A.J. Fernandez Ships New World Redondo

The first round vitola in A.J. Fernandez’s New World line is en route to retailers, as this week the company began shipping the Redondo to members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA).

The new size, a 6 1/2 x 55 toro extra, is an exclusive vitola available only to members of the organization, meaning that its distribution will be fairly limited. So too will its availability, as the company has produced just 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars, with the first 500 boxes having left the company’s Miami warehouse the remaining 500 boxes expected to do the same in the coming weeks.

In addition to being the first round vitola in the line, the cigars wear a foot band that indicates they are a TAA exclusive, while the boxes feature a sticker bearing the TAA logo.

The TAA is made up of approximately 80 of the top retailers in the country as well as 40 or so manufacturers, though with many of the retailers having multiple locations the number of physical stores is a bit higher. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, which works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals.

In addition, the organization maintains its Exclusive Series program of cigars, a combination of one-off and ongoing releases available exclusively to members of the organization.

The cigar is one of a dozen released at this years’s TAA meeting and trade show, which occurred in late March. Some of those cigars have already begun arriving at retailers.