The Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) is celebrating its 49th anniversary, but a 50th anniversary cigar is on its way to TAA stores.

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has begun the normal release of the Rocky Patel Martinique, a 6 x 52 Honduran puro that is made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the trade organization. MSRP is $8 and the cigar comes in boxes of 10.

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.

This is not the first time the Martinique has appeared, however. It was on the company’s price list ahead of last year’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, though the cigar was not released at that point.

Alec BradleyAsylumCrowned Heads, La Flor DominicanaLa Palina and My Father have already shipped their TAA releases for 2017.

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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.