The original Red Lion ... Heather L. Phillips, Heavenly’s CEO, Leo and namesake for her new natural premium cigar line
Retailers at IPCPR 2009 will see the formal launch of Heavenly Cigar Company’s Red Lion, the first departure from their focus on Heaven premium flavored cigars, into the world of premium natural cigars. According to Heather L. Phillips, company founder and CEO, “It took several tries over the years, before I felt the blend was worthy of its title, ‘King of Cigars.’ Our master blender in Nicaragua met our strict standards for this important new product category from Heavenly Cigar. The fine-tuning of the complex five-nation blend and smoothing out its power was a real achievement. Two wrapper choices are available: a Connecticut broadleaf Maduro and an Ecuadorean-grown Habano Rosado. Cigar connoisseurs will be especially pleased by the depth and harmony of the blends. The power is tamed, but not at the expense of its richness. I selected the Rosado wrapper for its character and spicy finish. The Rosado also has a lustrous, reddish sheen that reflects the Red Lion theme. A Brazilian binder, combined with a Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican filler, rounds out both cigars’ blends.”
Red Lion is available in a 4.5" x 48 Robusto, a 5.5" x 52 Torpedo, and a 6" x 60 Toro Gordo. MSRP falls competitively into the mid-priced-cigar range. The red-motif box presentation holds 20 Robustos or Torpedos, or 15 of the larger Toro Gordos.
Although the blends are all new, Red Lion has been in the company’s portfolio since Heavenly Cigars’ beginnings in 1999. “But, we offered it only as a special-order item,” reports Phillips, “ and didn’t actively promote it. Now, with a fresh, new blend and packaging, Red Lion is springing into the market, and we’re confident the product and timing are right.”
All six Red Lion blends and shapes will be displayed at the Heavenly booths #658-663 at IPCPR. Phillips’ August 12th birthday coincides with the last day of the show, further enhancing the significance of the debut. She laughs, saying, “Celestial bodies are coming into alignment ... they tell us Red Lion is Heaven-sent!”
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