A key takeaway from 2020 for retailers and our industry is that we must become more adaptable and diverse in the way we do business. We must all learn to adjust how we operate and service the needs of all customers like the many retailers who have pivoted to create online sites, offer curbside service, and deliver cigars directly to their customers’ homes. Many stores started doing virtual events, so adult consumers could interact with manufacturers. These virtual events were successes for many retailers. Clearly, Covid has taught us that we must become more agile to adjust during difficult times.

Nearly nine months since the pandemic outbreak, the industry is seeing inventory shortages. Manufacturers were forced to close their factories for a short amount of time, and some are operating now with smaller workforces due to social distancing. As  manufacturers are not able to fulfill the supply to meet the demand, we are encouraging retailers to be more strategic with the ways they purchase. For example, instead of buying inventory for a month at a time, it would be more prudent to buy larger quantities when the product is available. Also, when you’re consistently having trouble getting a specific item due to inventory shortages, consider temporarily replacing that item on your shelf with something similar. Remember, Santa Clara carries more than 400 different lines of cigars in over 2,000 SKUs, so be sure to take advantage of our diverse and extensive portfolio to help fill any empty spaces on your shelves.

As 2021 is on the horizon, it’s important we learn other lessons from our 2020 experience. Besides being agile in our business practices, we must be resilient in our resolve going forward. The truth is we have no idea what lies in front of us, but we must continue to focus on doing better than we have in the past. Adult cigar consumers can buy cigars anywhere, but they only become repeat customers if you provide great customer service — this is vital for any business.  Here at Santa Clara we’ve added additional members to our customer service team to help ensure  we can be more responsive and accommodate the needs of all customers.

Santa Clara has always valued the business and support we receive from all our retail partners. We strive to provide the best selection of premium cigars and great monthly deals to help increase your margins. Be sure to check out the amazing deals in this month’s catalog. If there is anything we can do to make 2021 smoother for your business, please let us know.

We hope you find this year’s Standout Awards insightful and helpful as these cigars have performed well for retailers across the country. At Santa Clara, we strive to give our valued partners the help and support you need to make great buying decisions and improve your business. Be sure to look for deals and promotions on these great brands in the future, so you can continue to save money and increase your profit margins.

Cigar maker Alan Rubin had one goal when he started: to give adult cigar smokers one thing, an unforgettable experience. His first brand was Bogey’s Stogies, which was released in 1997. The idea behind Bogey’s Stogie was to create a cigar meant for the golf course. When Bogey’s Stogies ended up producing less than stellar results, Alan found himself in debt. But in 2000, Alan’s fortunes changed when he worked with Ralph Montero to blend their first hit, Occidental Reserve.

Nearly 20 years later, Alec Bradley continues to make cigars that provide a great experience for the adult consumer and great sales for the retailer. In 2011, Alan would see the results of his hard work and passion pay-off when Cigar Aficionado bestowed the #1 ranking to the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill in its annual Top 25 Cigars list.

In the nearly eight years that have passed since Alec Bradley received that #1 ranking, Alan has continued to make great new cigars including Black Market, Nica Puro, The Maxx, Project 40 and Magic Toast. In 2019, Alan announced a partnership with legendary infused cigar maker, Lars Teten to re-introduce these unique and intriguing cigars back into the marketplace. All of these great brands are proof that Alan’s dedication to consumers and retailers is alive and well in his cigars. In 2018, Alan Rubin saw his sons, Alec and Bradley, do something bold and exciting when they started their own company, Alec and Bradley Cigars. Alan’s sons wanted to create and blend their own cigar, so Alan told them they would need to invest their own money in this project. It was important to Alan that his sons understand the consequences and risks of creating a brand, so they needed to invest in their idea. Their first brand was Blind Faith, which has a boldness that illustrates the risk Alec and Bradley were taking in this venture. In 2019, they also released the Gatekeeper, which was a collaboration between the sons and legendary cigar maker, Ernesto Perez-Carillo.

