IPCPR 2019: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co.
If there was one booth towards the back of the show floor that seemed to have a steady stream of traffic on Saturday, it was Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co.
The company packed a ton into a fairly compact space, including live painting by Cicerón Bautista, with the final paintings being raffled off to some lucky retailers who enjoyed the space on some brightly colored benches and tables. As for the cigars, there are three new releases from Oscar, two under the Wild Hunter name and one that is a groovy purple throwback to the 70s.
Not only is the new Oscar Valladares Super Fly billed as the strongest cigar in the company’s portfolio by way of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Honduran binder from the Copán region and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, it is the first time that Dominican tobacco has been used in any of Valladares’ blends. It’s being produced at Valladares’ factory in Danlí, Honduras.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Honduras (Copán)
- Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic
- Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Corona (5 1/4 x 45) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
- Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Toro (6 x 54) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
- Oscar Valladares Super Fly Super Gordo (6 1/2 x 60) — $11.50 (Box of 20, $230)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2019
Oscar Valladares Wild Hunter
Valladares has crafted a new line with two blends but just one size, both of which come in camouflaged boxes with an unmistakable hunting theme. The Wild Hunter is a Honduran puro that the company says gives smokers “the full experience of Honduran flavor.” While not a hunter himself, Valladares told halfwheel that while he was on the road he met plenty of cigar lovers who also enjoy the outdoors and wanted to make a cigar with them in mind.
One of the coolest parts of the presentation is a flap decked out in a camouflage texture, which was one of the most unique things I saw on Saturday and landed in a spot on our packaging awards nominee list.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Copán Natural or Oscuro)
- Binder: Honduras
- Filler: Honduras
- Oscar Valladares Wild Hunter Natural (6 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $210)
- Oscar Valladares Wild Hunter Maduro (6 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $210)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2019
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.
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