Fratello Cigars will be bringing a new size of its Bianco line to the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, but 10 lucky retailers will get it a month before the rest of the cigar industry.

The company announced the Bianco IV today, a 6 1/2 x 54 toro gordo vitola priced at $9.75 per cigar. Like the rest of the line, it uses a Mexican San Andrés Negro Wrapper, Dominican binder and fillers from Pennsylvania, Nicaragua and Peru, with production handled by Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.. The new cigar will come in 20-count boxes and is a regular production addition to the line.

Fratello Bianco IV box and cigar feature

“We are excited to add this new vitola to the Bianco line as our customers are looking a longer smoking experience with the Bianco.” said Omar de Frias, creator of Fratello Cigars, in a press release.

He added that a specially selected group of 10 retailers will get the cigar in June as part of a soft launch, but that the group has not yet been decided. The cigar will then be unveiled to the entire cigar industry in July at the annual IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, with shipping to begin immediately following the show, getting the cigar on additional shelves by late July or early August.

The Fratello Bianco line debuted in June 2015 ahead of the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show in a similar manner, with 10 retailers getting a soft launch in June. The Bianco IV joins the Bianco I (6 1/4 x 44, $8.75), the Bianco II (6 x 50, $9.25) and the Bianco III (5 x 56, $9).

Update (June 6, 2016) — Both the Bianco Boxer and Bianco IV have been released. The following is a list of the retailers who are part of the soft launch and the date of the soft launch events:

  • May 29 — Delaware Cigars
  • June 10 — Quartermasters Cigars (Frederick, Md.)
  • June 14 — Old Virginia Tobacco Co. (Alexandria, Va.)
  • June 16 — Michael’s Tobacco (Keller, Texas)
  • June 18 — ZT Cigars (Oklahoma City)
  • June 23 — Mr. J’s Havana (Warwick, R.I.)
  • June 29 — The Party Source (Bellevue, Ky.)
  • June 30 — Jungle Jim’s (Fairfield, Ohio)
  • July 1 — Jungle Jim’s (Cincinnati)
  • July 2 — Almost Havana (Hurricane W.Va.)
Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.