The next time you attend an in-store event featuring Tabacalera El Artista’s Big Papi brand, you’ll have the opportunity to pick up an event-only cigar, appropriately shaped as a baseball bat.

The company has announced the launch of the Big Papi Big Slugger, a 7 x 62 figurado which features a two contrasting wrapper leaves to create the baseball bat design, with an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf used for the base and Mexican San Andrés maduro used for the accents. The binder has been changed from a Dominican Republic criollo 98 leaf to Dominican Piloto Cubano, as it is easier to work with when it comes to creating the unique shape and holds up better to the molds in which the cigars are formed. Additionally, there is a bit more ligero in the filler, which is a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan leaves, which the company says makes the cigar a bit stronger than the original 6 x 54 toro vitola, which debuted in Oct. 2016. While the company recognizes that this may become a collectable item, it says it is a completely smokeable cigar.

Production is being capped at 10,000 cigars, though that number has yet to be reached, with a few thousand produced for the first run. Should those sell out, a second run will be made, though it will not exceed that cap.

The line was created in partnership with David “Big Papi” Ortiz, a former professional baseball player who played 20 seasons at the Major League level and became well-known both for his power at the plate and his gregarious personality.

The Big Slugger comes in a keepsake box and retails for $45 per cigar. It is available as of Feb. 1.

The company has also launched a Big Papi humidor, which holds up to 50 cigars. It is being offered in two formats; the empty humidor is priced at $120, or you can get it with 20 Big Papi cigars for $330. Both formats were released on Feb. 1, as well.

Both products were formally unveiled at the TPE trade show in Las Vegas last week.

Update (Feb. 7, 2018) — Added dimensions, blend details, and production numbers as provided by a spokesperson for Tabacalera El Artista. These details were not provided in the press release announcing the story. This article was originally published on Feb. 6, 2018. 

Images courtesy of Tabacalera El Artista.

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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 MLB.com, 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.