Maya Selva Cigars Sets Sights on US With IPCPR Debut

Launched in France in 1995 and sold through the European Union since, Maya Selva Cigars has turned their attention to the US market and will make their stateside debut at this summer’s IPCPR Convention and Trade Show.

Maya Selva currently manufacturers three lines of cigars: Flor de Selva, Cumpay and Villa Zamorano, though a representative from the company said they will be releasing just a portion of their three-line catalog to US retailers in their IPCPR debut.

The Flor de Selva line was the company’s first line, a Honduran puro that was created in 1995 and uses tobacco from the Danlí area of Honduras. It is made at the Tabacos de Oriente factory in Honduras and is described as a rich, full-bodied cigar that offers notes of wood and dried fruits. The company will make eight vitolas of the Flor de Selva available at the show:

• Flor de Selva Siesta – 4 1/4 x 40
• Flor de Selva Robusto – 4 3/4 x 50
• Flor de Selva Robusto Maduro – 4 3/4 x 50
• Flor de Selva Fino – 6 x 44
• Flor de Selva N-15 – 5 1/2 x 54
• Flor de Selva Tempo – 6 x 60
• Flor de Selva Doble-Corona – 7 1/2 x 52
• Flor de Selva Petit-Cigares – 3 1/2 x 20

Maya Selva launched the Cumpay line in 1999, a Nicaraguan puro that is made at the Tabacos Segovia factory. All the tobacco for the line comes from the Estelí region of Nicaragua, including its Habano 2000 wrapper. The company describes the taste as having notes of coffee, leather and hazlenut. At the show, Maya Selva will release six sizes:

• Cumpay Short – 4 x 46
• Cumpay Corona – 5 1/2 x 42
• Cumpay Robusto – 4 3/4 x 50
• Cumpay Volcan – 6 x 60
• Cumpay No. 15 – 5 1/2 x 54
• Cumpay Churchill – 7 x 48

Maya Selva’s most recent addition, the Villa Zamorano, was released in 2002 with the majority of its tobacco coming from the Jamastrán Valley in Honduras. It is made at the San Judas Tadeo Factory in Danlí, with notes of coffee highlighting what Selva says is a rustic and rich flavor profile. Six sizes will be made available to US retailers at the trade show:

• Villa Zamorano Expreso – 3 1/2 x 52
• Villa Zamorano Corona – 5 x 42
• Villa Zamorano Robusto – 5 x 50
• Villa Zamorano No. 15 – 5 1/2 x 54
• Villa Zamorano El Gordo – 6 x 56
• Villa Zamorano Churchill – 7 x 46

While the company is headquartered in Paris, they have recently opened a sales and distribution center in Hollywood, Fla. The company did not reveal specific prices for the cigars they will be showing at IPCPR, but they did indicate that the prices range from $3.50 to $12 per cigar.

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.