CAO Expedición Arrives at TAA Stores

General Cigar Co.’s 2020 TAA release is now in stores.

The CAO Expedición is a 6 1/8 x 50 toro that is offered exclusively to retailers who are part of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA). It uses a Connecticut broadleaf oscuro wrapper over a Connecticut shade binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. While most CAOs are made at STG Estelí in Nicaragua, this cigar is made at STG Danlí in Honduras.

It is priced at $9.49 per cigar and limited to 1,200 boxes of 10 cigars.

The TAA is a fairly small group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, about 80 retailers as well as 40 or so manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants.

The 2020 meeting was supposed to take place from March 22-26 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico but was canceled due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the group met virtually in late March where retailers had the opportunity to place orders, including cigars in the TAA Exclusive Series Program.

This year 14 companies have new TAA ESP releases:

• AJ Fernandez
• CLE
• Crowned Heads
• Drew Estate
• E.P. Carrillo
• General Cigar Co.
• Kristoff
• La Aurora
• La Flor Dominicana
• La Palina
• My Father
• Nat Sherman International
• Rocky Patel
• Tatuaje
• Villiger