David Ortiz-Themed Cigars Available Just Ahead Of Opening Day
Does it get any more clutch than David Ortiz? The man many know as "Big Papi" is universally respected in baseball circles for his ability to deliver in the biggest moments, most notably in 2004, where he almost single-handedly broke the infamous Curse of the Bambino for the Boston Red Sox by paving the way with a couple of game-winning hits for their historic series comeback to beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. It's hard not to admire this Dominican-born slugger, but with Major League Baseball’s opening day just around the corner, United Cigars is taking this admiration a step further with a cigar honoring the Hall of Famer called the Big Papi Firecracker.
The cigars are made at Tabacalera El Artista S.R.L. in the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic. “This was a special project that I wanted to be a part of,” says Ram Rodriguez, third-generation owner of the El Artista factory. “This Firecracker is a unique vitola and for a Big Papi Firecracker it had to be special. I wanted tobacco that was grown in the Dominican in the 60’s and Dominican Negrito was that tobacco.” Artista is no stranger to working with the beloved Ortiz, as they also collaborated on a special cigar and humidor release some years back.
The Firecrackers, true to their name, are small in stature but are intended to produce a sizable punch. Though just 3 1/2 inches long by 50 ring gauge, the cigars are blended with Dominican Criollo 98, Nicaraguan Jalapa and Pennsylvania Broadleaf filler, with Dominican Negrito binder and a Mexican San Andrés wrapper. To further pay homage to its namesake, the Firecracker is topped with a long pigtail cap, made to resemble a fuse.
The cigars will come in boxes of 20 with a QR code on each that leads to a "thank you" video from Big Papi himself. The Firecrackers have a suggested retail price of $7.99 per cigar and are available for purchase now. Only 200 boxes will be released as part of the 2023 production.
Some lucky buyers will win United Cigar’s version of a golden ticket contest, as 10 of the Big Papi Firecracker boxes are signed by David Ortiz. However, Big Papi signed the inside of each of the boxes, so the only way to know if you received the autographed box is to buy and open one.
