Every spring, the acronym TAA starts popping up on halfwheel as cigar companies begin to announce the limited editions they will be producing for an exclusive group of retailers who meet every spring. The Tobacconists’ Association of America is a group of approximately 80 retailers—though many with multiple store locations—who represent some of the biggest and most influential shops in the country. They are seen as the core group of influencers in the retail sector of the cigar industry, and as such many manufacturers want to ensure as good of a relationship as possible with them. In addition to offering the group steep discounts on existing product, many manufacturers have begun creating cigars just for them, sometimes a new size to an existing line, other times a new blend altogether. In the case of Drew Estate this year, master blender Willy Herrera created a new variant of his Herrera Estelí blend that uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, the first time he has done so in his time with the company. The Herrera Estelí TAA 2016 is a single vitola, 6 x 52 toro with the aforementioned wrapper over Brazilian mata fina binders and Nicaraguan fillers, a new blend entirely. “This ...
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