Villiger TAA Exclusive 2021 Heading to Retailers This Week

Villiger has a new cigar on its way to retailers this week, but you’ll have to know where to look if you want to get your hands on some.

Rene Castañeda president of Villiger Cigars North America, told halfwheel that the company is ready to begin shipping its contribution to this year’s Tobacconists’ Association of America Exclusive Series Program, a 6 x 54 toro gordo that uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Dominican binder and filler. The cigars were made at Tabacalera Palma in the Dominican Republic and blended by the factory’s owner, Jose “Jochy” Blanco, who is also known for his La Galera line as well as working on a number of blends for other companies.

The cigar is limited to just 350 boxes of 20 cigars, with individual cigars having an MSRP of $9.50, both of which are changes from the quantity and price when the cigar was announced in February. In addition to the limited production, they will only be available through TAA stores, a group of about 80 retailers that represent some of the country’s top cigar shops.

Also of note, it will ship ahead of the organization’s annual gathering, which is generally held in the first months of the year but was moved to Oct. 24-28 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group is scheduled to resume its normal schedule in 2022, when it will meet in March.

This is the second consecutive year that Villiger has offered an exclusive cigar to the TAA, though the 2020 version was a different blend and was produced by EPC Cigar Co.’s Tabacalera La Alianza.