Plasencia Adding Verification Chips to Bands

Next month the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto I Hexagon Colorado Claro will begin shipping with security chips embedded into the bands of cigars.

It’s part of a new partnership with Legacy Secure, Inc., a technology company that aims to sell its CigarSecure technology. The technology will have a variety of uses, including different ones for consumers and manufacturers. It works by placing the band of the cigar near a smartphone. Similar to a QR code, once the band has been placed near the smartphone, an option to open a webpage shows up on a consumer’s smartphone. Notably, no specialized app is needed.

That page allows the consumer to see that their cigar is authentic, as well as brings up a webpage that can deliver all sorts of information about the cigar. In Plasencia’s case, that webpage will show the tasting notes.

For cigar companies, the technology can provide detailed analytics about consumption patterns and an ability to interact directly with end consumers who are smoking their products. Legacy Secure also hints at aspects that could use blockchain technology to document the tobacco—and how it was grown—and other supply chain elements.

Plasencia says that it has a six-month exclusivity agreement to use the technology. So far, the company has only announced the tech for the Alma Fuerte Sixto I Hexagon Colorado Claro.

Brooks Whittington contributed to this story.