Basic HTML Version
32
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
JULY/AUGUST 2012
highlight of the show.
Also in the legislative vein, the
IPCPR show will present several
“Step Up” Awards to the members
and/or exhibitors who have “gone
above and beyond the call [of duty]
helping with legislative matters and
issues in their state,” Spann adds.
Larger, Stronger
From a stogie product standpoint,
cigars highlighted by exhibitors at
the show are expected to elevate the
latest in consumer trends. The way
Spann tells it, cigar-smoker trends
have followed the path of larger-ring
gauges and stronger blends over the
years. “As the consumers edge away
from small cigars and look for the big
powerhouses, we expect exhibitors
to reveal many products with these
characteristics,” he says.
La Tradicion Cubana Inc./
Tabacalera LTC is one that reflects
bigger ring sizes and stronger
blends. In fact, the company has
been “manufacturing those big 64-
ring sizes, Las Memorias Cubana,
way before they were popular,” says
Luiz Sanchez, president. “We are re-
blending and resizing the American
Born Cubans brand to a 6-1/2x57,
and debuting the new brand La
Confianza, also a 57-ring size; both
of those are full-bodied cigars.
“We also make one of the biggest
“As the consumers edge away
from small cigars and look for the
big powerhouses, we expect exhibitors
to reveal many products with these
characteristics.”
La Tradicion Cubana makes one of the
largest cigars currently in production,
the Las Memorias Cubana El Toleton