Pier 28 Expands to Four Wrapper Options, Adds Sizes

It is a cigar 13 years in the making, but in the last week or so it has gone from one wrapper option to four. Pier 28, the cigar created by Tim Wong and produced and distributed by Espinosa Premium Cigars, will get three new versions, a Connecticut, Sumatra and Maduro.

“We wanted to exhibit the brand in full at IPCPR, but were only able to showcase the Habano line,” Wong said. “But we’ve been working with a few retailers to get the other blends out into the market place to see how they will be received.”

The reception has apparently been positive, as today Wong announced the three new additions.

The Pier 28 Maduro uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler and is coming in four sizes: Chocolate Bomb (4 1/2 x 42, $6.99), Robusto (5 x 52, $7.99), Toro (6 x 54, $9.25) and Gordo (6 x 60, $9.99).

For the Pier 28 Connecticut, Wong selected an Ecuadorian shade grown Connecticut wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. It too comes in four sizes, Rabito (6 1/2 x 46, $7.99), Robusto (5 x 52, $7.99), Toro Box Pressed (6 x 50, $8.99) and Churchill (7 x 48, $8.99).

The Pier 28 Sumatra gets an Ecuadorian Sumatra capa, with a binder from Nicaragua and a filler blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican tobaccos, with four sizes being launched: Rabito (6 1/2 x 46, $7.99), Robusto (5 x 52, $7.99), Toro (6 x 54, $9.25) and Torpedo (6 x 52, $9.75).

Pier 28 debuted at the 2016 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show in late July, with an Ecuadorian habano cafe wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It debuted in four sizes, 5 x 52 ($7.99, box of 10, $79.90, bundle of 20, $149.90), 6 x 46 ($7.99, box of 10, $79.90, bundle of 20, $149.90), a box-pressed 6 x 50 ($8.99 (box of 10, $89.90, bundle of 20, $169.90) and a round 6 x 60 ($9.99, box of 10, $99.99, bundle of 20, $189.90).

That line is also adding four sizes: Lancero (7 x 38, $8.99), Petit Corona (4 1/2 x 42, $6.99), Torpedo (6 x 52, $9.75) and a limited edition called Egg Roll (5 1/2 x 70, $9.99).

Wong is Espinosa’s West Coast sales representative, and Pier 28 is being released as an exclusive to stores in his territory, which includes California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. It is also being made available to Espinosa Lounges across the country. The current plan is to have Pier 28 remain an exclusive for Wong’s territory until 2017.

Wong told halfwheel that the first batch of the three new wrappers have shipped to select retailers, with the full release coming at a later date. All of the new blends and sizes are being launched in 10-count boxes and 20-count bundles that will be available at a slight discount compared to the box price, the same as what was done with the Pier 28 Habano.

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.