Arango Debuts Cigars Featuring Tobacco Variety Last Seen in Cuba in 1962

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	NEW PRODUCT RELEASE
	For Release: July 24, 2007

	Arango Debuts Cigars Featuring Tobacco Variety Last Seen in Cuba in 1962
	Arango Cigar Co. has been appointed exclusive U.S. distributor for premium cigars made by Tabacos de la Cordillera (Mountain Range Cigars). Costa Rica-based Cordillera develops its own seed varieties, cultivates and processes its tobacco, and manufactures its cigars. It is unique in the industry, growing all of its own tobacco from its proprietary bank of over 45 varieties of seeds, directly from Cuba or derived from pure Cuban lineage. Even more noteworthy, these are all "ancestral" seeds that pre-date the 1962 Cuban Embargo.

	According to Arango president, Mike Gold, "We are dedicating a generous 100 square feet of our RTDA 2007 booth to Cordillera Cigars, because we are interested in seeing how attendees will accept an alternative to cigars on today's market. Cordillera's director, John Vogel, is a 40-year tobacco agronomist, specializing in the development of new seed varieties. He is in Arango's booth, to showcase his unique product and offer samples for evaluation. I doubt most cigar lovers have smoked cigars like these before, based on media reviews and customer feedback."

	Vogel is featuring their new Fundación Ancestral collection of premium cigars, in the four most popular shapes. He is spotlighting Serie 1941, the first cigar in the series. Cuban Land, the island's leading tobacco research institute at the time, released the strain to regional farmers in 1941. It became the archetype for Cuban cigars for decades, before vanishing after the Embargo. Only 8,000 cigars total are offered in this first release, in numbered and signed cedar presentation boxes. Packaged 25 cigars to the box or in cartons of 5 cigars, Manufacturer's suggested retail price is in the $11 to $12 range.

	Cordillera is also displaying their Cumbres Gold and Colinas lines. Cumbres (Summits) Gold is a long-filler premium cigar with a delicately seductive flavor and aroma, as noted by the cigar press. Value-priced Colinas (Hills) is a medium-filler cigar with a pedigree ... its filler being remnants from top-of-the-line Cumbres production. MSRP for Cumbres, in the four most popular shapes, runs from $4 to $7.50; the Colinas averages about $3.60 for its 5 shapes.

	The cigars, plus the entire Tabacos de la Cordillera portfolio, appear on the company's Web site, www.tabacordillera.com. All three brands will begin appearing on retailer's shelves in August.