Mike Bellody of MLB Cigar Ventures took to Facebook late Thursday night to announce his sophomore cigar release, an extension of his debut Imperia line that he is calling the Imperia Islero.

Named for a powerful Miura fighting bull, the new cigar uses an Ecuadorian habano 2000 wrapper with a Dominican criollo 98 binder and filler made up of Dominican criollo 98 and Pennsylvanian tobacco. Bellody told halfwheel it is a very full-bodied and strong blend, intense in both strength and flavor, noting a natural sweetness that stands out particularly well.

Bellody is currently planning on releasing the cigar in April and in the same five sizes as the Imperia: Gordo (6 x 60), Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 52), Pita (5 1/2 x 44) and Fundador (7 x 50/33). The Fundador will come in 10-count boxes just like the version in the Imperia line that was released in December, while the other sizes will be packed in 20-count boxes. Quesada Cigars will once again handle the production for Bellody.

Pricing for the new regular production line is still to be announced as Bellody is working on the band and box designs, but said he doesn’t expect it to be much different than the Imperia’s pricing, which ranges from $8-10, before taxes. The Imperia debuted in October 2014.

Bellody is also finalizing details on his third release, another extension of the Imperia line that will be called the Imperia Aventador. It will be released at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show in July, with more details to be released in the coming months.

Davidoff is the official sponsor of halfwheel's coverage of the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
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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, 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.