December 5, 2012 — Ted’s Cigars, a leading manufacturer of premium branded cigars announces the collaboration with famed race car driver and celebrity Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ted’s Cigars has partnered with JR Motorsports on a licensed hand-crafted cigar showcasing Dale Jr.’s facsimile autograph and his iconic #88. As the ten-time consecutive winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, race fans admire Earnhardt’s authenticity and common sense approach.
Indeed the Earnhardt name evokes excellence, thanks to his incredible 19 career victories, including the 2004 Daytona 500. Upon winning the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, Earnhardt became the only third-generation NASCAR champion. Earnhardt’s crossover appeal is unmatched among today’s celebrities and athletes. The officially licensed Dale Jr. “88” cigar is distinctly fashioned to appeal to race fans, cigar enthusiasts, and casual smokers.
With over 15 years as an industry leader, Ted’s Cigars is known for its exceptional cigars, packaging, and branding. The Dale Jr. cigar blend received a rating of 88 (excellent) by Cigar Aficionado, a fitting mark for a cigar branded by NASCAR’s iconic driver. Earnhardt’s winning attitude bridges generations’ young and old. He is refined and raw, charismatic and rebellious, simple and cool, as is the Dale Jr. “88” cigar.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.® 6 x 50 Toro features a mild, creamy smoke with a smooth finish. Individually sealed in a glass tube – no humidor required. The cigar is hand rolled in the Dominican Republic.
Available individually and in boxes of 3, 10, & 25 cigars at www.tedscigars.com/dale-jr-cigars
BALLANTINE’S CHRISTMAS RESERVE IN DEMAND AHEAD OF FESTIVE SEASON
Ballantine’s, the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, is rolling out Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve Limited Edition to more markets than ever before this year, due to increased demand from markets looking to capitalize on the lucrative festive season.
The third edition of Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve will now be available in fifteen markets – including France, Germany, Poland and China – following the success of the limited edition seasonal expression since 2010.
To support this year’s release, the brand is launching a new Facebook app that invites users to virtually ‘pass the parcel’ to their friends, with a chance of winning a bottle of Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve. To further engage consumers with the festive blend, the app provides seasonal recipes made with Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve, including mince pies and Clementine Bauble cocktails.
Peter Moore, International Brand Director for Ballantine’s, comments: “The festive period is notoriously competitive for retailers, so we’re delighted to be offering Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve to more of our customers around the world this year. This special edition provides consumers seeking the ideal festive gift with exceptional quality and excellent value.”
He continues, “Our customers rightly expect fresh thinking from Ballantine’s so we hope our new Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve Facebook app will be well received and will help spread some festive spirit this Christmas.”
Available from October to December 2012, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is presented in a superior white presentation box, decorated with snowflakes and elements of gold foil. The design adds a premium festive feel and ensures maximum shelf stand-out for Ballantine’s during the busy sales period.
With its luxury seasonal aromas including cinnamon, orange, raisin, candy apple and pear, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is ideal served on its own over ice or as the base for seasonal cocktails.
To access the Facebook app, consumers are asked to visit: Ballantines facebook
Notes:
*The facebook app is available to consumer in the UK, Poland, Bulgaria and Germany
About Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve
Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is available in Switzerland, France, Mexico, Netherlands, Vietnam, Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria, China, Thailand, Germany, Slovenia, Taiwan, Croatia and Hong Kong.
On the nose, Ballantine’s Christmas Reserve is rich, deep and fruity with hints of moist raisin fruitcake and sweet candy apples perfectly balanced out by caramel toffees and soft ripe pears. It tastes sweet with succulent tangy orange and a superb liquorice root and ginger flavour. The finish is very long, round and sweet.
About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, selling more than 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won more than 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.
About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard – the world’s co-leader in wine and spirits. Chivas Brothers is the global leader in luxury Scotch whisky and premium gin. Its portfolio includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Longmorn, Scapa, 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport.
In July 2010 Chivas Brothers launched The Age Matters campaign to help consumers understand the importance of Scotch whisky age statements.
