Just over a year since Mike Bellody announced the launch of his new company, MLB Cigar Ventures, his first cigar has begun shipping to retailers.

Imperia uses a Dominican HVA high-priming wrapper along with Nicaraguan and Dominican binder and filler and is being made at The Quesada Factory in the Dominican Republic. While it was slated to be released in July, band and box production issues delayed the new line’s arrival. The line is being released in four sizes, the 5 1/2 x 44 Pita ($7.98), 5 x 52 robusto ($8.30), 6 x 50 toro ($8.70) and 6 x 60 gordo ($9.40). Each size comes in 20-count boxes.

Bellody has maintained that while he won’t turn down orders from any retailer, his focus during Imperia’s launch will be on the northeastern United States.

Prior to launching MLB Cigar Ventures, Bellody was a partner in Tiant Cigar Group, holding the titles of co-owner and president.

 

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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 MLB.com, 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.