TPE 2023: What’s New
The TPE 2023 trade show takes place Feb. 22-24, 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and a number of cigar companies will be launching products at the event that will begin arriving on store shelves in the coming weeks.
Below is a live look of these new products. This post will get updated multiple times as Charlie Minato and I work visit the booths of the dozens of cigar companies exhibiting at TPE 2023.
1502 XO Perfecto (2023 Edition)
After the 1502 XO line debuted in 2016, this vitola was released in November 2018, the 1502 XO Perfecto is back for a second release. All of the details remain the same, though as expected it is more expensive than the original. The blend remains undisclosed, and still uses some tobaccos that have been aged for up to 18 years, which is what gives the cigar its XO name, an abbreviation for extra old.
- Wrapper: Undisclosed
- Binder: Undisclosed
- Filler: Undisclosed
- 1502 XO Perfecto (6 1/2 x 52) — $25.40 (Box of 4, $101.60)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: 250 Boxes of 4 Cigars (1,000 Total Cigars)
ACID Cigars Kubariety Sampler
Drew Estate has put together a new sampler that brings together its ACID and Undercrown Shade lines. Billed as a value proposition for consumers who like both infused and traditional blends, the Kubariety comes with two ACID Kuba Kubas and essentially a free Undercrown Shade, all of which are offered in a 5 x 54 robusto vitola. Jonathan Drew calls it “a great opportunity for us to expand our horizons together” between the company’s two cigar segments.
- Wrapper: Varies
- Binder: Varies
- Filler: Varies
- ACID Cigars Kubariety Sampler (5 x 54) — $21.90
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: February 2023
AGANORSA Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro
There will be a new version of the Rare Leaf Reserve heading to AGANORSA Leaf Select accounts later in the first half of this year. I was told no other details other than it’s expected to arrive on shelves before the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place in July.
- Wrapper: TBA
- Binder: TBA
- Filler: TBA
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: TBA
The Aladino Candela was featured in one of the display cabinets at JRE Tobacco Co.’s booth this year, though it’s not exactly going to be a widespread release immediately. Rather, the company is offering it to roughly 30 stores that have visited the company’s farms. While the company is planning to have the green cigar on store shelves as a way for people to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, Justo Eiroa also wants to bring candela back to a place of prominence in retail humidors and in the minds of consumers, as well as in honor and celebration of the leaf his father produced. Julio Eiroa was one of the preeminent growers and producers of candela wrappers in the 1980s and 1990s, and while it appeared much more frequently on cigars during that time, since then the wrapper has fallen out of favor and now appears only sporadically.
- Wrapper: Honduras
- Binder: Honduras (Corojo)
- Filler: Honduras (Corojo)
- Aladino Candela Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.50 (Box of 20, $170)
Production: 400 Boxes of 20 Cigars (8,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: March 2023
Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Limited Edition Diamond Press
I have to think that the most chatter in and around the Alec Bradley booth during TPE wasn’t about this cigar, but rather a bit of other news involving the company. But there was still a new cigar, and in particular a new vitola for the Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper line. Instead of a regular box press, this toro vitola gets a diamond press, a design also used by the Nica Puro and Black Market Estelí lines. The blend of this new limited edition is the same as the regular production vitolas, but you might find a slight difference in order to get the tobaccos to be able to be formed into the vitola.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
- Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Limited Edition Diamond Press (6 1/4 x 54) — $12.75 (Box of 16, $__)
Release Date: April 2023
Production: 1,500 Boxes of 16 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
Asylum’s New Packaging
Asylum has decided to update its packaging as it streamlines its offerings. In addition to the graphics and box styles becoming much more similar, the box counts will also change as 70- and 80-ring gauge cigars will be packaged in boxes of 20 cigars, while other sizes will be offered in 25-count boxes. The changes are also being implemented to help use different colors to distinguish the company’s lines. The process of rolling out the new packaging will begin in the coming weeks, and Tom Lazuka anticipates it will take about 6-8 weeks to fully roll out the new packaging designs.