Santa Clara Cigars is proud of the great relationship we have with Alec Bradley Cigars. Here at Santa Clara, we have a large selection of brand offerings from Alec Bradley. We believe these would make a great addition to brick and mortar stores, because of the commitment Alan Rubin has made to producing great cigars. Please be sure to check out our full selection of Alec Bradley cigars at https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/alec-bradley-cigars.

Cabañas is a medium-full bodied cigar that has notes of coffee, molasses, and a little spice. Cabañas is hand-crafted at Pepin’s Nicaraguan factory where some of the best-selling brands in the marketplace are rolled each and every day. Santa Clara was honored to work with the legendary Don Pepin Garcia, who has blended two cigars that have achieved the number one ranking by Cigar Aficionado magazine in the past ten years. The label and packaging were meant to pay homage to the history and heritage of this legendary Cuban heritage brand. Please check out the blend info, sizes, pricing, and image below. If you wish to place an order, please let us know.

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Santa Clara is excited to announce that we just received the recently launched, Romeo y Julieta 1875 Connecticut Nicaragua. Altadis USA has long been known for making some of the best-selling Connecticut Shade cigars in the marketplace, and this recent addition will surely be a huge hit with adult consumers.

This newest release from Altadis USA is a unique and extraordinary cigar, because it is believed to be the first major cigar release to feature a Nicaraguan grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. Most Connecticut Shade wrapper is grown in Ecuador or in Connecticut, but Altadis USA had the world-renowned Plasencia Family blend this incredible cigar using Nicaraguan Connecticut Shade. The Romeo y Julieta 1875 Connecticut Nicaragua is the newest addition to Romeo y Julieta core group of brands that include Romeo y Julieta 1875, Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real, Romeo y Julieta Reserve, and Romeo y Julieta 1875 Nicaragua. All four of these lines are great sellers in retail stores across the country.

The Romeo y Julieta 1875 Connecticut Nicaragua comes in only four sizes: Bully, Toro, Magnum, and Churchill. Each size comes in boxes of 25 with the only exception being the Magnum, which comes in a box of 20 cigars. The retail price point of $7.46 – $8.69 makes it one of the most affordable Connecticut Shade cigars in the marketplace, which will make it an instant success with consumers.

Please check out the blend information, sizes, pricing, and images below to learn more:

Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Plasencia S.A.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Shade-Grown Connecticut

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Since the first cigar factory opened in 1676, Cuba has been synonymous with the word “cigar.” Up until the early 1960s, the United States was one of the largest importers of Cuban cigars. But with the cooling of relations between the island nation and the US following the Cuban Revolution, a trade embargo ended American adult consumers ability to legally obtain Cuban cigars.  

 A number of cigar makers who left Cuba went on to set up farms and factories in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Spain’s Canary Islands. Hence many of the brand names once known as Cuban, but now grown and manufactured elsewhere by these Cuban ex-patriots, became known as “Cuban heritage” brands.

Cuban heritage brands are among the most popular and better-selling brands in the U.S. marketplace. Walk into any brick and mortar humidor and you’re likely to see these historic brands, including such names as Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, La Aroma de Cuba, Henry Clay, Punch, San Cristobal, Saint Luis Rey and many more. Some adult cigar smokers today may not even be aware that many of their favorite brands trace their origins to Cuba. Those who do know often attribute such brand appeal to the colorful and dramatic stories surrounding these legendary brands.

It’s important for retailers to have brand diversity in their humidor, and Santa Clara has a huge selection of these famous brands that will be familiar with your customers. Be sure to check out SantaClaraCigars.com to see our entire Cuban heritage brand portfolio. We often have great deals online and in our catalog – deals that can save you money and increase your profit margins.

When it comes to premium cigars, and especially these great Cuban Heritage Cigars, we hope we’ve treated you to some insight into this great industry. It is very important to carry the right mix of cigars, but it’s also important for you to be a fountain of knowledge, a source of history and a sharer of experience for your adult consumers. After all, remember that adage that has worked for centuries: “Nothing sells better than a great story!”

