InterTabac 2019: Day 2

Patrick Lagreid suggested my coverage of the InterTabac Trade Fair could be improved, particularly when it came to focusing on the new products that debut during the event.

For most of the cigar companies you know of, there aren’t any new products. Rather, most of them will likely feature a product that was previously released in the U.S. but hasn’t been sold to international markets.

A minority of the companies exhibiting have new items, but even then a lot of them aren’t actually on sale yet. Looking at the list of new things I saw, one thing that’s apparent about InterTabac is that because it’s not a trade show where many companies are taking orders—like the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show—a lot of the new products don’t have pricing or other details finalized.

By no means is this a complete list, I only saw a fraction of the trade show floor, but here’s what stood out.

Arturo Fuente X Steffano Ricci

There are a variety of new Stefano Ricci accessories as part of the men’s clothing company’s partnership with Arturo Fuente. The highlight is this new desktop humidor, and I believe there’s actually another one that has a storage drawer for accessories, including an ashtray.

I never was told pricing, but this is definitively an instance of if you have to ask, you probably don’t want to know. For some context, a smaller Stefano Ricci ashtray retails for around $2,000.

Balmoral Añejo XO Oscuro Lancero FT Edición Limitada

I forgot to notice this and I imagine most people did as most conversations in the Royal Agio booth probably didn’t involved questions about what was new from a product perspective.

Bolívar Belicosos Finos 5th Avenue 30 Aniversario

This isn’t a new cigar and the packaging actually debuted earlier. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of 5th Avenue Products Trading GmbH, the German distributor of Cuban cigars, the company created a special packaging option for the Bolívar Belicosos Finos.

Czevitrum Ashtray

These are also not new, but this was the first time I’ve seen them. I’m told there’s about eight stores in the U.S. that are currently carrying the Polish-made ashtrays. They are stunning and I am buying some for the office.

H. Upmann Propios Edición Limitada 2018

There were parties for the Quai d’Orsay EL 2019 and the new Cohiba LCDH release before and during InterTabac 2019, albeit in Paris and Madrid respectively, but neither one of those cigars are actually scheduled for release.

Two weeks before, Germany took delivery of the last of the 2018 Edición Limitadas, which were on display in Dortmund.

Joya de Nicaragua Obras Maestras Sampler

This contains five cigars from Joya’s Obras Maestras series, basically its flagship blends including the No.1, Cinco Décadas and Cuatro Cinco. I’m guessing this will go on sale at some point, though not yet officially speaking.

Le Petit by Les Fines Lames

The new, smaller knife from Les Fines Lames was on display. Perhaps more notably, the company was taking orders from distributors and stores.

Because the new model is priced at $150 retail, it’s much more likely to be seen in a retailer, something I imagine will happen in the U.S. in 2020.

For reference, the one above was sent into space and is made of gold along with two diamonds. it’s priced at $13,223.

My Father & Tatuaje Samplers

New samplers for Europe featuring existing cigars from the two companies.

NUb Humidor Box

This is a new packaging option for NUb. It will be a bit more expensive than a normal 24-count box of NUbs, as it’s also capable of functioning as a humidor. It will come 24 cigars, six each of four blends.

Oliva plans a U.S. version for early 2020, though the box will likely be larger.

Oliva Serie V Melanio Limitada Diademia Limited Edition 2019

There were a few companies who had issues with products getting delayed, this was one of them and as such, never on display.

Rocky Patel Cigar Smoking World Championship

Rocky Patel is the new cigar sponsor of the Cigar Smoking World Championship and has created a new blend. Unlike previous editions, where the cigars—Macanudos—were just not-for-sale sizes of existing blends, Patel plans on selling the official cigar.

This isn’t the final packaging and pricing is still being determined, but it will go on sale in January.

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SAGA Short Tales Pocket Books

The SAGA Short Tales line, knowing for coming in boxes designed to look like books, will be offered in smaller, pocket-size books.

Total Flame Brothers Bridge

The concept is to have two cigars, joined at their feet sold as one cigar. So each coffin has four cigars, assuming you cut them at the blue line in the middle of the band.  It’s not a new concept, it’s actually patented.

Total Flame is currently selling Brothers Bridge in Russia, where the patent is unlikely to be worth enforcing, and at least one other company has tried this concept in the U.S., so maybe the cigar makes it to the U.S.

The advantage is that you can limit the amount you have to pay in taxes, if the tax rate is charged per cigar.

One interesting part of the Total Flame concept is that the coffins include a cutter.

Yagua

Here’s what I wrote at IPCPR 2019:

One of the more interesting cigars I’ve seen in a while. As the letter below explains, the cigar is inspired by Lazaro Lopez’s grandfather. Lopez, the manager of J.C. Newman’s PENSA factory in Nicaragua remembered that his grandfather would roll cigars without molds and then wrap them in rope made from the palm tree. What happens next is interesting, as the cigars take on unique shapes compared to the other cigars in the bundle.

Zino -Z- Collection

Davidoff showed off the new humidors and cigar cases as part of its latest Zino -Z- Collection update.