In November 2022, Luciano Cigars and ATL Cigar Co. announced that the two companies had entered into a distribution agreement, a change that resulted in ATL Cigar Co.’s Peter Gross joining Luciano Cigars as its chief operating officer. As part of that agreement, ATL Cigar Co. moved its production to Luciano Cigars’ factory, and now we have the first new line to be produced following that announcement. It’s called Wise Blood, and it might well be the most interesting inspiration for a name on the show floor. It comes from a book of the same name that was the first novel by Flannery O’Connor, a Georgia native. The company describes it as the story of a Southern veteran in the mid-20th century who struggles to reconcile his convictions and deep faith with his lived experience.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Rosado HVA)
- Binder: Ecuador (Connecticut)
- Filler: Nicaragua
- ATL Cigar Co. Wise Blood Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 42) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)
- ATL Cigar Co. Wise Blood Robusto Extra (6 x 50) — $10.49 (Box of 20, $209.80)
- ATL Cigar Co. Wise Blood Robusto (5 1/4 x 54) — $10.49 (Box of 20, $209.80)
- ATL Cigar Co. Wise Blood Gordito (4 x 60) — $10.99 (Box of 20, $219.80)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte
The Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte line is back in a big way, as the company is adding a vitola to the line and making all three sizes regular production. The line debuted in 2016 and was designed to be an annual limited edition release, drawing its inspiration from the Day of the Dead celebration from Mexican culture. It received subsequent releases in 2017, 2018 and 2019; the latter year also included the release of the event-only Barrio Santo vitola, a 5 1/2 x 48 corona that used an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper. While the branding on the boxes should be familiar, fans of the brand will notice that it received an update: the cigars are now presented in white boxes with added silver details that were not found on the previous releases.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Ecuador (Habano)
- Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic & Mexico (San Andrés)
- Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte Petite Lancero (6 1/2 x 42) — $10.50 (Box of 20, $210)
- Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte Short Robusto (4 3/4 x 52) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)
- Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 48) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
Casa Cuevas Toro Sampler
Casa Cuevas is releasing a new five-cigar sampler that features the company’s core lines in their 6 x 50 toro vitolas. Inside is the company’s Connecticut, Habano, Maduro, Cuevas Reserva Natural and Cuevas Reserva Maduro blends.
- Wrapper: Varies
- Binder: Varies
- Filler: Varies
- Casa Cuevas Toro Sampler (6 x 50) — $38
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: Late March/Early April 2023
Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing The Dragon Auntie
In March 2022, Deadwood Tobacco Co. in Deadwood, South Dakota launched a new line of “steeped” cigars that were produced in collaboration with Asylum. After being a store exclusive for the first year, the cigars are now going national with Asylum largely serving as the distributor, though if you look closely at the bands, you will see that company’s skull logo in the background. All of the cigars use Honduran tobacco, undergo similar steeping processes, and use a sweetened cap, but they are divided into three groups based on both the size of the cigars and the intensity of the steeping. On the whole, Tom Lazuka of Asylum said that they are about a 4 out of 10 on the flavor intensity scale, with the smaller ring gauges having a bit less steeping, while the ring gauge and combustion rates drive the individual profiles of the three groups. Pricing is still being finalized, but Lazuka said it would be in the $9-$14 range, while 10-count tins are likely to be priced at $25. All of the vitolas will come in 10-count boxes.
Auntie is the smaller ring gauge cigars, and on the lighter side of the steeping scale.
- Wrapper: Honduras
- Binder: Honduras
- Filler: Honduras
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Auntie 38 x 7 (7 x 38) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Auntie 44 x 5 (5 x 44) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Auntie 46 x 6 (6 x 46) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Auntie Tins (4 x 32) — $TBD
Release Date: April 2023
Production: Regular Production
Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing The Dragon Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil, which comes in a black and yellow box, is made up of three larger cigars.
- Wrapper: Honduras
- Binder: Honduras
- Filler: Honduras
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Midnight Oil 54 x 6 1/4 (6 1/4 x 54) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Midnight Oil 60 x 6 (6 x 60) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Midnight Oil 70 x 7 (7 x 70) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Midnight Oil Tins (4 x 32) — $TBD
Release Date: April 2023
Production: Regular Production
Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing The Dragon Zero
The red-boxed Zero line is makeup of more traditional vitolas, specifically a robusto, toro, and a Churchill-esque size.
