While this July’s 2018 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show is quickly approaching, Pure Aroma Cigars has begun shipping a pair of cigars under the d’Crossier banner that were shown off at last year’s show, as the Flor de D’Crossier Selection 512 and Seleccion Suprema No. 560 are now headed to retailers according to a press release issued by the company today.

The Flor de D’Crossier Selection 512 line, which debuted in 2015, added a Mexican San Andrés maduro version last summer, while the entire line got a packaging update, namely dropping the name of Jose Timoteo Gonzales Ferrer, a former business partner in the company. Isaias Santana Diaz replaced that former branding with Santana & Cia. to reflect the current state of the company. In addition, he moved production to the ABAM Cigars S.R.L. factory in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is best known for making Villiger’s premium cigars as well as being a premium cigar factory not in the more traditional hub of Santiago.

In addition, the habano version of the line had its blend tweaked a bit, as Santana-Diaz replaced the Costa Rican Sumatra binder with a Dominican Piloto Cubano leaf, as well as removing the Costa Rican tobacco from the filler. The filler for both variants now uses Nicaraguan and undisclosed tobaccos. It is offered in three sizes:

  • Flor de D’Crossier Selection 512 Coloniales (5 1/8 x 44) — $6 (Can of 20, $120)
  • Flor de D’Crossier Selection 512 Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46) — $6.20 (Can of 20, $124)
  • Flor de D’Crossier Selection 512 Hermosos #2 (5 7/8 x 48) — $6.40 (Can of 20, $128)

Also en route to retailers is a new line, the Flor de D’Crossier Selección Suprema No. 560. Inspired by “the ideals of being true to oneself and asserting personal freedom to make inspired choices,” the line gets its name from the belief of “angel numbers,” or number sequences that hold certain meanings, with 560 representing change and making progress towards goals. Santana Diaz calls it “an expression of our values and is the epitome of everything a cigar should be admired for.”

It uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, Dominican binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It is also being produced at the ABAM Cigars S.R.L. factory, and while it will be an ongoing release, the initial run was slated to be 600 boxes. It is being offered in three sizes as well:

  • Flor de D’Crossier No. 560 Julietas (6 x 47) — $8.90 (Box of 25, $222.50)
  • Flor de D’Crossier No. 560 Magnum (5 1/2 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 25, $237.50)
  • Flor de D’Crossier No. 560 Robusto (4 7/8 x 50) — $9 (Box of 25, $225)

“Every once in a while, the tobacco needs some coaxing,” Santana Diaz said in a press release. “What should have been a normal 90-day aging period turned into an 11-month odyssey. Perfection takes time, and I am very happy with their outcome and am very confident the consumer will be as well. I hope to reward all those that have been waiting with these very special cigars.”

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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.