Sazerac Co. and STG Team Up for Buffalo Trace Prohibition Collection Series #2

Over the past few years, Sazerac & Co. and Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) have become frequent collaborators, putting 11 projects into the market that draw on the companies’ respective brands. Today, a new limited production collection goes on sale that sees five unique cigar blends created to pair with the five spirits that are part of Buffalo Trace’s Prohibition Collection Series #2 liquid.

• Old Fashioned Mountain Corn uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Honduran binder, and Nicaraguan filler. As the name suggests, the spirit is a Kentucky straight corn whiskey.
• Anderson’s Belle features a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The corresponding spirit is a wheated bourbon whiskey.
• Silver Wedding is a Honduran puro, with a corojo wrapper and undisclosed varietals used for the binder and filler. The spirit is a Kentucky straight rye whiskey.
• V.O.P., which stands for Very Old Procurable, has an Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The spirit is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.
• Mirror Brook uses two Honduran wrappers, one a corojo and the other a maduro, to create a barber pole design. Underneath that is a Honduran binder and a filler that has tobacco from Nicaragua and Panama. The spirit is a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys.

“Customers can expect a variety of flavor profiles across the blends ranging from medium-to medium-full cigars with hints of dry fruit, allspice, and leather,” said Ed Hall, senior brand manager at STG, via a press release. “This balanced smoking experience coats the palate with silky light smoke and has a long finish. This collection showcases our expertise by developing a set of distinctive profiles for even the most expert cigar enthusiast.”

All five blends are offered in a 6 1/2 x 52 toro, and each set comes with five of each blend for a total of 25 cigars per set. Pricing for the cigars is set at $500, with production limited to 750 individually numbered boxes. The cigars are debuting at Cigora, but other retailers can get them via Meier & Dutch, which is distributing the cigars. STG is not disclosing which factory made the cigars, but did say it is located in Honduras.

As for the spirits, those are also being released today and commemorate the whiskeys legally produced and sold at the distillery while the 18th Amendment was in effect. ‍During that time, known as Prohibition and which lasted from 1920 to 1933, the United States banned the production, sale and transportation of alcohol. However, purchasing alcohol was legal with a medical prescription, and only six distilleries were granted licenses by the U.S. government to bottle medicinal whiskey, one of which was George T. Stagg Distillery, which is now known as Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The spirits set, which includes a 375 ml of each of the five spirits, has a suggested retail price of $999.99. The collection is housed in a custom wooden display case that features historical images of the distillery, while the bottles are inspired by their Prohibition Era packaging and original bottle size. As another nod to the era, the back cartons feature a cut-out for doctors to apply the prescription for medicinal whiskey, which was needed to legally purchase alcohol.

“A glass of whiskey and a fine cigar form a timeless pairing, embodying craftsmanship and the joy of savoring life’s finest moments,” said Andrew Duncan, global brand director of Buffalo Trace Distillery, via a press release. “Our Prohibition Collection commemorates brands produced at Buffalo Trace over a century ago that were once lost to time but have now returned with some of our best whiskies to delight the modern palate. Forward-looking, partnering with the Scandinavian Tobacco Group, who share our passion for innovation, allows us to continue creating exceptional experiences for connoisseurs to enjoy for centuries.”

Update (Jan. 16, 2025) — Added additional information about the wrappers on Mirror Brook and Anderson Belle, as well as that the cigars are made in Honduras.

 

Images courtesy of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.