Tell someone that the bat is returning, and they may think there’s another Batman movie in the works, but tell a cigar smoker who remembers a certain cigar released in the late 2000s and they may very well remember a popular line from Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega that came from the My Father Cigars S.A. factory under the watchful eye of Jose “Don Pepín” García. Launched in 2009, the line was one of many that helped bring the United Tobacco/EO Brands portfolio to national prominence, along with 601, Mi Barrio, Cubao, REO and Vibe. In 2012 though, EO Brands began to unravel, as Ortega resigned as president in January, Espinosa launched his own line in March, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars ended its distribution of the portfolio in July and later that month the pair began splitting up the brands. In October 2012, Espinosa told halfwheel that the Murcielago was moving in part to his La Zona factory, while some production would remain at Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA), the factory owned by Amilcar Perez Castro and Rocky Patel. While the line was still active, it certainly seemed to fade into the background as Espinosa built up his own portfolio of eponymously ...
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