![]() Luciano The Traveler is a limited offering, blended by Master Blender Luciano Meirelles to showcase a nuanced, highly complex experience. Pelo de Oro is an ultra-premium leaf that is known for its unique flavor qualities it is also traditionally quite expensive, due to its low yield rates (a varietal prone to blue mold in the growing stage). But it’s the blend that’s most exciting, featuring the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco varietal throughout the entirety of the cigar’s filler/binder. At 7″ x 46, the cigar is described as a crossover between a corona gorda and a Churchill. While the company kicked off with more than enough brands to hit the ground running, it was the peculiarly shaped Luciano The Traveler that best caught our attention. Prime represents the coming together of Pichardo and Meirelles’ Nicaraguan-based factory with distribution company A.C.E. Prime Booth-the company also boasts an impressive ensemble of tobacco talent, including third-generation tobacco agriculturist Don Eradio Pichardo and tobacconist and sommelier Luciano Meirelles. Apart from the company’s star power-with former NBA all-stars Dominique Wilkins and Tiago Splitter hosting free-throw competitions at the A.C.E. One of the most talked about new players at IPCPR 2019 was A.C.E. Made to honor those that have guided the relatively new company since its beginnings, the brand stakes the claim, “It’s so good, it should be Ilegal.” All three cigars showcase an undisclosed filler/binder recipe, being priced in the $10–$12 range. This includes an Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped blend, crafted by Sales Manager, Adrian Acosta (who’s father was once the head agronomist for Davidoff’s TabaDom facilities in the DR) a Connecticut Shade-wrapped cigar, blended by LFR owner, Spence Drake, and Omar Gonzales and a Mexican San Andrés-wrapped blend that was spearheaded by Esteban Disla, co-owner of Fabrica de Tobacos Nica Sueño (of RoMa Craft fame). Ilegal takes a unique approach, with all three cigars being blended by various members of the LFR team and close acquaintances. As with other La Familia Robaina (LFR) offerings, all three Ilegal cigars are made at the La Corona factory in Estelí, made under the guidance of owner, Omar Gonzalez, and his son, Luis Omar Gonzalez. Of the six blends showcased, three fall under the Ilegal brand (that’s no spelling error-being the Spanish spelling of Illegal). the grandson of the “Godfather of Tobacco,” Don Alejandro Robaina). The new name signifies the company’s influence from famed artisan Hirochi Robaina (i.e. Through our brief sampling with the cigars, they offered a soupy texture, with flavors of earth, natural tobacco, sourdough, campfire, and punchy spice through the nostrils.ĭespite introducing a total of six different blends at IPCPR 2019, perhaps the biggest draw for La Familia Robaina at the show was the company’s recent name change (formerly known as White Hat Cigars). Yagua is a Nicaraguan puro in blend makeup, being rolled at the company’s Nicaraguan-based PENSA factory. The technique dates back to Cuban tobacco farms, where the style was employed by the farmers, who lacked the proper tools that the city-based factories used for the more uniform-looking cigars we know today. This is due to the lack of molds, as the cigars are wrapped in palm leaves and strung tight, meaning no two cigars should arrive identical in appearance. The cigars arrive with intentionally imperfect shapes-some may be hexagonally pressed, others may be octagonally pressed, etc. Apparently the old company still has a few tricks up its sleeve, as a little sleight of hand revealed a peculiar last-minute offering known as Yagua. Newman had effortlessly captured the attention of American cigar smokers, announcing The American-described as the first truly all-American cigar. Personally visiting nearly every booth at IPCPR 2019, we’ve gone back and listed our picks for the top nine hidden gem cigars to add to your rotation moving forward. We’ve already detailed 11 of the most buzz-worthy cigars from the show, but now it’s time to delve in a little further and discover some of the deep cuts (because, if my album collection is any indicator, that’s often where the juiciest tracks lie). It’s a bit of a mess, but that might just be where this wonderful industry thrives… The 2019 IPCPR trade show has now come and gone, leaving smokers with some partially answered questions (the IPCPR is dead, long live the PCA), enough new cigars to stay preoccupied-at least for another month or two, and perhaps a new cigar-related box to check off looking into the 2020 smoking season (yes, consumers will be invited to one magical day of the trade show next year).
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