Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco Edición Americana TAA Exclusive Slated for Summer

This summer, Joya de Nicaragua’s Cuatro Cinco Belicoso will once again head to shelves, but it once again is going to be quite limited.

The company has announced that the 6 x 54 box-pressed belicoso version of its Cuatro Cinco Reserva Especial line will be Joya’s release for the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series Program for 2021. It uses a wrapper from Jalapa, Nicaragua over a Dominican binder and fillers from Nicaragua.

The Cuatro Cinco Edición Americana has an MSRP of $13.40 per cigar and is limited to 500 boxes of 10 cigars. Drew Estate, Joya de Nicaragua’s U.S. distributor, says the cigars should begin shipping to TAA stores over the summer.

This is not the first time the size has been released. In 2019, the company sent 1,000 boxes of the vitola to select stores as part of an event-only promotion.

“These are some of the best cigars that come out of our factory,” said Daniel Barrios, global communications manager for Joya de Nicaragua, in a press release. “The stories we tell with them need to be special. We have selected the Bald Eagle because of what it represents to our American friends, an example of stamina, power, and freedom. In 2021, JDN is celebrating Nicaragua’s independence bicentennial, and what a better symbol to connect us both than the symbol of freedom.”

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, 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, usually around 50 cents per cigar.

The TAA is hosting a virtual meeting today and then plans an in-person event at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic this October.

So far, seven companies have announced their TAA ESP releases for 2021:

• CLE
• Crowned Heads
• J.C. Newman
• Joya de Nicaragua
• La Flor Dominicana
• Kristoff
• Villiger

Update (March 25, 2021) — The original version of this story incorrectly stated the typical donation to TAA.