PCA 2023: Dalay Zigarren

Just a couple of weeks ahead of the 2023 Convention & Trade Show opening, Dalay Zigarren and Luciano Cigars announced a distribution agreement that would bring Dalay’s cigars to the United States by way of Luciano Cigars’ distribution company. It also mirrored the existing relationship between the two, as Dalay Zigarren is the distributor of Luciano Cigars in Germany, as well as an official Habanos S.A. retailer with a La Casa del Habano store in Saarbrücken, Germany.

As such, Dalay Zigarren had a presence in Luciano Cigars’ booth, much like that of ATL Cigar Co., with its cigars spread throughout the vertical display cases and branding on the panels that framed the outer edge of the booth.

Going into the show, I was particularly interested to see Dalay Zigarren’s cigars in person, with one cigar, in particular, standing out, as well as just how the company would introduce itself to U.S.-based retailers as it enters a new chapter.

Dalay Istanbul

The line is designed to pay tribute to the Turkish heritage of Salih Dalay, owner of Dalay Zigarren, and it does so from the blend to the artwork. The blend features Turkish tobacco in the filler, making it a rarity among premium cigars, while the bands are from an original work of art by Turkish artist Hasan Kale, who is known as the “Turkish Microangelo” for his work in miniature art. Salih’s daughter also worked on the design of the ring and box, with original calligraphy art incorporated into the design. This line is being produced by the Zaubergberg Factory in the Dominican Republic. Regarding production, 1,000 of the 1,500 boxes will head to the U.S., while the remaining 500 will head to Germany, with production split evenly among the three sizes.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo 98)
• Binder: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
• Filler: Turkey, Dominican Republic and U.S.A. (Kentucky)

• Dalay Istanbul Principe (4 1/2 x 46) — $17 (Box of 10, $170)
• Dalay Istanbul Robusto (5 x 50) — $18 (Box of 10, $180)
• Dalay Istanbul Toro (5 1/2 x 54) — $20 (Box of 10, $200)

Production: 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: July 2023

Update (Nov. 8, 2023) — A representative of the company corrected the binder of the Dalay Istanbul; the company originally saying it was an Ecuadorian habano corojo 99 hybrid, when in fact it is a Ecuadorian corojo 98 leaf.

Dalay Nicaragua

Luciano Meirelles blended the Dalay Nicaragua, with the line produced at the Luciano Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It joins the Dalay Dominican Republic Hell & Dunkel as well as the Dalay Honduras Hell & Dunkel, though those cigars are manufactured at the Zaubergberg Factory in the Dominican Republic.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo 98)
• Binder: Brazil (Arapiraca) and Ecuador (Habano 2000)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Pueblo Nuevo, Jalapa, Estelí, and Massatepe)

• Dalay Nicaragua Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
• Dalay Nicaragua Robusto (5 x 50) — $11.50 (Box of 20, $230)
• Dalay Nicaragua Toro (6 x 52) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
• Dalay Nicaragua Gran Toro (6 1/2 x 56) — 13.30 (Box of 20, $266)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: July 2023