Diesel Tempest Announced as 2022 TAA Exclusive

The 2022 TAA Meeting & Convention kicked off yesterday which means many of the 2022 TAA exclusives are getting announced.

This year’s release from General Cigar Co./Forged Cigar Co. will be the Diesel Tempest. Very few details including the blend, size and price of the cigar have been disclosed to halfwheel but a representative for Forged Cigar Co. says, like other Diesels, the Tempest will be made by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua. The company expects the cigar to ship in August and it is limited to 1,000 boxes, though it hasn’t disclosed the quantity of cigars included in each box.

This is the second year in a row that Scandinavian Tobacco Group—parent of General Cigar Co. and Forged Cigar Co.—has chosen Diesel for its TAA exclusive.

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.

During the event—which began yesterday and runs until Thursday in Cabo San Lucas—the organization holds two selling events, one known as the Dream Machine where the retailers collectively order to secure larger discounts, while the other is a more traditional trade show. Typically, around a dozen manufacturers release new exclusive cigars for the retail members of the organization under the TAA Exclusive Series Program banner. Those manufacturers agree to give a portion of the proceeds to the organization, a minimum of 50 cents per cigar.

So far, Crowned Heads, Ferio Tego, Forged Cigar Co. and Villiger have announced TAA 2022 releases.