PCA 2022: PDR Cigars

Given its proximity to the halfwheel bunker, I walked by the PDR Cigars booth more than probably any booth on the show floor, crossing it on each departure from and each return to our workspace. And seemingly each time I passed by, there was a good number of retailers checking out the latest and greatest from Abe Flores.

The booth itself was fairly straightforward, as Flores has taken an approach that many cigar makers have embraced in not showing off the company’s entire portfolio, as that takes display cases and additional space, and that costs money. Rather, the booth had display towers at opposing corners that focused on the company’s newest cigars, another display case with existing items, and then a couple of seating areas for writing orders and conversation.

One of the items that was featured in the display cases is the updated Connecticut Valley Reserve lines, which Flores showed off at the 2022 Tobacco Plus Expo in January and which started shipping to retailers in June, the first of what Flores said he expects to be two releases this year.

El Vinyet

This is one of the more interesting projects that I came across on the show floor this year, as it will involve Abe Flores bunching the cigars for this project, while one of his most senior rollers will be applying the wrappers. As of the moment, the project will feature four vitolas, all with Ecuadorian corojo wrappers, but with the binder and fillers changing to achieve the profiles of cigars that Flores has found influential in his life. It will be limited to about 30 accounts, and there are still a good number of details to be worked out, though he did say that pricing will be about $10-16 per cigar, except for the Salomon which he put at $50 per cigar. That vitola is also likely to be the most limited, as he said there might only be 2,000 of those made as opposed to the 5,000 cigars for the other three sizes. It will also be a gradual rollout of the cigars beginning in September as opposed to everything being released at once.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo)
• Binder: Various
• Filler: Various

• El Vinyet 898 (7 1/4 x 47) — $TBD (Box of 10, $TBD)
• El Vinyet TBD (5 1/2 x 54) — $TBD (Box of 10, $TBD)
• El Vinyet Belicoso Fino (TBD) — $TBD (Box of 10, $TBD)
• El Vinyet Salomon (8 x 58) — $50 (Box of 10, $500)

Production: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (Tentatively Per Vitola)

Release Date: September 2022

PDR 1878 Recordando a Santiago Robusto Tubo Sampler

This sampler features the four blends in the PDR 1878 Classic Collection in their robusto vitola, but now coming in clear tubes. That means two each of the Maduro, Natural, Oscuro and Sun Grown wrappers, each getting some protection until you decide to light them up.

• Wrapper: Various
• Binder: Various
• Filler: Various

• PDR 1878 Classic Collection Robusto Tube Sample (5 x 52) — $76

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2022