Luciano Cigars Rebrands Pichardo Cigars as Tiago Cigars

Luciano Cigars has announced that it is rebranding the Pichardo Cigars line as Tiago Cigars, with the name coming from the company’s co-founder and vice-president, Tiago Splitter.

The Pichardo line was named for Eradio Pichardo, who was part of ACE Prime’s launch and had been previously identified in press releases as co-owner of the company and Tabacalera Pichardo, the factory which originally produced the company’s lines. Pichardo is no longer associated with Luciano Cigars following the rebranding to Luciano Cigars from ACE Prime.

The change comes as part of Luciano Cigars’ ongoing rebranding after formerly being known as ACE Prime. When ACE Prime launched in 2019, the company offered the Pichardo Clasico line, which uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. In 2020, the company added the Pichardo Clasico Maduro, which used a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. In March 2021, the company added a third line, the Pichardo Clasico Natural, which kept the Nicaraguan binder and fillers but used an Ecuadorian sungrown habano wrapper.

The company also offered the Pichardo Reserva Familiar in there blends; those are also getting rebranded.

While the blends and pricing are not changing, the cigars will now come with a new look, as the company has replaced the P on the bands with a T, and the Pichardo name has been swapped out for Tiago. Additionally, the Pichardo Reserva Familiar line is being rebranded its the Tiago Familia Escogida line, a name that translates as “chosen family,” which the company said “highlights the relationships we build, and the people we intentionally call family.”

The Tiago Familia Escogida line keeps the same three offerings as the Pichardo Reserva Familiar, though as previously mentioned, the blends are not changing, according to a press release from the company. The Tiago Famila Escogida Connecticut uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Dominican binder and Nicaraguan fillers; the Tiago Famila Escogida San Andrés uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler, and the Tiago Famila Escogida Habano uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Beyond his role with Luciano Cigars, Splitter is known for his career in the NBA that spanned 2010-2017 and included five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he won a championship in 2014. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.

“You get a lot of opportunities after a career in the NBA, but this project, this dream to me is like coming home to people and a company I call family,” said Splitter in a press release. “It’s an honor to have my name as a brand and product I personally know to be extraordinarily blended by Luciano Meirelles.”

The Tiago line is being produced by the Luciano Cigars Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, and the company expects that the first batch of rebranded cigars will begin shipping in late April, which means the Tiago lines should begin appearing on store shelves during the first week of May.

“It was a natural process for the whole team,” said Meirelles in a press release. “We believe these blends deserve a worthy and upstanding name. Tiago is not only my partner, he’s more like a chosen brother. That’s what this rebranding is about: honoring him for the extraordinary person he is and elevating the family we choose for ourselves.”

This is not the first time that Tiago Splitter’s name has appeared on a cigar, as when ACE Prime launched, it offered a line called the M.X.S. by Tiago Splitter, which used an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Peruvian and Nicaraguan fillers.

In the announcement of the name change, Luciano Cigars said that it retains sole rights over the name and trademark “Pichardo,” as well as its logo and design, maintaining its rights for current products in the market and eventual future use.

Images courtesy of Luciano Cigars.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.