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La Aurora is adding a new value-priced line to its U.S. portfolio with the introduction of the Santiago Collection, which will begin arriving at retailers in August.

The new series launches with the Santiago Maduro, offered in two sizes: Robusto (5 x 50) and Toro (6 x 54). The blend uses Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, an Indonesian binder, and an Indonesian Maduro wrapper. Suggested retail pricing is set at $2.50 for the Robusto and $3.00 for the Toro.

According to the company, the Santiago name is a reference to Santiago de los Caballeros, the Dominican city’s long connection to tobacco cultivation in the Cibao Valley. It is also home to the La Aurora factory, founded by Eduardo León Jimenes in 1903.

A second release, Santiago Connecticut, is scheduled to follow in early September. It will use the same Dominican and Nicaraguan filler blend with an Indonesian binder but substitute an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

“Blending a Maduro is about balance — sweetness from the wrapper, depth from the fillers,” said Manuel Inoa, La Aurora Master Blender. “Santiago Maduro uses both long-filler, and medium-filler tobaccos instead of only long-filler you’d find in our core line, so the real challenge was construction — finding leaves that would hold their burn and draw the entire way down, not just in the first third. We went through several rounds of blending to get that right without losing the coffee and wood notes people expect from us. The end result is a cigar that brings new smokers into the La Aurora family without asking them to compromise on quality.”

The Santiago Maduro is expected to begin shipping to U.S. retailers in August, while the Santiago Connecticut is scheduled to follow in early September.

Santiago Maduro

  • Wrapper: Indonesian Maduro
  • Binder: Indonesian
  • Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua

Sizes:

  • Robusto: 5 x 50
  • Toro: 6 x 54

MSRP:

  • Robusto: $2.50
  • Toro: $3.00
  • Ships: August 2026