PCA 2021: Lotus Group

The Lotus Group, which also produces the Vertigo brand, kept its new offerings under wraps in the weeks leading up to the 2021 PCA Convention & Trade Show, seemingly due to uncertainty about when products would be ready to ship to retailers. The company doesn’t like to show off products for which it doesn’t have a firm shipping date set, and as such, the company waited until the doors opened to reveal its newest products. Some of them are shipping now, while others will be coming in its next shipment, which is slated for the end of August. The company was also giving some sneak peaks to other new products that are slated for later in the year, the bulk of which are slated to be new additions to the Lotus portfolio.

As for the booth, it’s a design that the company has used for several years, and it is definitely one focused on the meetings that happen between retailers and sales reps that result in orders for product. The company does have a quartet of display cases in the center of the booth that shows off the new and existing products of its portfolio, but the real action happens at the desks, where reps have a collection of display trays with all the new products.

Editor’s Note: The Lotus Group asked us not to photograph any of the specific items in the booth. We abided by that request and instead are using the images provided by the company. From what I understand, most—if not all—of the items listed below were in Las Vegas. — CM.

Lotus Fury – 2nd Edition

In terms of lighters that I’d like to have in my pocket, this newest edition of the Fury is one of the top options I saw in the Lotus booth this year. It’s a double flame, with the two jets angled together to create a more precise flame but also offer that extra flame for thicker cigars or heavier tobacco. It has a push-button, single-action ignition that is very easy to light, plus it offers a tinted fuel tank and a flip-out cigar punch, all in a metal body that measures 3.5 x 1.875 x .675 inches. It’s available in four colors: copper, gunmetal, chrome and black matte, and like all Lotus and Vertigo lighters, it comes with a lifetime warranty.

MSRP: $49.95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

Lotus Jaws – New Finish

The Jaws has been one of the company’s top cutters since it debuted in 2015 thanks to its sharp, serrated blends that can handle cigars up to a 58 ring gauge. The company is adding a new copper and brown color option this year that maintains all the features of the original, meaning double action stainless steel blades, all-metal housing, and a limited lifetime warranty.

MSRP: $34.95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2021

Lotus Resin Barrel Ashtray

You can now smoke your favorite barrel-aged cigars and ash them in an ashtray that also looks like a barrel, or at least the top of one. It’s made out of polyresin, measuring 2 inches high by 8 inches in diameter. It also comes with a lid (not pictured) that nests in the base for easy storage, and then can keep your ashes from blowing all over if you leave your ashtray outside and don’t feel like emptying it. The lid can also be customized with a logo or other design, and it is part of a collection that includes a barrel-shaped cigar canister and a half-liter mug with a cigar rest.

MSRP: $29.95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2021

Lotus USA Case Gift Set

This is a new set featuring a two-finger cigar case with a textured leather-look. It can hold two cigars up to 62 ring gauge. It also comes with a VC200 Big Boy cutter and a pocket for it stitched on the front of the flag design.

Production: Regular Production

MSRP: $39.95

Release Date: July 2021

Vertigo Crown

This powerful quad flame lighter gets its name from the design of the cap, which allows it to function as a cigar rest. Beyond that, it offers all-metal housing, a fold-out punch, a single action ignition, and a promise that it will work at elevations up to 12,000 feet. It’s available in four colors: black crackle, gun satin, chrome satin and copper.

Production: Regular Production

MSRP: $24.99

Release Date: August 2021

Vertigo Envoy

This new triple-flame lighter makes a solid case to be your everyday carry, as it also offers a fold-out punch cutter, it works at elevations up to 12,000 feet, and when laid on its side, serves as a sturdy place to rest your cigars due to the curved front side. It also offers a sizable fuel tank with a large fuel window, while the housing is all metal. It’s still pocket-friendly, measuring 3 x 1.25 x .45 inches, and is offered in four colors: black with a polished gun trim, dark brown with polished copper trim, stain gun with a polished gun trim, and dark brown with polished copper trim. This should be on store shelves towards the end of August or possibly early September.

MSRP $29.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: Summer 2021

Vertigo Gauntlet – New Finishes

The Gauntlet is a budget-friendly, triple-flame lighter that gets three new colors: chrome, gunmetal rubberized and black rubberized. In the case of the latter two, the rubberized body offers a unique texture from what you might find on many lighters. Like the other colors, the Gauntlet features metal housing, a clear fuel tank, fold-out punch cutter, a large flame adjuster, and can work at elevations up to 12,000 feet. It measures 2.75 x 1.625 x .625 inches, making it easy to slip into a pocket or travel humidor.

MSRP: $19.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2021

Vertigo Gladiator

The Gladiator might not be chiseled like the movie images of a combatant in a Roman arena, but it is a beefy lighter that will make quick work of lighting your next cigar. It’s a triple flame lighter that comes in all-metal housing and offers a built-in punch on its base while working at elevations up to 12,000 feet. It measures 2.62 x 1.56 x .75, which keeps it portable even if the body design feels a bit bigger in the hand. It’s offered in four finishes: satin chrome, satin gold, gunmetal and black crackle

MSRP: $19.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

Vertigo Lounge Buddy

In pretty much every cigar accessory booth that I cover at the trade show, there is something that catches me off guard, and in this case it was the Lounge Buddy, a combination cigar cutter and bottle opener. It’s all metal, the cutter is a single guillotine that can handle up to a 64 ring gauge cigar, and the bottle opener can handle, well, pretty much any bottle with a lid. An interesting accessory that I’d never really considered, and one that I’m not really sure I’d use, but one that would seemingly come in handy more times than I might think.

MSRP: $19.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

 

Vertigo Stinger 2nd Edition

The Vertigo Stinger gets an updated design while maintaining its powerful quadruple jet flame that is ignited via a single-action ignition mechanism. Its large fuel tank ensures you can easily see how much butane you have left in the tank, while a large flame adjuster wheel on the base makes it easy to dial in just the right amount of flame. It also offers a punch cutter and will work at elevations up to 12,000 feet, while measuring 3.25 x 1.375 x .75 inches. It’s offered in either a clear or charcoal body color.

MSRP: $15

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2021

Vertigo Sumatra

Like the Lotus Fury above, the Vertigo Sumatra offers a pair of jet torches angled together to a point to create a precise yet powerful lighter. The lid design is easily the most interesting aspect, a single-action mechanism that pulls back the protective covering in two sections, while the lighter also offers a fold-out punch, fuel window, and ignition guarantee at elevations up to 12,000 feet. This is one that seemed to fit quite well in the hand, measuring 2.62 x 1.45 x .51 inches. It’s offered in for colors: satin gunmetal, satin chrome, gloss white with a black lid, and anodized black. Each one also comes with a protective pouch.

MSRP: $19.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

Vertigo Windsor

A new spin on the triple-flame torch with a built-in punch cutter, the Windsor offers a single action ignition, all-metal housing, a large fuel adjuster, fuel window, and will light at elevations up to 12,000 feet. It measures 2.95 x 1.45 x .70 inches, making it pocket and travel humidor friendly, while being offered in three finishes: black, chrome and gunmetal.

MSRP: $29.99

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

Vertigo 40-Count Travel Case

If you’re looking for a sizable new travel humidor, Vertigo is releasing a new 40-count model. It’s watertight, airtight and offers impact-resistant construction. The foam inserts are removable, it comes with a bead humidifier in the lid, a sturdy rubberized carrying handle on the front, as well as large clips making it easier to open, and offers an air release valve to make it easy to open when you’ve been traveling.

MSRP: $99.95

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2021

 

Images courtesy of The Lotus Group/Integral Logistics.