L’Atelier Imports Expanding Racine, Selection Spéciale & Surrogates at IPCPR 2014

The new products in the L’Atelier Imports booth at this year’s IPCPR convention and trade show are beginning to take shape including extensions to all of the company’s premium labels.

As expected, the company will release the L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER14, a follow-up to last year’s ER13. Last year the company released a 5 7/8 x 52 robusto extra, this year it will be a 6 1/8 x 52 torpedo. It is the same blend as last year and will once again be offered in 20-count boxes. Pricing is expected around $9.50 per cigar.

The Racine concept is the company’s trade show exclusive. It is a limited cigar sold only to retailers who physically place orders at the company’s trade show booth as a reward for those who attend and place orders at the trade show. Sean “Casper” Johnson told halfwheel the company has not determined how many will be made as it will depend on orders, but retailers will only be allotted a single shipment.

Two new vitolas will be added to the company’s Selection Spéciale, which uses a higher-priming of the Sancti Spiritus wrapper. The 6 1/8 x 52 LAT Selection Spéciale Torpedo will retail for around $9.50, while the 7 1/2 x 38 LAT 38 Selection Spéciale will likely retail for $10. Both cigars will come in 20-count boxes and are limited, but ongoing production. These two vitolas will bring the total Selection Spéciale releases to four following the original 46 SS and event-only Selection Spéciale Robusto.

Surrogates will be receiving an extension in the form of the new Satin Glove. It is a 7 x 47 box-pressed churchill that features a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. Sources told halfwheel the cigar was originally named Velvet Glove, but the name has since changed. Pricing is still being determined.

Johnson told halfwheel the company is making substantial efforts to make sure its products are ready to ship immediately following the trade show. The cigars are made at My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua.

While those four cigars represent all of the confirmed releases, but at least one project remains in the works for a potential trade show debut.

The 2014 IPCPR convention and trade show takes place July 19-23, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Images via L’Atelier Imports)

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.