H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez

With this latest offering, Altadis USA wanted to pay homage to one of the best tobacco growers in the world, Jose Mendez & Co. by using only their tobacco in this excellent cigar. H. Upmann is celebrating it’s 175^th anniversary as a brand this year, so it’s only fitting that this newest brand is being rolled at a historic factory celebrating it’s 50^th anniversary, Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic. The H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez also features Dominican Pilotico, which is a proprietary tobacco for Altadis USA.

In-stock: https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/h-upmann-cigars/h-upmann-hispaniola-by-jose-mendez

Plasencia Alma Del Fuego

Up until a few years ago, Plasencia wasn’t a cigar brand that most consumers had heard of before. They rarely ever released a cigar that had their family name on it, but instead made a lot of cigars for other brand owners such as Rocky Patel and Alec Bradley. For over 50 years, the Plasencia Family has been one of the largest growers of premium tobacco. Two years ago, Plasencia released the Alma Fuerte as their first premium cigar with a higher price tag and it quickly became a great seller for retailers across the county. As a follow-up to that release, Plasencia is has released their newest cigar, the Plasencia Alma Del Fuego. With this fantastic cigar, the Plasencia family has used a very rare tobacco from the Ometepe region of Nicaraua. Ometepe is grown on an island that has two active volcanos, which creates a very rich and spicy tobacco. This most recent cigar has already seen fast turns for retailers across the country.

In-stock: https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/plasencia-cigars/plasencia-alma-del-fuego

Sobremesa Brûlée

Steve Saka is considered by many to be one the best minds and makers in the premium cigar industry. Before he launched his own company Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust four years ago, Saka was previously the President of Drew Estate. While at Drew Estate, he conceptualized one of the most popular brands to be released in the last 20 years, Liga Privada. Since starting his own company, Steve has seen tremendous success and praise for brands such as Sobremesa, Mi Querida, Todas Las Dias, and Sin Compromiso. With the Sobremesa Brûlée, Saka took a step back in time to create a Connecitcut shade cigar that was mellow, smooth, and sweet like your Grandfather’s cigar from decades ago.

In-stock: https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/dunbarton-tobacco-and-trust-cigars/sobremesa-brulee

Trinidad Espiritu

Trinidad is one of those Cuban heritage brands that often doesn’t get as much attention as brands such as Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta, but this latest release will surely stand out and garner a ton of interest from adult cigar consumers. This fantastic Nicaraguan puro was rolled at the factory of cigar maker A.J. Fernandez. The packaging will surely stand out on any retail shelf as it features an Art Deco style that personifies Miami and Caribbean culture. The manufacturer, Altadis USA is putting a lot of marketing and creativity to showcase and highlight this masterpiece of a cigar.

In-stock: https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/trinidad-espiritu

Joya de Nicaragua Antano CT

This year’s trade show saw the release of several exciting Connecticut shade-wrapped cigars. Typically, when most consumers think of Connecticut Shade cigars they don’t typically think of Joya de Nicaragua. However, looking over their history Joya de Nicaragua released one of the most iconic Connecticut shade cigars with the Joya de Nicaragua Clasico several decades ago. Going back to their roots, this year they have released the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut to bring balance to the Antano brand. With Joya de Nicaragua, you get great quality, flavor, and history wrapped up in a cigar. This cigar will surely be a great cigar for consumers who like to smoke a wide variety in terms of strength.

In-stock: https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/drew-estate-cigars/joya-de-nicaragua-antano-connecticut

ACID 20^th Anniversary

ACID from Drew Estate is celebrating it’s 20^th anniversary this year by commemorating with a special cigar that will surely be one of the best-selling lines from this year. Twenty years ago, Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel disrupted and transformed the cigar industry with an infused cigar that would become one of the best-selling cigars in the marketplace. The creativity and quality that is the ACID brand has been paramount to the success of Drew Estate.

