La Palina 1948 Churchill

La Palina has a unique history that started in the late 1880s when Sam Paley emigrated from the Ukraine to Chicago. He soon started working as a lector at a cigar factory where he read novels, magazines and newspapers to the cigar rollers in the gallery. Over time he started gaining interest in the tobacco industry and started using personal time to gain knowledge on everything cigars. Shortly after, he was promoted to roller, then to blender. In 1896 Mr. Paley opened Congress Cigar Company, his first cigar shop, with an adjacent factory whose first product was named La Palina in honor of his wife Goldie Drell Paley. In 1910, the family and Congress Cigar Company moved to Philadelphia with William, Sam’s son, joining as Vice President of Advertising. After several years of success, the Congress Cigar Company was ultimately liquidated in 1926 when Sam retired. Fast forward several decades later and grandson Bill Paley went back to his roots and resurrected the La Palina brand and released their first cigar in 2010.

Debuting at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show (Premium Cigar Association), La Palina teamed up with Oliva to celebrate the 75th birthday of Bill Paley. Handcrafted at Oliva’s Tabolisa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, this smoke is months in the making to ensure it exceeds expectations. Starting from the inside, this smoke features Nicaraguan fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a stunning Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper leaf, all grown by Oliva. Once lit, the smoke is bursting with notes of cedar, pepper, baking spices, and vanilla sweetness. Medium bodied, this smoke is perfect for a celebration any time of day, but our panel did recommend a Sazerac Rye Whiskey.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.