The Angel’s Anvil 2015 Slated for June

As expected, the exclusive release for members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) is back for another year.

The Angel’s Anvil—TAA Exclusive 2015 is the second TAA exclusive from the company. This year’s version is a 6 x 52 toro that will be priced at $10.50 and is being rolled at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. factory in the Dominican Republic. Like the first release in 2014, there will only be 1,000 boxes of 20 produced.

It uses Nicaraguan tobacco for both the binder and filler and is covered in a habano leaf from Ecuador. According to Crowned Heads co-owner Jon Huber, the blend is “a step up in body” compared to the 2014 version, and was inspired by the company’s first limited edition release in 2012, the Four Kicks Mule Kick.

The marketing materials explains the meaning behind The Angel’s Anvil name:

Legend has it that there was one fallen angel, in particular, who fell to Earth from the heavens, finding himself alone and lost.  Unlike other fallen angels who were content to wander the earth in a soulless state of purgatory, this angel became bound and determined to find his way back to Heaven.

The angel soon realized that his only way back would be for him to forge a new set of wings by which he could ascend back to the heavenly skies.  He walked the countryside for days and days, until he came upon a blacksmith.  The blacksmith gave the angel a hammer and an anvil, and said to him, “With these tools you will forge your new wings.  With these wings, you will announce the words, ‘Ascend Word He,‘ and you will find your way home.”

There are two packaging changes to this year’s release. Most noticeably the bands have changed colors, but the 2015 version uses Roman numerals instead of Arabic numerals found on last year’s release.

The TAA is a group of approximately 80 retailers located throughout the U.S. who meet once per year. Numerous manufactures produce exclusive blends or sizes of existing blends for the group every year, and 2015 is no exception, with Quesada Cigars, Tatuaje, Nat Sherman, La Flor Dominicana and Kristoff already announcing plans for cigars. The 2015 TAA meeting and convention will take place April 12-16 in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic.

Huber told halfwheel that the The Angel’s Anvil–TAA Exclusive will ship in June.