Phillips & King, the tobacco distribution under Kretek International, has announced it will debut the Phillips & King Reserve Collection. The new collection will feature six blends available only to Phillips & King customers. The collection will include three blends from Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) and three blends from Altadis U.S.A. The Phillips & King Reserve Collection will officially be launched at Total Product Expo (TPE) 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We developed the Reserve Collection to help our customers stand out from their competitors with a line of proprietary cigars from the best-selling heritage brands,” says Jim Charnley, Senior Director of Marketing in a press release. “We leveraged our longstanding factory relationships to create a series of cigars that offer a range of flavor and strength profiles. And the Reserve Collection is available in two distinct packaging formats designed to fit a variety of retail footprints.”
Each of the blends will represent a leading brand found in the STG or Altadis portfolio. Phillips & King describes each of the offerings as follows:
- Montecristo: a mellow-to-medium-bodied cigar wrapped in a Habano leaf with tasting notes of cocoa, cedar, and sweet spices.
- H. Upmann: a medium-to-full-bodied cigar wrapped in a Connecticut Ecuadoran leaf with tasting notes of sweet spices, rich latte, and nutmeg.
- Romeo y Julieta: a medium-bodied cigar wrapped in a Habano leaf with tasting notes of vanilla, molasses, and black pepper.
- Macanudo: a mellow-to-medium cigar with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and tasting notes of milk chocolate, almonds, and white pepper.
- La Gloria Cubana: a medium-bodied cigar with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and tasting notes of molasses, allspice, and dark rye.
- Punch: a medium-to-full-bodied cigar with a Rosado Olancho wrapper and tasting notes of exotic spices, dark chocolate, and cedar.
All six blends will be offered in two sizes – Robusto or Toro. Each size will be offered in either 20-count boxes or three-count samplers that do not require additional humification. A counter display will be offered which includes one boat of five three-count packs of each of the six blends.
“Many of our customers have well-established premium cigar programs, while others are just starting out. So, we took a versatile approach to the Reserve Collection packaging, and are offering wooden boxes for the classic humidor, and countertop displays for those dipping a toe into the cigar market. We think the countertop unit will be additionally useful for customers looking to increase their average transaction value, with the grab-and-go nature of these recognizably branded cigars,” added Charnley.
“We are excited to unveil these new cigar blends made in collaboration with our friends at Altadis U.S.A. and the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG),” said Charnley. “And we look forward to potentially extending the collection with other blends and brands over time.”
TPE 2023 takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada from February 22 to February 24, 2023.
Photo Credits: Phillips & King
