July 23, 2012 — “Although our J. Grotto Series Reserve premium cigars rest for six months after leaving the rolling tables,” reports Paul Joyal, president of Ocean State Cigars, “we test-smoked samples of our new 7-3/8″ x 40 Lancero Limitado that had only 10 weeks of aging.  We were amazed at the blend of flavors and aromas in this new cigar.  It is nothing less than rich and harmonious, delivering toast and smooth caramel flavors.  This cigar may well become our signature cigar.”

This latest addition to the J. Grotto Series Reserve line is a limited-availability cigar, at only 1,000 cigars, thus its name: “J. Grotto Series Reserve Lancero Limitado.”

The Lancero Limitado will be offered only at retailer events that feature J. Grotto cigars.  Each participating retailer will be allocated four boxes (forty cigars) of Lanceros Limitados per event.  Packaging it in only ten-cigar boxes, and in limited- per-event quantities, “will add to its cachet,” says Joyal.  The boxes will be a smaller rendition of the same high-quality cedar boxes and lush artwork as seen in the rest of the line.

The cigars are hand made, using three-year aged select tobaccos … a Nicaragua-grown Criollo 99 wrapper and Criollo 98 binder, plus a filler of Honduran-grown ligero and Jalapa leaves.  The Lancero Limitado joins four existing J. Grotto Reserve shapes … Gran Corona (5-5/8″ X 46), Gran Robusto (5″ X 52), Gran Toro (6″ x 52), and Gordo 6″ x 60. The Lancero Limitado is full-bodied, but tempered by the aging and balanced blending, yielding a sophisticated smoke.  Like all J. Grotto cigars, it is entubado-bunched for smooth, easy draw and uniform burn.  Its pigtail-capped head, gives it a distinctively traditional look.

States Joyal, “Historically, Lanceros have appealed to only the few.  We think the performance of this cigar, especially its tamed power and opulent flavor, will awaken a larger audience to this elegant shape.”  The cigars will be ready in August for J. Grotto retailers to schedule in-store events with Joyal.  Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing for the new J. Grotto Reserve Lancero Limitado is $8.95.

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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 MLB.com, 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.