Oscar Valladares Releasing Kinich, Santiago Valladares 2024 Europe Edition at InterTabac 2024
Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. has announced its new releases for the upcoming InterTaback 2024 trade fair, as the company will be releasing Kinich, a new regular production line that will be an exclusive to Europe, along with the Santiago Valladares 2024 Europe Edition, a new blend for the line that debuted last year.
Kinich by Oscar Valladares is named for the first king of the Mayan Kingdom and Honduras, Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ, who ruled the Mayan city of Copán from 426-437. His name is translated as “Radiant First Quetzal Macaw,” according to a press release from the company, and he is the first person featured on Altar Q, a carving that shows the 16 leaders of Copan and is one of the earliest records from the Mayan civilization. It was also the inspiration for a cigar line called Altar Q from Oscar Valladares that came out in July 2018.
Kinich uses a Honduran wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder and a Honduran filler from Copán. It is being offered in three sizes:
- Kinich Robusto (6 x 50) — €12.90 (Box of 20, €258)
- Kinich Toro (6 x 52) — €13.90 (Box of 20, €278)
- Kinich Sixty (6 x 60) — €14.90 (Box of 20, €298)
Each cigar comes dressed in a primary band that features an image of Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ as well as a large secondary band that depicts another representation of him.
After debuting at InterTabac 2023 the Santiago Valladares line is getting a new blend that will replace the original in Europe, while also going down to just one size.
The Santiago Valladares 2024 Europe Edition uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Honduran binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. It comes in a 6 x 52 toro vitola with an MSRP of €22.50 per cigar and €225 for a box of 10 cigars.
In addition to the new blend, the Santiago Valladares line is getting a new color scheme and new packaging to further differentiate it from its predecessor, as this year’s version sheds the coffins from last year.
The line gets its name from Oscar Valladares’ desire to honor his son and leave a legacy in his name. After debuting at InterTabac 2023, the company released a limited edition version for the United States at the 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show. That cigar is a 6 x 52 toro that also used an Ecuadorian habano seed wrapper, though the binder and filler were both Nicaraguan.
Alvaro Villatoro, director of sales for Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co., told halfwheel that there will be a new Santiago Valladares blend released again in 2025, but did not say how many of the 2024 version are being produced. He did confirm that the 2023 version is being discontinued, saying that “the brand will go on but will have changes every year.”
Both Kinich and the Santiago Valladares 2024 Europe Edition are produced at Oscar Valladares’ factory in Danlí, Honduras and are scheduled to begin shipping in late October.
Images courtesy of Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co.
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.
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