- Wrapper: Honduras
- Binder: Honduras
- Filler: Honduras
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Zero 48 x 7 (7 x 48) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Zero 50 x 5 (5 x 50) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Zero 50 x 6 (6 x 50) — $TBD
- Deadwood Tobacco Co. Chasing the Dragon Zero Tins (4 x 32) — $TBD
Release Date: April 2023
Production: Regular Production
While the saying may be that you can’t go home again, Dissident Cigars is bringing HOME back to retailers. The company has released the latest version of the annual limited edition, which also happens to be the first incarnation of HOME to be released under current owners Cynn and Joshua Coburn. While the blend remains the same—at least on paper—but the artwork on the bands and boxes have received a more noticeable update. The cigars started shipping earlier this month.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Maduro and Corojo)
- Binder: Ecuador
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Dissident HOME 2023 (6 x 52) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Undisclosed
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka Krakatoa
The Muestra de Saka line will get its seventh release this fall with Krakatoa, which Steve Saka describes as having a robust profile that is bold yet smooth and deceptively potent. In addition to coming in individual coffins, each cigar comes with a spiral colita on the cigar’s head that is designed to look like a volcano, which is fitting since this is named for Krakatau, which is located in Indonesia and regarded as having had the second-most deadly eruption in history, when in 1883, its eruption killed approximately 60,000 people.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Grade A1)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua (Broadleaf, Criollo and Corojo)
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka Krakatoa (6 x 48) — $20.75 (Box of 7, $145.25)
Release Date: September 2023
Production: Regular Production
E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash Winner
In 2022, E.P. Carrillo celebrated the 70th birthday of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. with a promotion that let consumers have a say in an upcoming limited edition release that would be released under the Platinum Bash name. While the company did not have the actual cigars on hand, they were taking orders for the winning cigars, which is the one in the platinum foot band pictured above.
- Wrapper: Mexico
- Binder: Ecuador
- Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
- E.P. Carrillo Platinum Bash (6 x 52) — $15 (Box of 10, $150)
Release Date: April 2023
Production: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
The Espinosa Wasabi Lancero has been on the radar for the last month or so, and it made its official debut at TPE 2023. The Wasabi line debuted back in 2016 in a 5 x 52 box-pressed robusto vitola, while a 5 x 46 corona was added in 2019. Now, it gets a traditional lancero vitola that will be an ongoing but seasonal production size. While the company does not disclose the blend, Erik Espinosa has made it clear that the cigar neither contains wasabi or inherently tastes like wasabi, rather just that the blend has a bit of spiciness to it while the green color of the wrapper is similar to that of the root vegetable condiment for which it is named.
- Wrapper: Undisclosed (Candela)
- Binder: Undisclosed
- Filler: Undisclosed
- Espinosa Wasabi Lancero (7 1/2 x 38) — $9.50 (Box of 10, $95)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
The vast majority of cigars on the market are rolled with a clearly defined head and foot, and are designed to be smoked by clipping off a small part of the head and lighting the foot. With its newest release, Fratello is giving consumers the ability to pick which end of the cigar they want to cut, with one direction giving the profile a mild and creamy start, while the other option is stronger and spicier.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (HVA)
- Binder: Indonesia
- Filler: Nicaragua and U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
- Fratello ViceVersa (7 x 52) — $15 (Box of 12, $180)
Release Date: February 20, 2023
Production: 2,000 Boxes of 12 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
Gurkha Ghost Connecticut
The Gurkha Ghost line gets its third variation, joining the original release and the Gurkha Gold. As the name implies, this one uses a Connecticut wrapper, in particular one that is grown in Ecuador, which gives it a somewhat lighter profile than its counterparts. It will debut at Smoke Inn’s The Great Smoke before being released to other retailers. Like the other versions, it is produced by PDR Cigars in the Dominican Republic.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
- Binder: Mexico
- Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and U.S.A.
- Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow (5 x 52) — $8 (Box of 21, $168)
- Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Asura (6 x 54) — $9 (Box of 21, $189)
- Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Exorcist (6 x 60) — $10.50 (Box of 21, $220.50)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
Gurkha Grand Age II Connecticut
The Gurkha Grand Age gets an update, with a refreshed chest that contains three blends, while the cigars are designed to be friendly on the wallet. They are produced by the Las Villas factory in Nicaragua.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Connecticut)
- Binder: Undisclosed
- Filler: Undisclosed
- Gurkha Grand Age II Habano — $6.50 (6 x 54) — $6.50
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
Gurkha Grand Age II Habano
This blend uses a Nicaraguan habano wrapper, while the binder and filler remain undisclosed.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
- Binder: Undisclosed
- Filler: Undisclosed
- Gurkha Grand Age II Habano (6 x 54) — $6.50
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
Gurkha Grand Age II Maduro
Rounding out the trio is a maduro-wrapped offering, with the wrapper also coming from Nicaragua.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Maduro)
- Binder: Undisclosed
- Filler: Undisclosed
- Gurkha Grand Age II Maduro (6 x 54) — $6.50
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier
No, this has nothing to do with Barbie. The Barbier name is the German word for barber, which pays tributes to H. Upmann’s heritage, a brand founded Hermann Dietrich Upmann, a German banker.
I’ve been a fan of this iteration of Altadis U.S.A. TPE booth and this year, it used an adjacent booth space to have Monster Eddie Jr., a celebrity barber, on hand to give fresh cuts to those that wanted them. TPE has always had unique activations and booth features, this is certainly up there.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut & Sumatra)
- Binder: Indonesia (Java)
- Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua & Undisclosed (Broadleaf)
- H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier Corona (5 x 44) — $7.25 (Box of 25, $181.25)
- H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.47 (Box of 25, $211,75)
- H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 25, $237.50)
- H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier Toro (6 x 54) — $9.62 (Box of 25, $240.50)
- H. Upmann 1844 Special Edition Barbier Churchill (7 x 50) — $9.75 (Box of 25, $243.75)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March 20, 2023
Illusione’s revamped Singularé line, now called Singularé ‘Origen’ began shipping in late January, though I’ve yet to see it listed online amongst the stores I frequent daily. Previously, Dion Giolito—Illusione’s founder—told halfwheel that he tried to take the best elements from previous Singularé releases, which historically has been made up of different limited edition blends, and combined them into this new regular production line. While I’m generally interested in trying most new cigars, some cigars pique my interest a bit more, this is absolutely one of those cigars.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Illusione Singularé ‘Origen’ Robusto (5 x 52) — $13 (Box of 15, $195)
- Illusione Singularé ‘Origen’ Gordo (6 x 56) — $13.75 (Box of 15, $206.25)
- Illusione Singularé ‘Origen’ Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) — $13.35 (Box of 15)
- Illusione Singularé ‘Origen’ Churchill (6 3/4 x 48) — $13.95 (Box of 15, $209.25)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: January 2023
This will hold two 67-gram Integra Boost packs.
- Integra Boost Cedar Sleeve — $19.99
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: February 2023
It’s a five-cigar plastic cigar case with a built-in holder to hold an 8-gram Integra Boost Pack. Like other cigar cases, it’s made of ABS plastic and features foam inside.
- Integra Boost Cigar Case — $19.99
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: February 2023
J. London Neon Green Telephone Booth
The second cigar in J. London’s Telephone Booth Series will be arriving in the coming weeks, as the company was showing off the Green Telephone Booth. It’s a beefy toro gordo and like its predecessor, it comes unbanded but with a sticker on the cellophane of a green, London-style telephone booth for identification. It is also priced the same as the Blue Telephone Booth, which was released in December.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Dominican Republic (Olor Ligero)
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- J. London Green Telephone Booth (6 x 56) — $14.60 (Pack of 5, $73)
Production: 600 Packs of 5 Cigars (3,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: March 2023
J. London The Ripper
In the early running for a packaging award is J. London’s The Ripper, the reason being that one of the 10 cigars in each box has a dagger and some drops of blood cut from a darker leaf of tobacco and then affixed onto the cigar’s wrapper. The blend was a collaboration between Jonathan Fiant of J. London and Jesus Martinez of Martinez Cigars, who has been making cigars in New York City’s Manhattan neighborhood since 1974. Also of note, the cigars are being made in two different places: the banded cigars without the dagger design are made at Martinez Cigars’ factory in New York City, while the ones with the design are produced at the company’s facility in the Dominican Republic with the tobaccos shipped down from New York to ensure that the cigars use the exact same blends.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo)
- Binder: Ecuador (Habano)
- Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
- J. London The Ripper (5 1/4 x 50) — $13.80 (Box of 10, $138)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: TBA
Jake Wyatt Cigar Co. is giving retailers and the cigar industry a preview of its new line, Maverick, at the 2023 TPE show. It is named for company co-founder Gerard Abajian’s son and is billed as being much bolder and fuller than the other cigars the company has released thus far. This release is fairly limited, while the company is planning a full release in late summer that will include robusto, toro and gordo vitolas, while the cigars will be presented in 10-count boxes for that release.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Undisclosed (Corojo)
- Filler: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania) and Undisclosed (Criollo and Piloto)
- Jake Wyatt Cigar Co. Maverick Toro (6 x 54) — $10 (Bundle of 10, $100)
Production: 200 Bundles of 10 Cigars
Release Date: April 2023
JetLine Galleon
The first of two new JetLine lighters to debut at TPE 2023, the Galleon is a decently sized, side-squeeze ignition triple flame torch that offers plenty of firepower to light pretty much any cigar. It also offers a fold-out cigar punch on its base and a decently sized fuel window on its back side. It measures approximately 3.15 inches tall, 1.77 inches wide and .75 inches thick, is available in three colors: copper, off-white, and red.
