Sam Leccia Cigar Co. Sets May Debut for ‘Black & White’

In February, we broke news of the impending return of Sam Leccia to the cigar industry, a process that has been well chronicled throughout the cigar media.

Leccia rose to visibility as the face of Oliva’s NUb and Cain brands. He departed from the company at the end of 2010, and was slated to return to the industry in 2011 with a new line, called the Debut, but was quickly met with legal action filed by Oliva in June 2011. The Sam Leccia Cigar Co. was to be distributed by Toraño Family Cigar Co., only to be pulled just prior to the 2011 IPCPR trade show and not seen at 2012 show.

Since that story came out, several further developments have been released, starting with an Instagram picture posted by Brian McGee, territory manager for the Toraño Family Cigar Company showed an image inspired by the famous parental advisory stickers on music that had been altered to say “Smoke Leccia Tobacco.”

On March 30, Leccia released a 30-second video clip via YouTube that was tagged at the end with “Smoke Leccia Tobacco.”

Toraño Family Cigar Co. posted a picture on April 1 to their Twitter account showing Leccia at what appears to be a factory:

Sam showin em how it's done at the factory. pic.twitter.com/Nl6ki8eNST

— Torano Cigars (@ToranoCigar) April 1, 2013

Also showing up was a new Facebook page and website, both reported on NiceTightAsh.com. The Facebook page contains images of new branded merchandise, including a t-shirt, travel humidor and iPhone cases, but only pictures of the boxes of his new cigar line, called Black & White.

Also on April 1, Cigar Aficionado published a story on Leccia’s return, including the announcement that the company’s first line will be called ‘Black & White’ and will go on sale in May. According to the article, the line will come in two blends, one dubbed Black and the other White. The Black will use a leaf of fire-cured tobacco and be made in Nicaragua by “a small cigarmaker,” while White will come out of a small factory in the Dominican Republic. Neither is related to the Debut line that was slated to come out in 2011.

Both versions will be available in four sizes with prices between $7.00-$9.00 per cigar: a 4 x 46, 5 x 52, 6 x 50 and 6 x 60.

Leccia told the magazine that he will be in Las Vegas this July for the IPCPR convention and trade show, where his new company and cigars will be on display.

Update (April 2, 2013): Toraño Family Cigar Co. issued a press release adding further details about Leccia Tobacco and the Black & White lines, including detailed blend information. That press release is below:

April 2, 2013 (Miami, FL) — Sam Leccia is back. After an absence of more than two years from the premium cigar industry, Leccia is excited to announce the launch of Leccia Tobacco. The Leccia Tobacco brand will encompass a variety of different products, beginning with the Spring release of its first cigar brand called “Black and White.”

Black and White will consist of two different cigar blends. The Black blend is being manufactured in the Dominican Republic and the White blend is being manufactured in Nicaragua. Both blends are very different, but each delivers a powerhouse of flavor.

The Black Dominican blend uses a Habano wrapper with a Nicaraguan Rosado binder. The filler is Nicaraguan and Dominican ligeros, Brazilian viso, and a very unique tobacco called “dark fire.” Dark -Fire is wood fire cured, which gives the cigar a distinct smoked whisky aroma. The blend is medium to full bodied with a very smooth strength that builds throughout the cigar.

The White Nicaraguan blend uses an African Sun Grown wrapper with a binder from Ecuador. The filler is Nicaraguan Ligero with Seco leaves from Pennsylvania, Sam’s home state. It is a full body smoke that delivers tons of complex flavors. It has hints of a creamy coffee, and lightly sweet cashews, while delivering strength and spices.

“For the last couple of years I’ve been dreaming of the day when I could get back to the industry that I love,” says Sam Leccia. “I couldn’t be more pumped up about introducing my new blends to cigar smokers.”

Black and White will each have 4 sizes: 4 x 46; 5 x 52; 6 x 50 and 6 x 60. The MSRP for the cigars will be in the $7.00 – $9.00 range. All Leccia Tobacco brands will be distributed by the Toraño Family Cigar Co. which is based out of Miami, Florida.

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 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.