It’s been a busy week for the shipping department at Dapper Cigar Co., as Ian Reith told halfwheel that both the Union Break and the as-yet-unreleased sizes of La Madrina Shade have begun shipping to stores.

For La Madrina Shade, that means the corona gorda and robusto are now shipping, joining the toro and belicoso vitolas that began shipping in mid-September. The line is the follow-up to the original La Madrina and uses an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and the U.S. It is offered in four sizes:

  • La Madrina Shade Belicoso (6 1/4 x 52) — $12.38 (Box of 20, $247.80)
  • La Madrina Shade Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) — $10.36 (Box of 20, $207.20)
  • La Madrina Shade Robusto (5 x 50) — $11.06 (Box of 20, $221.20)
  • La Madrina Shade Toro (6 1/8 x 52) — $11.68 (Box of 20, $232)

Delays with the packaging slowed and staggered the release, including necessitating using the same packaging as the original habano-wrapped La Madrina for some of the cigars, though those boxes will have a sticker indicating they are the Shade version, as well as the proper UPC stickers. The La Madrina Shade will be getting its own proper packaging, however.

Reith also told halfwheel that he has begun shipping Union Break to stores. The line is made up of three blends in a single size that all have a slightly sweetened tip. Those three wrappers are an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade, Connecticut Broadleaf and then a barber pole using both of the previous two wrappers. Regardless of the wrapper, there is a Nicaraguan binder and filler underneath. They will come in a 150-count display box with additional 25-count bundles available to refill the display.

  • Union Break Barberpole (4 x 38) — $4.75 (Display Case of 150, $712.50; Bundle of 25, $113.74)
  • Union Break Connecticut Broadleaf (4 x 38) — $4.75 (Display Case of 150, $712.50; Bundle of 25, $113.74)
  • Union Break Connecituct Shade (4 x 38) — $4.75 (Display Case of 150, $712.50; Bundle of 25, $113.74)

Additionally, Dapper Cigar Co. has released a 5 3/4 x 52 Short Belicoso in its Desvalido line for Luxury Cigar Club, with the cigar wearing a secondary LCC band and coming in a customized box. It is priced at $15.50 per cigar and offered in 20-count boxes.

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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.