The pair behind the world’s newest cigar company are hardly the typical candidates for he cigar business. Julio Iglesias and Igancio Pigna will enter the market with The Freshman, the debut release from Young Tabacaleros, Inc., the company founded by the pair in 2013.

They are however not flying into this blind. Iglesias’s grandfather is Julio Eiroa of Camacho. His uncle, Christian Eiroa, is producing The Freshman at his El Aladino factory in Danlí Honduras.

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The company will make four sizes: Lancero (7 x 38, $6.70), Corona (5 1/2 x 44, $6.50), Robusto (5 x 50, $6.90) and Toro (6 x 54, $7.10) All sizes will come in boxes of 25.

It uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a corojo binder and corojo and pinareńo fillers. 

“Being a 4th generation tabacalero, I knew it was only natural to follow my family’s love for cigars,” said Iglesias. “Since I was little, my vacations were spent on tobacco farms in Honduras with the local kids. With time, I not only stopped just playing around the tobacco plants, but also began to learn about the delicate process of growing them.”

The pair describes the cigar as medium, yet flavorful.

“When we started working on our own brand, I went to Honduras and witnessed the entire process,” said Pigna. “I learned the details of the plant, from the seeds to when the plant was ready. I saw how cigars were hand rolled and, just like I anticipated, I fell in love with the process.”

The Freshman will debut at Cigar Cellar & Lounge in Coral Gables, Fla. on June 7.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.