Casa de Ortez to Present La Malinche at PCA 2023

With its newest line, La Malinche, Casa de Ortez is both celebrating the debut of a new varietal of tobacco developed by the Ortez family as well as honoring the lives and legacies of three women in the Ortez family.

The line, which is made up of three cigars, is highlighted by a pair of sun-grown wrappers grown in the Condega Valley of Nicaragua, which are the result of a six-year process of genetic mixing and fermentation to arrive at wrappers ready to be used on a premium cigar. The company is not disclosing specifics of the tobacco’s varietal and genetic heritage, rather simply calling it Capa de Ortez and saying it is being grown as wrapper and binder leaves. It does denote one as an oscuro leaf, and one simply as a sun-grown leaf, presumably based on the color of the leaves.

Both color variations of the Capa de Ortez wrapper leaf are said to impart flavors of bittersweet chocolate and cream that leaves behind a clean and lingering taste.

The La Malinche line gets its name from a 16th-century woman from the Mexican Gulf Coast who became known for contributing to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire by serving as an interpreter, advisor, and intermediary for the conquistador Hernán Cortes. In the case of the new line, the company says that the story of La Malinche “serves as a gentle reminder that true value lies in the seeds we sow and how we nurture them with love and respect.” Adapted for this new cigar line, La Malinche embodies the virtues of humility, gratitude, and empowerment that drive the cigar industry.

The cigars in the line are named for three women in the Ortez family who left their mark on the tobacco world, and whose courage and dedication have “paved the way for our voices to be heard and our contributions to be recognized.”

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The La Malinche Victoria is named for the woman who would become a living symbol of resilience for the Ortez family and the beginning of this version of the La Malinche story. She was said to have deep-rooted humility and gratitude, devoting her life tirelessly to the care and development of tobacco seeds. She saw the potential for a bright future with each sprout of a new plant.

The cigar is a 5 1/2 x 52 robusto that uses a Capa de Ortez sun-grown wrapper, with dual binders of viso from Estelí and seco from Jalapa, with the filler a combination of ligero and viso from Jalapa, as well as viso from Condega. It is priced at $12 per cigar and $240 for a box of 20 cigars.

The second cigar in the La Malinche line is the Maribel, named for the wife of Omar, Victoria’s eldest son. Said to be a woman of steadfast values and a desire to build a united family based on respect and hard work, she became the pillar of Casa de Ortez.

The La Malinche Maribel blend uses a Capa de Ortez oscuro wrapper, a dual binder with a Capa de Ortez viso leaf and a seco leaf from Jalapa, while the filler contains ligero from Estelí, viso from Jalapa, and seco from Condega. It is offered in a 6 x 54 toro that gets a semi-box press, with pricing set at $11 per cigar and $220 for a box of 20 cigars.

Rounding out the collection is the La Malinche Anielka, named for one of the daughters of Omar and Maribel who immersed herself in the world of tobacco from an early age.

The cigar is a 4 x 46 corona that uses a Capa de Ortez oscuro wrapper, a broadleaf binder from the U.S., and a filler that contains ligero and viso from Condega as well as viso and seco from Jalapa. It is priced at $10 per cigar and $200 for a box of 20 cigars.

“May each La Malinche cigar inspire us to appreciate the history, strength, and courage of the women who have left their mark in the world of Nicaraguan tobacco,” Indiana Ortez wrote in the press release announcing the line. “United on this path, we celebrate the love, resilience and power that resides within each of us.”

All three cigars in the La Malinche line are produced at the Agros Tabacos Industriales factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and are limited to 1,000 boxes. They are expected to begin shipping in September.

Update (Sept. 12, 2023) — This project has been delayed indefinitely, per Indiana Ortez. More details can be found here.

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.