For further information please visit www.chivasbrothers.com
December 4, 2012 (Philadelphia, PA) — Atlantic Cigar Company will be releasing the first small batch of a new brand, La Mia, in the next few weeks. Blended along side the old Cuban masters in the Casa Fernandez Family, the La Mia makes use of tobacco from a special field with its namesake. The La Mia comes in four sizes including: Perla (4 x 44), Corona (5 ½ x 52), Robusto (5 ½ x 50), and Toro (6 ½ x 52).
The number of boxes will vary year to year depending on the availability of the tobacco needed to create this unique cigar.
For the 2012 release, 100 boxes of 15 of each size will be released. The La Mia farm is located in the rich, fertile soil of the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua, and has been tended to lovingly by master grower Chandito and his Cuban “Dream Team”. This Aganorsa farm has a long history going back many years. It was once owned by the Somoza Family, and there has even been rumors of the Cuban government showing interest in this farm, because of its unique, rich, terroir, and the tobacco it produces. Atlantic Cigar is proud to release the first cigar containing tobacco from this field since it was acquired by Eduardo Fernandez.
The blend consists of the La Mia tobacco in conjunction with Criollo ’98 from the Aganorsa farm in Estelí, a double binder, and a Corojo ’99 Rosado wrapper finished with a traditional triple cap and flag head. The cigar is medium to full in body and full of unique flavor, with an excellent balance and clean finish. The La Mia is rolled using the traditional entubado style in Tropical Tobacco’s Miami facilities.
While Atlantic Cigar is currently the only outlet available for sale, there are plans on the table for the brand to become available nationally soon.
PipesandCigars.com is a leading online tobacconist specializing in offering the web’s widest selection and lowest prices on cigars, humidors, pipes, pipe tobacco, and all kinds of smoking accessories. In their continuing efforts to provide smokers with the largest number of choices for their tobacco enjoyment, PipesandCigars.com has launched a new section of their website dedicated to featuringboutique cigar brands. The section shows contains a number of cigar brands that are produced in small quantities by small cigar makers, that are not found at other websites or in most local cigar stores.
Boutique cigars are one of the most dominant trends that currently exists in the world of cigars. As smokers become more experienced, they continue to seek new and exciting cigar blends. These small batch cigars deliver the variety these smokers are looking for, since the smaller production numbers allows for the use of tobacco simply not available in quantities large enough to support a large production brand. Boutique cigars are loosely defined, typically being categorized as “boutique” by their production numbers. A typical boutique cigar brand might produce anywhere from 2,000-10,000 cigars annually, where a larger scale brand might produce ten times as many cigars or more. Some of the most popular boutique brands in the cigar industry today are Tatuaje cigars, Four Kicks cigars, Illusione cigars, Viaje cigars, Rodrigo cigars, Emilio cigars, Paul Stulac cigars, and El Primer Mundo cigars.
“This section of our site is something I really think our customers are going to enjoy” stated PipesandCigars.com Marketing Director Travis Lord. “Our list of brands has become so large that it’s a little overwhelming. Customers who are looking to try a new boutique cigar they’ve never heard of before previously didn’t have any way of knowing which brands they were even looking for. Now when smokers are interested in trying something new and unique, they’ll have a smaller list of cigars that are targeted at their taste. They can quickly compare and contrast, easily shopping for prices, special offers, and being able to read detailed descriptions of these unique blends. They’ll also have the confidence of knowing that each brand was personally selected by our experts as a cigar we feel provides high quality and a solid value.”
Finding boutique cigars online is a challenge for many smokers, since the brands are released in small quantities, often selling out quickly or not being carried by many distributors. PipesandCigars.com’s implementation of this new section further establishes the company as the premier online source for boutique cigars.
Customers interested in learning more about boutique cigars and PipesandCigars.com’s new website section can visit the company’s website or call their experienced customer service team at 800-494-9144.
