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66 SMOKESHOP February 2016 Joya Red Half Corona Now Available in U.S. Joya de Nicaragua has announced that the Joya Red Half Corona (3 3/4 x 46) is now being distributed in the U.S. The new shape in the Joya Red line debuted in September 2015 at the annual Inter-Tabac trade fair in Dortmund, Germany and had only been available to date in European markets. The smaller shape was created "to satisfy premium cigar smoker's desire for a quicker but extremely pleasurable smoke," stated the manufacturer. "We kept the same lower priming Nicaraguan tobacco blend as the rest of the Joya Red Line." The new shape comes in boxes of 20 as well as petacas of five cigars. Joya Red is a medium strength cigar line "packed with flavor" that debuted in July 2014 and quickly rose to become Joya de Nicaragua's second-best selling brand in the U.S. Joya de Nicaragua, Estelí, Nicaragua, Web: joyacigars.com, distributed by Drew Estate, Miami, Fla., Tel: (786) 581-6488, Web: drewestate.com. Brand NEWS Cornelius & Anthony to Release Premiere Cigar Line: Cornelius Cornelius & Anthony Premium Cigars, the new cigar division of the Keysville, Va. Bailey fami- ly's 150-year-old tobacco company, is launching its premiere handz- made cigar line, Cornelius. Produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in the Little Havana neighbor- hood of Miami, Cornelius is a tribute to Cornelius Bailey, the great-great-grand- father company of company president Steven Bailey and the first of five gen- erations of Bailey family members to run the family tobacco company estab- lished in 1866. Cornelius cigars are made under the supervision of El Titan Bronze owner Sandra Cobas, and will be ini- tially released in three sizes, each pre- sented in boxes of 20: Toro (6 x 50); Robusto (5 x 50), and Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46). Suggested retail prices will range from $12 to $15 each. The Cornelius blend, consisting of Nicaraguan filler combined with Ecuadorian binder and wrapper, has "a layered complexity with notes of both sweetness and spice; a refined balance that culminates with a buttery smooth finish," says the manufacturer. Cornelius & Anthony/S&M Brands, Keysville, Va., Toll-free: (888) 821- 7822, Fax: (434) 736-2764, Web: CorneliusAndAnthony.com. Argenti Teams with A.J. Fernandez for La Gran Llave After a two-year hiatus from the cigar industry, former Berger & Argenti president and c.e.o. Michael Argenti has announced a new cigar collaboration with cigar maker Abdel Fernandez of A.J. Fernandez Cigars, creating and produc- ing a new premium hand made cigar line called La Gran Llave (LGL). "I've been working on the La Gran Llave project on and off for the better part of 10 years," said Argenti, who has been in the cigar business for over 25 years, first as exec. v.p. of Tabacalera Perdomo S.A., then as presi- dent and c.e.o. of Cuban Imports and most recently as co-founder of Berger & Argenti. Argenti said it wasn't until recently that he shared an LGL prototype with Angel Aguayo, who convinced him to team up with Fernandez to bring LGL to market. "It has always been our collective goal, from day one, to create the finest cigar in the world by utilizing only select, well-aged materials and in doing so, bringing to market a cigar the world rarely sees," said Argenti. The blend consists of Nicaraguan Habano filler and binder with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. Five sizes are offered, ranging from the diminutive but powerful Corona Extra (4 3/4 x 48) to the elegant and decadently rich (7 1/2 x 55) Double Corona. Cigars are presented in 20-count slide-top boxes, with suggested retail prices ranging from $6.99 to $10.99 per stick. "I honestly believe La Gran Llave is the finest blend I've ever been associated with," Argenti said. "Abdel could possibly be the finest cigar maker of his gener- ation… From his growing operations, to pre-industry and his state-of-the-art cigar factory, his enterprise is nothing short of remarkable. La Gran Llave is slated to be released at the 2016 Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 16th–18th. Dealer inquiries and additional information can be obtained from La Gran Llave general manager Priscilla del Rey. La Gran Llave, Miami, Fla., Tel: (305) 668-0303, Fax: (305) 668-4803, Email: michael@lglcigar.com, Web: lglcigar.com.