November 19, 2012 (Pasadena, CA) — Zander-Greg has just debuted their new Nat Cicco HHB superpremium cigar.  It comes in three sizes: 7-1/4″ x 52, 6-1/4″ x 56 and 5-1/4″ x 54. They share a pigtail-capped head and a foot that is enclosed within the wrapper.  Both features are also common to Zander-Greg’s just-introduced Aniversario 1965, which celebrates the year the Nat Cicco (SEEK-oh) “Rejects” were born … the original value-priced cigar based on the oft-copied “Rejects” theme.

HHB has an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade leaf wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and filler.  The cigar is well-balanced and full-bodied.  The result is a smoke that the company describes as “robust, but creamy- smooth, very flavorful and elegantly aromatic.”  The cigar’s performance and opulent presentation have prompted Zander-Greg to confidently compare it to Cuba’s vaunted Cohiba Behike, which retails for over $50 a cigar.  HHB’s presentation befits its $14.00 manufacturer’s suggested retail price … a black “piano-finish,” furniture-grade Spanish cedar humidor-style box, holding ten nude cigars.

In only five years since buying and reintroducing the dormant Nat Cicco Reject brand, Zander-Greg has systematically climbed the ladder to market recognition and acceptance.  Rejects are machine-made with homogenized binder, but still trump their short-filler competitors .. Rejects’ extra-select, medium-length Cameroon, Connecticut, Honduran and Dominican remnants come from some of America’s most prestigious and sought-after premiums.

Cuban Legends, their first 100%-prime-leaf, handmade premium, retailing at under $2.50, has been their next success, fueled by the sagging economy.  In early 2012, the company unveiled the Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 vintage cigar, with a competitive retail price of $6.00.  It is also gaining ground rapidly, according to a company spokesman.

Zander-Greg’s ambitious 2013 advertising campaign will introduce HHB to smokers and retailers alike, to help build a network of participating shops.  The company is also actively promoting their cigars with in-store events nationwide.

Nat Cicco HHB is making a beachhead on the superpremium and Havana market, with smokers being asked to “Just compare it … especially to Cuba’s Cohiba Behike.”

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.