About PipesandCigars.com: PipesandCigars.com is an industry-leading online tobacconist dedicated to bringing customers the widest selection of cigars, pipes, pipe tobacco and tobacco accessories. The company features premium cigars from brands like Ashton cigars, Padron cigars, La Flor Dominicana cigars, Montecristo cigars, Macanudo cigars, CAO cigars, Arturo Fuente cigars, and many more. They are the low-cost leader in pipe tobacco on brands like GL Pease, Sam Gawith, McClelland, Captian Black, Borkum Riff and many more. They feature thousands of pipes, ranging from inexpensive Corn Cobs and Dr. Grabow pipes all the way to the premium brands like Dunhill, Peterson and other fine hand-carved pipes.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — Glenmorangie, Scotland’s favorite single malt Scotch whisky, continues to thrive in the US after being awarded 2012 Distiller of the Year by the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Glenmorangie emerged not only with the biggest prize of the night but was also awarded UK Spirits Producer of the Year as well as Best Single Malt over 15 Years Old with Glenmorangie Quarter Century 25 Years Old.
Glenmorangie’s stunning success comes a few weeks after emerging as the Best Awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky at the IWSC. Following a meticulous judging process that incorporated both technical analysis and professional blind tastings, the brand garnered more Gold Best in Class and Outstanding medals than any other single malt Scotch whisky over the past six years.
Adding to these accolades, Glenmorangie was also recognized as an Impact “Hot Prospects” brand earlier this year. Impact, a source for global news and research for the drinks executive, creates an annual list of “Hot Prospects” brands. Brands must reach depletions of at least 50,000 nine-liter cases but not over 200,000 in 2011, in addition to a minimum of 15% growth in 2011, and have consistent solid growth the two previous years to join this prestigious list. A “Hot Prospects” feature story appeared in the October issue of Market Watch. Glenmorangie joins other promising brands that, while varying in size and scale, share a common goal of expanding on their success to take them to the next level.
“The superior quality of our whisky is due to the great yet unseen lengths that we go to in crafting our precious spirit. It is this commitment to quality that has made Glenmorangie the fastest growing single malt in the US and an Impact ‘Hot Prospects’ brand. To see that standard shine through every year is a tremendous honor,” said Brian Cox, Vice President of Glenmorangie US.
Doctor Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks said, “Glenmorangie is constantly refining the way whisky is made with one goal in mind: perfection. To be recognized as Distiller of the Year speaks of our commitment to pursuing perfection. Our craft has been refined over the ages and only continues to get better and better. I’m elated, again, to see the judges choose Glenmorangie to receive such prestigious awards.”
About Glenmorangie
Scotland’s favorite single malt, Glenmorangie is one of the most famous in the world. It originates from the far north of Scotland in the Highlands where, at the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills, expertly matured in the finest oak casks, and perfected by the Men of Tain. The Distillery was founded in 1843 and is renowned as a pioneer in its field for uniting tradition with innovation. In 2011 Glenmorangie was named Distiller of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
About The Glenmorangie Company
The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Company produces two main single malt brands – Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt Whisky.
About Impact
Readers of Impact are top executives who control the distribution and sales of spirits, wine and beer throughout the world, covering both duty-paid and duty-free markets. Read in more than 50 countries, Impact boasts a subscription base of about 15,000 readers. Impact is published 16 times per year and is written for the top decision-makers, who turn to this publication as the number one source for all the information they need to manage their business.
About the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC)
The International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) was founded in 1969 and is the premier competition of its kind in the world. Its aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs. The IWSC Awards mark out of a possible 100, with Gold medals going to spirits within the top ten percentile. Gold Best in Class is bestowed upon the top whisky within the top ten percentile. Silver medals are given to spirits ranging within 8.0 – 89.9 and bronze medals are appointed to produce between 75 – 79.9 marks.
IWSC 2012 Best in Class Wins
Glenmorangie 25 Years Old — Gold Outstanding
Glenmorangie Signet — Gold Outstanding
Glenmorangie Astar — Silver Outstanding
Glenmorangie Original — Silver Outstanding
Glenmorangie Lasanta — Silver Outstanding
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban — Silver Outstanding
Glenmorangie Artein — Silver Outstanding
Responsible Drinking
The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking and suggests that drinkers savor Glenmorangie whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.
Kyle, Chris, & the Don, the owners of Ezra Zion Cigar Company and CigarFederation.com, and Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, announced today that they have entered into a nationwide distribution agreement. To satisfy the rapidly expanding demand for the super-boutique Ezra Zion product line the Emilio sales staff will service new and existing accounts.
