Roberto Duran Plans Eponymous Cigar for IPCPR 2014 (Update)

After launching the Azan cigar line at last year’s IPCPR Convention and Trade Show, Roberto P. Duran is giving his name to his latest creation scheduled for release this year.

The Roberto P. Duran Cigar Brand is being billed as a super-premium cigar with a medium to full strength profile, stronger than that of the Azan lines. Duran grew the Ecuadorian Habana Criollo wrapper leaf, while the binder comes from Nicaragua and the filler is a blend of Nicaraguan tobacco as well as leaves from an undisclosed country.

Duran says the new line pays homage to his family and his family’s city of origin in Cuba. “The Duran last name is from my mother’s side, it was my grandfather on my maternal side which introduced me to the joys of tobacco,” Duran said in a press release. He added that his grandfather lived to be 99 years old and smoked on average about eight cigars a day. “I owe my livelihood to him. I wish to honor his memory with a cigar which bares his last name and honor the city of his birth, Baracoa.”

The Roberto P. Duran Cigar will be launched in four sizes, each vitola with a story behind its name.

The 5 x 52 Rio Toa is named for the biggest river in Cuba that is at the heart of Baracoa and a major factor in the region’s ecosystem. La Punta is a 6 x 54 torpedo that references the fort of the same name, built in 1802 and one of the symbols of Baracoa. The 6 x 56 Tainos bears a familiar name to those familiar with cigars, an ode to the Tainos people who were the natives of Baracoa before the arrival of Colon. The 6 x 60 Cacique Guama is named for the Tainos Chief from Baracoa, a great fighter against the Spanish occupation of their land.

“The Roberto P. Duran Cigar Brand has been a long time in the making. We used the absolute best tobacco available and we delayed the release of this cigar as we wanted to make absolutely sure that it was the best expression of a super-premium cigar,” Duran commented.

The new line will retail from $10 – $16 per cigar, with each size coming in 20-count boxes. The cigars are being made at Nicatabaco S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, and are expected to begin shipping to retailers on July 20, which happens to be during this IPCPR Convention and Trade Show. The line is described as regular production.

Duran began his tobacco career in Havana, Cuba, working as a production supervisor before managing distribution of all Cuban cigar brands for Asia at The Pacific Cigar Company Ltd. He has also contributed to the global brand marketing strategy for British American Tobacco. Duran introduced the Azan line of Cigars at the 2013 IPCPR, including the Burgundy, Premium White, and Maduro Natural, a line that has since been added to more than 200 retail humidors nationwide.

Update (July 3, 2014) — Added price, box count, factory, shipping date and production status per a follow-up from a company representative.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.