Dapper Cigar Co. Adds Major Mike’s Connecticut Shade and Habano Lines to PCA 2022

A new Dapper Cigar Co. line is launched to honor the founder’s father and grandfather.

Major Mike’s is a line of mixed fillers that will be released in two different blend options: a Connecticut shade version and a habano version, both grown in Ecuador. Regardless of the wrapper, the internal blend is the same, a combination of tobaccos from various Dapper production cigars and Honduran tobacco. Like many other Dapper lines, it is made at Nicaragua American Cigars SA (NACSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The cigar is named after the father of the company owner, Ian Reith, Michael Reith, who was in the Air Force. However, the line was inspired not only by him, but also by Ian’s grandfather, Richard Reith, who was a major in the army.

“My dad was in the Air Force and often smoked shade cigars, which is why the Shade varietal is aligned that way,” Reith said in an email to half wheel. “His dad, my grandfather, was also a major and in the army…and was a tank guy…that’s why the artwork reflects that.”

The Connecticut shade and habano versions will be priced exactly the same and both will be packaged in packs of 20:

• Major Mike’s Connecticut Shade / Habano Robusto (5 x 50) – $3.24 (20 pack, $64.80)
• Major Mike/Habano Toro’s Connecticut Lampshade (6 1/8 x 52) – $3.54 (set of 20, $70.80)
• Connecticut Shade by Major Mike/Habano Double Corona (6 3/4 x 54) – $3.96 (20 pack, $79.20)
• Major Mike/Habano Gordo’s Connecticut Lampshade (6 x 60) – $4.08 (20 pack, $81.60)

According to Reith, both versions will ship to retailers “within a few weeks after the show.” Additionally, Reith said he plans to release a maduro-wrapped version of the cigar at some point in the future.

The 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show will take place July 9-12 in Las Vegas.

Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the SmokingStogie cigar blog in 2008 after realizing there was a need for a cigar blog with better photography and more detailed information on each release. SmokingStogie has quickly become one of the most influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for its reviews of preproduction, preview, rare, extremely hard to find, and expensive cigars. I’m co-founder of halfwheel and now editor-in-chief of halfwheel.