Royal Agio Adds Gran Toro, Corona and Lancero to Balmoral Añejo XO

Three new sizes are being added to Royal Agio’s Balmoral Añejo XO line, one of which is a limited edition lancero vitola.

One year after releasing the line into the United States market, the Dutch company looks to carve out a bit more space for the brand, with the introduction of the Balmoral Añejo XO Gran Toro (6 x 52, $10.50) and Balmoral Añejo XO Corona (5 7/8 x 42, $8.95).

They become the fourth and fifth regular production sizes in the line, joining the Rothschild Masivo (5 x 55), Torpedo Mk52 (6 1/4 x 52), and Petit Robusto FT (4 1/4 x 48).

The sixth size in the line will be a limited one, as the company is only producing 1,250 10-count boxes of the Balmoral Añejo XO Lancero FT (7 x 40, $12.95), with the FT in the lancero’s name indicating that the cigar features a flag tail cap. For U.S. consumers that number gets even more limited, as only 500 of the boxes are destined for their side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The blend is a combination of a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Dominican olor binder, and Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Dominican fillers.

The new sizes are said to have their roots in a meeting of international cigar media organizations, including halfwheel, held in Belgium and organized by Boris Wintermans, ceo of Royal Agio Cigars, in September 2015. “This was a historical occasion for our company as we fine tune our craft for the United States market,” he noted in a press release. “We took a great deal of feedback during the media summit and heard repeatedly that the participants wanted to see a limited edition like a lancero, but also loved our flag tail.”

The cigars are being made at the Royal Agio Cigars Factory in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and distributed by Drew Estate. A shipping date has not yet been announced.

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.