As the weather starts to warm up and spring takes hold on the country, Kristoff is set to release three new cigar lines to retail.

The first new cigar is the Kristoff Connecticut, which uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan habano seed binder and what company owner Glen Case refers to as a “quad Dominican habano seed” filler. It’s a mild to medium profile cigar that Case says is amped up in flavor but not necessarily strength. It will be available in four sizes, all coming in 20-count boxes: Churchill (7 x 50, $8.70), 660 (6 x 60, $9.20), Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $8.50) and Matador (6 1/2 x 56, $9).

The Kristoff Habano is a medium strength cigar that showcases Brazilian tobacco, using a Brazilian habano wrapper and Brazilian sumatra binder on top of Nicaraguan and Dominican habano fillers, with Case calling it one of Kristoff’s most flavorful blends yet. It is being released in three sizes, again in 20-count boxes: Churchill (7 x 50, $8.80), Matador (6 1/2 x 56, $9) and Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $8.60).

Kristoff’s third new addition, the Pistoff Kristoff, gets its name from a customer who suggested that the company come out with a cigar called the Pissed Off Kristoff. While Case liked the ring the name had, the “pissed off” reference just didn’t work for him, so he changed the spelling on it.

As one might expect, it’s a full strength profile, using a natural Mexican San Andrés wrapper on top of an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Case told halfwheel the strength is deceptive because of the flavor and smoothness, which doesn’t convey its power via the mouthfeel, but said “it’s definitely the strongest cigar we’ve made,” promising that it will “get your head spinning.” It is being produced in four sizes as well, a Churchill (7 x 50, $9.20), 660 (6 x 60, $9.60), Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $9) and Corona Gorda (5 3/4 x 48, $8.70).

All of the cigars are being produced at the Charles Fairmorn factory in the Dominican Republic.

Branding and packaging for all three lines are still in development, but the finished product should begin shipping to stores in late April or early May.

Shortly after this story went up, Case confirmed where the cigars are being made. It had not been disclosed at the time of publication.

Update (June 3, 2016) — Kristoff has delayed the shipping of the Pistoff until the third week of July, with owner Glen Case calling it a “target date” to have the new cigar on the way to retail.

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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.