Abe Flores of PDR Cigars has steadily been reworking his cigar portfolio, both in designs and blends, and in the case of the latter adding more Dominican-grown tobaccos. The latest line to get an update is the A. Flores Connecticut Valley Reserve, which he is hoping to have on store shelves in April.

As with previous versions, the line is offered in two blends, Roja and Azul, both of which use Connecticut broadleaf wrappers. Through a sorting process of the leaves, the lighter colored, lower priming leaves become destined for the Azul line, while the darker, heartier upper leaves get slated for the Roja. Both blends use a Nicaraguan binder grown in Jalapa; and while the filler still contains Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco, they are used in a different ratio. Flores said that the previous blend had used about 80 percent Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler, now it’s about 80 percent Dominican.

Both blends are being released in the same four vitolas, and in updated packaging that continues his move away from wood boxes which have become increasingly more difficult and expensive to obtain:

  • A. Flores Connecticut Valley Reserve Robusto (5 x 52) — $20 (Box of 10, $200)
  • A. Flores Connecticut Valley Reserve Gran Toro (6 x 54) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
  • A. Flores Connecticut Valley Reserve Lancero (7 x 42) — $24 (Box of 10, $240)
  • A. Flores Connecticut Valley Reserve Churchill (7 x 50) — $26 (Box of 10, $260)

Those vitolas are a streamlined offering from the previous releases, and notably adds a lancero and Churchill vitola to the offerings.

Flores said that they will be an ongoing production, but he plans to limit shipments to three times per year.

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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 MLB.com, 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.