La Palina Begins Shipping New 1948 Line
After some packaging issues forced the delay of its new 1948 line, La Palina is shipping the cigars to retailers.
The line debuted at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show as part of the celebration of company chairman Bill Paley’s 75th birthday, which occurred in March. Beyond just being a new line, the cigars are the result of a collaboration between La Palina and Oliva Cigar Co., which produced the line at its facilities in Nicaragua.
“I am thrilled to have been able to bring this cigar series to life, as it honors both my family and our company,” said Bill Paley via a press release when the cigar was announced in June. “The 75-year journey I have taken, to where I am now, has been a marvelous adventure. My grandfather was a key figure in starting the company, and this cigar is also a tribute to his legacy and our continued success.”
The La Palina 1948 has a blend that features a sun-grown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that has been aged for two years, with a Nicaraguan binder and filler, both grown by Oliva. The line is offered in four box-pressed vitolas, though only three are regular production sizes:
- La Palina 1948 Churchill (7 x 52) — $25 (Box of 10, $250)
- La Palina 1948 Toro (6 x 52) — $24 (Box of 10, $240)
- La Palina 1948 Robusto (5 x 52) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
- La Palina 1948 Diadema (6 x 46) — $23 (Box of 10, $230)
The Diadema vitola is a limited edition that was only offered to retailers who attended the PCA Convention & Trade Show in July. It is limited to a run of just 500 boxes.
Playing into the 1948 theme, the bands and boxes feature illustrations of how Estelí, Nicaragua and Manhattan, New York, looked in 1948, as well as an image of Paley when he served in the military during the Vietnam War.
“Oliva is honored to be the chosen manufacturer to commemorate such a special occasion for Bill, Clay, Sammy and everyone at La Palina,” said Cory Bappert, ceo of Oliva Cigar Co. “This project is the result of many months of collaboration to ensure the 1948 series exceeds the highest of expectations.”
The company says that the La Palina 1948 will be released annually in limited quantities.
Images courtesy of La Palina.
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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