First Look—New Blend Hitting the Seas from East India Trading Company

Source from:  cigaraficionado  05/24/2013

The folks at East India Trading Co., a part of Gurkha Cigar Group Inc. known for whimsical names with their products, have shared details with Cigar Aficionado about the next blend they'll be launching later this summer: Rogue.

Rogue has been in some retail stores before as an unnamed sample, but customers who tasted early blends of the cigar will have only known it as a mysterious pre-release shared at in-store events since earlier this year.

This will be the third release from the East India Trading Co., a historied trademark that is now owned by Gurkha Cigar Group Inc. Previous releases include Red Witch and Wicked Indie. Most of the East India lines have been priced lower in the greater portfolio of Gurkha products, which include some cigars flavored by rare spirits that fetch thousands of dollars.

"The Rogue is a stronger, more full-flavored and complex cigar than the Wicked Indie and Red Witch," said marketing manager Oliver Hyams. "The Wicked Indie has more of that spice, nutty flavor, where the Red Witch has more of an underlying sweetness. There is a certain complexity and roundness on the finish with the Rogue."

Rogue is arriving with some fancifully named vitolas: Rascal at 5 1/2 inches by 46 ring gauge, Tryant at 5 by 52, Ruthless at 6 by 54, Bamboozle at 6 by 60 and a massive 6 by 66 called Armageddon. They'll all come in 20-count boxes, with per-stick MSRPs of between $5.99 and $11.99.

The blend consists of an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper, an Ecuadoran binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

The cigar will officially launch later this summer at this summer's International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers' trade show and ship shortly thereafter. Enditem