La Flor Dominicana Releasing NFT Project for Andalusian Bull | halfwheel

La Flor Dominicana is getting into the NFT game, and as a result a handful of cigar smokers will get access to a hard-to-find vitola in the company’s Andalusian Bull line.

The company is teaming up with UREEQA to release a non-fungible token that will provide an opportunity for seven people around the world to become buyers of The Golden Bull, a 6 1/4 x 42 lonsdale that uses the Andalusian Bull blend. That blend uses an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper over a Dominican binder and Dominican fillers that are grown at Estancia La Flor de Palma, the farm shared by La Flor Dominicana and Tabacalera Palma.

While the size has not received a widespread release to date, it has been seen before, or at least has been seen in a very similar vitola. In January 2021, La Flor Dominicana began shipping a 6 1/4 x 41 vitola called the Andalusian Bull Toritos as part of its Fleur D’Or Club, which is centered around the purchase of a high-end cigar cutter made from 18kt gold and features either sapphires or diamonds. While the Toritos and The Golden Bull have a one ring gauge difference, a representative from La Flor Dominicana told halfwheel that they are essentially the same cigar, which was initially created as a size made for company owner Litto Gomez and his son, Tony, the company’s vice president.

“Personally, it’s my favorite cigar,” said Tony Gomez in a press release, who added that he thinks “it’s the most beautiful cigar size, and when combined with the Andalusian Bull blend there emerges an elegance and depth of flavor that is nothing short of spectacular.”

As for the NFT release, it is scheduled to happen via the UREEQA Marketplace in July. The purchasers of the seven NFTs will have access to buy up to 70 of The Golden Bull per month for as long as they own the NFT. Should they choose to sell it, the rights to the cigars will transfer to the new owner, meaning that only seven people in the world will have the ability to buy The Golden Bull.

In addition to access to the cigars, each of the seven buyers of the NFT will receive a personalized 50-count Gold Bullion Humidor. A similar version that held 100 cigars and came with 100 of the 6 1/4 x 42 vitola—was auctioned at the 2022 Procigar Festival in February and was purchased for $32,000.

“La Flor Dominicana is an adventurous, creative brand entering unchartered territory with an NFT release that is history and unprecedented in their industry,” said Shannon Powell, chief marketing officer of UREEQA. “We’re happy that they’ve recognized we can offer them the ultimate protection and guidance of their highly anticipated release.”

“We realize that this idea will expose a lot of people to a totally unknown world, so being able to provide a safe, secure platform for bidding and purchasing that offers assurance regarding authentic is extremely important,” said Tony Gomez. “The way we see it, these NFTs aren’t just access to a special cigar—they are an investment, and UREEQA’s validation services provide protection on that investment.”

While there is only regular production size of the Andalusian Bull—a 6 1/2 x 52/64 figurado—there have been several other sizes released. In September 2021, Jack Schwartz Importers in Chicago received a 6 1/4 x 54 toro extra in celebration of its 100th anniversary. An additional pair of sizes were created as part of an auction item for the 2017 Procigar Festival.

This is the second known NFT release in the cigar industry, as in April 2021, Atabey announced the Black Ritos, which was a completely digital release.

Image courtesy of La Flor Dominicana.

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I’m a voice over artist. I previously covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.

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