By E. Edward Hoyt III

Tobacco retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers gather at the Las Vegas Convention Center on April 24–26 for the 2008 Tobacco Plus Expo, which again broadened its scope to include more tobacco accessories and non-tobacco products. Following are highlights of new and interesting products seen at the expo.

Nordic American Smokeless, Inc., Danbury, Conn. (203-207-9975), is debuting several new lines of U.S.-made snus utilizing the Swedish process. Nordic Ice is a traditional Swedish snus, featuring smaller sized pouches and a drier formulation. Presented in a printed, embossed can, it is targeted towards metropolitan consumers. Klondike snus is a value-priced line targeted to the tradition loose tobacco customer, produced using a pasteurization process rather than fermentation. Consumers place the product in the upper lip rather than lower. It is available in both Long Cut and Fine Cut formats (Peppermint Blast, Original Wintergreen, or Straight), as well as in Pouches (Cherry, Original Wintergreen, and Frosted Mint).

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King Mountain, a Native American-owned manufacturer based in White Swan, Wash. (509-874-9935), has rolled out Vision Hunter roll-your-own, dedicated to late company founder John Hunter who was instrumental is creating the new line. It is available in Full Flavor, Light, Ultra Light, and Menthol styles, package in either 6 oz. or 16 oz. bags. and approved for sale in Missouri, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada.

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Commonwealth Tobacco, a unit of Imperial Tobacco, has launched Davidoff Cigarettes with an initial debut in New York. The new line is available in Classic, Lights, Menthol, and Menthol Lights.

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Cheyenne International, Grover, N.C., (866-254-6975), has launched a new line of flavored little cigars, Bodyshot, available in 100’s boxes in four styles - Mojito, Sangria, Rum & Cola, and Trance - featuring category-breaking eye-catching packaging.

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Alpha Tobacco International, Springfield, Mo. (417-886-2758) debuted its new American blend cigarettes, Mega in three styles - Red (full flavor), Blue (lights), and Green (menthol), which uses a natural, not synthetic, menthol flavoring. The value-priced product is presented in hard packs.

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Drew Estate, Miami, Fla. (888-224-6376) has rolled out a new coffee-infused premium cigar, Tabak Especial, a medium-bodied premium handrolled cigar infused with Fair Trade-harvested coffees from Nicaragua that delivers a “nuance” of espresso. The Nicaraguan-based manufacturer describes the cigar as “a unique crossover between traditional and infused cigars.” The rich tobacco blend is comprised for Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Criollo, a Sumatran TBN binder, and a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. Six frontmarks are offered - five parejo shapes and a perfecto, with suggested retail prices ranging from $4.00 to $6.75 per stick. Product packaging is rustic chest-style wood boxes of various sizes, from eight to 50 cigars.

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SX Brands, Richmond, Va. (888-875-5510) offers its flagship Criss-Cross line of RYO tobacco in five styles - full flavor, light, ultra-light, menthol, and light menthol - in either 6 oz. or 16 oz. retailer-friendly “standup” bags featuring customer-friendly carrying handles. The company also offers Southern Cross RYO tobaccos in 6 oz. tins in Full Flavor, Light, Ultra Light, Menthol, and Light Menthol styles and Southern Cross 200-count king size premium filtered MYO cigarette tubes in full flavor, light, and menthol styles.

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Swisher International, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. (800-874-9720) has rolled out Swisher Sweets Menthol Cigarillos, a new style in the company’s cigarillo line. The product is available in bonus box 60s, 25-count impulse displays, and 5-packs.

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German manufacturer Johann Wilhelm Von Eicken, imported in the U.S. by Connshade Cigar Corp., Miami, Fla. (786-293-5480) has launched new Bull Brand “volume tobacco,” MYO cigarette tobacco packed in 3.8 oz canisters that produce the same number of tube cigarettes - approximately one carton - as a regular 6 oz. can due to a proprietary manufacturing process that yields more cigarettes for less money… The company has also extended its Shepheard’s Hotel Virginia cigarettes, themed after the high society social live of the famous 1841 Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, with the new Shepheard’s Hotel Oriental blend. Shepheard’s are presented in 20-count clamshell boxes. The company has also added five new blends to its line of Manitou 100% natural, additive-free premium tobacco cigarettes. Joining the three original blends, now named Virginia Blue (full flavor), Virginia Gold (medium), and Virginia Pink (light), are the new Virginia Sky (ultra light), Virginia Menthol, American Red (full flavor American blend), American Blonds (light American blend), and Virginia Dark (full flavor dark blend). Piccolo are pre-measured 40 gm. single-use portions of pipe tobacco individually sealed for freshness and easy portability. Users simply open one end and press the tobacco into the pipe. Offered in Vanilla, Honey & Rum, and Vanilla Black Cavendish in 15-count cartons. A mixed Aroma Collection carton of all three varieties is also available.

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Republic Tobacco L.P., Glenview, Ill. (847- 832-9700) rolled out a “complete home makeover” for it’s TOP starter kits. Available in Regular, Light, and Menthol, all kits now include a free, newly-designed flip-top “strong box” to store finished cigarettes on the go. The kits also include two pouches of TOP tobacco, 100 TOP filter tubes, and a King Size Injector to get consumers on their way to making cigarettes like a pro.

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New Image Global, Inc., Corona, Calif. (888-898-6879) has launched Royal Blunts EZ Roll Double Up “roll out & tear” which features a double perforated wrap around a single tube and a resealable pouch to keep the second wrap fresh. Many flavors are offered including new French Martini. Also new are Players Choice cigars in cigarillos (Natural, Kush, Wet Mango, and Grape) or pipe tobacco-filled tipped cigars (Mild or Wine flavors) presented in resealable pouches in either 2-packs or 6-packs. Full marketing and promotional support is offered by the manufacturer.