IPCPR 2014: La Flor Dominicana

There were no surprises from La Flor Dominicana as the company had announced all of its IPCPR releases just a few days before the trade show opened, other than the pleasant surprise of seeing them in person.

With three cigar releases, it’s hard to pick one to start with, but with the company celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the 1994 seems like a fitting place to start. There are four regular production sizes: Aldaba (6 x 58, $8.30), Conga (5 x 52, $7.50), Mambo (7 x 54, $8.20) and Rumba (6 1/2 x 52, $7.80), all coming in boxes of 20. The wrapper is Mexican San Andrés while the binder and filler are from La Canela in the Dominican Republic. Shipping is expected to begin fairly soon, most likely within a few weeks of the close of the trade show. More details can be found here.

As part of the 1994 line, there will also be a commemorative packaging option released in September, as LFD continues to create packaging options that pack a good initial wow factor, such as the Casa de Tabaco they used for the Air Bender maduro in 2011. Interestingly, the top of the jar actually mimics Litto Gomez’s iconic hat.

Antonio Gomez continues his blending contribution to La Flor Dominicana’s portfolio with Capitulo II (pronounced dos), a 6 1/2 x 58 box-pressed chisel that uses a Nicaraguan colorado wrapper on top of an Ecuadorian habano binder and filler of Dominican tobacco. It will be packed in 10-count boxes, MSRP of $10.70 per cigar and $107.00 per box, and it will be a limited edition, though specific numbers have not been specified. More about it here.

LFD Salomones are back for 2014, still at least a few weeks away from hitting stores but looking as good as ever.

Then there’s the Digger ashtray, and like the cigar it shares a name with, it’s hard to appreciate its size without seeing it person.

Sadly, no cigar scissors were on hand for us to photograph–Antonio Gomez says the company is still working with prototypes to get things just right, but they remain in the plans for later in the year.

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.