Grupo de Maestros

Collection

A premium cigar brand is nothing without an elite team behind it. That’s why Altadis featured each and every one of their cigar “maestros” in the Grupo de Maestro Collection, a series of three exclusive blends crafted by blendmasters, product development managers, factory leaders and other stalwarts of the business with more than 100 years of combined experience in the premium cigar industry. The cigars—a Vintage 2015 6x52 Toro, Vintage 2017 5x50 Robusto Gordo and Vintage 2012 6x54 Toro—have been available at only a select few retail locations in the United States. Appearing for a limited time through Santa Clara, this is your chance to grant your customers access to a troika of cigars that they would not likely be able to find anywhere else. With cigars becoming more popular across the country, exclusive blends are the next frontier in the top-shelf cigar retail business. This is especially true of exclusive blends that are aged and highlight a certain growing season. Like a great wine vintage, the Grupo de Maestro Collection celebrates three sterling years of tobacco harvest: 2012, 2015 and 2017. A quick Google search can often put a curious customer face to face with almost any smoke he or she desires. When it comes to the Grupo de Maestro collection, you can join a small group of tobacco sellers who can easily communicate to their customer base that they are in the know when it comes to the latest and greatest smokes. The list of maestros from Altadis U.S.A. includes: • Javier Elmudesi, the director of industrial affairs for Tabacalera de Garcia • Victor Avila, the handmade cigar operations manager for Tabacalera de Garcia. • Carlos Travieso, who has spent an astounding 43 years with Altadis and currently serves as the packing and box plant manager. His expertise is in ensuring the quality and integrity of new core blends in the Altadis profile match the standards of the company’s historical profile. • Nestor Rodriguez, who has spent 38 years as an essential member of Tabacalera de Garcia as its tobacco operations manager. 3 • Elmer Suarez, the Tobacco Manager in La Flor de Copán Cigar Factory in Honduras, who has more than 26 years of experience in the premium cigar business. • Joel Alvarenga Bautista, the operations manager of the Flor de Copan Cigar Factory. • Pedro Ventura, the product manager of Tabacalera de Garcia, which is renowned as one of the world’s largest premium cigar factories. Previously, this group has worked on the ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta, VegaFina Añejado 7 años Pigtail, and the Montecristo Epic, all of which were incredibly rated and reviewed. The ROMEO, for example, surged to No. 3 on Cigar Aficionado’s extremely prestigious Top 25 list back in 2012. “Alone, the cigar experience of each member is impressive,” Altadis U.S.A. said of the group. “Combined, their experience is unparalleled. The group draws from their different individual backgrounds and preferences but is united by one goal: to create the world’s best premium cigars. While each member has the talent to blend their own cigars, this unique structure makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts.” Now, to the blends themselves. The 2012 is a 6x54 Toro with tobacco said to have been sourced from tobacco sitting in the private vault of the Dominican Republic’s “Godfather” himself. A combination of Ecuadorian Habano wrapper coiled around Nicaraguan binder and filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the tasting profile is one of sweetened notes of wood, earth and cedar with a heavy dose of cream. The 2015 Vintage features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Connecticut broadleaf binder with 10-year aged Dominican and Peruvian alongside 9-year aged Nicaraguan long fillers to create a symphony of tastes that include peppered lemongrass, wood and irresistibly sweet caramel. Mellow-medium in profile the 6x52 Parejo is crafted to enjoy whenever the mood strikes.