The newest Tatuaje TAA exclusive is off to stores.
Tatuaje has begun shipping the TAA 51st, a 5 x 52 box-pressed robusto with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. This year’s cigar is a departure from the company’s typical TAA exclusives, which have almost exclusively used Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. With the exception of the wrapper change, many of the details will remain the same as last year. It’s priced the same, $11.95 per cigar, and production is limited to 60,000 cigars.
This year’s cigar also features a slightly different band. The colors of the Mexican flag are used instead of the red, white and blue combination that has adorned seven of the eight previous Tatuaje TAAs.
The Tobacconists’ Association of America (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.
In addition to those deals, many of the same manufacturers produce exclusive cigars for the retail members. This year 11 companies released exclusives for TAA stores: A.J. Fernández, CLE, Crowned Heads, E.P. Carrillo, General Cigar Co., J.C. Newman, La Flor Dominicana, La Palina, My Father, Nat Sherman and Tatuaje.
This is the ninth consecutive year Tatuaje has made a TAA release.