In perhaps one of the worst booth placements I’ve ever seen, La Sonrisa was back at the show this year. And in the back.

Placed behind a larger booth, facing away from the trade show floor and without a single other booth facing the same way, La Sonrisa might have been the moost difficult booth to find. I’ve seen poorly placed booths before, with large columns blocking the front, or odd placement in a back corner behind part of the building, but if “Worst Booth Placement Award” was something IPCPR handed out, La Sonrisa would have won it. Owner Tom Hocking was certainly displeased about the location, but he was still happy to talk about the new cigar coming from the brand.

La Sonrisa Domador

The latest addition to the La Sonrisa portfolio is a limited edition that once again pays tribute to co-founder Wally Stealey, who passed away in October 2017. As a youngster, Stealey learned how to tame and break horses on his family’s ranch in Colorado, and a picture of him as an 18-year-old is featured on the primary band. The word domador means tamer or breaker in Spanish, and is used in reference to those who tame wild horses. It’s the third cigar to honor Stealey, joining The Wally and El Profesor.

  • Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
  • Binder: Indonesia
  • Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa)
  • La Sonrisa Domador (6 x 52) — $9.95 (Packs of 10, $99.50)

Production: 2,500 Total Cigars

Release Date: July 2019

Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2019 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.