Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars - C.A.O. TO DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE WHILE PARTAGAS AND PUNCH GET CUBED AND TUBED

C.A.O. TO DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE WHILE PARTAGAS AND PUNCH GET CUBED AND TUBED

Plus: Partagas Sevilla Humijar draws heavy interest on eBay

Los Angeles, July 12 – A wave of new products is rolling into the cigar market as manufacturers get ready for the annual Retail Tobacco Dealers of American Convention & International Trade Show in New Orleans from August 6-10.

C.A.O. has decided to go exotic again with its newest cigar, while General will augment its new Bolivar and Partagas lines, profiled yesterday, with new tubed shapes:

• C.A.O.:
Nashville-based C.A.O. has been one of the most aggressive companies in the cigar market, introduced a bevy of new blends over the past five years: Brazilia in 2001, Criollo in 2002, its double-maduro Mx2 in 2003 and Italia – an award-winner for its graphics and package design – in 2004. Now it’s the Cx2 for 2005.

The new blend follows the double-up concept of the Mx2, which offered a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper and a Brazilian Mata Fina maduro binder to surround a four-nation interior blend. Now the Cx2 doubles up on the celebrated Cameroon leaf by using it for both wrapper and binder. The filler leaves are grown in Colombia and Nicaragua.

“Our vision with Cx2 was to take the spicy, sweet, earthy flavor profile that Cameroon tobacco is renowned for,” noted C.A.O. Vice President Tim Ozgener, “and essentially spotlight that taste and amplify it to produce the most flavorful cigar possible.”

It’s a great idea, but not the first brand to try it. Careful readers of our Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars will note that two other small brands currently on the market use Cameroon wrapper and binder on the same cigar: Rafael de Habana from Havana Boys Cigars, made in Nicaragua in six sizes and SPC, part of the Lars Tetens family, made in upstate New York in three sizes.

C.A.O. will debut the Cx2 in three sizes at the RTDA, all packed in boxes of 20:

> Rob, a 5-inch by 52-ring gauge robusto;

> Toro, 6 x 54, and

> Beli, a 7 x 56 torpedo.

The cigar will ship in mid-August, after the show is completed.

• General Cigar:
In addition to its aggressive introduction of new Bolivar and Partagas Cifuentes Summer Blend cigars detailed yesterday, General is also introducing new tubed shapes in the Partagas and Punch lines:

> The Partagas line will add the “Padre” shape, a 6-inch by 50-ring toro, offered in an aluminum tube. Although the Partagas range is large, it did not have a “toro” in the line, although the Aristocrat is a 6 x 50 torpedo. At a suggested price of $6 each, it’s bound to be popular. It will be offered in boxes of 20.

The other aluminum-tubed cigar in the Partagas line, the Sabroso (5 7/8 x 44), is getting what General calls “an extreme makeover” but will still be offered as a tubed cigar in boxes of 20.

> The Sabroso size will also be introduced in the Partagas Spanish Rosado range, the first tubed cigar in that line. It will have the same dimensions as the Partagas Sabroso and will also be presented in boxes of 20.

> A tubed cigar called the “Libertad” will be introduced to the Punch Gran Puro line. A robusto of five inches by 52 ring, it’s a little longer than the 4 1/2-inch by 52-ring Santa Rita and promises to become one of the most popular shapes in the range.

Cigars in tubes promise to be one of the trends to watch at the upcoming RTDA show. Despite the wide availability of excellent one-to-three cigar cases from Cigar Classics, Csonka, Savinelli and others, tubos are gaining in popularity. According to General Cigar’s Vice President of Marketing Cooper Gardiner, “Consumer demand for tubed cigars is fueling this prevalent trend within the cigar industry.”

“Since the new tubed cigars offer freshness and portability – which are two important criteria for premium cigar smokers – we believe that they will be fast-selling additions to the Partagas and Punch portfolios.”

He’s probably right.

Hammer time:
Speaking of Partagas, an elegant Partagas Sevilla Humijar drew a big audience on eBay for an auction which ended last week.

The porcelain Sevilla Humijar, which is also pictured on the cover of our third edition of Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Havana Cigars, was made by Pickman, S.A. of Spain into the 1970s. This was, from a seller in Miami, a jar in excellent condition and it drew 16 bids for a seven-day auction which ended last week.

From a starting price of $9.95, a total of 16 bids were received, ending at a remarkable $621.00, one of the highest prices seen in the last seven years for such a recent item.

On eBay this week is a nice example of a pre-embargo glass jar for La Corona Grandees. It’s in fairly good condition and has drawn eight bids so far with the auction due to close on Friday. Bidding was at $80.00 on Monday afternoon. Happy bidding!
~ Rich Perelman

Bookmark

Email This

Comments (0) add comment