Davidoff says that consumer requests for the anniversary cigar prompted the decision to release the cigar as its own line within the existing family of Avo cigars.

The Signature line is a blend of Dominican Piloto Ligero from two different growing regions, San Vicente ligero, and San Vicente Seco. Binder leaf is a four-year-old San Vicente ligero, and the wrapper is an Ecaudorian sun grown tobacco developed exclusively for this cigar's blend.

Four shapes are offered: Robusto (5 x 52, $10 retail), Double Corona (7 x 50, $12 retail), Lonsdale (6 1/4 x 43, $9 retail), and Belicoso (6 x 48, $9.50). Cigars are sold individually in boxes of 10 cellophaned cigars.

Using the finest quality 5th-generation prime wrappers and the highest grade fillers of ligero from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica, Indian Tabac Super Fuerte cigars "have been taken to the next level," says Rocky Patel, president of Indian Tabac. "Maintaining the strictest guidelines for selection, bunching, and rolling, these cigars exemplify attention to detail in the highest regard, which in turn has resulted in high ratings throughout the world"

The Corona Grande cigar earned the highest award possible from European Cigar Cult Journal, receiving the "Best Cigar from the Honduras" in 1999. The Robusto received a 92 rating and the Corona Grande received a 90 rating from Cigar Insider, June 2001.

The Super Fuerte is also available in three sizes with a natural Habana 2000 wrapper: Robusto (5 x 50), Corona Grande (6 1/2 x 47), and Double Corona (7 x 52).

The Occidental Havana Sun Grown ("HSG") follows on the success of Alec Bradley's Occidental Reserve line, which Kelner also produces in the Dominican Republic. The handmade long-filler cigar features a Havana/U.S. Connecticut wrapper, never before seen in the United States.

"This unique wrapper leaf is not to be confused with Corojo wrapper," States Rubin. "It derives Cuban strength and flavor from the Havana strain, and the Connecticut gives it smoothness."

This cigar was developed for the smoker who has sampled cigars from Cuba and is looking for that robust taste. "We spent over six months creating a blend around this wrapper that maximizes its flavor and aroma," says Rubin. Kelner and Rubin declined to reveal the nature of the blend, to protect its propriety. Rubin does state, "The wrapper contributes almost half of the cigar's flavor, and the taste of its Havana origin is very prevalent."

The line consists of five shapes: Robusto (5 1/4 x 52), Corona (6 1/8 x 43), Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Churchill (7 x 48), and Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52). The cigars are value priced - suggested retail for the 25-cigar boxes set is $62 to $75, at keystone discount.

Private Stock Medium Filler cigars take cuttings from the manufacture of the finest premium Dominican cigars and use them to roll a unique, new cigar. The cuttings - ranging from 3/4 to just over an inch in size - are rolled together with half a tobacco leaf that rounds off the blend and creates a compact ash. This innovative tobacco creation is completed by a Connecticut wrapper leaf, and a binder leaf, from Ecuador. The cigars deliver premium tobaccos without the premium, long filler price. The new Tubos are offered either as three packs, or in a counter-top display of 20 tubes.

The new Centenario maduro is available in one shape only, the Obsidian Liga B, a 6 x 55 parejo (straight body). According to Philip Wynne, founder of Felipe Gregorio, "We use aged Havana 92 wrapper that is naturally fermented in open bales for over one year." The filler and binder are also sun-grown Havana 92, which gives the cigar its characteristic power. "The Centenario Obsidian Liga B is intended only for veteran smokers who appreciate a full-bodied cigar," says Wynne.

Like all other Centenario cigars, the Obsidian Liga B is packaged in boxes of 20, with the removable upper tray that distinguishes the Centenario's presentation as a prestigious cigar. Retail pricing is $15 per stick; smoke shops enjoy a full keystone discount.

The cigars are wrapped with aged Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco. The binder is also broadleaf, and the filler is a blend of broadleaf and Dominican tobaccos.

"When blending the filler," says Cristropher Topper, president of Topper Cigar Company, Inc., "just enough flavoring is added to produce a smooth, sweet smoke all the way to the end."

Broadleaf Sweets are a keystone item for retailers that will sell for under $2 retail. "With this pricing structure, the Broadleaf Sweets will offer great value consistent with the traditional line of Topper Cigar," says Topper.

