In addition to the all-Costa-Rican tobaccos, The Fundación Ancestral series also uses the etubado bunching Cuban method of cigar rolling, called Dead-Center Ligero, and finally, is finished with a panuelo (handkerchief) cap for easier cutting and to prevent unraveling.

The Vuelta Arriba 1942 and Villa Clara 1943 will be available in Churchill, corona, robusto, and torpedo sizes, range in price from $10.50 to $12 each, and are packaged in bitter cedar boxes of 25, as well as in 5-pack Fundación Ancestral samplers.

Two hand made, Honduran-Puros are offered: the Joey ($5.00 suggested retail) is a 5x50 robusto with a Habano wrapper boasting a medium-full taste while the Dingo ($6.00 retail) is a 6 x 54 torpedo yielding a mild-medium taste with a Sun Grown wrapper.

In addition to the unique name and logo, cigars are shipped in a velvet pouch as opposed to the standard box. The company also offers golf caps and tee shirts sporting its unique logo.

Erik Espinosa of EO said that he doesn’t believe that the Cubao will be competing with its flagship brand, the 601. “A true cigar smoker needs variety, and will embrace the new stick, knowing that Pepin and EO can be counted on for the consistency of their product.” The Cubao’s introduction follows the launch of EO’s 601.

Bravo Cigar has marketing offices in Madison, Wis. with crop production and hand assembly of the cigars in Colombia. Says Juarez, a cigar enthusiast himself, “Bravo Cigar brings a truly one-of-a-kind product to the premium import cigar category, and it’s that point of difference that will bring new flavor and enjoyment” to cigar enthsiasts.

The Colombian Gold cigars come in five traditional sizes including, perfecto (4 1/2 x 50), robusto, (5 x 50), toro (6 x 50), torpedo (6 1/2 x 50) and Churchill (7 x 50), and coming soon in the Colombian Gold “Limitado Edicion Presidente” (8 x 50).

Other series in the Bravo Cigar family include: Sosegado, a super-premium line with five Colombian tobaccos; North Coast, made exclusively with South America’s northern coast sun grown tobaccos; the Roberto Juarez Signature series, a blend of tobaccos from Colombia and around the world; and the Corto, a short & chubby Perfecto cigar (4 1/2 x 50) with rich blends of aromatic Colombian tobacco.

City Limited Edition cigars are “extremely rich and elegant hand crafted cigars” featuring a blend of Habano Vuelata Arriba, Olor Dominciano, and Criollo 98 filler; Olor Dominicano binder; and Criollo 98 Dominican wrapper. Nine sizes are offered: Chicago (6 x 50 torpedo), St. Petersburg (5 x 40 lonsdale), Los Angeles (6 x 58 gordo), Miami (6 1/2 x 54 belicoso), New York (7 x 48 Churchill), Madrid (6 x 46 toro), Kiev (5 1/2 x 42 corona), Las Vegas (7 x 50 presidente) and Mosco (5 x 50 robusto).

The cigars are presented in black, 24-count wood boxes each featuring an original handpainted artwork collage on the lid capturing scenes and sights unique to each city.

Also new from the El Rey de Los Habanos company is Tabacos Baez, a blend created and manufacturered in Estelí, named after the small Cuban town of Baez where Pepin Garcia was born and learned his tobacco blend and cigar rolling skills. The blend is medium-bodied with a Connecticut wrapper, offered initially in two sizes: Monarcas (6 1/2 x 52 toro grande), and Favoritos (5 1/2 x 52 belicosos), presented in wooded boxes of 20.

Davidoff is Imperial Tobacco’s lead international strategic brand, and one of the top luxury cigarette brands in the world, already well-established in over 100 countries with particular areas of strength throughout markets in Greece, Taiwan, and the Middle East.

Manufactured to the highest quality standards utilizing a fine blend of Burley, Virginia, and Oriental tobaccos, Davidoff was the first brand to introduce an octagon-shaped pack - a unique, contemporary design that helps to better protect the cigarettes inside. The foil inside the pack is specially coated to protect the cigarettes and the freshness of the tobacco, while a premium film is heat-sealed around the pack using a special vacuum process, retaining a higher level of moisture than most films allow.

Different markets require different blends to best match the taste expectations of their consumers, and the Davidoff blend used in the United States product has been carefully matched to meet the demands of smokers here. Initially, four styles are available: Davidoff Classic, Davidoff Lights, Davidoff Menthol, and Davidoff Menthol Lights. 

Smoker’s Choice 10-count Packs are be available in the brands three most popular blends: Original, Light, and Menthol. Smoker’s Choice is also available in traditional 20-count soft pack King Size and soft pack 100’s in Original, Light, Menthol, Xtreme Menthol, Cherry, and Vanilla, as well as economical 50-count individually-packaged Singles in Original, Light, and Menthol.