Boliche Blvd. epitomizes the idea of going big or going home in a nod to Tampa’s rich cigar-making history and its vibrant present.
If there is one cuisine singularly identified with the history of Tampa, it’s Cuban food mixed with a dash of Spanish and Italian — the ethnic mix whose labor force kept the cigar factories humming in the early 20th century. The Cuban culinary tradition continues along the Cuban corridor of Tampa’s Columbus Drive, known by locals as “Boliche Boulevard”.
“For me, this cigar is personal,” Rick Rodriguez, master blender and co-owner, says about this release. “The vision for naming our company West Tampa was to create an opportunity to celebrate the rich cigar-making history of Tampa, create awareness of its vibrant and eclectic present, and be a part of shaping its bright future. To make this cigar represent Tampa, I partnered up with a legendary tobacco family, Oliva Tobacco Company.”
West Tampa Tobacco Company’s Boliche Blvd will be a limited release of only 500 boxes, available in one size, Gigante (60 x 152 mm – 6″) and packed in a box containing 50 cigars. Retail price per cigars is set at $12.99. Blend details are not being disclosed, but Rodriguez said that with the vast library of tobacco available to him from the Oliva’s, you can be sure it is something special.
First shipments of West Tampa Tobacco Company Boliche Blvd. will begin on November 27th, 2023 and will be available to select retailers in the US and limited international markets.