Revamped Respect & Nth Degree Coming from AKA Cigars

Dallas, Texas-based AKA Cigars will have two new lines at the 2013 IPCPR trade show and convention: Respect 2013 and Nth Degree. The company is updating the blend of its debut release to include a five-year-old Criollo Ligero wrapper, a four-year-old Corojo ’59 Honduran binder and Dominican and Honduran fillers, including a seven-year-old Coyolar tobacco from Honduras.

The company has discontinued the Rothchildes size and now seven sizes for the line: Taps (4 1/2 x 42, $5.50), Guard (6 x 44, $8.00), Hooah (5 1/2 x 50, $8.50), 3-Volley Salute (7 x 38, $8.50), Aim High (7 1/4 x 50, $9.00), Ancors Aweigh (6 1/2 x 54, $9.50) and Devil Dog (6 x 60, $9.95). Because of the aged tobaccos, the company has increased prices slightly across the board and expects the blend to last no longer than two years, at which point it will do another update, which will be signified by another change in name.

Last year, the company announced its plans for Nth Degree as a potential late 2012 release, but that has been pushed back until the mid-July trade show. AKA Cigars has chosen a four-year-old San Andrés Broadleaf wrapper for its maduro over a similarly-aged Dominican binder and a mixture of four-year-old and five-year-old fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Peru.

“We are trying to go back to the way ‘Maduros’ used to be, a nice ‘medium body’ cigar with rich lush chocolate notes and a natural sweetness that everyone can enjoy,” said Jay Lundy, president of AKA Cigars. “Most all of the Maduros on the market today are medium-full to full body cigars that the majority of smokers are afraid to smoke for the fear that it’s going to be too strong.  We are ‘hoping’ our new maduro will change that and it will be something the masses can enjoy.”

Six sizes will be available at launch: Apex (4 1/2 x 42, $5.25), Pinnacle (6 x 44, $7.75), Infinite (5 1/2 x 50, $8.25), Eternal (7 1/4 x 50, $8.75), Perpetual (6 1/ 2 x 54, $9.25) and Absolute (6 x 60, $9.75). The latter five sizes are all packaged in 18-count boxes, while the Apex is available in boxes of 24.

AKA Cigars is made at Oettinger Davidoff Group’s Honduras-based AgroIndustrias Laepe, SA factory.