Earlier this week I was browsing through Facebook updates when I came across an interesting teaser from Rob Heming, host of the Blowin’ Smoke Podcast. Rob said that a source informed him that Sam Leccia would be making an annoucement the following day regarding his return to the cigar industry.
Since Sam’s departure from Oliva, he has been pretty quiet. As the months passed, Sam began updating Facebook and Twitter here and there. By dipping his toes back into the social media cigar industry pool, I kind of expecting to see an announcement at some point.
Just as Rob stated on Facebook, Sam released a Press Release announcing his return to the cigar industry. In the press release, we learn that Sam’s new cigar will be the “Debut”. The cigar is a twist of tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, and Santo Domingo. Debut will be available in three sizes which include a Double Rob (60 x 5.00), Double Church (60 x 7.00), and a Figurado (52 x 6.50).
Unfortunately, the Sam Leccia Cigar Co. press release only gives us a peek into what is to come. I’d love to get a general idea of release date, who is manufacturing the product, MSRP, and how the Debut will be distributed, but all of that information isn’t available at this time.
Ask The Readers
What do you think about Sam Leccia’s return to the cigar industry? Will you be seeking out the Sam Leccia Cigar Co. “Debut” when it hits stores?
I will be curious to see what he comes up with. Seems like a creative guy and hopefully his hard work will pay off.
Dave,
I agree, Sam is a very creative guy and I’m sure the marketing will be eye catching, to say the least. Unfortunately, the niche market he is building a cigar to appeal to doesn’t include me. 60 ring gauge by 5 and 7 inches is outside my comfort zone, although I’m interested in the Figurado.
Who is he? Did he play in a band or something?
He started out as a sales guy at Oliva. He ended up being the face of the Nub and Cain blends. This was a reward for meeting certain sales goals. He is often credited with “Creating” these lines but this is not true. The Cain and Nub lines were creations of the Olivas. There was a falling out between he and the Olivas over his growing Prima Donna tendencies.
@Anon, you have about half of the story correct. Or you probably have the local cigar rep gossip version. And no one gossips like cigar reps. If it were a reward for sales quotas, there were atleast two guys I know of, who were head of him in that regard. He had the hip vodka background, he had the right face for the brand. Also, it’s not as though Jose came up with this entire idea and then handed it to Sam.
As far as the line goes, it doesn’t look like it’s going to set the world on fire. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Sam still has a strong enough following to make it work, but it’s tough for me to get behind something that big. A traditional torpedo is fine, but it stands out in the monster line.NUB worked because of Sam’s online following and it was something SO different (not that it hadn’t been done before, but not on the scale that Oliva rolled it out). If I had been him, I would have gone in a completely different direction. Away from NUB and Cain.
@Anon, “There was a falling out between he and Oliva over his growing Prima Donna tendencies.” couldn’t be further from the truth. It was about Oliva’s lack of ability to pay Sam what he rightfully owed him. I won’t get into specifics but it was more of Oliva being mad that Sam was the face of Nub and Cain and Oliva was not. This chapped his ass. Sam was getting the limelight, because Sam went out and dealt directly with the public. He did the shows, he did the store openings, he spent time with “the people” and Oliva got tired of not having his name associated with Nub and Cain as Sam’s was. Now, he’s trying to strong-arm Sam by filing suit against him. It’s flat out bully tactics by a man that has “Prima Donna” tendencies (Oliva)
I’m with you Walt. I’ll try the figurado if I come accross one, but I’m not much for the 60 guage. I imagine smoking the other two would be similar to smoking two NuBs back to back. I see very few people blogging these days who want anything to do with 60 guage smokes. Who keeps buying these things?
Nick,
Those that don’t like the 60 ring trend seem to be in the minority. I have a local shop that caters specifically to those that prefer the 60 x 6.00 vitola. The majority of his stock is bing ring because that is all most of his customers smoke.
I can do a 460 Nub but anything larger than that feels unwieldy.
I don’t know that we’re in the minority, but the manufacturers will always go where the money is, and of course, they can always charge more for the larger sizes in proportion to the material and labor costs. On the other hand, maybe more people are buying the larger rings because that’s all they have available to them.
I’m puzzled by his saying that some of the tobacco is from Santo Domingo. Doesn’t he mean the Dominican Republic, not its capital? I thought that all the prime tobacco was grown in the higher elevations to the north.
Walt,
To each thier own I guess. It’s funny, I rarely see anyone smoking these at my local B&M and most of the blogs I read on a regular basis seem to steer clear of anything over 50 ring. I’d just like the chance to try some of Sam’s new tobacco in a thinner cigar. I saw a poll on an unnamed website asking what was everyone’s favorite vitola. Churchill carried the lowest percentage at the time I looked. I was one of the few who marked Churchill as my favorite and I rarely smoke anything smaller. If so, it’s a corona. I guess I’m in the minority. I enjoy the work that all of you at stogiereview.com do and I appreciate you taking time to keep the rest of us informed. Kudos Walt & company. keep up the good work!
Best of luck to Sam. Maybe he will be less “big time” this go round.
Sam is the “Kid Rock” of the cigar industry…I wish him all the luck in his new venture…
Rob
Funny you should call Sam the “Kid Rock” of the cigar industry, because I’ve always thought he looked like Kid Rock, too.
Anyway, good luck to him! I’m a NUb fan and a newer Cain fan, so I’m looking forward to trying all of his new cigars!
Gotta agree with Nick here. I was absolutely crestfallen to read that his intro three sizes were all far above my normal preferred ring gauge and length. I look forward to trying the “Debut” line but I’m going to have to patiently wait until he (hopefully) releases something in the corona or robusto size. Those big honkin’ mothers just aren’t my bag.
Anon, I don’t think you have the full story captured. I would agree that is the Oliva side of the story and I agree Oliva owns the brand. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/15653 clearly states That Nob was created by both and plenty of other references say the same or even go further to credit Leccia as the creator.
i can’t wait until the cigar comes out. i truly enjoy his cigars. i hope it will be at an affordable price point.
Sam is a guy that brings fun and excitment to the business as well as very saleable blends, sizes, quality and prices. Welcome home Sam!
PASS! I don’t think there’s a font large enough and bold enough for me to put that pass in to describe just how hard I’ll be passing on these. His press release was pathetic…no surprise this guy chooses such large RGs. Get over yourself already.
I am aleays looking for something new especially in that gauge
I tried to order a box but the website seems to do a boomerang and it keeps coming back to me and not letting me order. Anyone successful yet