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As with past samplers, there are 10 cigars inside each sampler, one each from 10 different companies. Nine of these companies serve on the CRA’s board; the 10th cigar is from E.P. Carrillo. Notably, all 10 companies are family-owned premium cigar companies. Generally speaking, these cigars are either limited editions, exclusive cigars or higher-priced cigars from each company.
The 10 cigars are:
- Ashton VSG Torpedo
- Diamond Crown Classic No. 9
- Fuente Fuente OpusX Scorpio Maduro
- La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull
- My Father García y García Toro
- Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado
- Padrón Black No. 600
- Perez-Carrillo Encore Black
- Rocky Patel DBS Toro
- Tatuaje Smashed Pumpkin Capa Especial
Each sampler has an MSRP of $204 and comes in a Boveda bag. There are 5,000 packs, which are scheduled to begin shipping in late November.
Seven of the cigars have been sold before. Some—like the Andalusian Bull or DBS Toro—are high-end, regular production items, while others—like the My Father García y García Toro and OpusX Scorpio Maduro—are limited edition items that were once sold but are not available for retailers to order at this time.
Inside each pack will be two—potentially three—cigars that have not been sold before.
One is the Tatuaje Smashed Pumpkin Capa Especial. It’s a 6 x 52 toro that uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos. Previously, Tatuaje has released the Smash Pumpkin through its Saints & Sinners club and other CRA Freedom Samplers, though this is the first time that the cigar has used a Sumatra wrapper, past versions have had Mexican San Andrés or Nicaraguan corojo wrappers.
There’s also the Padrón Black No. 600. Padrón has regularly donated a Padrón Black cigar to the CRA Freedom Samplers, virtually the only way to purchase a Padrón Black cigar, though the No. 600 appears to be new. Padrón did not reply to an email seeking clarification about the size or whether this will be a maduro or natural wrapper.
Finally, there are plans to include the Diamond Crown Classic No. 9, a 6 x 50 belicoso that J.C. Newman has used for promotional purposes but has never been sold. At this time, J.C. Newman is unsure whether it will have enough No. 9s on hand to fill all the packs. If it does, the No. 9 will be included, if not, the company will include the Diamond Crown No. 4, a 5 1/2 x 54 robusto extra that is a standard size.
CRA member companies donate the cigars to the organization, which then sells the packs. The proceeds from the sales are used to fund the CRA, one of the three main cigar trade groups. For each sampler, one of the member companies handles the distribution and sales; in this case, it is J.C. Newman.
While the CRA spent years trying to brand itself as a consumer organization akin to the NRA, its most tangible impact has been a eight-year-old lawsuit, which it has helped fund. Last year, the joint lawsuit filed by CRA and the other two cigar trade groups scored a major victory against FDA’s regulations of premium cigars. For that particular part of the lawsuit, the CRA paid the legal bill for Michael Edney, the lead attorney in the case.
