When Samuel Paley closed the doors on his beloved Congress Cigar Factory in 1926, he never dreamed that one of his grandsons would resurrect the company almost 100 years later.
The cigar world may have long forgotten Congress Cigar Factory and its signature range, La Palina, but grandson Bill Paley remembered family stories about the famed factory and set about to bring the past into the present.
In 2010, Bill Paley brought the brand back to life, inspired by the idea of creating a range of personal signature luxury cigars reminiscent of that golden era of cigars.
With a nod to the Congress Cigar Factory’s signature range, La Palina, Paley renamed the company, which today stands as a testament to the senior Paley’s turn-of-the-century entrepreneurial spirit and the younger Paley’s dogged perseverance to produce a line of cigars that earn rave reviews from cigar aficionados around the world.
This month, we’re highlighting the colors of La Palina: four of its most popular cigars: Black Label, Blue Label, Bronze Label, and Red Label – each offering a flavor as distinctive as the color on its label.
Black Label
This cigar is loaded with Central American ligero tobacco and delivers a variety of flavors including coffee, tobacco, and spices. “The Black Label by La Palina is for the cigar lover who enjoys a lot of flavor,” says Buddy Williams, manager of M.A.’s Smoke House.
Blue Label
This stick is built on a base of strong Nicaraguan tobaccos and offers a rich flavor profile of mint, cinnamon, and nutty notes to a complex bouquet of aromas.
Bronze Label
The secret in the Bronze Label cigar is said to be expert curation in cedar aging rooms. A varied flavor profile including maple syrup, chocolate, and black pepper blend easily with leathery, cedar aromas to give this cigar a smoke like no other La Palina.
Red Label
This stick is the spiciest of the Label Series, creamy with overt notes of cinnamon, pepper, and a hint of wood. A medium-bodied cigar, its progressions of flavor surprise and satisfy the smoker to last puff.
“Drop by one of our two locations and try a La Palina cigar soon,” says Williams.
“La Palina creates cigars with the philosophy that ‘variety is the spice of life.’” You’re sure to find at least one cigar that you’ll want to add to your list of favorites.”
For more information about these and other La Palina cigars, come visit us at M.A.’s Smoke House. We serve customers in two locations: Towne Oaks Shopping Center at 855 Pierremont Road in Shreveport or at 2917 Old Minden Road in Bossier City.