“When we launched Ezra Zion Cigar Company at IPCPR in August, we were overwhelmed by the positive response and volume of orders.” said Chris, “Keeping up with the demand for our cigars and delivering a supreme, quality smoking experience is paramount to our company. Joining forces with Gary Griffith and the House of Emilio will allow us to do that even better!”
“We started Ezra Zion with the idea of making cigars that you and your buddies would make if you made a cigar. To us, smoking is a celebration and an experience to be had, not just a hobby. Partnering with Gary and his staff will bring that celebration to a shop near you.
The Inception and the Reagan lines have arrived at the Emilio Cigars warehouse in Vineland, NJ and will begin shipping immediately.
“I am delighted to be able to help this outstanding boutique manufacturer benefit from our existing shipping and billing facilities, and even more happy that we were able to make this arrangement with such passionate new cigar makers” said Griffith.
“Through videos and social media, we want to continue to bring innovation and insight into our cigar journey. Whether we are at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Ca. for a Reagan/Two If By Tea cigar pairing…in Nicaragua creating new blends…or on our ranch in Texas shooting an M-14 with a cigar burning, we want to bring cigar lovers everywhere into our world and take the journey with us.” added Chris.
Keep up with the Ezra Zion Cigar Company on EzraZion.com. Follow on Twitter @EzraZionCigars
JOHNNIE WALKER today unveiled the first of a portfolio of whiskies that take their inspiration from the travelling heritage of John Walker & Sons. Available only in duty free stores, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD pays a unique homage to the global travellers of today.
The whisky of intriguing complexity, rich flavour and exceptional smoothness takes the John Walker & Sons tradition of blending for big, bold flavour inspired by influences from all over the world, into the 21st Century.
From the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world, JOHNNIE WALKER has always pushed boundaries to discover new horizons.
From 1820, the Walker family and their agents travelled the world, navigating their way down the famous trade routes: the Spice Road of Europe and Asia; the Royal Route from Europe to Persia; and the Gold Route of the Americas and the Caribbean, in pursuit of adventures bringing both new business and rich experiences.
Their efforts ensured that, by the 1920s, JOHNNIE WALKER had arrived in 120 countries and was being enjoyed on the great railways, luxury ocean liners and early transatlantic flights. Meanwhile, the striking image of the JOHNNIE WALKER Striding Man was becoming an icon all over the world.
Back in London, close to the shipping houses and docks from which the JOHNNIE WALKER agents travelled the world, Alexander Walker established the Travellers’ Room where his agents would convene to rest, talk strategy and exchange stories and samples from their travels. These colourful tales of exploration influenced the JOHNNIE WALKER Master Blenders, who began to create different styles of whisky to reflect these exotic stories
Today, this tradition continues as JOHNNIE WALKER launches a range of whiskies made exclusively for travellers – the JOHNNIE WALKER EXPLORERS’ CLUB COLLECTION™.
The first three blends in the collection collectively known as the Trade Routes Series are inspired by the richness that could be found along the great trade routes.
The first release, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD is an evocative expression of the vibrancy, aromas and spices that the JOHNNIE WALKER agents would have discovered in the thriving markets around Asia.
It is a bold blend of intriguing complexity, rich flavour and exceptional smoothness. A spicy zestiness on the nose is balanced by fresh citrus. The smooth, rich and honeyed flavours on the palate – warmed by cloves, ginger and vanilla sweetness – give way to a smouldering finish of the JOHNNIE WALKER signature smoke.
“To create the intense spicy flavour profile of JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD, we used well-matured single malts and grains, presenting all their fresh vibrant distillery characters, aged in carefully selected, high quality American oak casks; and of course there is a trace of West Coast smoke in the background – revealing the classic JOHNNIE WALKER signature,” commented Master Blender Jim Beveridge.
Steve White, Marketing Director of Diageo Global Travel and Middle East, said: “Travel is in the DNA of JOHNNIE WALKER and it is these credentials that we feel will resonate with today’s travellers who are undertaking bold journeys of their own.
“This travel heritage and pioneering spirit of adventure makes JOHNNIE WALKER the perfect companion for today’s travellers.”
