Tabacos de la CordilleraTM (Highland Cigars), a Costa Rican tobacco and cigar producer, has made significant price reductions on its exclusive factory-direct Web sales site. Tabacos de la CordilleraTM (Highland Cigars), a Costa Rican tobacco and cigar producer, has made significant price reductions on its exclusive factory-direct Web sales site, www.tabacordillera.com. Effective immediately, the compnay is cutting prices approximately 18% on Cumbres de PuriscalTM and PuriscoTM long-filler lines, ColinasTM medium-filler cigars, and Mini Cigars. Company director John Vogel explains, “We had held the price line for three years, until announcing a 20% increase in December, 2007. At that time, our newly-appointed U.S. distributor, Arango Cigar Co., had stated they would begin distributing the Cumbres de Puriscal and Colinas lines. Their profit margin for distribution and promotional efforts in building sales of those lines would raise retail pricing by 20%. This would have required us to increase the prices on our Web site accordingly, so as to not undercut the suggested retail prices the tobacconists would have charged ... an important consideration in building their loyalty.” Subsequently, however, Arango decided to postpone distribution of the Cumbres de Puriscal and Colinas lines until Summer, 2009. Their decision was based on two considerations: They decided to await Cordillera’s complete facelift of its packaging and bands next year. Though not a factor in Internet sales, it is important in making the products more visible, identifiable and attractive on retailers’ shelves. This is especially important with the Cumbres brand, as it is Cordillera’s top selling cigar. Equally important, Arango’s decision was based on Cordillera’s development of the new, prestige VogelTM line, to be introduced at the annual trade show this July. (See attached Vogel press release and photo.) Vogel consists of two blends ... Red, a medium-full natural-wrapper cigar; and Green, a medium-bodied maduro. Like all Cordillera cigars, both blends consist of 100% genetically pure “Ancestral” Cuban-seed tobaccos, from John Vogel’s proprietary bank of over 45 pre-Embargo Cuban seeds. Tobacco from these seeds has not been seen in the U.S. since that time, which was considered the zenith of Cuban tobacco development. The Cordillera sales site has posted the lowered prices, but Fundación Ancestral and Vogel pricing is unaffected, as these are new products. All Cordillera’s long-filler cigars also now include improvements in construction techniques, common in pre-Embargo Cuban cigars, but seldom found in most cigars today. Dead-Center LigeroTM ... uneven burning due to off-center ligero, and crowned heads with panuelo caps that ease cutting and eliminate unraveling wrappers.