La Palina To Debut New Number Series
La Palina is set to unveil its new Number Series at next week's IPR trade show, a line of Honduran-made cigars whose flashy packaging and band artwork was inspired by Paul Rand, a modern master of graphic design.
The Number Series consists of two different blends, LP #1 and LP #2. The new blends share a few similarities: both come in four sizes that carry the same retail prices, both use Costa Rican tobacco (uncommon in cigars) and both are made at Nestor Plasencia's El Paraiso factory in Honduras. (La Palina also recently turned to Plasencia for its TAA-exclusive cigar, La Palina Bronze Label.)
LP #1 sports an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, with binder from Costa Rica and a filler combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. The cigars come in four formats: Petit Corona, which measures 4 1/2 inches by 44 ring gauge; Robusto, 5 1/2 by 50; Toro 6 1/2 by 52; and Gordo, 6 by 60.
The LP #2 blend features a dark, maduro wrapper from Costa Rica enveloping a Honduran binder and filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. LP #2 comes in four sizes, too, but the dimensions vary slightly from its companion: Petit Corona, which measures 4 1/2 by 44; Robusto, 5 by 52; Toro 6 1/2 by 54; and Gordo 6 by 58.
Both LP #1 and LP #2, which are expected to ship by early September, come in 20-count boxes and range in price from $7.99 to $11, before taxes.
The packaging and band artwork for LP #1 and LP #2 are a radical departure from La Palina's other lines, which are typically based on a portrait of Goldie Paley, the wife of founder Samuel Paley. For the new cigars, the company drew inspiration from artist Paul Rand, who is known as the first American to embrace the Swiss Style of graphic design, which emphasizes clean looks, readability and objectivity, as well as asymmetric layouts. Rand, known for creating corporate logos for major companies such as IBM and UPS, once actually designed a logo and packaging for La Palina Cigars.
"La Palina has been constantly developing its portfolio of cigars in order to enhance a brand that cigar lovers trust to provide world class cigars," said Bill Paley, owner of La Palina. "This year's new releases mark a significant milestone in that journey. We are very proud of these releases and are excited for the future."
