That sucks. Say what you want about AJ's cigars, he does a shít ton for the community.
"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form." -- Winston Churchill "LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
Steve Saka is not going to comply with California's new UTL (unflavored tobacco list) regulations which could make it difficult or impossible to find DTT cigars here next year.
Quote from Steve Saka's Instagram.
DTT is choosing to not register our handmade puros for sale in the State of California per their recently enacted UTL regulations.
There are a variety of reasons: annoying cost, an unreasonable application process, their “you will bend the knee” attitude, but the biggest reason is I refuse to establish any legal corporate or tax nexus with the State of California - their Government is punitive, unreasonable and litigious against business in general, being in tobacco it is far worse
We are also removing their, imo, factually incorrect Prop 65 Warning Labels from all future boxes.
As of 1/1/2026, our handcrafted puros will be illegal, contraband goods in the State of California.
Our in-state Purveyors have been notified.
—
I understand most companies of any reasonable size are likely to comply, that is their prerogative and I don’t fault them for doing so.
However for DTT, I choose to abide by my principles over commercial concerns.
#
Join us on Zoom vHerf (Meeting # 2619860114 Password vHerf2020 )
More companies should do the same and stand up to the corrupt California establishment.
"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form." -- Winston Churchill "LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
@Usaf06 said:
More companies should do the same and stand up to the corrupt California establishment.
>
Unfortunately I believe that would be exactly what the State is really looking for. They really just want to make it so painful to do business in their state that all the evil tobacco will just go away.
Massachusetts seems to be heading in the same direction. All in the guise of public health.
I think it’s a little different. They try to tax and charge for this and that and regulate every business there. It’s not just tobacco. They want the extra revenue from the new regulations. The government officials are too arrogant to think someone would actually stop doing business with the mighty California.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
@Rdp77 said:
I think it’s a little different. They try to tax and charge for this and that and regulate every business there. It’s not just tobacco. They want the extra revenue from the new regulations. The government officials are too arrogant to think someone would actually stop doing business with the mighty California.
>
Can’t convince me. Requirements are too egregious. There is too much evidence requirements like these and overly aggressive taxation just end up reducing revenue. Judicious taxation and a positive business environment increase revenue. This is just another method to drive tobacco out of the state cloaked as a public safety/ tax gain regulation.
MA applied a 20% tax on top of the sales tax to all tobacco. Also outlawed flavored tobacco to protect the children and minorities (menthol was apparently targeted to minorities). Can’t get flavored pipe tobacco anymore due to the number of children that would be smoking pipes. You should see the lines of MA license plates at the stores just over the NH line to buy cigarettes now. MA can do the math to see the revenue they are losing. They don’t care as its not a tax issue, its really an anti-tobacco law.
@Rdp77 said:
I think it’s a little different. They try to tax and charge for this and that and regulate every business there. It’s not just tobacco. They want the extra revenue from the new regulations. The government officials are too arrogant to think someone would actually stop doing business with the mighty California.
>
Can’t convince me. Requirements are too egregious. There is too much evidence requirements like these and overly aggressive taxation just end up reducing revenue. Judicious taxation and a positive business environment increase revenue. This is just another method to drive tobacco out of the state cloaked as a public safety/ tax gain regulation.
MA applied a 20% tax on top of the sales tax to all tobacco. Also outlawed flavored tobacco to protect the children and minorities (menthol was apparently targeted to minorities). Can’t get flavored pipe tobacco anymore due to the number of children that would be smoking pipes. You should see the lines of MA license plates at the stores just over the NH line to buy cigarettes now. MA can do the math to see the revenue they are losing. They don’t care as its not a tax issue, its really an anti-tobacco law.
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry? The way I see it, tobacco consumers are a small portion of their voting population. Targeted taxes and regulations on suppliers doesn’t hurt the majority of their voting base.
And as far as Massachusetts losing out…. I can still buy flavored tobacco from stores in Mass. and the state still gets their taxes out of it. If it was all about doing away with it they would.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry? The way I see it, tobacco consumers are a small portion of their voting population. Targeted taxes and regulations on suppliers doesn’t hurt the majority of their voting base.
And as far as Massachusetts losing out…. I can still buy flavored tobacco from stores in Mass. and the state still gets their taxes out of it. If it was all about doing away with it they would.
Autos are something people need, not a ‘luxury’ product. We will pretty much pay what we have to for cars as costs are passed along via the auto industry. Not like mass transit is good enough to be useful to all but a small portion of the population. We are stuck there.
