Photo Credit: Cigar Coop

For the fourth year in a row, Macanudo has a special limited edition cigar. This year’s edition is dubbed the Macanudo Mao Limited Edition 2016. While the previous three installments have focused on unique and rare tobaccos (including the last two years on Jamaican tobacco), this year the Macanudo Mao focused on the seed. The Macanudo Mao was showcased at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show.

For this project, Macanudo identified some original Dominican seeds from the 1960s. The company embarked on a regeneration process of those seeds that it calls “Accelerated Regeneration”. During this process a team of agronomists regenerated the seed over eight growing seasons, spanning a four year period in two regions – the Connecticut River Valley in the United States and the Mao region in the Dominican Republic. By regenerating the seeds in two countries, the team was able to take advantage of two distinct and alternate growing seasons. The seeds were originally planted in Connecticut. After harvesting the crop, the team looked at the characteristics most important and took those seeds and replanted them in the Mao region; the next cycle went back to the Connecticut Valley, etc. This was repeated over eight cycles.

The regenerated Dominican tobacco is used as a significant part of the filler. In addition some Nicaraguan and Colombian tobacco was added to give some strength and sweetness. A San Andres Mexican binder was used and the cigar was finished with a U.S. Connecticut wrapper.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

There are three sizes with a total of 1,800 boxes per size released. As in the past, each cigar is packaged in an individual coffin. There are ten coffins packaged per box. Each box is individually numbered and has a certificate of authenticity.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

In a press release announcing Macanudo Mao, Jhonys Diaz, master blender and vice president of operations said, “Macanudo Mao is one of our finest examples of tobacco expertise to date. We began our regeneration experiments more than five years ago, and are extremely proud of our team of agronomists for bringing this exceptionally-flavored tobacco back to life.”

Macanudo Mao is expected to be in widespread distribution in September, 2016.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Mao Limited Edition 2016:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Dominican Regenerated from Heirloom Seeds, Nicaraguan, Colombian
Country of Origin: Not Disclosed

Vitola Available

No. 10: 5 x 50 (SRP $16.00)
No. 11: 7 x 50 (SRP $17.00)
No. 12: 6 x 57 (SRP $18.00)

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

At the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar brought back to two of its old Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection releases – the Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1984 and the Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1988. As the name indicates, each of these releases contain vintage tobaccos from 1984 and 1988. What makes these cigars even more special is that this release is part of some remaining cigars General has been aging for some time.

In a press release announcing the release of the remaining Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1984 and Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1988 cigars,  Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar said, “Macanudo was the first brand to introduce Vintage cigars, and this collection has played an important role in the evolution of the brand. As such, we have intentionally withheld limited quantities of our Vintage offerings over the years, and are proud to offer an allotment of the remaining cigars this year to the delight of Macanudo loyalists who continue to make the brand a worldwide best-seller.”

Prior to aging the cigars were banded and boxed and as a result these cigars are packaged in the original boxes with the original bands on them. In addition the pricing was kept the same as when the cigars were first released. The cigars themselves were actually produced in Jamaica, where at one time the brand was produced. It was in the year 2000 when General Cigar moved production of Macanudo from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic.

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1984

This was a series first release in 1994. According to General on five crops of Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco have been deemed worthy of the Macanudo Vintage designation and the 1984 crop among them. The wrapper went through two curing cycles to enhances the flavor.

Two sizes of the Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1984 are being released in 20 count boxes.

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II 1984: 6 x 42 (SRP $25.59 per cigar, $511.80 per box)
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III 1984: 5 x 42 (SRP $24.59 per cigar, $491.80 per box)

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1988

The Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1988 also uses a Connecticut Shade wrapper from a crop that was also considered among the best sen in decades. This wrapper also went through what General described as two “winter sweats” in Curing Sheds.

The binder is a part of the story of this cigar too. It was considered one of the best from the 1988 crop. These leaves underwent a process called “medio tiempo” aging that allowed them to ripen 50% longer. As a result the leaves became heavier in texture, darker in color, and fuller in taste.

