Joya De Nicaragua Rosalones Coming To U.S. Market
Cigars seem to be getting more expensive, so an affordable premium line is always welcome. Joya de Nicaragua, the oldest cigarmaker in Nicaragua, is bringing Rosalones—one of the company’s oldest brands—to the U.S. market, and every cigar in the line has a suggested retail price of $7.99 or less. It was formerly an international exclusive, but next month, it will be available in the United States in two versions, the milder CT and the stronger Reserva.
Dating back to 1968 when Joya de Nicaragua first opened, Rosalones was discontinued in the mid-1970s before it was resurrected in 2008 for the Spanish market. It aimed to provide a premium cigar experience at a competitive price point and saw further expansion to other countries.
Rosalones are made in Nicaragua at the Joya de Nicaragua factory. Both lines feature Nicaraguan internal tobaccos but are distinguished by their wrappers. The milder CT line is draped in a light, Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador, while the more medium-bodied Reserva is clad in a leaf of Nicaraguan Habano Criollo.
Abroad, Rosalones is available in more sizes, but Joya is only starting with two for its U.S. release: Both lines will be getting a robusto size that measures 5 inches by 50 ring gauge ($6.99), and a toro size ($7.99): the Reserva is 6 by 50 while the CT is slightly fatter at 6 by 52. All come in boxes of 20.
Rosalones is distributed by SAG, the distribution company formed earlier this year by Joya de Nicaragua and the Quesadas.
The cigars will be on display at this weekend’s PCA trade show in New Orleans and are scheduled to ship in late May.
