La Palina Launches Value-Priced Goldie Called Illumination
La Palina Cigars has shipped a modified version of its popular Goldie blend called Illumination. The cigar features the same component tobaccos as Goldie minus the rare and expensive medio tiempo leaf that's nestled inside the limited-edition line of Goldie cigars.
"We replaced the medio tiempo leaf with high-priming ligero," Clay Roberts, co-president and chief operating officer of La Palina Cigars, told Cigar Aficionado. "It has a very similar profile to the Goldie, but it's a more affordable cigar."
This year's limited-edition Goldie launched in June and is priced at $20 per cigar, a tall order for some consumers. The four vitola Illumination line, on the other hand, is priced from $10.50 to $12.50. And like La Palina's Mr. Sam and Goldie, Illumination is rolled in the United States at El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami.
Illumination, which will be a regular-production offering, wears an Ecuadoran wrapper and binder over fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar ships in four sizes: Colonial, at 5 1/4 inches by 44 ring gauge; Robusto, at 4 3/4 by 54; Lancero, 7 1/2 by 38; and Belicoso, 6 1/2 by 52.
La Palina Illumination debuted at the International Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show in July. The brand shipped to select retailers immediately after the show and is now shipping nationwide.
