The Smoking Syndicate: West Tampa Red Lancero

Rick Rodriguez and and Gus Martinez (formerly of General Cigar Company), founded West Tampa Tobacco Company in 2022. They debuted the White and Black series in 2022 at the PCA trade show in Las Vegas. In 2023, West Tampa released a limited edition cigar using a Mexican San Andres wrapper along with Nicaraguan tobacco. The Red series is an offshoot of that cigar using the same wrapper, but different binder and filler. This is what West Tampa says about the Red:

Like its predecessors, White & Black, Red delivers a flavor bomb with enhanced body that is a perfect addition to the West Tampa line-up. From mild to full bodied, creamy to spicey, West Tampa now offers something foreveryone.

Rick Rodriguez, master blender and co-owner, is especially excited about this release. “West Tampa Red gave me the opportunity to sit down with the factory and really focus on creating a blend that I enjoy.” “Normally when I blend cigars, I don’t blend for what I like, I blend cigars for what my fans enjoy. Red will be a reflection of what I believe is the next piece to lay in the West Tampa puzzle, a full-bodied cigar that delivers the full flavor consumers have come to enjoy from West Tampa.”

Last year, West Tampa released a lancero in the Black, White, and Red. The lanceros come in a 7 x 40 size with an MSRP of $10.99.

Specifications
Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: Nicaraguan Condega
Filler: Nicaraguan Condega Viso, Esteli Viso, Esteli Ligero
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Garmendia Cigars
Vitola: lancero
Size: 7 x 40
MSRP: $10.99

Final Score: 85