Indiana Ortez has just announced the launch of Case de Ortez, a new cigar company based in Condega, Nicaragua. While the business entity itself may be new, the Ortez family has been growing tobacco in Condega since 1967. The name of the first Casa de Ortez project has also been revealed – it will be called Primavera. All three sizes of Primavera are currently scheduled to debut at retailers this Spring. Anyone can sign up to receive updates by submitting a quick form on their the new website. Additional information is expected to be made available in March.
Ortez shares that “Casa De Ortez is the way the history of my family and our work can be told and shared. I am so excited to finally launch and work even closer alongside my family, and I will humbly try to do Condega justice and work to make it a household name for cigar enjoyers everywhere.” Ortez has created new cigars for brands like Lampert and Ventura, and most recently was General Manager of Mombacho Cigars. There also remains a handful of special cigars blended by Indiana as part of the Privada Experience project. This limited run, which includes tobacco grown by her family in Condega, consisted of just 400 cigars in total. As of this roundup being published, less than 20 remain.
The Premium Cigar Association team, and efforts, were made even more robust this week. New Director of Membership Development & Industry Relations, Lisa Sigler, joins the team after more than a decade in the cigar industry. With experience working with La Palina, Cornelius & Anthony Cigars, Casa Cuevas Cigars, Gran Habano Cigars, JRE Tobacco Company, and NOVA, Sigler appears ideally placed to support the growth and development of the organization closing in on a full century of advocacy.
Executive Director Scott Pearce adds that “we have gotten to a point where it became clear that running the Association would require another person — someone with a diverse skillset and experience in sales and development. Lisa comes highly recommended from many in the industry and I feel confident she will make a great addition to the team!”
Previously scheduled for a November 2022 release, the El Pulpo line of cigars from Artesano del Tobacco could be stocked at your favorite shop before the end of February. According to a recent article,from Gregory Mottola at Cigar Aficianado, the brothers behind the brand made the savvy decision to postpone the launch until the new year and as a result avoided becoming lost in the sea of end-of-year releases. Like their popular Viva La Vida line, El Pulpo is produced by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua. Launching in three formats, “the octopus” features a San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan binder/filler. Each vitola – Robusto Grande, Toro Grande, and Belicoso Grande – will ship in boxes of 10 cigars. As singles, El Pulpo have an MSRP between $15 and $17.
Keeping with the tradition that began in 2015, La Flor Dominicana has created a limited number of Special Football Edition cigars in celebration of Super Bowl LVII. Retailers across Arizona, this year’s host state, could begin receiving their allotments as early as next week. Ahead of the February 12th game, a total of 1,000 boxes – each containing 10 cigars – will be made available to the cigar loving public. What makes this particular iteration an even more meaningful milestone is that it’s a coming home of sorts. The very first Special Football Edition was created for Arizona retailers. According to early reporting, the 2023 Perfecto features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Dominican binder/filler. The accents, responsible for giving each year’s cigars their football-themed appearance, are pieces of Connecticut Broadleaf. The Special Football Edition 2023 will launch with an MSRP of $20 per cigar.
As part of the company’s plan for the next 5 years, United Cigars has moved into a larger facility located in Hudson, New Hampshire. Oliver Nivaud, Director of Operations for United. says “this is a major upgrade for United Cigars that will translate to a more fluid operation. Our priority is our retail partners, and this move provides the capacity for proper inventory levels as well as expedite the product in a more timely manner.” The new space now acts as warehouse, distribution center, and corporate headquarters, with plans to expand already in the works.
Wishing you all another great week full of your favorite cigars and your favorite people. Keep on sending in your favorite cigar related news stories, posts and video. If anything from this roundup catches your attention, let everyone know in the comments below!