La Galera Ships, Adds Sizes for European Market

Tabacalera Palma has begun shipping La Galera, the company’s first release under the recently acquired IndianHead brand.

In December, a spokesperson for Tabacalera Palma blamed the delay on a holdup in the customs process and expected them to be on shelves by mid-January, but it turns out that the delay was so that the cigars could be shipped to both the U.S. and European markets at the same time, according to a report in Cigar Aficionado.

Both markets will get the two versions of La Galera, one of which uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper and the other which uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut capa. Both use a Dominican corojo binder with a filler blend of Dominican piloto cubano, criollo ’98 and pelo de oro, with everything but the wrapper grown by Jose “Jochy” Blanco. Production is done by Blanco’s Tabacalera Palma factory in the Dominican Republic.

For the U.S. market, the La Galera Habano is being released in four sizes, Chaveta (5 x 50, $6.20), El Lector (6 x 54, $7), Cortador (6 1/2 x 52 torpedo, $7) and Pilones (6 1/4 x 60, $8.20). The Connecticut version is being released in five sizes, Chaveta (5 1/8 x 50, $4.95), El Lector (6 x 54, $5.75), Tabaquero Presidente (7 1/4 x 50, $6), Cortador (6 1/8 x 52 torpedo, $5.75) and Pilone (5 1/4 x 60, $6.10). The habano version comes in 21-count boxes sticks for the U.S. and 20-count boxes for Europe, while the Connecticut comes in 20-count packaging.

For Europe, the habano version will also come in three additional sizes: Perillas (7 1/4 x 38, $7), Bonchero No. 4 (5 1/2 x 42, $4.90) and Cabezas Caracol (7 x 47 $7.50), while the Connecticut version adds Cepo (5 x 38, $3.50), Bonchero No. 4 (5 1/2 x 42, $4.50) and Pegador (6 x 46, $4.75).