Black Label Trading Co. is giving a new look to several of its core line cigars, with the updated artwork and packaging to be on display at the upcoming 2019 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.

Royalty, Salvation, Lawless and Last Rites are all getting updated looks with artwork designed by James Brown, founder of Black Label Trading Co. That quartet has been part of the company’s portfolio since it launched in 2013.

Additionally, the company will be adding Porcelain to its core line, replacing Benediction. The company says that the Benediction line is being shelved at the moment, and there aren’t future plans for it as of now. While it could return, the priority at the moment is to give room for Porcelain to grow as a core line offering.

“I’m very excited for the re-boot of the BLTC Core Line,” said Brown in a press release. He noted that the company is celebrating its sixth anniversary this year, which spurred the motivation to give a new look to see of the company’s products. “I believe every cigar has its own personality and tells a story. I wanted to give our core products the chance to tell that story through unique artwork for each line.”

Brown also said that each of the blends are also getting a slight tweak, though he stopped short of calling it a blend change. “I just played with different proportions of the original tobaccos creating a new, unique version of the cigars.”

The new packaging will begin shipping to retailers after the trade show, which runs from June 29 – July 2.

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

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.