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36
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
JULY/AUGUST 2012
lovers who don’t have the time or
budget for a full-sized premium
cigar. But unlike cigarillos, their
larger ring gauge delivers a more
abundant amount of smoke, allowing
for a “large cigar” experience.
Limited, Small Batch
Cigar trends have also seen a
recent rise in the popularity of
limited releases and small-batch
blends, according to Bill Spann,
CEO of IPCPR. “Manufacturers
have tended to focus on releasing
limited numbers, in limited markets,
of high-quality cigars with ultra-
rare and premium tobaccos,” he
says. “Along with these limited
releases is usually a large amount
of marketing to highlight the
rarity of these cigars. The show
represents a unique opportunity to
many of our members in that they
have the opportunity to buy many
of the hard-to-find products for
their shop that otherwise would be
unavailable.”
Garo Habano is one committed
to the highest quality boutique
cigars. “We have changed several
of our blends based on consumer
feedback; we recently added Criollo
’98, grown, harvested and aged at a
small farm outside Santiago,” relays
Garo Bouldoukian, founder. “This
addition of tobacco into our blends
has increased the flavor and strength
without the harsh flavor often found
in full-bodied cigars.”
With the blend enhancements,
the company has also redesigned
its packaging, to be showcased at
the IPCPR show. “Our boxes will
be painted to match the colors
of our labels—in high gloss blue,
red and black. The cigars will be
in cellophane then wrapped with
custom-printed Garo paper and
finished with a Garo embossed
label.” This new look is a dedication
to produce the finest product for
a distinguished clientele, explains
Bouldoukian.
When C&C Cigars comes across
a phenomenal blend of rare tobaccos
in short-supply, “we use those in our
limited editions,” says Aronson. “As
a company, we use limited editions
to celebrate company anniversaries
and we have our first anniversary as
C&C coming up—so stay tuned.”
But limited editions and small-
batch blends may be counterintuitive
for some manufacturers, according
to Aronson. “If the cigar is selling
well and you have enough of the
components, there is no reason not
to make it a regular product,” he
says.
C&C is dedicated to sourcing
rare wrappers in large enough
supply for regular production.
“Being that the wrapper has such a
heavy influence on the taste of the
cigar, this gives our cigars a unique
taste and sets them apart from
others in the market,” Aronson
explains. “We are seeing more
influences from the past, such as
the Candella wrapper, being re-
circulated in an effort for cigar
makers like us to distinguish our
cigars from the pack.”
Another way that boutique cigar
makers are staying unique is to
specifically go against mainstream
trends (such as larger-ring gauge cigars).
“We notice a return by some of our
boutique counterparts to older, more
traditional sizes, which are in stark
contrast to the ‘big ring’ entries,” offers
Aronson.He notices that the thin-ring
Lancero (36 to 40), along with sizes in
the 42- to 46-ring gauge by 5-1/4 to
6-1/2 length range, seem to be on the
horizon.
TOB
“Cigar trends
have also seen
a recent rise in
the popularity of
limited releases
and small-batch
blends.”
—Bill Spann,
ceo; IPCPR