Southern Draw Cigars waited until day two of the trade show, but they made it worth everyone’s time as they unveiled their new brand 300 Hands.
On day one, Southern Draw Cigars did an unveiling for its Cedrus-The Hogan. At that time, the company presented the story behind that cigar and then for the first time showed the cigar to the world. On day two, the same thing was done for 300 Hands. While 300 Hands was originally scheduled to be unveiled at 11am on day two, the electrical fire that delayed the opening of IPCPR would delay the unveiling for three hours.
The 300 Hands name pays homage to the people of Nicaragua involved in the 300 steps needed going from seed to store to deliver a hand-made premium cigar to the consumer. The project also pays homage to some of the people who might get forgotten about in the whole cigar making process such as repairmen or bus drivers who take the workers to or from school. Many of these people still live in poverty in Nicaragua, so the 300 Hands project has a charitable angle. Southern Draw will donate 25% of the profits of 300 Hands to (according to Southern Draw) “those Nicaraguans that offered us their honest stories and identified specific needs in and around their own communities.”
300 Hands consists of two blends – a Maduro and Habano. The 300 Hands Maduro consists of a Nicaraguan wrapper from Estelí, an Indonesian binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The Habano blend known as 300 Manos Habano consists of an Ecuadorian wrapper, Cameroon binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Both blends are available in five classic Cuban sizes: Petit Edmundo (4 3/4 x 52), Coloniales (5 1/4 x 44), Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), Piramides (6 1/8 x 52), and Churchill. Each is packaged in ten-count bundles, priced from $59.99 to $64.99 per bundle.
The colors of the project are also significant. The blue and the white colors on the 300 Hand s Maduro are symbolic of the colors of the Nicaraguan flag. The black color featured on the 300 Manos Habano is symbolic of the struggles the country of Nicaragua is going through.
Southern Draw is also making available a patent-pending vertical display tray that holds 10 cigars of each size from both blends. The cigars also come with a series of cards that feature stories of the people involved with the activities around 300 Hands.
Photo Credit: Cigar Coop, except where noted
