Cigar Industry News Leader Discusses Grandfathered Cigars per FDA Cigar Regulations

EASTON, PA--(Marketwired - August 11, 2016) - Cigar Advisor, the nation's premiere online cigar magazine, proudly serves cigar enthusiasts with a uniquely down-to-earth perspective on the enjoyment of premium cigars. In the wake of new FDA cigar regulations introduced on Aug. 8 2016, Cigar Advisor has compiled a report on ten premium cigars that have been designated with a "grandfathered" status -- meaning the cigars were available for sale before the FDA predicate date of Feb. 15 2007, and will remain relatively unregulated. The list, titled "2016 CA Report: Top Grandfathered Cigars per FDA Cigar Regulations," discusses the predicate date in the new FDA cigar rules in detail, and the impact these rules will have on the premium cigar industry.

"All it took for [the FDA] to include cigars under these new rules was to say it 'reserved the right' to do so, which it did with the deeming rule on May 5^th of this year," writes John Pullo, Cigar Advisor Managing Editor. "And in doing so, created a new class of cigar…grandfathered cigars." Pullo is referring to the FDA cigar regulations' so-called "predicate date" of February 15, 2007. Per the Food and Drug Administration, any premium cigar that was introduced to the cigar smoking public for sale after that date will be required to test for Substantial Equivalence (SE) before 2018, if it is to remain on the market for sale; cigars that were commercially available before that date will be grandfathered, and subject only to a handful of regulations - including new mandated packaging restrictions and reporting requirements.

Cigar Advisor's Grandfathered Cigars list reads like a top 10 countdown of brands that have been in humidors for well over 10 years: including ACID cigars, Arturo Fuente, Montecristo cigars, Padron, CAO and more. "There are hundreds of grandfathered cigars from which to choose," says John, remarking that their longevity should be directly attributed to their quality and reputation. "But these ten are legends for a reason, with clear staying power," he says.

The CA Report points out that even though certain cigars haven't been grandfathered by the FDA's rulemaking, that doesn't mean those soon-to-be-regulated cigars will be impossible to find. "The cigars you enjoy will continue to grace shelves for another 1 to 2 years, depending on what it is and what the cigar makers eventually decides to do with them," says Pullo.

The Cigar Advisor Managing Editor offers tasting notes for each of the ten cigars selected for his report, as well as more in-depth details on the FDA's new cigar regulations. To read the article and learn more, go to CigarAdvisor.com.

About Cigar Advisor Magazine:

Cigar Advisor magazine is a digital publication created by, and for, real cigar enthusiasts. The Editors strive every day to accomplish three goals: welcome novices to the hobby of cigar smoking with advice and open arms; share their tobacco-rich lifestyle with good friends and veteran smokers alike; and profess their love for a good smoke with cigar enthusiasts of all stripes, from around the world. Cigar smokers are a passionate bunch - and whether it is food, drink, sports or cigars they're fanatical about, Cigar Advisor shares those passions with a razor-sharp edge. Find that passion and more on display at www.CigarAdvisor.com.

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