Four sizes of the Macanudo Vintage Cabinet selection are being released. Each are packaged in 20 count boxes:

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet I C 1988: 7 x 49 (SRP  $14.99 per cigar, $299.80 per box)
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II C 1988: 6 x 42 (SRP $13.49 per cigar, $269.80 per box)
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III C 1988: 5 x 42 (SRP $11.99 per cigar, $239.80 per box)
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet V C 1988: 5 x 49 (SRP $14.49 per cigar, $298.80 per box)

Image Credit: General Cigar Company

The two main things I’ve noticed since Regis Broesma has taken over as President of General Cigar are better delineation in its brands and a better connection with its customers.

I think to some extent, General had been hampered by brand overlap, but this year, General did an excellent job of better defining the brands. Some of the highlights included: Macanudo holding its status as General’s bread and butter brand, CAO keeping to its roots of innovation, Cohiba maintaining its status as a luxury brand, Hoyo de Monterrey moving forward with its contemporary spin, and La Gloria Cubana going its roots with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.

There wasn’t a plethora of new releases, but enough to keep customers excited – and the love was spread across many of its brands. This year we saw a mix of new product, brand revamping, line extensions, and collaborations. Most of the focus was on regular production lines. Brands such as Toraño and Foundry stayed the course – wisely not releasing product for the sake of releasing product. General also added a new brand to its portfolio (Diesel), while saying goodbye to another one (Dunhill).

At the same time, General’s brand ambassadors were front and center – namely Sean Williams (Cohiba),  Jack Toraño (Toraño), Justin Andrews (Foundry and now Diesel), and Rick Rodriguez (CAO). Pprior to IPCPR, we observed that this program was better aimed at connecting with consumers. At this year’s IPCPR, all four were very busy connecting with the retailers. Finally, General has a new Vice President of Marketing in José de Castro starting August 1st, so it will be interesting to see where the road ahead lies.

At a glance, we look at the key brands under General Cigar. We will look at each of this brands in-depth in our Cigar Coop Post Game coverage of IPCPR 2017.

CAO

CAO’s focus was on completing its Amazon Trilogy series. This is a limited production line which incorporates rare Brazilian tobaccos into the blend. The first installment of the Trilogy was the Amazon Basin, while the second was the release of the CAO Fuma Em Corda. At this year’s trade show, the third installment, the Amazon Anaconda, made its debut.  This cigar incorporates a rare Brazilian Bahiano wrapper into the blend.

The entire Amazon Trilogy Series was showcased. However, the attention and house was given to the Anaconda.

CAO was the only brand under General this year to showcase a significant limited edition release.

Cohiba

There were no new Cohiba blends introduced at the trade show, but it was the coming out party for Cohiba Blue – which had been introduced a couple of months ago. Cohiba Blue is intended to provide “affordable luxury”. The brand also showcased Cohiba Macassar – an ultra-premium line introduced at last year’s trade show. Finally, Cohiba unveiled a luxury triple torch lighter and double blade cutter package. Both accessories will be packaged together and have a suggested retail price of $720.00. A total of 300 sets were produced.

Diesel

Diesel is a brand that is made by AJ Fernandez. It is sold by Cigars International and is distributed by Meier & Dutch (Cigar International’s distribution arm) – both of whom are owned by General Cigar Company’s parent company Scandinavian Tobacco Group.  Now for the first time, one of the blends comes into the General Cigar portfolio with the Diesel Grind.

It will be interesting to see whether Diesel becomes a growing brand in the General Cigar portfolio.

Dunhill

One brand that was missing from the booth was Dunhill. Over the past few years, the Dunhill brand was one of the more active ones in the booth. However, early this year British American Tobacco, Dunhill’s parent company, announced it was discontinuing Dunhill Cigars and Pipe Tobacco. General Cigar has handled distribution for Dunhill over the past few years. As a result, Dunhill has pretty much fallen out of the General Cigar portfolio.

Foundry

Since its inception in 2012, Foundry has been one of the more active brands in the General portfolio. Last year saw the brand concentrate on the new AJ Fernandez-made Time Flies brand and the Cuban Heritage brands (Bolivar, Ramon Allones). Earlier this year, Foundry had added the Jamaican Heritage brand, Temple Hall Estates Collection.

