In February 2019, Casa Cuevas experienced a break-in and burglary at its Miami headquarters, and while it presented an immediate setback for the company, it also gave birth to a new cigar line named La Mandarria, named for the sledgehammer that the criminals used to gain access to the building.

Now, the line is getting a new version, as at the 2024 Total Product Expo, the company unveiled the La Mandarria Oscuro. The blend uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, an Ecuadorian habano binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, Pennsylvania and the Dominican Republic. It is offered in a 6 x 52 toro vitola, is priced at $13.50 per cigar and offered in 25-count boxes, all of which are details shared with the original La Mandarria.

The blend is notably different though, as the original La Mandarria uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Colombian, Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.

The La Mandarria Oscuso is scheduled to begin shipping in mid-February.

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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 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.