- JetLine Galleon — $59.99
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March 2023
JetLine Regal
The Regal is the latest take on a fairly familiar design for wallet-friendly lighters, with a large, translucent fuel tank making up the base of the lighter and a metal top section. The ignition lever is a bit different, as it’s a curved piece of metal that offers a touch more design aesthetic. Also of note, the lid of the lighter is curved, with allows it to function as a cigar rest, while the lighter comes with a cigar punch and draw poker, making it one of the most feature-packed options in the segment. The base also doubles as the flame adjuster, making it very easy to dial in the perfect amount of flame. The Regal measures 3.42 inches tall, 1.1 inches wide and 1.1 inches thick, and is offered in four colors: black, gunmetal, pearl red and chrome.
- JetLine Regal 1 Single Flame — $24.99
- JetLine Regal 2 Double Flame — $24.99
- JetLine Regal 3 Triple Flame — $24.99
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March 2023
The JFR Lunatic Maduro line gets two new vitolas at TPE 2023, the smaller of the two is 6 1/2 x 60.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- JFR Lunatic Maduro 6 1/2 x 60 — $9.99 (Box of 28, $279.72)
- JFR Lunatic Maduro 7 x 70 — $10.50 (Box of 28, $294)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March/April 2023
For $25, you can get four 6 1/2 x 52 JFR Super Toros in one humidified bag: one Connecticut, two Corojos and one Maduro. None of these sizes are new, but this packaging option is new. It’s shipping to retailers in displays that contain 10 packs for a total of 40 cigars.
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: February 2023
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that La Aurora’s big new product news—its 120th anniversary cigar—is not here. It has been shown off at Procigar 2023, the Dominican Republic’s cigar festival, but is not here in Las Vegas.
What is here is the Hors d’Age 2021, this is the fourth iteration of the Hors d’Age series, which uses 12-year-old tobaccos that were rolled in 2021 and have been aging since. The blend varietals and concept have remained the same, this is just the most recent version of the cigar.
- Wrapper: Ecuador
- Binder: Ecuador
- Filler: Colombia, Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
- La Aurora Hors d’Age 2021 (6 x 54) — $30 (Box of 10, $300)
Production: 700 Boxes of 15 Cigars (10,500 Total Cigars)
Release Date: March 2023
TPE has certainly come into its own in recent years, and judging by La Sirena’s newest release, Danny Ditkowich not only believes in where the show is now, but where it will be in the coming years. This is the first of four limited editions that La Sirena plans to release in the coming years, all at TPE. All of the cigars for the La Sirena LS line were rolled at the end of 2022, which is where this first release gets its name from. Next year, another 100 boxes will be released, meaning they will come with a year of age on them. At the 2025 show, another 100 boxes will be released, while the final 100 boxes will be released at TPE 2026.
- Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
- Binder: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
- La Sirena LS LE 2022 (7 1/2 x 39) — $22 (Box of 10, $220)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: 100 Boxes of 10 Cigars
Lotus 150mL Butane Cans
In order to comply with California’s law that limits the size of butane cans to 150mL, Lotus has unveiled its premium butane in a can of that format. It is still the same butane that undergoes a six-stage “total purity process” to produce what the company says is 99.9999 percent clean butane. The company will continue to offer its smaller 90mL can, as well as its larger 400mL format, which are priced at $4.95 and $7.95, respectively.