Agreed tobacco buyers are a small group so in the long run the loss of their tax revenue is/will be inconsequential.
MA still allows internet sale of flavored pipe tobacco to out of staters. No in state sale other than L.J. Peretti who somehow got an exemption.
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry?
That was my question. My next question is are they more egregious than the ones they recently put on the pork industry?
Sure, both things could be considered things we “need” but that doesn’t make it any better does it? Did they do those things to try to eliminate automobiles and pork? Of course not. They did it to impose regulations that are enforced by their governments to produce revenue.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
@Rdp77 said:
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry?
That was my question. My next question is are they more egregious than the ones they recently put on the pork industry?
Sure, both things could be considered things we “need” but that doesn’t make it any better does it? Did they do those things to try to eliminate automobiles and pork? Of course not. They did it to impose regulations that are enforced by their governments to produce revenue.
>
Don’t think they care how egregious any of their laws are. In those cases they did it to, and will generate revenue as they are necessities. Be interesting if the consumption of pork goes down as prices go up. Cigars are not a necessity. Ultimately laws like these will cause loss of revenue and the death of the cigar industry in CA and as you say a small base so no great loss.
"...that's one for you nineteen for me...should five percent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all..."
Some things never change.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Those of you that like those Fuente Cameroons might wanna look at stocking up:
The following is the text of the public statement by Jeremiah Meerapfel on the split with Arturo Fuente.
The Meerapfel family has been in the tobacco trade for over 400 years. Over centuries, our family has overcome countless challenges. That the Meerapfel family continues to operate in the highest echelons of the cigar world is a true testament to our resilience, dedication and professional integrity. Throughout our history, Meerapfel has been committed to building and honoring trusted, personal relationships with our customers - delivering products and services that are synonymous with luxury and the highest expectations associated with this segment.
The skills we have learned through the trade and agricultural side of our business have been refined to deliver the very best to the end consumer. Meerapfel nurtures its relations in much the same way as we do our plantations, our tobacco and our teams.
For decades, our family has poured investment into our distribution business with a significant emphasis on the Arturo Fuente brands. Indeed our investment has gone well beyond the financial; committing our time, knowledge and passion to building the Arturo Fuente brands.
The two families have a history together spanning three generations and Meerapfel is incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve for the Fuente family.
Unfortunately, Fuente & Meerapfel have ceased trading together. We are disappointed and saddened by this, and it brings an important chapter in our esteemed history to a close.
We now find ourselves at a pivotal point in our story.
As we continue growing and supplying one of the world’s finest and rarest wrappers, operating a world class distribution business and curating our Meerapfel Family Reserve Blends and MEERAPFEL Cigar that set a new benchmark for luxury - we are excited about our future.
We thank our partners, our customers and our aficionados for their unwavering support and loyalty, and we look forward to writing the next chapter of MEERAPFEL with you.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
Comments
Whøre ^
A smart Whøre, though. You have to give him that.
https://cigar-coop.com/2025/03/massive-fire-strikes-aj-fernandez-factory-in-esteli-cigar-news.html
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
Dang....
Near 1,500 employees work there. I hope it was not something stupid that started the conflagration.
Love thy neighbor
That sucks. Say what you want about AJ's cigars, he does a shít ton for the community.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
Ugh, I wonder what fire insurance is like in Nicaragua.
One good thing is that it’s not his only factory.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
I hope it's not where they make the vintage. Maybe it's where they make the Romeo nicaraguas
No big deal. Just saw those to Drew estate.
Steve Saka is not going to comply with California's new UTL (unflavored tobacco list) regulations which could make it difficult or impossible to find DTT cigars here next year.
More on Calif. UTL here: https://halfwheel.com/california-approves-unflavored-tobacco-list-plans/454080/
Quote from Steve Saka's Instagram.
DTT is choosing to not register our handmade puros for sale in the State of California per their recently enacted UTL regulations.
There are a variety of reasons: annoying cost, an unreasonable application process, their “you will bend the knee” attitude, but the biggest reason is I refuse to establish any legal corporate or tax nexus with the State of California - their Government is punitive, unreasonable and litigious against business in general, being in tobacco it is far worse
We are also removing their, imo, factually incorrect Prop 65 Warning Labels from all future boxes.
As of 1/1/2026, our handcrafted puros will be illegal, contraband goods in the State of California.
Our in-state Purveyors have been notified.
—
I understand most companies of any reasonable size are likely to comply, that is their prerogative and I don’t fault them for doing so.
