La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Scheduled for Fall

La Flor Dominicana’s exclusives for Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) retailers in 2022 will be two massive new salomones.

As it has done in the past, La Flor Dominicana will offer retailers the option to purchase the cigar in one of two different wrappers—Natural or Maduro—though the company has not disclosed the varietals of either, nor has it disclosed the rest of the blend. It has said that this year’s release is based on the Golden Blend that the company has used for TAA releases since 2018. Those past Golden Blend cigars have used a Nicaraguan sun grown wrapper for the Natural versions and Connecticut broadleaf for the Maduro offerings. Underneath that has been a variety of Dominican tobaccos including a corojo 99 binder that the company said upon introduction was being used just for its TAA releases.

This year’s versions will be 7 x 64 salomones. Both cigars have an MSRP of $35 per cigar and are sold in boxes of 10 cigars. La Flor Dominicana said that production is limited to 750 total boxes between the two wrappers, though that 750 number will be split based on how retailers order. If past is prologue, it means there should be more boxes of Maduros than Naturals.

La Flor Dominicana says the cigars should ship to stores in late fall.

Also of note, Jon Carney, vp of sales for La Flor Dominicana, told halfwheel that this will be the final year for the Golden Blend theme. Next year, La Flor Dominicana will use a different concept 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., La Flor Dominicana, La Palina and Villiger have announced TAA 2022 releases.

Patrick Lagreid contributed to this story.