New sizes include Gran Belicoso, a 5 1/2 x 52 figurado, and a Gran Corona, a 5 3/4 x 46 ring gauge. The original Black Pearl, a 5 1/4 x 52, has been renamed Gran Robusto. All three cigars bear the distinctive La Perla Habana band, with an added band at the foot, to protect it from scuffing and emphasize its product identity.

The heart of the Black Pearl is 100% Cuban-seed Corojo ligero filler. Only recently seen outside the island, it is a cross breed of traditional Cuban Criollo black tobacco and Indonesian leaf. Cubans have reserved it for wrappers since the 40's, favoring its uncommon auburn hue and fine texture. La Perla Habana's goal with this filler is to give the Black Pearl the character and complexity of true Havanas. Wood notes that cigar smoker's palates have matured from the mild cigars of the mid-1990s with many smokers favoring powerful cigars, provided the taste matches the body.

La Perla Habana's master blender has been setting aside extra- select specimens from the Connecticut broadleaf wrapper used in the company's Maduro line, a hint at last years trade show. Testing of sample blends using this wrapper indicated this was the ideal follow-up to the Maduro.

The wrapper is coffee-black, which classifies the Black Pearl as an oscuro. The wrapper's added body compliments the cigar's potent Cuban- seed filler. Cuban-seed Nicaraguan binder rounds out the new blend, which is the most powerful cigar in La Perla Habana's line up. Scarcity of the extra-select wrapper leaves holds the initial release of this limited reserve cigar to selected tobacconists nationwide.

Handsomely cased in cedar cabinets of 20, Grand Corona retails for $8 each, Gran Robusto for $9 each, and Gran Belicoso for $10, respectively.

"The No. 4 resembles a toro with a tapered foot. The No. 5 is similar to our incredibly popular X but it tapers at the foot," said Nick Perdomo, Jr., president and c.e.o. of Tabacalera Perdomo, S.A. "Tapering the cigar makes it easier to light, yet it allows the cigar smoker to experience even richer and complex flavors that are consistent with the classic Perdomo Reserve line.

"We believe the 4 and 5 will soon achieve the same popularity and praise already bestowed upon us by our loyal customers and tobacconists worldwide." The Perdomo Reserve has received numerous accolades since its inception in 1997, Perdomo notes.

The La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve is a blend of double-aged Cuban seed tobaccos and are box-pressed Habano-style to recapture the popular style of Cuban cigars made in the 1950's.

"Adding a larger ring gauge perfecto and a unique diademas complements this line nicely and will further strengthen its popularity," said Bart Gerber, owner of Churchill's Fine Cigars in Phoenix, Ariz. "It's already the top seller in my store, and I expect my customers to but a lot more."

"We cultivated a special wrapper for our line of Cupido Criollos on our own Cupido Farm, near our factory in Esteli, Nicaragua," says Yossi Kviatkovsky, a principal of Cupido. "This criollo leaf has an earthy burgundy hue that reflects the richness of the black fertile soil of the region. It is entirely natural, not a result of artificial coloring." The filler and binder are also all Nicaraguan; the filler's ligero is a "very special tobacco discovered on a nearby farm," says Kviatkovsky.

The blend and wrapper were developed to give a hearty "punch" to the Cupido Criollos, making it the strongest in the Cupido lineup. "That power doesn't translate into harshness or bitterness," says Kviatkovsky."They will follow in the Cupido tradition of balanced, exquisite flavor."

Cupido Criollos are "Cuban pressed," pressed only from the top and bottom, not all four sides. This yields an oval shape that is more comfortable to hold and smoke, particularly in large ring gauges. It also gives a more interesting figurado-style shape to even e two straight-barreled parejo shapes in the new line.

Pricing is also a departure from Cupido's standards, with suggested retail for the line ranging from $3.00 to $3.75, at keystone.

Cupido is also introducing a new shape in the Cupido Classic line, a 5 1/2 x 56/40 figurado packaged in the company's new 25-count lacquered "jewel box" presentation boxes. Suggested retail is $5.00.

