FDG Cigars Toasting Two Decades With New 20 Aniversario
FDG Cigars, the company also known as Flor de Gonzalez, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with two limited edition cigars of the same name, as the FDG Cigars 20 Aniversario is slated to be unveiled at this week’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
Yadi Gonzalez Vargas told halfwheel that the anniversary commemorates when her father, Arnaldo Gonzalez, was approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to begin manufacturing cigars at the company’s factory.
The cigars pay homage to the first two cigars every made by Flor de Gonzalez, the Gold Series, which used Connecticut and broadleaf wrappers, though this new release will have different flavor and strength profiles.
Gonzalez calls the Connecticut version mild to medium, very creamy with “tons of flavor,” using an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper grown on the company’s plantation that has been aged for eight years in preparation for this project. Both the binder and filler are Nicaraguan. It will be released in three sizes, a Robusto (5 1/2 x 50, MSRP $9.60), Toro (6 1/2 x 54, $10.10) and Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52, $10.60).
The broadleaf version uses a Connecticut grown maduro wrapper, again with Nicaraguan binder and filler to create a medium to full-bodied smoke. It will be released in the same three sizes, though with MSRPs of $9.80, $10.30 and $10.80, respectively.
Both get a soft box press and will come in 20-count boxes, with production being handled by AgroIndustrial Nicaraguense de Tabacos S.A. in Condega, Nicaragua. Shipping is expected to begin by August 31.
FDG Cigars is limiting production to 1,500 boxes per wrapper and size, making for a total run of 180,000 cigars.
The company’s history predates the 1995 opening of the factory, as Flor de Gonzalez Cigars was established in 1993 by Arnaldo Gonzalez and operated out of his home. A factory and retail storefront was established soon after in Hialeah, Fla. Following the cigar boom of the 90s, the company moved operations to Nicaragua in 1997, though retained an office in south Florida.
Gonzalez told halfwheel that the company still has a limited amount of the original Gold Series releases from 1994 and 1995, which occasionally get used at events as auction items or special prizes.
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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.
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