With a recommended retail price of $43 / €36.90 / £26, JOHNNIE WALKER THE SPICE ROAD will be available in duty free stores in Europe, the Middle East and Australia in December. It will be available in duty free stores globally from January 2013.
The second and third releases in the Trade Routes Series – JOHNNIE WALKER THE GOLD ROUTE™ and JOHNNIE WALKER THE ROYAL ROUTE™ will be available in duty free stores in 2013.
ABOUT DIAGEO
DIAGEO is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include JOHNNIE WALKER, GUINNESS, SMIRNOFF, J&B, BAILEYS, CUERVO, TANQUERAY, CAPTAIN MORGAN, CROWN ROYAL, BEAULIEU VINEYARD and STERLING VINEYARDS wines.
DIAGEO is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
Independent Scotch whisky producer, Isle of Arran Distillers, has teamed up with the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, to produce a dramatic new single malt whisky made with Scotland’s oldest cultivated barley.
Thought to have been brought to the UK by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago, Bere barley is notoriously hard to grow, but for those willing to persevere it can produce a very fine quality of spirit.
Until the 19th century Bere was one of the most important Scottish crops and was widely grown by farmers and used by millers, brewers and distillers. Despite being a fundamental part of Scotland’s agricultural heritage, the crop is now only commercially grown on islands off Scotland’s North and West coasts as it has been replaced by higher yielding modern varieties.
To challenge this, the Agronomy Institute and Arran Distillers have worked together to revive the spirit of this barley which generates a unique taste of whisky as it used to be, a flavour which can be found in the new Arran Malt Orkney Bere.
Due to hit stores at the beginning of December, Orkney Bere has been matured for eight years in ex-bourbon barrels and the spirit developed quicker than anticipated. Just 5,800 bottles will be available for sale.
Euan Mitchell, managing director of Isle of Arran Distillers, said: “As an independent distillery we have the freedom to try different things and we’re constantly looking for new ways to interest and excite people who enjoy excellent malt whiskies.
“Due largely to lack of availability and difficulties with its cultivation, there are only a few distilleries which use Bere, but it can produce fantastic results and is part of Scotland’s heritage. We’ve worked with Orkney College to help raise the profile of this forgotten crop and offer our customers a taste of pure history with this limited edition malt.”
Peter Martin, Director of the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI, commented: “Working with Arran Distillers on this Orkney Bere whisky has been very exciting and I hope its release will help to awaken interest in this historically important Scottish crop. Bere is an under-utilised Scottish food and drink resource – there are not many other ancient cereals still in cultivation which can be used for making whisky, beer and a wide range of bakery products!”
The Arran Malt Orkney Bere has a flavour of ripe apples, oak and rich spices. The spirit has an ABV of 46% and has developed in American oak barrels with no artificial colours and non-chill filtered. A true collector’s edition, you can buy the whisky online at www.arranwhisky.com and specialist whisky shops.
Notes:
The Arran Malt – Orkney Bere is released early in December and will be available in the UK, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. RRP is £47.99 for 70cl.
* Current accolades for Isle of Arran Distillery include Winner for: Best New Exporter (2004), Queen’s Award for International Trade (2005), Scottish Distiller of the Year (2007) and Scottish Drinks Producer of the Year (2007.)
Product awards include: Best Whisky Liqueur (2007), ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 12 Years & Under’ for The Arran Malt Amarone Cask Finish (2008) ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask 1998 (2010) and ‘Best Single Malt Scotch 11-15 Years’ for the Icons of Arran Peacock (2011.)
More information on the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI:
The Agronomy Institute is a research centre of the University of the Highlands and Islands and is based at Orkney College UHI which is an academic partner in the University. The Institute specialises in crop-based research and development activities aimed at promoting sustainable development within the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland. For more information visit www.agronomy.uhi.ac.uk
NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – Nov 21, 2012) – Panache Beverage, Inc. (OTCQB: WDKA), an alcoholic beverage company specializing in the development, global sales and marketing of spirits brands, has announced the launch of Alibi American Whiskey, now debuting at a suggested retail price of $23.99 per 750ml bottle. A counterpoint to current mainstream bourbon market trends, Alibi has set out to demystify the category by offering a more accessible product as a return to the true American whiskey-drinking tradition, free of pretension.
