The second cigar to pay tribute to an ancestor of the Oliva Cigar Co. will get its full release in April, as today the company confirmed the scheduled release of its Facundo line.

Facundo is the son of Melanio, and father of Gilberto Oliva Sr., the family’s current patriarch. Like Melanio, Facundo managed the family’s farms in Cuba in the early 20th century before Gilberto Sr. left the country in the 1960s.

The cigar, which was originally slated for a September rollout, is offered in two wrappers, an Ecuadorian Connecticut and Sumatra. Both use an Ecuadorian binder over Nicaraguan fillers. It is presented in five sizes, Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52), Churchill (6 1/2 x 52) and a cedar-wrapped Corona (5 1/2 x 44). Individual cigars will be priced between $5 and $7, with each size coming in 20-count boxes.

A spokesperson for Oliva told halfwheel that a limited number of retailers were sent the cigar in early August ahead of the FDA’s Aug. 8 deadline to have cigars commercially available without needing the agency’s approval to release them.

Image via Oliva Cigar Co.

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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.