The first Friday of every month, referred to by many as “LCA Day,” is when new Limited Cigar Association releases always go live in participating brick and mortar shops across the US. Last week, the LCA announced a number of new cigars appearing on shelves this month. Today, we’ll take a more detailed look at each of these projects – all of which will be available on the next LCA Day, November 4th! Check out their store locator to find your nearest shop.
The featured cigar for November is The Diver. This 6×54 Connecticut Broadleaf wrapped offering – a first for the LCA – has been allowed to age undisturbed for 2 years. Beneath the depths of The Diver’s Colombian binder exists an exotic sounding array of filler tobaccos from Jamaica, Nicaragua (Estelí), and Honduras (Jamastran). While Jamaican tobacco was a common ingredient in popular cigars at one time, it will be a new experience for many – something that the LCA prides itself on. The Association describes the flavor profile of The Diver as a dance between notes of espresso, cocoa, citrus, buttercream, and umami.
Explaining the inspiration for The Diver’s blend, and band, Privada’s Brian Desind writes that “the depths of our planet’s oceans are rife with unmistakable mysteries. More of our solar system has been mapped than has our ocean floor, giving rise to the question of what is truly happening down there. The diver adorning the band of this cigar seeks adventure and finds delight in exploring the unknown and unfamiliar residing in the depths of the seas. As you smoke this blend, you will likely relate to the diver that stares at you from the band as you explore new and never before seen tobaccos and experience unfamiliar yet captivating flavors that excite the senses.”
The LCA+ offering for this month is a cigar with an origin story that can be traced as far back as 1882. At the heart of this journey through time is a family in Northern Italy renowned for their baked goods and fine chocolates. Using only the highest-quality ingredients and their own top-secret recipes – a formula familiar to many cigar lovers – this family has become known for creating consistently delicious treats year in and year out. To maintain that level of consistency, their palates must be trained, exercised and maintained. It is with that valuable time and experience – as well as a deep appreciation for beautiful nuance – that the family would find themselves infatuated with cigars.
So enamored with cigars that he desired to commission a private blend, the patriarch of this cigar loving family only ever considered one name. The Master Blender he wanted to create this special cigar was Francisco “Chico” Rivas, a man who’s relationship with tobacco has spanned more than 30 years. For a time, Rivas was considered to be the Dominican Republic’s best kept secret. The secret is out and cigar enthusiasts have a small window of time to take advantage of a rare opportunity.
It is not every day that one gets the chance to smoke a blend that, until now, has only ever been smoked by this one culinary family and a small selection of their very close friends. If the story wasn’t already enough to get our attention, the Cocoa Di Padre features a 7-Year Aged Dominican Corojo wrapper married with a 5-Year Aged Dominican Piloto Cubano binder. The filler will, at least for the time being, remain undisclosed. The LCA asks only that you “please enjoy this rich and desert-like blend preferred by the sophisticated palates of Italy’s finest pastry chefs.”
Fans of the lineup of cigars now referred to as the Color Series from Privada Cigar Club will be excited to learn that the collection is getting a limited edition addition of 2,000 cigars on LCA day. The Color Series Orange will be the third Limited Cigar Association/PCC exclusive released in partnership with Wooden Indian Tobacco, joining the Cafe Cubano and the Classique Toro 2022. This Nicaraguan puro is a distinct departure from the rest of The Color Series in both flavor and complexity.
Why this cigar, and why now? Nearly 20 years ago, Dave Mayer became the owner of a cigar shop that had already been operating for 30 years at that point. In 2005, Mayer was just another loyal regular. Retired at the time, he had no intentions of running another business, let alone a cigar business, but it didn’t take long for him to seize on an opportunity to buy everything from the inventory all the way down to the fixtures. He made Wooden Indian his own, and the rest is becoming cigar history. That is the spirit that the Limited Cigar Association was founded on. If the Color Series Orange sounds like it’s the one for you, don’t miss out on getting your own before they’re all gone.
How often do you make it a point to go to your local brick and mortar? Do you have a favorite LCA shop, cigar, or story? Let everyone know in the comments below!