Fall 2020 PCA Magazine

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG AUTUMN 2020 | PCA The Magazine 29 says NateMcIntyre, marketing coordinator/SE sales manager of Miami Cigar &Company, La Aurora’s U.S. distributor. “Personally speaking, it’s been very fun for me to get to experience howManuel approaches a project like this. The end product, the 107 Nicaragua, is a cigar that puts flavor and complexity forward, with definitive Nicaraguan character that still had those hallmark traits of a La Aurora cigar.” The goal in offering an all-Nicaraguan cigar was to use an artisan approach, one that could uniquelymarry the La Aurora vision of cigar making to the bold flavors that Nicaraguan leaf famously offers. SaysMcIntyre: “We’re targeting a flavor profile that is complex andmedium- full rather than just strong. Overall, we’ve been getting really great feedback from T H E B L E N D customers and retailers.” He adds that, although the 107 Nicaragua is a new release this fall, “It has already received a 93 fromCigar Authority.” In the U.S. market, the cigar is available in three vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (5¾ x 54), and Gran Toro (6 x 58), shipping in boxes of 20 with per-cigar prices ranging from $8.50 to $10. Tracy Spence, general manager of Michaels Tobacco of Euless in Euless, Texas, was smoking a 107 Nicaragua when we phoned for comment. He says: “We just got the 107 Nicaragua into the store a couple weeks ago, so I don’t have a lot of consumer response to report yet. It is exciting that one of the Dominican Republic’s biggest makers is using all-Nicaraguan tobacco. So the blend is sort of out of La Aurora’s signature element.” He remarked on the cigar’s “gorgeous burn,” adding, “Those guys at La Aurora sure know how tomake a cigar that burns right. We love doing business with La Aurora andMiami cigar. They always try to connect on a personal level—just real easy to work with.” UyenTran, owner of Belle Meade PremiumCigars in Nashville, Tennessee, said the 107Nicaraguawas sowell- received by her customers that she sold out her entire stock in threeweeks, and she has already placed another order. “My customers love it and can hardlywait for us to get the next shipment. It is amedium-full body cigar, very smooth, and at a great price for such a great cigar.” La Aurora cigars have found shelf space in approximately 750 tobacco shops in the U.S., andMiami Cigar offers nearly two dozen La Aurora lines in prices ranging from $4/single to some $25 super- premiums. So nomatter your customers’ personal taste or budget, chances are they can find a La Aurora cigar that will captivate their loyalty. With its bold Nicaraguan flavor infused with century-old Dominican cigar-making tradition, the 107 Nicaragua could be a great introduction for epicures new to the La Aurora brand. The goal in offering an all-Nicaraguan cigar was to use an artisan approach, one that could uniquely marry the La Aurora vision of cigar making to the bold flavors that Nicaraguan leaf famously offers.