GMD Launching Imperior at IPCPR 2015

Last year, Global Marketing and Distribution (GMD) debuted at the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show with a sizable booth and an even more extensive portfolio of offerings.

At that point there were five planned brands, but now the company has six brands, 14 lines and a total of 66 different cigars.

The newest brand is Imperior, offered in two different lines B31 and C11. Both are made at Tabacalera El Artista in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. The B31 uses a Dominican maduro wrapper, Dominican binder and Dominican and Pennsylvania fillers. As for C11, it’s an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over  Dominican binder and fillers.

Both lines are offered in Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52, $7), Churchill (7 x 50, $9.90), Gran Toro (6 x 54, $9), Robusto (5 x 50, $7) and Toro (6 x 50, $8).

GMD expects to begin shipping the cigars on Aug. 25.

As for the other lines, the company began shipping them in the U.S. about two months ago and began shipping to European accounts after last year’s trade show.

Six of the company’s other lines are made at Tabacalera El Artista.

Castillo del Morro, which is named after the Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca in Santiago de Cuba, has two different lines, both made at the Tamboril factory. Castillo de Morro Classico uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Dominican olor binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, including criollo from Cibao, olor and piloto cubano. It is offered in five sizes: Gigante (6 x 60, $9), Gran Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $7), Perfecto (5 1/2 x 52, $7), Robusto (5 x 50, $6) and Torpedo (7 x 52, $9).

Castillo de Morro Maduro keeps the same filler blend, but uses a Sumatra wrapper. It’s also offered in five sizes: Churchill (7 x 50, $9), Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46, $6), Gran Toro (6 x 54, $8), Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50, $4.90) and Torpedo (7 x 52, $9).

Gran Apertura is also made at the factory and also offered in two varieties. The Tradicionales version uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Dominican olor binder and fillers from the Cibao Valley including criollo 98 and olor. Gran Apertura Habano R is described as being stronger, it uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Dominican criollo 98 binder and Dominican fillers including criollo 98 and piloto cubano, as well as ligero from Pennsylvania.

Both versions are offered in the same five sizes: Belicoso (5 1//2 x 52, $7), Churchill (7 x 50, $9.90), Gran Toro (6 x 54, $9), Robusto (5 x 50, $7) and Toro (6 x 50, $8).

Finally, the factory makes Juan de la Cosa, which is named after the captain of Christopher Columbus’s first expedition to the New World.

The Classico version of the line uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Dominican olor binder and Dominican fillers including criollo 98, olor and piloto cubano. Five sizes are also made: Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52, $6), Churchill (7 x 50), Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46, $5), Gran Toro (6 x 54, $7.50) and Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50, $4.90).

The Juan de la Cosa Maduro uses a Sumatra wrapper over the same filler blend. Five sizes are once again made, but they are different from the Classico. There’s still a Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52, $6), but also Gigante (6 x 60, $9), Gran Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $7), Perfecto (5 1/4 x 58, $6) and Robusto (5 x 50, $6).

Tabacalera El Artista isn’t the only factory the company is working with GMD in the Dominican Republic, it had four lines made by the Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF).

Heritage 1492 is one of the company’s two higher-end brands. Two of the three Heritage 1492 lines are made at KBF, including Tradicionales, which uses Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. That cigar is offered in Churchill (7 x 50), $15), Piramide (5 1/2 x 49, $12), Robusto (5 x 52, $12), Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50, $10) and Toro (6 x 50, $14).

The Heritage 1492 Edicion Especial is even more premium with a Cuban-seed Brazilian wrapper, Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It’s sold only in two sizes: Belicoso Gigante (6 x 60, $22) and Gigante (6 x 56, $18).

Euforia is GMD’s other premium offering and once again, two of the lines are made at KBF. Euforia Dominican Luxury Cigars uses a Connecticut Ecuador wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler.

Again, GMD is going with five sizes: Churchill (7 x 50, $15), Piramide (5 1/2 x 49, $12), Robusto (5 x 52, $12), Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50, $10) and Toro (6 x 50, $14).

As with Heritage 1492, there’s a two-size version of the line that is even more expensive. The Euforia Dominican Luxury Cigars Edicion Especial use a Cuban-seed Brazilian wrapper over Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, but this time, a Dominican binder is used. For the Euforia Edicion Especial, it’s the same two sizes as Heritage 1492: Belicoso Gigante (6 x 60, $22) and Gigante (6 x 56, $18).

There are two other versions of both Heritage 1492 and Euforia, those are made by Oliva in Nicaragua.

Euforia Nicaraguan Luxury Cigars use an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler. Heritage 1492 Nicaragua has the same tobacco origins, although the blend is said to be stronger, the strongest in the company’s portfolio.

Six sizes are made for both lines: Belicoso (5 x 54, $12.50), Churchill (7 x 50, $15), Gran Robusto (5 1/2 x 54, $16), Perfecto (5 x 55, $12), Robusto (5 x 50, $12) and Toro Box Press (6 x 50, $14).

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.