PCA 2021: Cubariqueño
The Cubariqueño team was back at the 2021 PCA Convention & Trade Show with three new cigars, two of which fall under the company’s Lawmen Series and honors a notable figure in law enforcement history, while the third is the first gordo vitola for the company, and likely the first of more to come.
The booth was part of the Espinosa Premium Cigars booth, a fitting placement given how much of the company’s cigars are made by the La Zona Cigar Factory. Like many booths, it is a bit scaled-down in terms of size and decoration from years past, but on day two it was one of the busier booths I visited as a number of retailers were checking out the company’s growing portfolio.
The third installment in Cubariqueño’s Lawmen Series that honors historic figures in the history of policing is named for Bass Reeves, the first deputy U.S. Marshal to serve west of the Mississippi River.
He is also often credited as being the inspiration for The Lone Ranger. Reeves’ road to law enforcement is a fascinating one, as he was born into slavery, though gained his freedom at some point during the Civil War. Marshal James F. Fagan, a former Confederate soldier, recruited Reeves, who was known to speak many languages. Reeves served as a deputy marshal for over 30 years.
Of note, the boxes and bands weren’t finished for the show, but the cigars will ship with the bands and vistas that bear the image of Bass Reeves.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Protocol Bass Reeves Maduro (6 x 52) — $11.95 (Box of 10, $119.50)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2021
As with the two previous releases—Sir Robert Peel and the Eliot Ness,—the Bass Reeves gets two versions, the maduro above and this one, which uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Like the maduro version, the bands weren’t ready so you’re seeing a sample version, but rest assured they will ship with the proper artwork attached.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Protocol Bass Reeves Natural (6 x 52) — $11.95 (Box of 10, $119.50)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2021
The core Protocol line, often referred to as the Blue Line, is getting a new 6 x 60 vitola, the fourth and biggest vitola for the line. The company says that it is planning on adding gordos to more of its lines, so be on the lookout for those in the not-too-distant future.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Oscuro)
- Binder: Nicaragua (Habano Double Binder)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa and Estelí Ligero)
- Protocol Gordo (6 x 60) — $11 (Box of 10, $110)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2021
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.
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