At this year’s IPCPR Trade Show, there were no new products under the Foundry brand. However, another run of the limited edition Time Flies Sumatra blend with the skull-shaped box packaging was made available to retailers.

Hoyo de Monterrey

In 2016, the Hoyo de Monterrey brand launched “Hoyo”, a line that introduced a more contemporary look for the brand. Last year, Hoyo de Monterrey introduced a second Hoyo-branded line done in collaboration with AJ Fernandez known as Hoyo La Amistad. The line garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. This year, General is introducing a second blend in collaboration with Fernandez called Hoyo La Amistad Silver. This is described as a blend composed of entirely from Habano-seed tobaccos.

La Gloria Cubana

This year La Gloria Cubana introduced the La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva. This is a collaboration done with brand founder Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. This is Perez-Carrillo’s first La Gloria Cubana release since he left General Cigar in 2009 (although Perez-Carrillo did team up with General to produce 2014’s Re+United cigar – a non-La Gloria Cubana release). It’s a Sumatra wrapped blend (a wrapper Perez-Carrillo is known for) being produced at Perez-Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza, but sold through General.

During the Michael Giannini era at General Cigar, La Gloria Cubana remained a “boutique” style brand, but it was also a brand known for introducing innovative concepts. The new  La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva seems to be a throwback to the classic days of La Gloria Cubana.

Macanudo

Image Credit: General Cigar Company

General’s flagship brand had the big release this year. The Macanudo Inspirado brand, introduced a couple of years ago received two new blends – Macanudo Inspirado White and Macanudo Inspirado Black. The new Inspirado Black replaces the existing Inspirado Black, which was an internet/catalog exclusive. The two new blends got a big push as it was a cigar available to all attendees at the 2017 IPCPR Opening Reception on July 10th. For the first time in five years, there wasn’t a new limited edition Macanudo Estate release.

Partagas

The big news is the Partagas 1845 line is getting a major overhaul. The original Partagas 1845 is getting rebranded Partagas 1845 Clasico. The Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte, originally a brick and mortar exclusive, and the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro, originally an internet/catalog exclusive, will now be offered across all distribution channels. Each of the three lines of the Partagas 1845 will have new blends and new boxes (with room for warning labels). The one constant – the band designs.

Partagas also showcased the Partagas Heritage, released earlier this year.

Toraño

The past year and a half has been quite busy for the Toraño brand as it introduced seven new lines, including six in the Toraño Vault line, and the Toraño Exodus.

This year, General chose to keep the focus on the new Toraño lines and did not introduce anything new at the Trade Show. However, there was a new Toraño Vault humidor that was showcased that will be used for Toraño events.

Photo/Image Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar Company launched two new blends for Macanudo – Macanudo Inspirado White and Macanudo Inspirado Black. While both cigars were showcased at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, attendees of this year’s IPCPR got a sneak preview at the opening gala that was sponsored by General Cigar.

Macanudo Inspirado White and Black are new extensions to the Macanudo Inspirado line. The first Macanudo Inspirado (also called Inspirado Orange) was originally launched in the European market in 2014. A year later, a maduro counterpart known as Macanudo Inspirado Black was also launched for Europe. In 2016, the two Macanudo Inspirado blends came to the U.S. with Macanudo Inspirado Orange becoming a brick and mortar offering and Macanudo Inspirado Black becoming an internet/catalog offering.  This year’s Macanudo Inspirado Black replaces that internet/catalog offering in the U.S.

Taking Macanudo Inspirado Orange as a “medium offering”, Macanudo Inspirado White is a milder offering under the Inspirado line while the new Macanudo Inspirado Black is a fuller offering.

“The evolution of Macanudo continues with the launch of Macanudo Inspirado White and Black,” commented General Cigar President Régis Broersma in a press release. “Cigar lovers who now see Macanudo in a new light should be prepared to be wowed yet again.”

The Macanudo Inspirado White features a proprietary Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper developed by General Cigar’s agronomists that has been aged six years. The blend also features an Indonesian binder. The fillers consist of Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan Condega leaves aged four years as well as a Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf aged two years. The cigar is available in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Churchill – each packaged in 20-count boxes.

Jhonys Diaz, Vice President of Operations at General Cigar Dominicana who spearheaded blend development for Macanudo Inspirado White said, “We spent several years developing this blend, using tobaccos we refined and aged to perfection. Think of the most creamy, alluring cigar you’ve ever had, amplify the complexity and you have Macanudo Inspirado White.”

Meanwhile, the new Macanudo Black uses a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper grown under a proprietary and experimental process where the plant was allowed to ripen on the stalk.  The new Macanudo Black also utilizes an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan filler featuring tobacco from proprietary seeds grown in Estelí that were uniquely fermented. Macanudo Black is available in three sizes with slightly different dimensions than the White offerings: Robusto, Toro, and Churchill – each packaged in 20-count boxes.

On the new Macanudo Inspirado Black, Diaz noted, “Macanudo Inspirado Black represents sophistication, and is truly for the initiated smoker. It’s about tobaccos that deliver incredible full-bodied flavor and complexity, in a cigar that’s balanced and pleasurable to smoke.”

Both Macanudo Inspirado White and Macanudo Inspirado Black have begun to hit retail shelves. This month will feature a series of launch events at retail shops.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Inspirado White and Macanudo Inspirado Black lines:

Macanudo Inspirado White

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Indonesian
Filler:  Mexican, Nicaraguan (Condega and Jalapa)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (General Cigar Dominicana)

Robusto: 5 x 50 ($6.49 SRP)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 50 ($6.99 SRP)
Churchill: 7 x 48 (7.29 SRP)

Macanudo Inspirado Black

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler:  Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (General Cigar Dominicana)

Robusto: 4 7/8 x 48 ($6.99 SRP)
Toro: 5 7/8 x 54 ($7.49 SRP)
Churchill: 7 x 48 ($7.99 SRP)

Earlier this month, Macanudo announced plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the brand. Coming in March will be a new release coinciding with the milestone, the Macanudo Inspirado Red. The one thing that will be different about this Macanudo as opposed to other ones, is the Macanudo Inspirado Red will be produced in Nicaragua. The cigars have a targeted March 26th, 2018 availability date.

The Macanudo Red features an Ecuadorian Habano Ligero wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder from Jalapa and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. The Inspirado Red will be available in three sizes: Robusto Box-Pressed, Toro, and Gordo – each packaged in 20-count boxes.

In a press release, José de Castro, vice president of marketing for General Cigar’s Macanudo brand said, “As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Macanudo, we created Macanudo Inspirado Red to speak to the brand’s unique ability to adapt to the preferences of today’s cigar lovers. Nicaraguan cigars are hot right now. With ‘Inspirado Red,’ we show how nimble the brand can be by introducing a unique, Nicaraguan-forward blend to the line, while highlighting the expertise of the torcederos from our cigar factory in Estelí.”

Inspirado is a brand that was originally introduced to Europe. In 2016, the Macanudo Inspirado Orange was introduced to U.S. brick and mortar shops. Last year, the Macanudo Inspirado White (Ecuadorian Connecticut) and Macanudo Inspirado Black (Connecticut Broadleaf) were added.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Inspirado Red:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Red
Binder: Jalapa (Nicaragua)
Filler: Jamastran Valley Honduras (Aged 10 Years), Ometepe Nicaragua (Aged 12 Years), Estelí Nicaragua (aged 5 years)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (STG Estelí)

Vitolas Available

Robusto (Box Pressed): 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 50
Gigante: 6 x 60

Photo Credits: General Cigar Company

Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto

Back in 1968, Edgar Cullman Sr.’s General Cigar Company purchased a factory in Kingston, Jamaica called Temple Hall. At the time the factory owned and produced a small brand called Macanudo. Under Cullman’s leadership, Macanudo became one of the largest cigar brands in the world. While General Cigar is now owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), Macanudo still remains a centerpiece brand in the company’s portfolio. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Macanudo being a part of General Cigar’s portfolio, and the company has unveiled plans to celebrate the occasion. As a part of the milestone, General has released a special cigar. Rather than reaching into the past, General has looked ahead to the future and has put the cigar into its Inspirado line – a newer line that looks to the future. That cigar is called the Macanudo Inspirado Red. It’s a cigar that breaks the mold of what Macanudo is known for in many ways. Today, we look at the Macanudo Red in the Robusto size.

General Cigar actually started preparing for the 50th anniversary in 2015 when it unveiled a new logo and started to streamline the packaging across the various lines of Macanudo. The logo change wasn’t radical, but meant to pay homage to the history of Macanudo while giving it a contemporary look for the future. Meanwhile, General Cigar was working on building its Macanudo Inspirado line. General had originally launched the line in Europe in 2014.  In 2016, General introduced the Macanudo Inspirado Orange to the U.S. market. In 2017, the line was rounded out with the new Macanudo Inspirado White and a revamped (from the European release) Macanudo Inspirado Black blend. The introduction of Macanudo Inspirado Red became the fourth blend under the Inspirado line.

Image Credits: General Cigar Company

The Macanudo Inspirado Red is intended to deliver a bolder, fuller experience. It’s not the first time Macanudo has moved in this direction. Cigars such as the Macanudo 1968, Macanudo Cru Royale, and to a lesser extent Macanudo Inspirado Orange and Macanudo Inspirado Black are projects where Macanudo has moved away from the milder profile that the brand is known for.  With Inspirado Red, there are some additional unique factors. First the cigars are produced at the STG Estelí factory in Estelí, Nicaragua – a first for the Macanudo brand, which had been produced primarily in the Dominican Republic after Cullman acquired Temple Hall. Secondly, the Robusto size of Inspirado Red is in a box-pressed format.

Finally, Macanudo Inspirado Red is positioned as a value offering – with pricing between $6.49 and $7.49.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto.

Blend Profile

The Macanudo Inspirado Red is highlighted by a high priming (ligero) Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The remainder of the blend features a binder from Jalapa and aged tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Ligero
Binder: Jalapa (Nicaragua)
Filler: Jamastran Valley Honduras (Aged 10 Years), Ometepe Nicaragua (Aged 12 Years), Estelí Nicaragua (aged 5 years)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (STG Estelí)

Vitolas Available

The Macanudo Inspirado Red is available in three sizes – each presented in 20-count boxes. The Robusto size is the one vitola in the line that is box-pressed.

Robusto (Box Pressed): 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 50
Gigante: 6 x 60

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto had a classic chocolate brown color. There was a slight Colorado red tint to the wrapper and there also was a slight amount of mottling on the surface. This was a relatively smooth wrapper with some oil on it. The wrapper itself was nearly void of any visible veins and any visible wrapper seams were minimal. As for the box-press, it was firm in more of a classic square press shape.

As expected, the band of the Macanudo Inspirado Red has a primarily red color. The band itself has a silver trim. There also is a thick silver stripe going through the center of the band. On the center of the band is the text “MACANUDO” in black font. Just below the silver stripe is the text “Inspirado” in white scripted font. Behind the band is the new Macanudo logo in silver font. The band also has some additional older Macanudo logos in a watermark stamp-like design.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto, I used a straight cut to remove the cap. After the clip was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw produced notes of cedar, leather, and a slight chocolate note. I consider the pre-light draw of this cigar to be satisfactory. At this point, I was ready to light up the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto and see what the smoking experience would deliver.

Flavor Profile

The Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto started out with a spurt of red and black pepper with some cedar. Once the pepper subsided, notes of chocolate, fruit sweetness, and a slight metallic note surfaced. The chocolate notes moved into the forefront early with the fruit, pepper, cedar, and metallic notes settling in the background. The metallic note should not be considered a negative here as it contributed positively to the balance of the overall flavor profile. Early on the retro-hale delivered a citrus spice, but as the cigar moved through the first third, the retro-hale switched to an additional layer of black and white pepper.

