PCA 2023: Casa Caraballo
You might have heard the Caraballo name before on projects such as the Caraballo828, a line that included the Silverback, Claro and Escuro, which came out between 2019 and 2020. Now in 2023, Mario Caraballo is back producing cigars with a pair of factories and releasing cigars on his own under the Casa Caraballo name.
The company was part of the Boutique Cigar Association Pavilion, which meant a single display that was part of an area shared by 16 smaller cigar brands, created as a way to make PCA more accessible for smaller cigar companies.
Casa Caraballo filled up that display with three new lines that are scheduled to begin shipping to stores this month, all of which have been in the works for the past several years as the company got organized and set up for Caraballo’s return.
After debuting at Havana Castle shops in Canada and the United Kingdom in May, the Apache line is making its U.S. debut in Las Vegas. It’s a line that Mario Caraballo has had in the works for nearly two years. It is produced at the Papito Gomez Tobacco Co. in Estelí, Nicaragua.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Sumatra
- Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
- Apache Tradicion (6 1/2 x 58) — $15 (Box of 10, $150)
- Apache Excelencia (7 x 52) — $14 (Box of 10, $140)
- Apache Romance (5 5/8 x 46) — $13.50 (Box of 10, $135)
- Apache Necesario (5 x 52) — $13.25 (Box of 10, $132.50)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2023
Produced at the Don Nelo factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, this line is offered in three wrapper varietals, a Mexican maduro, an Ecuadorian habano rosado, and an Ecuadorian habano claro. Regardless of the wrapper, the line uses Nicaraguan habano grown in the Jalapa region, while the filler comes from Estelí, Nicaragua. The company calls it a medium-to-plus strength trio of cigars that share an earthy, peppery profile balanced by sweet cream.
- Wrapper: Mexico (Maduro) / Ecuador (Habano Rosado) / Ecuador (Habano Claro)
- Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa Habano)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí)
- Don Nelo Toro (6 x 52) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
- Don Nelo Torpedo (6 1/4 x 54) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
- Don Nelo Gordo (6 x 60) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 2023
La Tampeña is a cigar line that honors the women that worked in the Tampa cigar factories of the 1800s. It has been in the works since 2020 when it was first announced, though it was never released commercially. It is produced by the Pepito Garcia factory and is scheduled to be limited to 1,000 boxes of 10 cigars per year.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Habano Criollo)
- Binder: Nicaragua Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- La Tampeña (6 x 52) — $16 (Box of 10, $160)
Production: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: July 2023
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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