PCA Magazine Fall 2019

22 PCA The Magazine | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG EW YORK CITY’S illustrious Nat Sherman International has undergone some changes in the past couple of years, not least its having been acquired by tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. And there have been adjustments to the Nat Sherman portfolio of cigar offerings. There was never any cause for Nat Sherman fans to get nervous about the developments. No shift in ownership, labeling or packaging ever signaled vacillation from the impeccable character associated with that midtownManhattan tobacco mecca. The recent potpourri of business decisions has left Nat Sherman clients exactly where they were before, secure in knowing that the firm remains, for their purposes, quite unchanged: Superlative quality reigns. Timeless Sterling is a case in point, setting a benchmark for creamy elegance in a cigar world where stronger, blast-in-your-face flavor profiles seem to grab most of the headlines. The Timeless line was launched in 2011. Early on, it consisted of two blends, one Dominican and one Nicaraguan (the latter added in 2012). Sterling was launched in 2013, initially as its own subbrand of Nat Sherman. Then last year, as part of a rebranding initiative, Nat Sherman rolled the Sterling line into its Timeless brand. (That’s not too complicated, is it?) Company Vice President Michael Herklots shares some of the thought processes that brought about today’s Timeless Sterling label. “While Nat Sherman is almost 90 years old, the firm remains committed to customer care and tomaking sure it offers consistently high-quality products,” Herklots says. “Timeless embodies the Nat Sherman commitment to a long-termposition within the industry.” Continuing, he observes that, as a brand: “Sterling in particular is very special tome. It was released in 2013, when big ring gauges and strong Nicaraguan puros were dominating themarket. As many companies were following that trend, we saw an opportunity to return to elegance in a small collection, to reset the standard for what elegance couldmean. Ergo, Sterling.” BY WI LL I AM C . NELSON Nat Sherman Timeless Sterling The Blend N