Cigar Rights of America’s Spring 2021 Freedom Sampler Shipping

The Spring 2021 edition of Cigar Rights of America’s annual cigar sampler has begun shipping to CRA member stores, and as in past years, it features a mix of well-known cigars and a couple of new releases.

The full list of cigars in the sampler is as follows:

• Alec Bradley 2019 Fine & Rare HOF/506 Gran Toro
• Arturo Fuente FFOX OXO Oro Oscuro Perfecxion X
• Ashton Symmetry Belicoso or San Cristobal Ovation Eminence
• Diamond Crown #4
• La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull
• Jaime García Reserva Especial Connecticut Toro
• Oliva Serie V 5 x 54 Box Pressed
• Padrón Black No. 100
• Rocky Patel ALR 2nd Edition Robusto
• Tatuaje Limited Capa Especial Toro

Oliva has added a new size of its Serie V blend, a 5 x 54 box pressed robusto gordo that is being made just for the CRA. Similarly, Padrón has contributed what appears to be a new size in its black-banded series, the No. 100, which is a 5 1/2 x 52 torpedo. While Padrón has not yet confirmed the history of the No. 100, a representative from the CRA told halfwheel that it’s not a new size, the sampler is the only place the vitola is currently available. It’s also the third straight year that the Padrón Black has appeared; in 2019, the company contributed the No. 200, a 5 1/2 x 56 robusto gordo, and in 2020 added the No. 200 Natural.

My Father Cigars has brought back the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut blend, which dates back to 2011 when it appeared as one of 16 cigars in each box of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial 2011 Limited Edition. The cigar replaces the Connecticut broadleaf wrapper of the Reserva Especial with an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf.

Rounding out the new offerings is the Tatuaje Limited Capa Especial Toro, a new round 5 3/4 x 52 size for the recently re-released Tatuaje LLE Capa Especial. That cigar is a 6 3/4 x 42 box-pressed lonsdale that dates back to 2011 as well, when it was released as a store exclusive for New Havana Cigars.

The CRA Spring 2021 Freedom Sampler has an MSRP of $160 and is available at participating retailers.

Image courtesy of Cigar Rights of America.

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.