Indiana Ortez Delays La Malinche Indefinitely

In July, Indiana Ortez of Casa de Ortez announced plans to release a new collection of cigars called La Malinche that would both celebrate the debut of a new varietal of tobacco developed by the Ortez family as well as honor the lives and legacies of three women in the Ortez family. Now, the release of those cigars is on hold, as is her next chapter in the premium cigar industry.

Ortez said that while the cigars are rolled, she has had to halt the project potentially until the summer of 2024 or even into 2025. She declined to go into much in the way of specifics, only to say that she is no longer affiliated with the marketing and distribution company that was involved with the project.

That company is Nica Oro, LLC, which was founded by Ortez, Jared Ingrisano and Trevor McKnight. The company released a line called Belleau Wood in mid-May, with Ortez credited as the blender of the three blends that make up the line, the Belleau Wood Shade, Belleau Wood Habano, and Belleau Wood Maduro.

Ortez told halfwheel that she is currently looking for a new designer, marketing team and distribution partner for her project and her next chapter in the premium cigar industry.

La Malinche was to be made up of three blends, the Anielka, the Maribel, and the Victoria, each named for 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,” Ortez said when the cigars were announced. They all featured Capa de Ortez wrappers, which were developed and grown by the Ortez family in Nicaragua’s Jalapa Valley.

Ortez previously delayed the launch of Primavera, which was announced in January and was supposed to be Casa de Ortez’s debut release, with a scheduled launch in the spring of 2023.

Ortez is the daughter of noted cigar maker Omar Ortez, and became known for several projects she worked on with her father at the family’s Agroindustrial Nicaraguense de Tabacos factory. She was previously the general manager of Mombacho Cigars S.A. and director of operations for Favilli S.A.

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.