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New Orleans, August 12, 2010 – "We want to do three million to five million cigars a year, tops.
"We introduced the core line here, we have other projects we are working on for 2011 and for 2012, plus we will do a new limited edition each year and a Short Run, also on an annual basis."
Now you know the development plan for the EPC Cigar Company from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo himself, surrounded by his son, Ernie and daughter, Lissette and their sales team, busily writing orders from tobacconists attending the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association convention and trade show.
The long-awaited EPC "core blend" debuted, featuring an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler leaves. It's medium-to-full in body and available in six sizes from a standard robusto called "Encantos" up to a 6 1/4-inch by 60-ring "Golosos." Pricing is accessible at $6.45 to $8.70 each, not including local taxes.
"People who have tried it have really liked it," said Perez-Carrillo, characterizing the blend as combining spices, creaminess and strength.
EPC also introduced its Edicion Limitada 2010, also medium-to-full in body, but of a completely different nature, with a Brazilian maduro wrapper, Dominican binder and Nicaraguan filler. Offered only in boxes of 10, a mere 1,000 boxes were made (10,000 cigars total). With this small production, noted Perez-Carrillo, "we can use great tobaccos that we find and make interesting cigars."
The debut of the E.P. Carrillo main line was a highlight of this year's show, but there are many others:
Kaizad Hansotia of Gurkha, known for his out-of-this-world packaging and prices, introduced two new blends, named Ninja and Viper, in traditional cedar boxes, with modest bands and very reasonable pricing. The Ninja comes in six sizes, is quite full-bodied with a dark Brazilian wrapper and costing $5.05 to $6.25 per stick at retail. The Viper is also full-bodied with a Dominican-grown wrapper in six sizes, priced from $4.85 to $6.55. "No one expected this from us," said Hansotia, "but this is a real Gurkha at very competitive prices. This is what our customers said they wanted, and we want to deliver it to them."
On the other end of the scale, the box price for the stunning His Majesty's Reserve line went up from $15,000 to $16,.000 for the chest of 20. Does anyone actually buy these things? National Sales Manager John Tirpak noted, "They are mostly bought as gifts and we sell about 70 or 72 of them a year."
Civil War fans will enjoy the new Battleground Cigars line of 8 1/2-inch long by 48-ring cigars known as the President size, which comes with your choice of a band saluting any one of four Union Generals (Grant, Custer, Hancock or Chamberlain) or one of four Confederate Generals (Lee, Jackson, Forrest or Pickett). No Abe Lincoln, though.
This new size comes in an attractive gift pack of nine, in either natural or maduro, priced at $90.00. This brand continues to offer sensational inside-the-lid Civil War battle scenes, adding to the authentic feeling of this unique blend.
There are cigars whose mere appearance makes the smoker's mouth water and Litto Gomez may well win the prize for this year's most luscious-appearing cigars with his new limited-edition Salomones, but now wrapped in an oily Ecuadorian-grown maduro wrapper.
As with the original Salomones production, the maduro-wrapped line comes in a spectacular display box of 10, fanned out in a quarter-circle. Each is 10 inches long with a maximum ring gauge of 64 and is priced at $238.00 per box . . . if you can find one!
American readers of the European Cigar Journal have long noted the excellent ratings earned by the La Libertad brand, not previously imported into the U.S. That's changed now, with Villiger Stokkebye bringing La Libertad to market. Made in the Dominican Republic, this is a medium-bodied cigar with an exotic make-up of a Peruvian Habano-seed wrapper, Peruvian binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero filler leaves. Three sizes will be offered to start, all in boxes of 20 for between $5.25 and $5.90 each. This will be one to watch closely.
The IPCPR show continues through Friday afternoon, and we'll have full coverage daily.
~ Rich Perelman
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