Toraño Cigars Memorializes Fiftieth Anniversary of Cuban Cigar
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“Who would have thought the Castro brothers would outlive the Soviet Union and eight U.S. presidencies, and be able to hijack a culture and people for five decades?” The speaker is Charlie Toraño, president of the fourth-generation Toraño family’s premium tobacco and cigar business. “We created our Exodus line of premium cigars to remind smokers of the hardship inflicted by Cuba’s Marxist communist regime, especially its exile of the world-renowned tobacco and cigar families, including ours. As expatriated Cubans, we have triumphed both as a people and as creators of a new cigar industry in the different countries where we all settled. That triumph is worth celebrating and we do so in our new cigar for 2009 ... Exodus 50 Years.”
At press time, Charlie Toraño and his father Carlos, chairman of the board of 95-year-old Toraño Cigars, are embarking on their ambitious “Our Roots Run Deep Tour” (explained below). The 35-city tour gives attendees at the events an opportunity to learn about the Toraño’s new Exodus 50 Years premium cigar line, and sample the new blend. According to the younger Toraño, “We have created the new Exodus Selección Exclusiva, a beautifully presented box of five cigars, which includes two unique shapes each in our two top brands, Exodus 1959 (Gold) and Exodus Silver.
The talking point of the sampler is the fifth cigar, a 7-1/4" x 57 Salomon, which actually features the new Exodus 50 Years blend. It is banded exactly as the factory sent it to the Toraños, as one of the numerous sample blends, wearing a plain white band, hand-written with the coded designation of its brand and blend (Exodus Liga 3-H).
The Toraño’s Our Roots Run Deep Tour begins March 23rd at Cigar Haven, in Fishers, Indiana. It will continue into Summer, and the company will post the schedule on their Web site (www.torano.com) as it is developed. States Charlie Toraño, “My father and I are covering separate venues, criss-crossing almost the entire 48 states, visiting Toraño retailers we recognize as loyal supporters. We intend to break out of what has become hum-drum smokeshop events. The theme will be the Cuban life, and we’ll provide Cuban music, along with authentic Cuban food and libations. Zaya Gran Reserva twelve-year-old estate rum will be featured, an added bonus for lovers of fine aged rum and Cuba Libres.
An enticing array of new merchandise will include Toraño-designed travel cigar cases, ashtrays, and apparel, which smokers will receive as gifts with purchases. Our 10-year veteran roller, Felipe Sosa, will be making cigars that we blended exclusively for the tour ... you won’t find them elsewhere. These special cigars will have a gorgeous aged wrapper and a rich, flavorful blend. We should bring real excitement to the marketplace with this tour.” Based on the number of interviews the two are asked to give, their tobacco and cigar expertise will be in great demand among the attendees.
Charlie Toraño explains, “My father and I will be very active in the marketplace, looking for ‘one-on-one’ time with retailers and smokers, telling our story through our cigars ... the Exodus 50 Years being the latest.”
The Our Roots Run Deep Tour is the harbinger of the company’s future thrust. Its name emphasizes the Toraño’s almost-century-old history in premium cigars and tobacco. “From now on,” reports Charlie Toraño, “all our promotional efforts will center on raising the awareness of the marketplace to our history and expertise in tobacco, cigar blending and manufacturing.
“Also on the agenda, our new Web site upgrade will incorporate the Our Roots Run Deep theme. It will be interactive, with a fresh new look and feel. We’ll include the existing forums, and reach out to the Toraño community through the site ... including video blogs ... and our newsletter.
“Finally, we’re eager to increase our interaction with the cigar media, both print and online, as part of our new direction. We want them to know just how important the Toraño family history is to us, and the pride and joy we have experienced over almost a century of playing a part in this wonderful industry.”
At press time, Charlie Toraño and his father Carlos, chairman of the board of 95-year-old Toraño Cigars, are embarking on their ambitious “Our Roots Run Deep Tour” (explained below). The 35-city tour gives attendees at the events an opportunity to learn about the Toraño’s new Exodus 50 Years premium cigar line, and sample the new blend. According to the younger Toraño, “We have created the new Exodus Selección Exclusiva, a beautifully presented box of five cigars, which includes two unique shapes each in our two top brands, Exodus 1959 (Gold) and Exodus Silver.
The talking point of the sampler is the fifth cigar, a 7-1/4" x 57 Salomon, which actually features the new Exodus 50 Years blend. It is banded exactly as the factory sent it to the Toraños, as one of the numerous sample blends, wearing a plain white band, hand-written with the coded designation of its brand and blend (Exodus Liga 3-H).
The Toraño’s Our Roots Run Deep Tour begins March 23rd at Cigar Haven, in Fishers, Indiana. It will continue into Summer, and the company will post the schedule on their Web site (www.torano.com) as it is developed. States Charlie Toraño, “My father and I are covering separate venues, criss-crossing almost the entire 48 states, visiting Toraño retailers we recognize as loyal supporters. We intend to break out of what has become hum-drum smokeshop events. The theme will be the Cuban life, and we’ll provide Cuban music, along with authentic Cuban food and libations. Zaya Gran Reserva twelve-year-old estate rum will be featured, an added bonus for lovers of fine aged rum and Cuba Libres.
An enticing array of new merchandise will include Toraño-designed travel cigar cases, ashtrays, and apparel, which smokers will receive as gifts with purchases. Our 10-year veteran roller, Felipe Sosa, will be making cigars that we blended exclusively for the tour ... you won’t find them elsewhere. These special cigars will have a gorgeous aged wrapper and a rich, flavorful blend. We should bring real excitement to the marketplace with this tour.” Based on the number of interviews the two are asked to give, their tobacco and cigar expertise will be in great demand among the attendees.
Charlie Toraño explains, “My father and I will be very active in the marketplace, looking for ‘one-on-one’ time with retailers and smokers, telling our story through our cigars ... the Exodus 50 Years being the latest.”
The Our Roots Run Deep Tour is the harbinger of the company’s future thrust. Its name emphasizes the Toraño’s almost-century-old history in premium cigars and tobacco. “From now on,” reports Charlie Toraño, “all our promotional efforts will center on raising the awareness of the marketplace to our history and expertise in tobacco, cigar blending and manufacturing.
“Also on the agenda, our new Web site upgrade will incorporate the Our Roots Run Deep theme. It will be interactive, with a fresh new look and feel. We’ll include the existing forums, and reach out to the Toraño community through the site ... including video blogs ... and our newsletter.
“Finally, we’re eager to increase our interaction with the cigar media, both print and online, as part of our new direction. We want them to know just how important the Toraño family history is to us, and the pride and joy we have experienced over almost a century of playing a part in this wonderful industry.”
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