ETA: TBD

Casa Fernandez Guardian of the Farm Nightwatch

The Aganorsa Family has for a long time been famous for being one of the best tobacco growers and purveyors in Nicaragua. In 2016, Aganorsa Leaf launched their first Guardian of the Farm cigar, and it quickly became one of their most popular brands as it garnered a lot of critical acclaim as it was on several media lists for top 25 cigars for 2016. As a follow-up to this fantastic cigar, Aganorsa Leaf has launched the Casa Fernandez Guardian of the Farm Night Watch at this year’s trade show. In one of the rare instances, Aganorsa is utilizing a maduro Nicaraguan wrapper to make the cigar “more intense” then its previous release.

ETA: TBD

Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper

When Alan Rubin founded his company over 20 years ago, he chose the name Alec Bradley Cigars as a way of showing his love for his two young sons, Alec and Bradley. Now, over 20 years later, both of Alan’s sons are an integral part of his company. However, both sons also wanted an opportunity to develop their own brand and work on the blending process of their own cigar. In order to realize this dream both sons started their own separate brand, Alec & Bradley Cigars. Last year, they launched their first release with the Blind Faith, and now they are doing their follow-up with the Gatekeeper. Alec and Bradley sought out the help and blending of legendary cigar icon, Ernesto Perez-Carillo to manufacturer this exciting cigar. Alec and Bradley are clearly on the path to success in the premium cigar industry, and retailers will surely want to take part in this exciting journey by adding this to their shelves.

ETA: TBD

The H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez would make the perfect addition to any retail humidor. Unlike most H. Upmann lines, this newest one is a full-bodied cigar that offers a lot of strength and complexity. The retail price point on this H. Upmann is very affordable at $8.50 – $8.95.  Each box is packaged with 20 cigars and offered in the following three sizes: Robusto, Toro, Belicoso. To learn more about this amazing cigar, please see the info below:

Origin: Tabacalera de Garcia, Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic / Nicaragua

Santa Clara is excited to announce we just received a fantastic recently released cigar from Altadis USA, the Trinidad Espiritu. This newest Trinidad line was one of the most talked about cigars that was launched at this year’s IPCPR trade show. Trinidad Espiritu exudes artistic creativity and uniqueness with its Art Deco-style packaging that will surely catch the eye of adult cigar consumers. Trinidad is one of the most famous and popular Cuban heritage brands as the Cuban government has given Trinidad’s as a gift to visiting diplomats and dignitaries. With this release, Altadis USA, the makers of Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta sought out the help of A.J. Fernandez to blend a cigar that was worthy of this historic and famous brand. Featuring a Nicaraguan-puro blend, this medium to full-bodied cigar showcases its complexity with notes of cinnamon, caramel, and a little spice. Besides offering great flavor and stunning packaging, the Trinidad Espiritu also has a very affordable retail price point $9.90 – $10.65 and it comes in four different sizes. This will make an excellent addition to any retail humidor as its unique style and flair will make this one of the most successful releases of 2019. Please be sure to check out the info below to learn more and the images below. To place your order for this great cigar, please call 1-800-547-6060 or order online at
https://www.santaclaracigars.com/brand/trinidad-espiritu

Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Box count: 20 cigars

The Acid Purple Croqueta comes in a unique tube that features cigars each measuring 2 ½ x 50. Its inspiration comes from Cuban cuisine. The idea behind this cigar is if you’re short on time you can smoke one of them now and save the other for a later time. The blend consists of a San Andres Maduro wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and filler. Each box come with 25 tubes, so there are 50 cigars total in each box. At a very affordable price point of $8.40 per tube, the Acid Purple Croqueta is expected to be a big hit with Acid fans.

The Acid Purple Plush is more traditional in size 5 ½ x 50, but the flavor is just as unique as any other Acid. The Plush features a 24-count box and a blend consisting of Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler. Jonathan Drew has referred to the Purple line as “the quiet second champion in the Acid collection, but to many a crowd favorite due its unique sizes and award-winning blends”. The Plush will certainly be a crowd favorite like its predecessors and is very affordable at $9.60 per cigar.

Below is item codes, sizes, and suggested retail prices for these two fantastic releases from Drew Estate cigars: