La Flor Dominicana’s popular chisel shape has been selected for the company’s 2020 TAA releases.

As it has done for the last few years, the company will offer its exclusive for Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) retailers in both natural and maduro options, the only manufacturer to do that for 2020.

Those cigars are the La Flor Dominicana TAA 52nd Oro Tercera Edición, which uses a Dominican binder and Dominican fillers, including a Dominican criollo 99 tobacco that La Flor Dominicana uses only in its TAA releases. The Natural version uses a Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper, while the Maduro uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper.

Both cigars are offered in the 6 1/2 x 58 box-pressed chisel size, which is a signature for La Flor. Its a heavily pressed torpedo size that comes to a flat angle that can allow the smoker to either cut the cigar normally or punch it.

Pricing for the cigars is $23 regardless of wrapper and each is offered in boxes of 20. La Flor Dominicana told TAA retailers that it expects to ship the cigars in September or October.

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 convention, the organization hosts two distinct selling events. One is known as the Dream Machine, an optional event where manufacturers offer the entire group of retailers tiered specials and discounts. The more the group collectively agrees to buy, the better the discounts and deals are for every retailer involved. In addition, the week includes a more traditional trade show which oftentimes sees some of the most aggressive discounts of the year.

This year’s meeting was supposed to take place this week but was postponed due to coronavirus and then canceled. Instead, the group met virtually on Wednesday where retailers had the opportunity to place orders.

Some of that buying included at least 14 new exclusives for TAA members from the following manufacturers:

The cigars wear bands that read 50, a reference to the organization’s 50th anniversary two years ago when these blends first debuted.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.