Stogie News: IPCPR Trade Show Preview (Part 2)

Starting tomorrow, StogieGuys will be reporting live from the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans as we talk to cigar makers about their latest offerings and sample their newest cigars. In the meantime, we continue with our preview of the new cigars that will be released at this year’s event:

Drew Estate — Despite being available at Drew Estate events for some time, the corona-sized Dirty Rat will be officially released at the IPCPR. The Dirty Rat is a variation of the Liga Privada blend, but with the blend changed slightly to account for the smaller ring gauge. We also hear a cigar called the Undercrown will likely debut, but no details have been released. Additionally, Drew Estate announced that it will be partnering with Xikar for a series of cigar accessories.

Fuente — Fuente will be making two new cigars for Carlos Fuente’s brother, Arturo Fuente Jr., of the Tampa Cigar Sweethearts Company: Flor de Ybor City and Ybor Gold. We’ve also heard reports that a new torpedo version of the relatively new Magnum Rosado line will likely be introduced.

Tatuaje — Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje brand will introduce a number of line extensions this year. Ambos Mundos Grande (5.5 x 56) will come in both Habano and Sumatra wrappers with an MSRP of $6.25. Havana VI Gordito (5.5 56) will sell for $7.50. Havana VI Verocu No. 5 (4 x 40) will be sold in cabinets of 50 with an MSRP of $4.25 per cigar. El Triunfador No. 7 (5.9 x 54) will sell for $8 apiece. Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 7th  (5.6 x 46) will come in both Natural and Reserva (broadleaf) wrappers with an MSRP of $9 per cigar. Petit Tatuaje Reserva (4.5 x 32) will sell in cabinets of 50 for $3.50 per cigar. Lastly, Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva (4 x 40) carries an MSRP of $4.50 per cigar and will be sold in cabinets of 50.

Nestor Miranda — Nestor Miranda is set to debut a new line called Art Deco, a collaboration between Nestor and Don Pepin Garcia. The Art Deco is a blend of Nicaraguan corojo and Dominican San Vicente with a dual binder of Dominican criollo ’98 and Nicaraguan Habano 2000 finished in a Nicaraguan corojo ’06 wrapper. Instead of wooden boxes, the Art Deco will be sold in metallic art deco tins of 21 cigars. It will be offered in three sizes: Coffee Break (4.5 x 50), Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54), and Gran Toro (6 x 60).

La Aurora — The oldest Dominican cigar maker is introducing Guillermo León by La Aurora, honoring longtime company president Guillermo León. The cigar features filler tobacco from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Brazil, and Nicaragua and is finished off with an Ecuadorian Habano Vuelta Arriba wrapper. Guillermo León will be available in four vitolas: Corona, Gran Corona, Gran Toro, and Belicoso. The estimated MSRP is $7.50-$10.00 per cigar. Also being introduced is a new corona size of its La Aurora 107 blend. Finally, La Aurora will reportedly be releasing a new La Aurora Corojo line using an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and a filler blend of Dominican Cubano, Dominican olor, and Nicaraguan habano. The Corojo will be available in five sizes and will sell for $5.50 to $7.

Illusione — Illusione will debut a limited edition cigar called Singulare, which will feature a new size and blend each year. This year features a the Phantom (6 x 50). Made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, the blend is 100% Nicaraguan tobacco. Production was limited to 1,000 boxes of 15 with an MSRP of $12 per cigar.

DomRey — DomRey, a subsidiary of Davidoff and maker of Cusano and Cuvée, is set to release two new labels. The Cusano 15th Anniversary Limited edition uses a Domican wrapper and comes in boxes of 15. Meanwhile, the Cuvée Cusano Signature line will be the first time a cigar shares both the Cuvée and Cusano names. Both cigars are being made by Davidoff blender Henke Kelner.

Prometheus — Prometheus is the distributor of the Fuente-made God of Fire, Sencillo, and Angelenos cigar lines, as well as a large line of luxury cigar accessories. Angelenos is adding two new sizes: a Robusto (5.25 x 50) and a Double Robusto (5.25 x 52). Sencillo is adding a new Gigante (6 x 60). New God of Fire accessories are also coming.

Xikar — Known best for its line of cutters, Xikar is expanding its Xikar HC Series cigars made by Jesus Fuego at Nestor Plancencia’s Nicaraguan factory. All three blends (Connecticut, Criollo, and Habano Colorado) will add a large cigar size (6 x 60).

Los Blancos – NINE by Los Blancos debuted at last year’s show, but this year they are expanding the regular production line to include a Lancero (7 x 38). NINE is a spicy, full-bodied Nicaraguan puro made in Esteli.

J. Fuego — Jesus Fuego’s Origen line will officially debut at this year’s IPCPR show. The line uses a Brazilian corojo wrapper, Costa Rican binder, and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. While the series has been available to select retailers for some time now, a Lancero will be a new addition.

Alec Bradley — Alec Bradley cigars is introducing the Maxx Connecticut, featuring a shade-grown Connecticut wrapper. Except for the wrapper, the blend will remain the same as the original Maxx line and will come in four sizes: The Fixx, The Culture, The Freak, and The Curve.

Primer Mundo – Sean Williams of Primer Mundo will have his own booth this year (last year he was stationed at the Los Blancos booth) where he be featuring the new Miami Liga. Rolled in Miami, it uses Nicaraguan and the Dominican filler including three ligero leaves, a double binder, and is wrapped in a Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper.

La Caridad del Cobre — Frank Herera’s La Caridad del Cobre will debut a new line called La Charada, which means “the charade.” La Charada is derived from the old Cuban lotto system. In La Charada, each number corresponds with a thing. If you dream about certain things you play the numbers that correspond to what you dream about. There are seven vitolas: four maduro and three natural. Each vitola is named and numbered after one of the objects in the La Charada Cubana. The Natural has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with binder and filler from the Dominican Republic. The Maduro has a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper with binder and filler also from the Dominican Republic.

Gran Habano — Gran Habano is introducing the new Azteca line. The full-bodied line features a Mexican San Andreas maduro wrapper and binder with Nicaraguan and Panamanian filler. Available in three sizes, it will sell for around $7 each.

Hammer + Sickle — Vodka and cigar maker Hammer + Sickle will be debuting a new cigar called Berlin Wall, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and demise of communism in Eastern Europe.

A.J. Fernandez — A.J. Fernandez has made top-selling cigars, but at this year’s IPCPR he is introducing his first nationally-distributed solo cigar. San Lotano is an old Cuban cigar line that Fernandez has re-launched in three variations with Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro wrappers.

While we’ve comprehensively surveyed the most notable cigars set to debut at this trade show, there will undoubtedly be many more new cigars before the IPCPR concludes. For all the info, including our take on some of these new cigars, check back starting tomorrow for live IPCPR coverage.

Patrick S and Patrick M will be on the trade show floor getting the latest scoop from the cigar makers. If you have a question you’d like us to ask your favorite cigar maker, let us know in the comments.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR