Going into IPCPR, Sindicato was one of the big storylines: a group of retailers coming together to launch their own cigar company with former Altadis U.S.A. exec at the helm. There has been a lot of chatter about the company since word of its formation started circulating early this year. How would they disrupt the industry? Would it cost other manufacturers who have had long-standing relationships with stores shelf space? The consensus thought was that there would just have to be a wait and see approach.

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There will be three lines coming out, all of which can be read about here.

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The only real note here is that the Casa Bella is a sandwich cigar, something that hadn’t been announced in the original story.

While you don’t see the Sindicato name on these cigars, the bands will all bear the Sindicato mark:

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Shipping for all three brands will begin in mid-to-late August, and given the sizable number of retailers participating in the company, they should have a fairly widespread debut. How they are positioned in those retailer/stockholder humidors remains something to be seen.

Coluci mentioned that the first Sindicato cigar will come out in December and be limited to 100 retailers. Three sizes, all box-pressed, have been confirmed: a 6 x 60, 5 1/2 x 48 and 6 x 54. There might be a Belicoso, but given the tightly coiled pigtail cap, that might present a manufacturing issue. It will be a Nicaraguan puro with an unfinished foot, and there is already plans for a maduro version.

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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.