Plasencia’s New Alma Fuerte Torpedo Is a Florida Exclusive at Corona Cigar Company

Florida cigar smokers have a new reason to stop by their local shop. Plasencia Cigars has made a new Alma Fuerte Torpedo Semi-Boxpressed (6 x 54) just for Corona Cigar Company, the Florida-based retailer. It joins the Alma del Cielo Robusto Gordo (5½ x 54) that Plasencia already makes for Corona, and that cigar is moving into Plasencia’s redesigned boxes.

Here’s what’s been announced, what we could confirm, and what a store exclusive like this means if you’re the one standing at the humidor.

The New Cigar: Alma Fuerte Torpedo Semi-Boxpressed

According to Plasencia’s announcement, as published by Cigar Journal, the new torpedo is a medium-to-full-bodied Nicaraguan puro. It has an aged Colorado Claro wrapper over aged filler tobaccos from Estelí. It comes in 10-count boxes at an MSRP of $26.49 per cigar or $264.90 per box.

halfwheel reports that it’s a new 6 x 54 size in the Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro line and uses the same blend as the line’s other sizes. If you’ve smoked that line before, you already have a good idea what’s inside. We first wrote about it when Plasencia introduced the Robustus II in the Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro collection.

The announcement doesn’t include tasting notes for this torpedo, so we won’t guess at any here. We’ll leave that for when we’ve actually smoked one.

The Returning Exclusive: Alma del Cielo Robusto Gordo

The torpedo joins a cigar Corona already carries. The Alma del Cielo Robusto Gordo is set apart from the regular Alma del Cielo line by its Colorado Claro wrapper. Plasencia calls it a stronger, more robust take on its high-elevation blend, with a full-bodied profile. The tobacco comes from Finca San Julián in Condega, Nicaragua, grown at more than 3,500 feet above sea level.

The size is confirmed on Corona Cigar Company’s own product page. The MSRP is $27.99 per cigar or $279.90 per box of 10.

The new part for this cigar is the box. Going forward, the Robusto Gordo ships in Plasencia’s redesigned blue-and-gold 10-count boxes, part of what the company calls its “evolved brand identity.” halfwheel notes the new packaging is coming to the rest of the Plasencia portfolio too, so expect to see the new look on more than just this cigar.

Where to Find Them, and When

Plasencia says both cigars are exclusive to Corona Cigar Company and will be sold at all five of its Florida retail locations and online. halfwheel and Cigar Dojo report the same five-store count.

Timing is less clear. The press release gives two shipping dates. Near the top, it says both exclusives ship the week of October 19, 2026. The last line says shipments of the new Alma Fuerte and the newly packaged Alma del Cielo are scheduled for the first week of November 2026. halfwheel expects the torpedo to go on sale this week. Put together, these cigars should arrive somewhere between late October and early November. If you’re planning a trip for one, call your nearest Corona store first.

What a Store Exclusive Means for Smokers

Exclusives are nothing new, but it’s worth spelling out what they mean. Here’s how a retailer exclusive usually works for the smoker:

• You buy it in one place. An exclusive is sold only through the partner retailer, in stores or on its website. You won’t find it at your regular shop down the road.
• It’s usually a twist on a known blend. Often it’s a new size or a different wrapper on a blend the maker already sells. That’s the case with both of these: a new torpedo size for the Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro line, and a Colorado Claro wrapper on Alma del Cielo.
• It gives a shop something unique. For a retailer, an exclusive is a reason for customers to come in. For smokers, it’s a chance to try a familiar blend in a size or wrapper you can’t get anywhere else.

Corona founder and president Jeff Borysiewicz put it this way in the release: “These two exclusives reflect that shared philosophy, bringing unique expressions of two outstanding collections to our customers.” Plasencia CEO Ed Bello said retail partnerships “allow us to explore new expressions of our tobacco heritage.”

Torpedo vs. Robusto Gordo: Same Ring Gauge, Different Smoke

Both cigars share a 54 ring gauge, meaning they’re 54/64 of an inch across. Their shapes are what set them apart.

A torpedo is a figurado. The body is mostly straight, then tapers to a pointed head. How far down the taper you cut changes the draw. A small cut gives a tighter draw, and a deeper cut opens it up. Many smokers say the taper focuses the smoke on the palate. At 6 inches, this one gives you a bit more time with it than the robusto gordo. “Semi-boxpressed” means it has been pressed partway toward a square shape, so it’s softly squared instead of fully round or sharply boxed. For more on tapered shapes, see our guide to figurados.

A robusto gordo is a parejo, meaning straight sides and a rounded cap. It’s basically a robusto with a thicker ring gauge. At 5½ x 54, it’s a good size for a session that isn’t rushed but won’t take your whole evening either. It’s also an easy cut, since any standard cutter works.

Neither shape is better. It comes down to how you like to smoke, and having both blends side by side in the same shop makes it easy to compare.

The Florida Angle

Florida and cigars go way back. Tampa’s Ybor City earned the city its “Cigar City” nickname during its cigar-making heyday, and premium cigars are still a big part of the state’s culture. So it makes sense that one of the best-known families in tobacco is making cigars just for a Florida shop.

If you live in Florida, or you’re visiting this fall, these two cigars are a reason to stop in.

Sources: Cigar Journal: Plasencia Cigars and Corona Cigar Company Expand Product Partnership with Alma Fuerte · halfwheel: Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro Torpedo Semi-Boxpress Heads to Corona Cigar Co. · Cigar Dojo: Plasencia Adds Alma Fuerte Torpedo for Corona Cigar · Corona Cigar Co.: Alma del Cielo Robusto Gordo product page