- Lotus 150mL Butane — $5.95
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: February 2023
Lotus L76 Matrix Triple Torch Lighter
Wanting to offer a slightly larger—but still pocket-friendly—triple flame torch lighter, Lotus has added the L76 Matrix. It measures 3.22 inches tall, 1.654 inches wide and 0.8 inches thick, according to a press release from the company, which gives it a bit more presence in the hand without feeling out of place in a pocket. In addition, the L76 Matrix offers a 9mm fold-out cigar punch and a large fuel window on the front of the body. The L76 Matrix comes with a metal housing that is offered in four color and finish options: rubberized black, metallic brown, orange and metallic blue.
- Lotus L76 Matrix Triple Torch Lighter — $49.95
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
Lotus VC-30 Travel Humidor
Lotus has added a new travel humidor that can hold approximately 30 cigars to its catalog. It comes in the familiar black, impact-resistant plastic, though it uses an updated latching mechanism that helps create an even better seal while also adding a smoother motion to closing and opening the box. It comes with a pair of removable foam inserts to help protect the cigars and other items inside during transport.
- Lotus VC-30 Travel Humidor — $69.95
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
Wanting to offer a fuller, yet still medium-bodied strength and flavor profile for the Serena line, Enrique Seijas changed out the wrapper and binder of the original, replacing the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the original Serena to a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, while a Dominican criollo 98 binder replaces the original Serena’s Dominican olor leaf. While he noted that the Serena is a fuller profile, it still fits within the profile established by the original Serena.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés Maduro)
- Binder: Dominican Republic (Criollo 98)
- Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
- Matilde Serena Maduro (5 1/4 x 50) — $8.50 (Box of 20, $170)
- Matilde Serena Toro Bravo (6 1/2 x 54) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
Matilde Limited Exposure No. 2 Lonsdale and Robusto
Enrique Seijas’s plan for his Limited Exposure series has always been to use the TPE and PCA trade shows to release new sizes, bring back new batches of previously released sizes, and potentially introduce new blends to the line. He did two of those things this year, adding two new vitolas while bringing back the original toro vitola for a second release of 600 boxes of 20 cigars. As for the total production of 1,500 boxes, it is split up with 600 boxes of both the Robusto and Toro, along with 300 boxes of the Lonsdale.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo)
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- Matilde Limited Exposure No. 2 Lonsdale (6 x 42) — $8.75 (Box of 20, $175)
- Matilde Limited Exposure No. 2 Robusto (5 x 50) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
Production: 1500 Boxes of 20 Cigars
Release Date: February 2023
Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Tesoro de Oro Humidor
Without question, one of the most impressive items to debut at TPE 2023, the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Tesoro de Oro Humidor is a new $5,000 humidor for Altadis U.S.A. The top part opens like a traditional humidor, while the middle and bottom parts have doors that open to reveal trays. As for the 80 cigars, 50 of them are the regular production Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2, while the other 30 cigars are a new 6 x 55 figurado size the company is calling Aniversario. — Charlie Minato.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo)
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 (6 1/8 x 52) — Regular Production
- Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Aniversario (6 x 55) — Humidor Exclusive
Production: 300 Humidors of 80 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: March 2023
Oscar Valladares Heaven
The Heaven and Hell line has been on the market for nearly two years as an exclusive to Santa Clara Cigars, a distributor that supplies a number of online and catalog retailers. Now, the line is being offered to all retailers, so expect to see them on more store shelves soon. The milder of the two blends, the Oscar Valladres Heaven features a Honduran Connecticut wrapper and comes packaged in a white box.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Connecticut)
- Binder: Mexico
- Filler: Honduras
- Oscar Valladares Heaven (6 x 52) — $10 (Box of 20, $200)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
Oscar Valladares Hell
Oscar Valladares kicks the blend’s profile up to medium by way of a Nicaraguan oscuro wrapper. These come in a red box, and as you will notice, the bands have been die cut to create a pair of wings that flap out a bit for a very distinctive presentation in the box.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Oscuro)
- Binder: Mexico
- Filler: Honduras
- Oscar Valladares March (6 x 52) — $10 (Box of 20, $200)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: Regular Production
Peter James Black Label Collection
The new higher-end cigar cases from Peter James were on display. The Black Label Collection is made in Italy using Saffiano leather, which the company says should better repel both water and scratches. One thing I really liked about this case compared to previous leather cases was how stiff the leather is. — Charlie Minato.