However for DTT, I choose to abide by my principles over commercial concerns.
#
More companies should do the same and stand up to the corrupt California establishment.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
>
Unfortunately I believe that would be exactly what the State is really looking for. They really just want to make it so painful to do business in their state that all the evil tobacco will just go away.
Massachusetts seems to be heading in the same direction. All in the guise of public health.
I think it’s a little different. They try to tax and charge for this and that and regulate every business there. It’s not just tobacco. They want the extra revenue from the new regulations. The government officials are too arrogant to think someone would actually stop doing business with the mighty California.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
>
Can’t convince me. Requirements are too egregious. There is too much evidence requirements like these and overly aggressive taxation just end up reducing revenue. Judicious taxation and a positive business environment increase revenue. This is just another method to drive tobacco out of the state cloaked as a public safety/ tax gain regulation.
MA applied a 20% tax on top of the sales tax to all tobacco. Also outlawed flavored tobacco to protect the children and minorities (menthol was apparently targeted to minorities). Can’t get flavored pipe tobacco anymore due to the number of children that would be smoking pipes. You should see the lines of MA license plates at the stores just over the NH line to buy cigarettes now. MA can do the math to see the revenue they are losing. They don’t care as its not a tax issue, its really an anti-tobacco law.
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry? The way I see it, tobacco consumers are a small portion of their voting population. Targeted taxes and regulations on suppliers doesn’t hurt the majority of their voting base.
And as far as Massachusetts losing out…. I can still buy flavored tobacco from stores in Mass. and the state still gets their taxes out of it. If it was all about doing away with it they would.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
Autos are something people need, not a ‘luxury’ product. We will pretty much pay what we have to for cars as costs are passed along via the auto industry. Not like mass transit is good enough to be useful to all but a small portion of the population. We are stuck there.
Agreed tobacco buyers are a small group so in the long run the loss of their tax revenue is/will be inconsequential.
MA still allows internet sale of flavored pipe tobacco to out of staters. No in state sale other than L.J. Peretti who somehow got an exemption.
Are they more egregious than the regulations they put on the auto industry?
That was my question. My next question is are they more egregious than the ones they recently put on the pork industry?
Sure, both things could be considered things we “need” but that doesn’t make it any better does it? Did they do those things to try to eliminate automobiles and pork? Of course not. They did it to impose regulations that are enforced by their governments to produce revenue.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.
>
Don’t think they care how egregious any of their laws are. In those cases they did it to, and will generate revenue as they are necessities. Be interesting if the consumption of pork goes down as prices go up. Cigars are not a necessity. Ultimately laws like these will cause loss of revenue and the death of the cigar industry in CA and as you say a small base so no great loss.
Tax Man by the Beatles is now in my head:
"...that's one for you nineteen for me...should five percent appear too small, be thankful I don't take it all..."
Some things never change.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Those of you that like those Fuente Cameroons might wanna look at stocking up:
The following is the text of the public statement by Jeremiah Meerapfel on the split with Arturo Fuente.
The Meerapfel family has been in the tobacco trade for over 400 years. Over centuries, our family has overcome countless challenges. That the Meerapfel family continues to operate in the highest echelons of the cigar world is a true testament to our resilience, dedication and professional integrity. Throughout our history, Meerapfel has been committed to building and honoring trusted, personal relationships with our customers - delivering products and services that are synonymous with luxury and the highest expectations associated with this segment.
The skills we have learned through the trade and agricultural side of our business have been refined to deliver the very best to the end consumer. Meerapfel nurtures its relations in much the same way as we do our plantations, our tobacco and our teams.
For decades, our family has poured investment into our distribution business with a significant emphasis on the Arturo Fuente brands. Indeed our investment has gone well beyond the financial; committing our time, knowledge and passion to building the Arturo Fuente brands.
The two families have a history together spanning three generations and Meerapfel is incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve for the Fuente family.
Unfortunately, Fuente & Meerapfel have ceased trading together. We are disappointed and saddened by this, and it brings an important chapter in our esteemed history to a close.
We now find ourselves at a pivotal point in our story.
As we continue growing and supplying one of the world’s finest and rarest wrappers, operating a world class distribution business and curating our Meerapfel Family Reserve Blends and MEERAPFEL Cigar that set a new benchmark for luxury - we are excited about our future.
We thank our partners, our customers and our aficionados for their unwavering support and loyalty, and we look forward to writing the next chapter of MEERAPFEL with you.
If it don’t bother me, it don’t bother me. Just leave me alone.