Orchant’s Inca Secret Blend Heads to U.S.

In 2012, Mitchell Orchant—best known for being the managing director of C. Gars Ltd, a family of stores in the U.K.—launched Inka Secret Blend Cigars, a collection of Peruvian puros made in partnership with Gennaro Lettieri of Tabacalera del Oriente. Inka Secret Blend offered Orchant the ability to not only offer cigars that tasted rather different than the wide array of Cubans and “new world” cigars his customers normally had access to, but also at a substantial value.

Over the last three years, Inka has grown tremendously, now Orchant’s best-selling non-Cuban brand. And now it comes to the U.S.

Orchant and his partners are launching Inca – Secret Blend for the American market. It’s not a typo, the U.K. Inka gets a k, the U.S. version gets a c. America also gets a completely different blend.

While both cigars are Peruvian puros, Orchant told halfwheel that the U.S. version has a different combination of viso and ligero fillers and less seco than the U.K. version. In addition, Orchant said that the U.S. version uses “natural Colorado maduro shade,” while the U.K. versions have various wrappers.

“It’s the kind of cigar that leaves me wanting to smoke another one immediately as it doesn’t blow your palate out with strength,” said Orchant. “…very little salt, enough acidity, no bitterness and plenty of sweetness.”

Two cigars began shipping last week, Inca – Secret Blend Imperio (6 x 60, $10.25) and Tambo (6 x 50, $9.50). Both cigars are packaged in boxes of 20, with the first 500 boxes marked as “Edición Limitada Inaugural.” A third Roca (5 x 50) size is expected shortly.

Orchant is selling and marketing the cigars through his Robert Graham 1874 Inc. company, while Alec Bradley is handling fulfillment for the company.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.