- Peter James Black Label Collection (Black, Forest Green, Navy Blue, Tan, Tiffany Blue) — $999.99
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: January 2023
Rojas Breakfast Tacos Connecticut
In March 2021, Rojas Cigars launched a new line of cigars called Street Tacos, with the first blend called Barabacoa and the second, which was released in 2022, called Carnitas. Now, the company is expanding on the Street Tacos line with a trio of cigars called Breakfast Tacos that come in a petit salomon vitola and gives the company the 30-minute cigar that Noel Rojas felt was absent from its portfolio. While there are blend similarities to the larger Street Tacos, the Breakfast Tacos use a distinct mix of primings due to the smaller vitolas, notably with no ligero in the blend and a viso-forward filler.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler:Nicaragua
- Rojas Breakfast Tacos Connecticut (4 1/2 x 46) — $6 (Bundle of 30, $180)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
The Street Tacos line does not offer a maduro version, so this might be a glimpse into the third line of Street Tacos that Rojas has been talking about releasing since the line’s debut.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Rojas Breakfast Tacos Maduro (4 1/2 x 46) — $6 (Bundle of 30, $180)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
This version rounds out the Breakfast Tacos trio, which as you might notice uses bands that are similar to the Street Tacos line. Additionally, the cigars are presented in trays that put the three blends side-by-side.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Rojas Breakfast Tacos Sumatra (4 1/2 x 46) — $6 (Bundle of 30, $180)
Release Date: March 2023
Production: Regular Production
The Room101 Daruma will be getting its latest incarnation in the near future, as the company began taking orders for the cigar at TPE 2023. The blend is not the same as the original, as it is now a Nicaraguan puro, but Matt Booth told halfwheel that this is the nest chapter of the Daruma line. The cigar was not on display, but you can anticipate a cigar wrapped in paper with a black and gold color scheme.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Room101 Daruma (6 x 50) — $12.99 (Box of 10, $129.90)
Production: 2,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: TBA
Sinistro Cigars is celebrating the company’s 10th anniversary with a new cigar that uses a rather rare Dominican-grown broadleaf wrapper. According to James Agopian, it’s been a six-year-long process to get the quality of the crops to where the company wanted for a premium cigar, and yield is still not quite enough to turn this into a regular production line, which he mentioned that he is thinking about doing. What he was most impressed by is how the wrapper leaf smokes on its own, saying it has so much flavor that it offers the complexity of a full blend. They are scheduled to head to retailers immediately following TPE.
- Wrapper: Dominican Republic (Broadleaf)
- Binder: Dominican Republic (Criollo 98)
- Filler: Dominican Republic (Piloto Cubano & Criollo 98), Nicaragua & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
- Sinistro 10 Year Anniversary Robusto (5 x 52) — $13.20 (Box of 10, $132)
- Sinistro 10 Year Anniversary Toro (6 x 54) — $14.20 (Box of 10, $142)
Release Date: February 2023
Production: 300 Boxes of 10 Cigars (150 boxes per size)
Somm BDX Robusto
This is one of two new lines from Somm, the new cigar brand from Vlada Stojanov, best known as the U.S. distributor of Casa 1910, Despot, Lampert, Xhaxhi Bobi and formerly the American distributor for Casdagli.
BDX is a reference to Bordeaux. Unlike the limited edition Premier Cru, BDX is a regular production offering made at Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. in Honduras. The tobaccos for this release are described as being aged for 2-3 years.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa Viso)
- Filler: Honduras (Broadleaf), Mexico (San Andrés) & Nicaragua (Jalapa Viso)
- Somm BDX Robusto (5 x 50) — $13 (Box of 10, $130)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March 1, 2023
Somm Premier Cru
This is the other debut line, err cigar, from Stojanov’s new Somm cigar brand.
In case it’s not obvious, there’s a wine theme with the company; Stojanov is a trained sommelier. This limited edition torpedo is made at the Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic and uses tobaccos from the company’s farms across the Dominican Republic.
