Texas A&M Debuts Cigar Lines Dedicated To Its Passionate Fan Base
Football in Texas is much more than a simple competition or game. It’s a religion, a way of life, a uniting (or dividing) force among communities. From high school ball to the pros, football is an institution in The Lone Star State, so it should come as no surprise that Texans can be a rowdy bunch of football fans. Texas A&M would argue it has the most raucous fans of all, so much so that they deserve their own name, the 12th man. Now, the Aggie fans are about to get even louder, or at least smokier, as the school has partnered with boutique cigarmaker Bocock Brothers for a lineup of officially-licensed, Texas A&M-themed cigars.
Readers are likely familiar with Bocock Brothers and the other college-licensed releases it has done in recent years. The Houston-based cigarmaker has established quite a niche, partnering with universities and their sports teams to release licensed cigars from Louisiana State University, the University of Florida, Mississippi State University and others. The latest collaboration with Texas A&M is one of its biggest releases, with a wide selection of smokes available for purchase, as well as a line of cigar accessories.
“This partnership is a true honor for us,” says Douglas Bocock, co-founder of Bocock Brothers Premium Cigars. “We’re thrilled to work with such an incredible university and to deliver a product that reflects the pride and passion of the Aggie network.”
The two core releases are the Aggie Maroon and the Aggie White Label. Both lines are available in 20-count boxes and come in two sizes, the Toro (6 by 52) and the Robusto (5 by 50). The Maroon is headlined by a Habano wrapper from Honduras, Sumatra-seed binder and filler tobacco from Honduras and Nicaragua. The White Label is intended to be a more mellow line, with a Connecticut-seed wrapper from Honduras, a Costa Rican binder and filler tobacco from Honduras and Nicaragua.
The packaging for the core lines is virtually identical, save for a color swap on the box and the secondary bands. The Maroon line is finished in a box of matching color, brandishing the Texas A&M logo, with a similar design on the inside lid, except with a white background. The White Label boxes are the exact same, just swap the colors. Both cigars have a Texas A&M logo for the main band, with a secondary band paying homage to the 12th man. The only difference again is the coloration of the secondary bands, maroon for Maroon, white for White Label. For both lines, a box of 20 Robustos is priced at $280 per box, or $14 a stick. Whereas the Toro boxes are listed at $290 a box, or $14.50 a stick. The Toro for each line is also available in five packs, marked at $70 a pack.
But that’s not all. Next month, Bocock is releasing a limited-edition box set that’s dedicated entirely to the 12th man, called the 12th Man Reserve. The cigars in this set come packaged in sleek, all-black boxes, but the real gem of this limited release is on the inside lid, a love letter to A&M’s iconic Kyle Field and its passionate fanbase. Each cigar is individually packaged within a unique replica of the Texas A&M football field. Properly situated just above the field, on the inside lid, is an image of the rowdy 12th man at a past A&M game.
Production for these limited box sets is undisclosed, but Bocock says they’re more limited than the core lines. There are 12 cigars inside (naturally) and Bocock says the cigars are stronger than their counterparts. The blend features a dark, Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. These are figurados measuring 6 inches long by 52 ring gauge and Bocock says they will only be available by the box, which is priced at $335, or just around $28 a stick.
All cigars were produced at the San Judas Tadeo factory in Danlí, Honduras.
The Maroon and White Label lines were kicked off at a launch party held at Permission Whiskey in Houston on September 18th. Bocock says they’re working on a joint launch event for the 12th Man Reserve set around the time LSU, another partner of theirs, and Texas A&M meet up for a big-time SEC matchup on October 25. More details will come at a later date.
All of the Aggie-themed lines will be distributed by White Oak Cigars, a Texas-based cigar distributor and owner of a new cigar lounge in Houston called Nice Ash. The group is the perfect distribution partner, considering the owners are A&M alumni themselves. The cigars are available online, which you can find here. Otherwise, White Oak will distribute the remaining inventory to retailers around Texas, and only Texas.
The release comes at a great time, as the Aggies are off to a strong start to the college football season. The program is currently the No. 9 team in the country, and their next game comes this Saturday against the Auburn Tigers, who narrowly lost last weekend against No. 7 Oklahoma. The game will be held at Kyle Field at 3:30 pm. For those not fully familiar with the 12th man, tune in and see the raucous crowd for yourself.
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