Oscar Valladares loves and embraces his heritage, showcasing it in the frequent use of Honduran tobacco in his cigars and Mayan symbology in his packaging. His first widely released cigar, 2012, was a nod to the end of the Mayan calendar, and what some thought might be the end of the world.
Fortunately, that event did not happen, allowing the release of Altar Q, which pays homage to the most important monument at Copán, a historic and archaeological site in western Honduras that is a key location of Mayan civilization. Built in 776 A.D., the stone sculpture shows the lineage of Mayan leaders and the divine right of Yax Pac to assume the throne.
The boxes are designed to look like the monument, each side shows four previous rulers, making for 16 in total, with the cigars wrapped in footbands made out of tobacco stems that also show the lineage. A brilliant mix of culture, heritage and pride in one attractive cigar box. — Patrick Lagreid.
