Craig Cunningham brought Esteban Carreras to the 2026 PCA Show in New Orleans with two announcements.
The bigger product story centers on Las Cañas, the all-Nicaraguan sweetened line that Cunningham debuted at last year’s show. What sets Las Cañas apart from the crowded sweetened cigar category isn’t a gimmick—it’s a process. Rather than treating only the cap, the team sprays sugar water across every leaf in the blend, delivering a sweetness that holds throughout the entire smoke. That approach clearly resonated with consumers, as Las Cañas has since climbed to the number two position in the company’s sales rankings. At this year’s show, Cunningham introduced a natural complement to the original: Las Cañas Connecticut, which replaces the dark Habano Maduro wrapper with an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf over a Nicaraguan binder and filler, applying the same whole-leaf sweetening method for a lighter, creamier character.
The second announcement is a format play. Five established lines in the Esteban Carreras portfolio—Taken from the Dictator’s Hand, Cashmere, Chupacabra Natural, Chupacabra Maduro, and 187—are each getting a petite cigar size packaged in tins. The accessible, on-the-go format does not sacrifice quality—each of the tinned cigars remains a hand-rolled premium cigar—introducing the brand’s character to a new audience without compromising the craftsmanship that built its reputation.
