精選煙草公司發(fā)布了阿方索陳年產(chǎn)品線的最新版本，這個系列被稱為阿方索大精選（Alfonso Gran Selección），這條產(chǎn)品線保留了原始煙葉混合的一些核心特征,，與上一代產(chǎn)品的口味形成更為激進(jìn)的對比,。這個產(chǎn)品線預(yù)計(jì)7月份參加美國PCA貿(mào)易展,，秋季可以向零售商發(fā)貨,。
去年的阿方索陳年產(chǎn)品線使用的是淺色的厄瓜多爾康涅狄格茄衣,，今年的產(chǎn)品線使用的是深色,、口味更濃郁的厄瓜多爾哈瓦那茄衣,，茄套是秘魯煙葉,，茄芯是多米尼加、尼加拉瓜混合煙葉,。這樣的煙葉組合是為了讓這條新產(chǎn)品線的口味達(dá)到中等到濃郁強(qiáng)度,。
新產(chǎn)品線有五個尺寸。Exclusivos（獨(dú)家）,，54環(huán)徑,，6英寸。Preciosos（珍貴）,，40環(huán)徑,，7.5英寸。Estelares（星星）,，54環(huán)徑,，5.5英寸。Enormes（巨大）,，60環(huán)徑,，6.5英寸。Grandiosos（偉大）,，50環(huán)徑,，在美國的售價從每支30美元到50美元不等。每盒都是25支裝,。雪茄限量發(fā)行,，每個尺寸只銷售200盒。
這個產(chǎn)品線的出品方是精選煙草公司,，該公司以出品阿塔貝（Atabey）,、拜倫（Byron）等品牌而聞名。根據(jù)該公司老板納爾遜·阿方索介紹,，這個產(chǎn)品線在卷制后已經(jīng)發(fā)酵了五年,，并且是在雪松木內(nèi)襯的發(fā)酵房里經(jīng)歷不同濕度水平。和精選煙草公司的其他雪茄不一樣,，這款阿方索大精選產(chǎn)品線還在鋪有法國橡木的發(fā)酵房里經(jīng)歷了額外發(fā)酵,。
雪茄是在哥斯達(dá)黎加（Costa Rica）的圣地亞哥德普里思卡爾（Santiago de Puriscal）的哥斯達(dá)黎加雪茄廠卷制的，經(jīng)銷商是總部位于美國新罕布什爾州的聯(lián)合煙草公司,。
Selected Tobacco is releasing a darker sequel to last year’s Alfonso A?ejo line. Called the Alfonso Gran Selección, the new series is intended to offer a bolder contrast to its predecessor while maintaining some of the core characteristics of the original blend. The Gran Selección will be available in five sizes and is set to debut at the Premium Cigar Association trade show this July in Las Vegas with an expected shipping date in the fall.
The original Alfonso A?ejo line was covered in a light Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper, but the new Gran Selección is made with a dark, richer Ecuadoran Habano wrapper along with a Peruvian binder that holds together Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, all for a blend intended to be medium-to-full-bodied in strength.
The five sizes of the Gran Selección line are: Exclusivos, measuring 6 inches by 54 ring gauge; Preciosos, at 7 1/2 by 40; Estelares, 5 1/2 by 54; Enormes, 6 1/2 by 60; and Grandiosos, 8 by 50. Suggested retail prices will range from $30 to $50 per cigar.
The new cigars come from Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco, known for brands such as Atabey and Byron. According to Selected Tobacco, the Gran Selección line was aged five years after rolling, primarily in cedar-lined rooms at varying humidity levels. But unlike most brands from Selected, these smokes underwent an additional aging step in rooms lined with French oak, as was also done for the Alfonso A?ejo and Byron 1850 lines.
The new smokes are made at the Tabacos de Costa Rica factory in Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica and are distributed by New Hampshire-based United Cigars. Production is limited to 5,000 cigars per size, or 200 25-count boxes per vitola.
