For the first time ever, Villiger Cigars North America will have an exclusive release for members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America, Ltd. (TAA). And if that wasn’t enough, the cigar will also mark the first time the company is working with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.

The Villiger TAA Exclusive 2020 is a 6 x 54 box-pressed toro. It uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Production is limited to 500 boxes of 20 cigars. Pricing is set at $9 per cigar.

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 year’s TAA Convention & Meeting takes place March 22-26 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

TAA members also have access to a variety of exclusive cigars made under the TAA Exclusive Series Program. Tatuaje has also announced it will have a TAA release for 2020.

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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.