 cigars and accessories and does not include any of Matt Booth’s other Room101 entities.

 

Régis Broersma, president of STG’s North America and Rest of World divisions said, “Our acquisition of Room101 Cigars is a strategic move for both STG and Matt Booth, and underpins our collective drive to shake up the category. Matt is a creative force and we’ve admired his ability to surprise and delight the market. On top of that, the Room101 cigar portfolio represents a blue ocean of blends and taste profiles we haven’t been playing in. So this acquisition gives us an even deeper opportunity to innovate and unlock the brand’s potential. We’re looking forward to tapping Matt’s boundless creativity, to doing some really cool cigar projects with him and to working alongside him to keep Room101 true to its roots.”   

 

Matt Booth said, “In my 13 years in this industry, I’ve fought hard to foster Room101’s stance in market and now it is time as a brand to ascend to the next level. This arrangement is nothing short of a watershed moment for myself and our brand family. Room101 Cigars has found its forever home with STG and I am extremely excited to be part of a company that is willing to invest in creative integrity and bold innovation. This partnership will empower Room101 Cigars to stretch outward and become the first true global craft brand in the category.”

Room101 Cigars complements STG’s handmade cigar portfolio which features a stable of heritage and boutique brands. 

 

Room101 will be represented exclusively by STG’s Forged Cigar Company. 

 

The transaction was completed on June 10, 2022. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

 

Régis concluded, “Our acquisition of Room101 Cigars represents our willingness to invest in brands with strong growth potential, and we will continue to explore opportunities to expand our market-leading portfolio.”

 

About Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S is a world-leading manufacturer of handmade and machine-rolled cigars with an annual production of more than four billion cigars. The Group holds market-leading positions in several categories and its products are sold in more than 100 markets. Scandinavian Tobacco Group is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark  and employs approximately 10,000 people globally. The Group is also the largest internet and catalog retailer of cigars and related accessories in the US, where STG has over 1 million active online consumers. For more information please visit www.st-group.com

 

About Room101 Cigars

Room101 entered the premium tobacco space in 2009, bringing transformative innovation to the category. Founder Matt Booth proudly served in a cast of characters and branding disruptors in the creation of what has ultimately become the boutique segment of the market. Inspired by the European jet set brands of the 1960s and anchored in Los Angeles, the Room101 portfolio includes Payback, 10th Annv, Doomsayer,  Farce, Hit and Run and The T, as well as Snake Shake, a limited edition release. Please visit www.room101cigars.com for more details.

 

About Forged Cigar Company

Developed to deepen support for the brick and mortar channel, Forged Cigar Company launched in 2021 as an independent national cigar distribution network. Bolstered by independent marketing and customized programming, Forged Cigar Company’s portfolio includes a curated mix of established and cult brands such as Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin’ Moose. Forged Cigar Company’s mission includes leveraging relationships with its proprietary network of cigar factories to deliver product innovations uniquely timed to meet retailer and consumer needs

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