The longest cigar in the line is the new 8 x 54; the smallest in the line is the new 4 1/2 x 53; and the largest ring gauge cigar is the new 8 x 54.

"The Master Select has been the backbone of our company's overall sales growth of 60-80%, since we introduced it in 2000," says Kaizad Hansotia, president and c.e.o. of Beach Cigar Group. Last year, Gurkha added a Robusto, Churchill, and Torpedo to the line's original three perfectos.

"The flavor profile is as close to the 1957 Cuban Bolivar as possible," says Hansotia. "It set a standard for opulence and heady body, and connoisseurs rate it as one of the all-time best from Cuba. They also tell us the Master Select does a creditable job of capturing this classic Havana's character." Beach Cigar produces Gurkha at its Dominican factory.

Dominican-grown Cuban-seed filler, with extra ligero, gives the Master Select a robust character that is suited strictly to veteran smokers, finished with a true Connecticut-grown shade wrapper. To tame the cigar's power, Hansotia ages them for seven months.

"The Master Select line is limited in availability again this year, due to our stringent quality standards and scarcity of the choice grade of leaf," says Hansotia.

Suggested retail pricing for the new shapes ranges from $270 to $290 per box, from smallest to largest sizes.

Avo XOs are made from Dominican filler tobaccos - including specially-fermented matured Piloto Cubano - that are aged until fully mature, combined with an Olor tobacco binder from the Villa Gonzalez region, and finished with a Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf.

Suggested retail for Intermezzo tubos is $170 per box of 20 or $8.50 per tubo, for Maestoso tubos it is $200 per box of 20 or $10 per tubo.

"Punch Rare Corojo is in keeping with the growing demand for full-bodied cigars that smoke smoothly and effortlessly," said Whit Beebe, Villazon's director of marketing.

Punch Rare Corojo is offered in three frontmarks: Double Corona (6 3/4 x 48), Pita (6 1/8 x 50), and Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50). The cigars are double-banded with a red-and-gold band "Rare Corojo" and packed in bold red boxes.

Skandinavik, produced in Denmark, has been a longtime favorite of American pipe smokers. Vanilla Cavendish joins traditional favorites Full Aroma Cavendish and Regular Cavendish, and all three blends will be in new, updated packaging. Skandinavik is available in 1.5 oz. pouches and 4.5 oz. tins.

"We see a continuing parade of new tobaccos coming from Cuba," says Alan Rubin, president, Alec Bradley Cigars. "Lately, it was Havana 2000, followed by Corojo and now Criollo, which is one of the most exciting. Its rich, reddish-brown wrapper leaf is thick, like most Cuban tobacco, with an unusually opulent oily sheen. Wrapper tobacco contributes much to a cigar's overall taste, and this Criollo leaf has a flavor to match its rich appearance."

The Criollo wrapper's first-generation seeds were imported directly to Nicaragua from Cuba in 1999, and grown in Nicaragua's Jalapa Valley. Three years were required for it to reach its fullest potential, and Rubin says "It is spectacular."

The cigars are offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 48), and Torpedo (6 1/8 x 52). Presentation of the medium-to-full bodied Criollo 98 is 25 cigars in a traditional filete-style Cuban Box. Along with Trilogy by Alec Bradley, another RTDA introduction, Rubin says the new Criollo 98 gives the company a full range of premium products to offer retailers and consumers alike. "Now," states Rubin, "they can have Alec Bradley cigars with U.S.-grown Connecticut Shade, Corojo, Cameroon, Brazilian maduro, Sun Grown, and Criollo wrappers. We also offer our Figurado shaped premium cigar line, and Gourmet Dessert cigars in five flavors."

"Sancho Panza has made a great name for itself ever since we introduced it last year," said Whit Beebe, director of marketing for Villazon. "Since small cigars are growing in popularity, we feel that Matador is an excellent way to extend the Sancho Panza line and build on the brand's reputation."

Originated in Cuba and still made there as well as in Honduras, Sancho Panza is named after the loyal squire who remained at the side of the legendary Don Quixote through all of the delusions of grandeur created for him by the Spanish novelist Miguel Cervantes.

The Honduran version of the cigar is crafted under the direction of cigar master Estelo Padrón, creator of Hoyo de Monterrey. More full-bodied than its Cuban counterpart, Sancho Panza is a superbly constructed cigar with a rich, complex flavor.

As of June 1, the company is slated to change all of its packaging over to the "mini-carton" of 5-packs that, because of its shape, the company has taken to calling a "cube." All orders of Nat Sherman All-Natural Cigarettes will only be shipped in in the new cubes. "We believe this new packaging to be more consumer friendly," the statement read. "It has been developed for your comfort without any additional cost increase."

The new Tropical flavor has joined the existing lineup of Tatiana flavors: vanilla, cherry, rum, honey, cinnamon, chocolate, cappuccino, and Amaretto. "We spent two years," says Daniel Miranda, vice president of sales, "developing and evaluating Tropical's combination of essences to arrive at a unique flavor and aroma, a fresh and intriguing, lightly sweet blend of tropical flavors."

All flavors except Tropical come in three sizes: the 6 x 44 Classic ($2.25 suggested retail), the 5 x 34 La Vita ($2.20), and the 3 1/2 x 26 Miniature ($1.00). The cigars are rolled from Dominican Republic tobaccos, finished with a Sumatra wrapper, and use water-soluble essences to flavor the tobacco.

The new Tropical flavor is available in a single, Miniature size (3 1/2 x 36), suggested retail $1 at keystone. The Miniatures are available in all flavors; the La Vita cigars in vanilla, rum, cherry, cinnamon, and honey; and the Classic in vanilla, rum, cherry, cinnamon, and chocolate.

The Classic and La Vita sizes are presented in traditional wooden boxes or bundles of 25. The Classic is also available in crystal tubes, boxed 10 tubes per flavor, in vanilla, rum, cherry, and honey. "Crystal tubes identify the Classic as a luxury cigar, and show the product better. An acrylic countertop unit displays 40 tubes, 10 each of its 4 flavors," according to Miranda. "The wooden boxes of the Classic and La Vita lines are all in different colors, identifying the flavors.

"This establishes an association in the consumer's mind between the flavors and colors," reports Miranda. "When lined up on a store's shelf, the color array draws the eye immediately."

All flavors of Miniatures but Tropical come 10 to a hinged-lid, European-style tin, or in bundles of 25. The tins can also be purchased in packs of five. "Minis" also sell by the stick, from an acrylic display that features a jar for each flavor. A humidification unit in the jars' lids allows viewing of the cigars while maintaining freshness. Attractive labels identify the brand and the different flavors. Miami Cigar also offers an acrylic display that holds three 5-packs of 10 Miniatures (15 tins). The company has also developed POS aids for the Tatiana cigars, to support retailers in selling the brand. The Tatiana Counter Mat, positioned close to the register, catches the customer's eye, and a double-faced door decal informs that Tatiana flavored cigars are offered at the store.