Espinosa-branded Lounges Getting New “Linked” Line

Espinosa Premium Cigars has created a new line called Linked that will only be available at the 10 retailers across the country that have Espinosa-branded cigar lounges. The name was selected as a way to emphasize the strong connection between the company and the lounges.

The cigar is a 6 1/2 x 48 short Churchill that uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper atop a Nicaraguan binder and filler, with production handled by the La Zona Cigar Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. “The Linked is blended in Erik’s wheelhouse; a medium bodied smoke with the spice notes that he and our fans love; also it was made in, what I believe, is our best vitola, the Short Churchill”, said Hector Alfonso, director of operations for Espinosa Premium Cigars.

Alfonso added that while the line will be an ongoing production, there will be blend and size changes from time to time.

It will be available in the coming days at the following retailers, as the company said it would start begin shipping the cigars this week:

• Caribbean Cigars – Miami, Fla.
• Life N Times – Lithonia, Ga.
• Allegheny Smoke Works – Blawnox, Pa.
• Executive Cigar – Simpsonville, Ken.
• The Stogie Smoke Stop – Huber Heights, Ohio
• BURN Premium Cigar Specialists – Burnsville, Minn.
• Cordova Cigars – Pensacola, Fla.
• Burn One – Margate, Fla.
• Caravan Cigar Company – Bath, Pa.
• Cigar and Lounge – Watertown, Mass.

“While we are thankful to all the retailers that supported us, we wanted to offer those particular shops that partnered with us something really special,” said Erik Espinosa via a press release.

To add to the specialness of the release, each retailer will receive a custom humidor with original hand-painted art from Edin Gutierrez that depicts an image of each lounge’s storefront. Gutierrez has previously done the artwork for Espinosa’s Las 6 Provincias and Warzone lines.

Image courtesy of Espinosa Premium Cigars.

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.