Sancho Panza Extra Chido Makes Debut At PCA 2024

The Sancho Panza line is soon getting a new regular production line called Extra Chido that debuted at the 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Created by Matt Booth and Justin Andrews, the line uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a filler that includes multiple primings of Nicaraguan tobacco from ASP, as well as Dominican piloto aged in tercios. Tercios are a way of wrapping raw tobacco leaves inside of royal palm leaves as a method of aging the tobacco. The end result looks like a crudely wrapped present with the plan leaves tightly bound against the tobacco leaves. General Cigar Co. and E.P. Carrillo are the only two companies that consistently talk about using tercios, so it’s unclear how prevalent their usage is. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. worked for General for a decade before launching E.P. Carrillo.

The line is produced at General Cigar Dominicana in Santiago and is available in three sizes:

• Sancho Panza Extra Chido Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.79 (Box of $175.80)
• Sancho Panza Extra Chido Toro (6  x 52) — $9.49 (Box of 20, $189.80)
• Sancho Panza Extra Chido Gigante (6  x 60) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)

“I’m stoked to be collaborating with Justin again on this extension to the Sancho Panza product saga,” Booth said in a press release. “It is an honor to contribute my part to such a classic brand. More to come…”

The cigars are scheduled to ship to stores on April 1.

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.