ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion, La Llorona to Debut at PCA 2022

At the upcoming PCA Convention & Trade Show, ADV & McKay will be adding a new chapter to its ADVentura story as well as giving its top retailers the first in a limited production line of cigars.

The newest tale of ADVentura is called Barbarroja’s Invasion, and this next chapter takes things a bit darker and more aggressive, “in a world domination sort of way,” the company wrote in a press release. It said this new core line has been in the works for two years and promises that both the blend and the packaging are firsts of their kind.

The blend uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper atop a Dominican binder and filler, which includes medio tiempo tobacco. It will be available in three sizes:

• ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion Corona (6 x 44) — $13.20 (Box of 20, $264)
• ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion Robusto (5 x 52) — $14.20 (Box of 20, $284)
• ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion Toro (6 x 54) — $15 (Box of 20, $300)

“Once you see and taste this blend and packaging, you’ll know why it took two years of pushing vendors and our palates outside of the box to create something that rivals the insane popularity of King’s Gold and Queen’s Pearls,” Marcel Knobel told halfwheel. In 2019, ADV & McKay received honors for its ADVentura The Conqueror packaging, which was recognized in halfwheel‘s 2019 Packaging Awards.

The ADVentura series is centered around the fictional adventures of ADVentura and his companion, McKay, as they make their way around the world on various adventures. In addition to the stories accompanying the cigars, they are available on the company’s website.

The company will also be releasing a limited production line called La Lllorna that will only be offered to its elite accounts. The blend features an Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominican binder, and a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It will debut in a 5 x 52 robusto vitola that is priced at $16 and available in 10-count boxes.

“As a boutique brand, we have to come up with a ways to compete for retail space,” Knobel told halfwheel. “With deep discounting and ample free goods out of the picture, we wanted to go one step further to show our appreciation to those that not just believe in what we do, but love the result of it.” Knobel said that there will be 14 stores designated as elite accounts when the line launches.

La Llorona will be released during a private tasting at PCA, but it will be on display in the company’s booth. Knobel has confirmed plans to release a second size in the future, though has not announced when that will arrive. It gets its name from a character in Latin American folklore known as the crying woman. For this release, La Llorona is a widow who is trying to hunt pirates to death, Knobel said.

Both ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion and La Llorona are scheduled to ship to retailers in mid-August, though Knobel said the specific date will depend on the timing of the cigars shipping from the factory to the company’s warehouse.

The company produces its cigars at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic.