Reyes Family Cigars will soon be taking a different route to retailers, as the company is shifting its marketing, sales and distribution to Tabacaleras Unidas/CLE Cigars.

In the announcement, Christian Eiroa said that control of factory operations will remain with the Reyes family, as will the company’s blends and formulas.

“Rolando Reyes was a mentor to me and over the years spent countless hours teaching me about tobacco and cigars in general, definitely one of the greatest men I have ever known,” Eiroa said in a statement. “He was known for his simple life and true passion and dedication for his craft. Just being around him inspired me to love tobacco and cigars and taught me to never accept ‘good enough.'”

Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados will be the first two brands that will be distributed by CLE once the agreement goes into effect on Sept. 12.

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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.