IPCPR 2014: La Aurora, Miami Cigar & Co. and Viva Republica

This year has been quite a year for a new look for Miami Cigar & Co., which was shown off to the cigar industry at this year’s IPCPR trade show by way of some new cigars, a new booth (here’s the previous one for comparison), a new brand in the booth and as anyone who attended the show can tell you, a new bell.

The Nestor Miranda Collection was front and center in the booth, though it isn’t technically a new release as it was launched in late May. However it is the central showpiece  and was not just limited to cigars.

In addition to sampler packs, ashtrays and other accessories, there were some bottles of wine around the booth, a Spanish cabernet sauvignon from LaTerre Cellears that for now appears intended for use as retailer gifts, though Nestor Miranda said it could expand beyond that.

As for La Aurora, Untamed made its official debut after being announced in mid-June. It uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Dominican corojo binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, with five sizes launched: Robusto (5 x 50, $7.50), Belicoso (6 1/4 x 52, $9), Toro (5 1/2 x 54, $8.75), Corona Gorda (6 x 47, $7.75) and Gran (7 x 60, $11). It’s sold in 20-count boxes, except the larger Untamed Gran is in a 16-count box. Plan on seeing it at retail by the end of August.

There’s also a new perfecto vitola for the Guillermo León Family Reserve and Fernando León Family Family Reserve lines.

The La Aurora 107 Maduro Gran Toro gets a reboot after a less than successful first launch in 2011, while the Leon Jimenes Prestige line goes to ten-count boxes.

It was the first year for Jason Holly’s Viva Republica to be part of the booth. In March, Miami Cigar & Co. announced that he would be joining the company in a role that would focus on brand development for both La Aurora & Miami Cigar & Co., and that Viva Republica would be distributed by Miami Cigar. Last year the company had its own booth, but this year was displayed side by side with all the other new releases. While several Viva Republica lines were on display, the Propaganda line was the most prominently featured.

Propaganda uses a Brazilian mágico cubano wrapper, a Cuban-seed varietal that literally translates into magic Cuban, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. There are three sizes: Disinformation (4 x 54, $7.50), Five and a Half Truth (5 1/2 x 54, $8.25) and Big Lie (6 x 58, $9), all sold in boxes of 20 and made at La Aurora’s E. León Jimenes Tabacalera in the Dominican Republic.

There is also a new corona in the Guerrilla Warfare line after it debuted with a petit corona in April 2013.

Miami Cigar & Co. has entered into a distribution agreement with Hfbarcelona, the Spanish-based accessory maker. Humidors, travel cases and cutters were all on display.

As for the bell, it was rung every time a big sale was made and could be heard throughout nearly the entire trade show floor. Jason Wood of Miami Cigar & Co. posted this picture of it:

Beyond what was in the booth, Holly also mentioned that he was working on a Viva Republica culebra that is scheduled for September, He said it will contain one Rapture, one Rapture maduro and one Guerrilla Warfare, with just 1,000 produced. Price hasn’t been confirmed yet, but he indicated it will be very affordable, and as this story was being written, Holly sent over a few pictures of it.

In addition, Holly talked a variety of new projects. The Viva Republica Hollyday Classic will be a late November release limited to select retailers. Jailbreak by Viva Republica will feature a double wrapper and double binder and Los Desaparecidos by Viva Republica is a cigar that uses 15-year-old tobacco and is aged for over three years.

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.