Altadis USA has announced a pair of new cigars that will be unveiled at the IPCPR Convention and Trade Show, which kicks off this Sunday.

According to a report in Cigar Aficionado, the  Montecristo Monte uses an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over a dual binder of  Nicaraguan Corojo and Dominican Olor with filler coming from the Dominican Republic. The company is billing it as a bold smoke, with three sizes composing the initial release: the 6 x 60 Monte, 6 1/8 x 54  Jacopo No. 2, and the 5 1/2 by 48 Conde. Pricing is slated to be between $8.95 and $9.50, with each size coming in 16-count boxes.

Coming back to the market is the Juan Lopez brand, a name familiar to Cuban cigar fans but possibly not as familiar to the general cigar smoking community. The Cuban marca was launched in 1870s by Juan López Díaz and is currently classified as a local cigar with minor market share. The non-Cuban brand had been discontinued by Altadis USA and currently does not appear on Altadis USA’s website.

This new Juan Lopez line is a Nicaraguan puro that is said to pack “full-bodied power” and will also debut in a trio of vitolas: the 5 x 54 Seleccion No. 1, the 6 x 54 No. 2 and the 6 x 60 No. 3. All three sizes are said to be priced under $6 per cigar.

Representatives from Altadis USA did not respond to requests for additional information or comment on these cigars, though they have indicated that they will be issuing press releases later this week.

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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.