Black Label Trading Co. Creates J.W. Marshall for Cigar Federation

Black Label Trading Co. has announced J.W. Marshall, a new limited edition being created exclusively for Cigar Federation.

The new cigar is a 5 1/2 x 52 robusto that uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan habano binder and filler that features three Nicaraguan ligeros, though the company declined to provide specifics on the regions the filler comes from. Just 75 hand-numbered boxes of 10 cigars are being released on Jan. 24 via Cigar Federation’s website, with an MSRP of $89.95 per box.

The cigar is made at Black Label Trading Co.’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Named for James W. Marshall, the man credited with discovering gold in California on Jan. 24, 1848 and starting the subsequent gold rush, the cigar also carries addition meaning for Logan Lawler of Cigar Federation. “It is the date my mother was born and the date this project was conceptualized; to honor the discovery of gold and my mother’s birth date, the cigar is being released on January 24th,” he said via a press release. Lawler also said that there will be “something really unique about this project which will be shared with everyone who makes a purchase — think ‘golden ticket’.”

James Brown, owner of BLTC & Fabrica Oveja Negra, added that the J.W. Marshall is big and bold but very refined, with notes of malt, leather, cedar and subtle spice being most noticeable. “We are big fans of Cigar Federation and were very excited to work with Logan on this project,” he added.

As noted on the box, this projected is marked as Vintage 1; a Black Label Trading Co. spokesperson told halfwheel that the company plans to do a Vintage 2 release but has not confirmed any of the details yet.

(Images courtesy of Black Label Trading Co.)

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, 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.