A new Partagas Black Label line is being introduced, created to appeal to smokers who enjoy a rich, full-bodied taste with a large ring gauge. Four shapes will be offered: Bravo (4 1/2 x 54), Cl‡sico (5 1/4 x 54), Magnifico (6 x 54), and Pir‡mide (6 x 60 pyramid). The cigars are rolled from a blend of Nicaraguan ligero and Pilot Cubana ligero, a Dominican-grown "La Vega Especial" binder, and General Cigar's own Medio Tiempo sun grown wrapper from the Connecticut River Valley. The Partagas band is produced in black, as are the wood grained boxes, which hold 20 cigars. Suggested retail, $4.25Ð$5.95 per stick. General Cigar's super premium Dominican-rolled Cohiba line earns its first line extension this year: Cohiba Extra Viejo (XV). For this limited production cigars, General has turned to very select tobaccos available only in much smaller quantities, which are aged longer. Nicaraguan ligero and Piloto Cubano ligero filler, Connecticut broadleaf binder, and Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaves used to produce Cohiba XV have all received extra aging. Five shapes will be produced: XV 550 (5 x 50), XV 645 (6 x 45), XV 652 (6 x 52), XV 660 (6 x 60 pyramid), and XV 749 (7 x 49). Limited initial quantities are expected to ship in November; remaining cigars will ship in Spring 2002 after aging.

Finally, Ramon Allones will be reintroduced with a new, full-flavored blend and revamped shapes. General has produced a Dominican-grown La Vega Especial wrapper just for this line, matching it to a Connecticut broadleaf binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan Ligero and Piloto Cubano ligero for a richly flavored cigar. Four individually cedar-wrapped shapes are available: Gustoso (5 x 50), Maestro (5 1/2 x 54), Broso (6 x 45), and Ultimo (6 1/2 x 49). The cigar band and cedar boxes (25 count) have also been redesigned. Suggested retail, $3.40Ð$3.95 per cigar, $42.50 - $49.38 per box.

Kretek has added three new zesty varieties to its line of Dreams Cocktail cigarettes: Chocolate Mocha, Mint, and Herbal. Imported from Belgium, the new flavors join the existing Cherry, Vanilla, California, and Midnight Russian blend. "This premium Virginia tobacco blend satisfies the palate of sophisticated smokers," says Kretek, which notes that sales volume of the Dreams line has risen over 300% in the past year.

Springwater Vanilla aroma cigarettes, one of the most popular European cigarettes, is now imported exclusively through Kretek International. Springwater is comprised of a mild Black Cavendish pipe tobacco blended with fine golden Virginia cigarette tobacco to create a "fresh and natural taste." A hint of vanilla compliments the pipe tobacco, creating an inviting, "tranquil" aroma. Also available is Springwater pipe tobacco in 50 gram pouches and tins for the pipe aficionado.

This handmade long-filler cigar features a hybrid Habana 2000/U.S. Connecticut wrapper, never before seen in the U.S. according to the manufacturer. "This unique wrapper leaf is not to be confused with Corojo wrapper," explains Alan Ruben, president of Alec Bradley Cigar Co. "It derives Cuban strength and flavor from the Havana strain, and the Connecticut gives is smoothness. This cigar was developed for the smoker who has sampled cigars from Cuba and is looking for that robust taste. We spent six months creating a blend around this wrapper that maximizes its flavor and aroma."

Five formats are available: Robusto (5 1/4 x 52), Corona (6 1/8 x 43), Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Churchill (7 x 48), and (6 1/2 x 52). Suggested retail for 25-count boxes is $62 to $75, at keystone discount.

Alec Bradley has also introduced a new look for its Occidental Reserve. "Aesthetically, our redesigned cigar band's new gold-trimmed burgundy-and-black emblem on a beige background harmonizes better with the wrapper's natural color," notes Rubin. The line caters to mild- to medium-strength palates, made with four-year-old tobaccos that provide a complex flavor profile, says Rubin. The filler blend is Dominican San Vicente, Olor, and Piloto Cubano leaf; binder leaf is corojo; and the wrapper is Connecticut-grown shade leaf. Five classic shapes are available, with suggested retail prices of $2.30 to $2.80, offered at keystone discount to retailers.

The theme for the company's RTDA booths (851-853) is "Fiesta Occidental." Show attendees will be treated to Cuban espresso coffee and sample of Occidental cigars, including the new HSG.