April 13, 2023 Patrick Lagreid News

Luciano Cigars Ships Foreign Affair

Luciano Cigars’ newest line may be called Foreign Affair, but it is beginning to arrive at retailers throughout the U.S. as the company announced that it has shipped the cigars in recent days.

Luciano Meirelles, ceo and co-founder of Luciano Cigars, developed the line with Mike Dounoulis, Luciano Cigars’ regional sales manager, and Frank Cossio, co-owner of Astorian Cigar Co. in West Palm Beach, Fla. The blend, which the company says took about a year to finalize, uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, dual binders from Nicaragua and Ecuador, and fillers from Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

“You find boldness alongside sweetness, and it’s so balanced you can fully enjoy it without becoming overwhelmed,” Cossio said via a press release, adding that the blend offers a taste profile that contradicts itself.

Foreign Affair is offered in four vitolas, which are produced at the Luciano Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

  • Foreign Affair Corona (5 5/8 x 42) — $9.50 (Box of 24, $228)
  • Foreign Affair Rothschild (4 1/2 x 48) — $10.35 (Box of 24, $248.40)
  • Foreign Affair Toro Extra (6 1/2 x 52) — $11.80 (Box of 24, $283.20)
  • Foreign Affair Belicoso (6 x 54) — $12.50 (Box of 24, $300)


“There is something extraordinarily magical that occurs in the shared space of smoke, cigars, and people,” Meirelles said in a press release. “It’s as if barriers are bridged, and guards lowered. The experience goes beyond language, culture, gender, or any sense of otherness. Varied pathways lead to this common ground, a sacred ambiance where we can connect and understand that no matter how foreign we may be to one another, the humanity in us overwhelms our perceptive differences. Those once strangers to one another are brought together, under the influence of a worldly cigar.”

Dounoulis added that the idea behind the cigar was to convey the unique and transcendent connection that happens between people when enjoying cigars. “This cigar to me is emblematic of the relationships and bonds we’re able to build in our industry,” he added.

Overall Score

Foreign Affair Frank Cossio Luciano Cigar Factory Luciano Cigars Luciano Meirelles Mike Dounoulis
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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 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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