Altadis U.S.A. will have a new addition to its H. Upmann brand at the upcoming IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, the H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez.

The line uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Dominican olor binder, and fillers that include Dominican pilotico and andullo, as well as Nicaraguan-grown tobacco. As the name implies, the Dominican tobacco comes from Jose Mendez & Co., which provides a lot of the Dominican tobacco and processing used at the Tabacalera de García factory.

The H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez will be offered in three sizes:

  • H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.50 (Box of 20, $170)
  • H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Belicoso (6 x 50) — $8.80 (Box of 20, $176)
  • H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro (6 1/8 x 52) — $8.95 (Box of 20, $179)

It is being made at Tabacalera de García in the Dominican Republic and is scheduled to ship to retailers in July.

There appears to be another new release for the H. Upmann brand, the H. Upmann 175 Anniversary by A.J. Fernández, though details have not yet been disclosed.

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Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2019 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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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.