Several sources have confirmed that Martin Family of Cigars has ceased operations and that Maria Martín is now working with Gurkha Cigar Group. Martín, however, did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the situation.

Martín Family of Cigars formally launched on February 1, 2011 and made its first IPCPR trade show appearance that summer, debuting with three blends: Gold, Ruby and Corojo. In late 2011, the company added another three lines, the “M,” the Fiera and the Royal, rapidly bringing their portfolio to six unique offerings.

In February 2013, the company announced plans for another new cigar, the Casa Martín, which was slated to be a four vitola limited release that was scheduled to be released in May.

The company also offered a humidification and disinfectant solution that they said eliminated bacteria and viruses from water supplies used to humidify cigars.

Prior to launching Martin Family of Cigars, Maria Martín was the national sales manager for Camacho Cigars. She had also served as the president of Tropical Tobacco for 18 years prior to its sale to Eduardo Fernández. Her father, Pedro Martín, for whom the company was named, was the founder of Tropical Tobacco and a highly regarded figure in the tobacco industry. He launched Tropical in 1978 after working in the Detroit area for other DWG Cigar Group.

A representative from Gurkha confirmed that Martín has joined the company, though declined to specify what her role is.

Martin Family of Cigars was supposed to have a presence at the upcoming Chattanooga Tweetup, but a mention in a June 19 weekly update noted the closure of the company. The company’s Facebook and Twitter accounts have remained somewhat active since the closure.

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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.