“This is not for the aficionado that adds a dropper of mineral water to his whiskey glass and swirls. Alibi is a blended whiskey that does not require elaborate tasting notes or a half-day tasting seminar on its production,” noted Stephen W. Yorsz, Blend Master for Alibi. “This is more in the spirit of how whiskey was originally served in this country — in a shot glass or flask.”
Alibi is a corn-based whiskey that contains elements of rye and malted barley aged in first-fill American oak casks, distilled in Indiana and bottled and blended in Florida.
Advertising creative notes, “Alibi is an elixir for the flawed human spirit in all of us… Alibi is for real people, real drinkers and believes that at one time or another, everybody needs an alibi.”
Alibi American Whiskey will be available in New York, Florida and New Jersey by the Thanksgiving holiday and will be widely available nationally in 2013, including at retail and on-premise in Georgia, Illinois, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Arizona and Nevada.
This is the first foray into the brown spirits category for Panache, which markets and distributes Wódka Vodka. Considered a game-changer in the spirits industry, Wódka became the first super-premium vodka offered at a fraction of the cost of so-called “luxury” brand vodkas that have kept prices in the category artificially high through packaging, celebrity-oriented marketing and imposing triple-markup price tags.
About Panache Beverage, Inc.
Panache Beverage, Inc. (OTCQB: WDKA) based in New York, NY is an alcoholic beverage company specializing in the development, global sales and marketing of spirits brands. The Company’s expertise lies in the strategic development and aggressive early growth of its brands establishing its assets as viable and attractive acquisition candidates for the major global spirits companies. Panache intends to build its brands as individual acquisition candidates while continuing to develop its pipeline of new brands in to the Panache portfolio. Panache’s existing portfolio contains three brands: Wódka Vodka (www.welovewodka.com), Alchemia Infused Vodka (www.alchemiainfused.com) and Alibi American Whiskey (www.alibiamerica.com).
November 20, 2012 (Basel, Switzerland) — At the start of the Chinese Year of the Snake (February 10, 2013), Davidoff is launching the new 2013 “Year of the Snake” Edition cigars with exclusive limited-edition accessories. In the Chinese calendar, the sixth of the twelve Chinese signs of the zodiac is characterized as wise and graceful. The Snake is the quintessential symbol for intelligence and profundity. Particularly delicate and fine when depicted in a figure of eight, it has become one of the most popular decorations in all of Asia, not only for its unique symmetry but also because it carries the promise of infinity, material prosperity and luck. It is said that Snake-people like to possess the finer things in life.
Premium cigar brand Davidoff is also synonymous with luxury and the total “crop to shop” concept. “Year of the Snake” is, therefore, not only the unusual name given to the new limited edition, but also the connection of quintessential wisdom and stylish quality awareness with Davidoff.
Integrating these characteristics into an aroma represents a challenge for the Davidoff Master Blender: namely, to combine particularly old tobaccos to successfully create three layers of flavor – from floral nuances reminiscent of honey, to caramel, and finally to peppery notes of wood or nut, whilst also providing a captivating quality…. highly aromatic, with light-medium strength and Cuban thickness, the cigar develops a charming creaminess due to the Ecuadorian binder. The impressive Churchill format makes for a long smoking experience punctuated with the delicacy and refinement of a cigar with charisma. The octagonal, red-lacquered wooden box containing eight cigars will provide pleasure in the coming year.
The cultural background of this 2013 “Year of the Snake” Edition is every bit as fascinating as its aesthetic appearance: The “White Snake Story”, the Chinese love story still extremely popular today, can trace its origins back to a legend from the Ming dynasty (1368 AD) and, amongst other things, has inspired Davidoff’s new cigar — a cigar that preserves its cultural heritage whilst using passion and attention to detail to unlock the spirit of a dynamic, global environment. Those who fall in love with this cigar have no sense of superficiality. The fine, profound 2013 “Year of the Snake” Edition is for aficionados who smoke intelligently.
The uniqueness of this luxurious edition with a double ring speaks for itself. It is limited to 4,500 pieces and is available at Appointed Merchants beginning in December 2012.
