Press Release: Hispaniola Cigars Announces the Release of Turei Cigars

January 21st, 2013 (Teaneck, N.J.) — The Taino aborigines of the Dominican Republic attributed spiritual qualities to smoking tobacco during their ancient rituals. It was believed that smoking the tobacco leaf would elevate them to “Turei,” translated literally as “Heaven.” Hispaniola Cigars is proud to announce that in January 2013, the spiritual experience of the Tainos will be resurrected by Turei Cigars.

After a series of complex trials and broad acceptance at IPCPR 2012, Hugo F. Melo, a fourth generation master blender and President of Hispaniola Cigars, decided the time was right to release Turei.

The Turei line includes three Dominican puro blends, each offered in a single vitola. The blends feature four-year aged tobaccos to deliver maximum complexity and flavor.

About the blends:

• Turei Puro Sol #1: Belicoso (54 x 4.75)
• Turei Puro Sol #2: Robusto (54 x 5.25)
• Turei Puro Sol #3: Toro (52 x 6)

Turei blends deliver a broad spectrum of flavor experiences, from medium bodied floral and roasted coffee notes to full bodied profiles with light pepper, dark cocoa, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Melo described naming the new line saying, “The cigars needed a name intrinsically connected to the sensation produced during the experience. In that regard, we believe ‘Turei’ to be fitting.”

The release of the Turei line follows on the heels of the immensely popular offerings from Hispaniola Cigars, which Melo launched in 2002. “We created Hispaniola cigars specifically to honor our friends in the brick and mortar market and to serve as our flagship product,” Melo said. “We hope that Turei will be accepted with similar enthusiasm by smokers in the online and catalog market.”

The new Turei line will be available through major distributors starting January 21st. Retail price for the new Turei line will range between $7 and $8.

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.