"Our goal was to duplicate the 1957 Cuban Bolivar character as closely as possible," reports Kaizad Hansotia, president and c.e.o. of Beach Cigar Group, producer of Gurkha cigars in the Dominican Republic. "1957 was a benchmark year for the Bolivar, for its opulent flavor and heady body. Connoisseurs and our retailers agree we have succeeded in closely approximating this classic Havana. Thompson Cigar Co. essentially promotes it as a ÔCuban cigar' in their catalog."

Gurkha Cigars, originally formed as a 19th Century British company in India, prides itself in being called the "Rolls Royce of Cigars," having historically commanded the highest prices of any cigars worldwide.

This year's combined output of the three new Master Select shapes is limited to 3,000 boxes worldwide. The filler and binder tobacco is Cuban-seed Dominican leaf and includes liberal amount ligero in the filler. The wrapper is an aged, tawny-gold Connecticut shade leaf. Hansoitia says that Master Select- like the 1957 Bolivar - are intense, powerful cigars, and are only intended for seasoned palates. The cigars are warehouse-aged for a full seven months.

Retail box pricing for 25 Robustos is $180; Churchills and Torpedos are both $210. All prices are at keystone. The cigars come naked and tied with an Indian linen sling. The inside box lid bears a cloth label, while the red cedar boxes are all numbered for authenticity and carry a guarantee seal.

Hand-rolled at the Toraño family's Latin Cigars factory in Danl’, Honduras from rich Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, the cigars feature a dark, oily Brazilian wrapper leaf. C.A.O., the Nashville, Tennessee-based owner and distributor of Brazilia, selected three large ring gauges for the line, designed to offer a wide range and depth of flavor. The three formats are: Gol! (5 x 56, $5.25 retail), Samba (6 1/4 x 54, $6.25 retail), and Amazon (6 x 60, $7.25 retail). "We have spent the last year and a half developing the C.A.O. Brazilia line," said C.A.O. vice president Tim Ozgener. "C.A.O. has always been interested in the rich and flavorful wrapper leaf that is grown in Brazil, however, we were waiting in the wings until we found just the right crop of Brazilian leaf that would compliment the Nicaraguan binder and filler that have proven so successful in our L'Anniversaire blends."

Ozgener says company officials sampled over 50 different blends to arrive at the final Brazilia blend. "The C.A.O. Brazilia bands and boxes are being produced by the same company that manufactures packaging for such companies as Godiva and Tattinger," notes Ozgener. "Our goal was to make the packaging as festive and vibrant as the country of Brazil is reputed to be."

Cigars in the Brazilia line are individually cellophane wrapped and presented in unique, 20-count, full-color paperboard boxes.

Bohemian Red, which the company says is the first cigar on the market with a Cuban Corojo wrapper, is a full-bodied cigar. Filler, binder, and wrapper leaf are all grown from Corojo seed plants from Brazil, Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. All of the tobacco has been aged for a minimum of five years prior to rolling and aged three months after rolling. The only size available is the North Beach, a 5 x 54 Robusto offered at a suggested retail of $5.00 per stick.

The second line extension, Bohemian Black, is a deep, rich cigar, medium- too full-bodied, with a hint of sweetness. It is made from Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican ligero filler with a Dominican binder and a Brazilian Oscuro Maduro wrapper. The line is available in the Big Sur (6 x 70), Greenwich Village (6 x 60), Ginsburg (6 x 50), and North Beach (54 x 5), with suggested retail ranging from $5.00 to $8.00.

The new North Beach size is also available in the regular line of Bohemian cigars.

"This cigar introduces a new blend of tobaccos," states Carlos Diez, vice president of marketing for Puros Indios Cigars. "Like all our other cigars, my grandfather, Rolando Reyes, Sr., oversees the manufacturing, and inspects every single Genuine cigar himself. The very competitive price of this cigar is extraordinary, considering each cigar passes through his hands, before he releases it to the smoker."

Rolando Reyes, Sr., also personally selected the tobaccos for a new flavor profile, which Diez describes as medium-to-full bodied, with the delicate flavor and aroma Puros Indios cigars are known for. The Genuine combines a Dominican filler, Nicaraguan binder, and Ecuadorian-grown Sumatran wrapper, available in two shades - colorado and naturally-cured maduro. Four sizes are available: Churchill (48 x 7), Toro (52 x 6), Rothschild (50 x 5), and #4 (45 x 5).

"We created the new Petrus Etiquette Rouge Royal Maduro line," says President Philip Wynne, "to fill demand from smokers and tobacconists for an extremely dark Maduro wrapper with a bit of spice and bite." The Royal Maduro debuted at the RTDA 2001 Trade Show and retailers have already placed orders for 75,000 of the coffee-black cigars, says Wynne.

The Petrus Etiquette Rouge Royal Maduro is offered in three shapes: a 7" x 54 Belicoso ($8 suggested retail), a 7" x 50 Churchill ($7.50), and a 5" x 50 Robusto ($6.50). All are keystone priced. The filler and binder are Dominican Cuban-seed leaf, and the wrapper is a cured oscuro.

The wooden boxes are a handsome burgundy, and present the cigars in two trays of ten cigars. Wynne describes the Petrus Royal Maduro as "full-bodied," adding, "The oscuro wrapper on the Royal Maduro blends itself to perfection with the ligero from the cigar's piloto Cubano body, creating a balanced, yet forceful smoke."

The cigars are currently.shipping directly from Felipe Gregorio, Inc.