J. Grotto Anniversary Lines Adds Box-Pressed Double Robusto (Update)

The newest addition to Ocean State Cigars’ J. Grotto Anniversary line will be a box-pressed double robusto, according to an announcement from the company.

Measuring 5 1/2 x 54, it shares the same blend as the first four releases, with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, Dominican habano binder and a filler blend of Dominican tobaccos and “other Central American tobaccos,” according to Paul Joyal, who added that it is a medium-bodied blend. “Anniversary has earned the term succulent, with a classic Connecticut broadleaf sweetness, plus some subtleties like cocoa, coffee and nuts,” Joyal noted in a press release. All of the tobacco used are aged at least three years, while the finished cigars get between three and four months of rest before being packaged.

Joyal is once again working with Phil Zanghi of Debonaire Cigars on the blend, with production being handled by Tabacos Flor de De Los Reyes S.A. factory in the Dominican Republic, where Zanghi also produces his lines of cigars.

The new size is priced at $8.50 per cigar before taxes and comes packed in 10-count Spanish cedar boxes, with 500 boxes are being produced, for a total run of 5,000 cigars. One of the highlights of the box is artwork that features initials of several family members in gold coins.

Joyal expects that the new size should be ready to ship in approximately six weeks, which would have them in stores in early July. Like all J. Grotto cigars, the Anniversary line is only available to brick-and-mortar retailers and is not available for internet or mail-order retailers.

The double robusto becomes the fifth vitola in the J. Grotto Anniversary line, joining the L458 (4 x 58), T650 (6 x 60), P555 (5 x 55) and E660 (6 x 60), which debuted in the summer of 2014, celebrating both Joyal’s 30th wedding anniversary and his parents’ 65th.

Update (Oct. 6, 2016) — Ocean State Cigars announced that the J. Grotto Anniversary Double Robusto has begun shipping after production issues delayed the line’s full release.

This story was originally published on May 25, 2016.

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.