- Wrapper: Dominican Republic (Bonao, 1997)
- Binder: Dominican Republic (Monte Plata, 2007)
- Filler: Dominican Republic (San Vicente, 2018), Peru (pelo de oro, 2017) & Undisclosed (BVS African Hybrid, 2017)
- Somm Premier Cru (6 x 49) — $30 (Box of 5, $150)
Production: 300 Boxes of 5 Cigars (1,500 Total Cigars)
Release Date: March 2023
S.T.Dupont Declaration of Independence
S.T.Dupont pays tribute to America. I believe this will only be sold in the U.S. Coles of London, S.T.Dupont’s American distributor, is still trying to figure out how to number these pieces. My idea is to have each one engraved with a year starting in 1776 and ending in 2023.
- S.T.Dupont Ligne 2 Declaration of Independence — $1,995
- S.T.Dupont Declaration of Independence Fountain Pen — $1,695
Production: TBA
Release Date: April/May 2023
S.T.Dupont makes a lot of pretty items, but this is special even for the company. Using monuments of Paris as inspiration, the French accessory company has designed a lighter and cutter out of palladium with 14-karat gold accents. The detail work here is stunning.
- S.T.Dupont Ligne 2 Dupont Loves Paris — $5,750
- S.T.Dupont Dupont Loves Paris Pen — $4,450
- S.T.Dupont Dupont Loves Paris Collector’s Set — $9,950
Production: TBA
Release Date: April/May 2023
S.T.Dupont Haute Creation Tattoo Spinner Blue
This is a new colorway of the Haute Creation Tattoo Spinner, which has previously been offered with a gold-colored body. Underneath all of the skulls and decoration is a Ligne 2 lighter. One unique feature: it glows in the dark. Like most Haute Creation pieces, these are made by request.
- S.T.Dupont Haute Creation Tattoo Spinner Blue — $10,854.55
Production: Made to Order
Release Date: April/May 2023
This is 12 different cigars from Altadis U.S.A. and General Cigar Co. These are sold by Phillips & King, part of the company that owns and operates the TPE trade show itself. The three Altadis U.S.A. blends (H. Upmann, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta) are made at Flor de Copan S.A. in Honduras, while STG Danlí is making the three brands from General Cigar Co. (La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo and Punch).
Each blend is offered in a 5 x 50 robusto and 6 x 50 toro. The robust are sold in boxes of 20, while the toros are offered both in 20-count boxes as well as the three-packs you see pictured above.
- H. Upmann Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
- H. Upmann Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $10 (Box of 20, $200; Pack of 3, $29.99)
- La Gloria Cubana Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
- La Gloria Cubana Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $10 (Box of 20, $200; Pack of 3, $29.99)
- Macanudo Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
- Macanudo Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $13 (Box of 20, $260; Pack of 3, $34.99)
- Montecristo Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
- Montecristo Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $13 (Box of 20, $260; Pack of 3, $34.99)
- Punch Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
- Punch Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $10 (Box of 20, $200; Pack of 3, $29.99)
- Romeo y Julieta Reserve Collection Robusto (5 x 50) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
- Romeo y Julieta Reserve Collection Toro (6 x 50) — $10 (Box of 20, $200; Pack of 3, $29.99)
Production: Made to Order
Release Date: April 2023
This is a limited edition cigar from Wildfire Cigar Co., notably, made at Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. in Danlí, Honduras, best known as Cavalier Genève’s factory. This is expected to be the first part of a three-part series with the concept based around the parts of a rock song: intro, hook and breakdown
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
- Binder: Undisclosed (Corojo)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa) & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
- Wildfire The Intro (6 x 46) — $12 (Box of 10, $120)
Production: 700 Boxes of 10 Cigars (7,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: February 2023
This is also made at Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A., but is a regular production line that contains three sizes. In the file his tobacco from Paraguay, a relatively rare occurrence.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
- Binder: Nicaragua (Habano)
- Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua (Jalapa), Paraguay & U.S.A. (Pennsylvania)
- Wanderer Corona (5 5/8 x 46) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)
- Wanderer Robusto (5 1/4 x 50) — $10.99 (Box of 20, $219.80)
- Wanderer Toro (6 x 52) — $11.99 (Box of 20, $239.80)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: March 2023
Update (Feb. 25, 2023) — The Somm Premier Cru is offered in a five-count box, not the 10-count box that was originally listed.
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.
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