Late in the first third, some earthy notes show up in the background. As the Inspirado Red Robusto moved through the second half, the earthy notes gradually increased in intensity. Just past the midway point, the cedar notes also started to increase in intensity. Toward the latter part of the second third, both the cedar and earth notes increased enough to become primary flavors with the chocolate. Meanwhile, the metallic, fruit, and pepper notes remained in the background making subtle contributions to the overall flavor profile.

During the last third, the cedar and earth displaced the chocolate. The chocolate moved into the background joining the pepper, fruit and metallic notes. This is the way the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

With a higher priming wrapper, sometimes I don’t know what to expect from the burn of a cigar that uses it. However, I’m pleased to report the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto came through with flying colors. While there were a few isolated cases of jaggedness on the burn line, I found the Inspirado Red Robusto maintained a relatively straight burn path and a straight burn line. The resulting ash was firm with a salt and pepper color. The ash itself had a salt and pepper color to it. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Burn of the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto

The draw to the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto also performed quite well. It had the right amount of resistance for a box-press cigar – specifically, it wasn’t too open of a draw. In the end, I found the draw on this cigar to be low maintenance.

Strength and Body

In short, the Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto is going to deliver a medium strength, medium to full-bodied smoke. There is a slight variance in intensity of strength and body as well, but in the end the Inspirado Red Robusto remains medium strength, medium to full-bodied. In terms of strength versus body, I had the body maintaining the edge throughout the smoking experience.

Final Thoughts

There are two things that perplexed me about this release.  First, I was a little surprised that Macanudo didn’t make a bigger splash for its 50th anniversary when it came to the cigar. They didn’t even opt to band the cigar for its 50th. Secondly, I’m not a big fan of trying to reinvent a brand as something that it isn’t. If it were up to me, I would always keep Macanudo the milder brand in the General portfolio.

That being said, when it came to the actual Macanudo Inspirado Red Robusto cigar, it didn’t matter how this was branded. This was an excellent offering. While it’s not a cigar that will knock you down with strength, it is a cigar that delivers on a fuller-bodied experience. I found the flavor profile to be quite enjoyable and things worked nicely in the box-press format. While it is fuller, it’s a great cigar for a novice to “graduate” to something fuller – and will appeal to the more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again – and at $6.49 per cigar, it garners box worthy consideration.

Summary

Key Flavors: Chocolate, Earth, Fruit, Metallic, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Excelle

Rating

Value: Box Worthy Consideration
Score: 90

References

News: Macanudo Inspirado Red Coming in March
Price: $6.49
Source: General Cigar Company
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted

Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto

Each year on the eve of the opening of the IPCPR Trade Show and Convention, an opening night reception is held. In 2017, General Cigar Company was the host of the event. General Cigar not only put on a gala opening reception, but used the event to launch two new products under its Macanudo Inspirado line: the Macanudo Inspirado White (a Connecticut Shade cigar) and an all-new version of the Macanudo Inspirado Black (a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro cigar). The opening night reception not only gave attendees a chance to try the new Macanudo before the show opened, but provided a true gala-like launch that often is missing in the U.S. market. Today, we take a closer look at one of those cigars – the Macanudo Inspirado White in the Robusto size.

It was back in 2014 when the Macanudo Inspirado line was launched for the European market. At the time there were two cigars: the Macanudo Inspirado Orange which featured General Cigar’s Honduran OSA wrapper that was produced in Honduras; and the Macanudo Inspirado Black which featured a dark Connecticut Habano wrapper produced in the Dominican Republic. Two years later the Macanudo Inspirado Orange and Black made it to the U.S. market. At the time, Inspirado Orange was positioned as a brick and mortar exclusive while Inspirado Black was positioned for internet catalog customers.

To some extent, the Macanudo Inspirado line was delivering cigars that outside the milder cigars that most of the Macanudo line had built its reputation for.  In 2017, General decided to add a somewhat milder offering under the Inspriado line and that’s the profile Macanudo Inspirado White was intended to fulfill  At the same time, Macanudo Inspirado Black received a new blend and the new offering would now be made available to brick and mortar retailers – thus keeping a maduro offering under Inspriado.

Since the release of the Macanudo Inspirado White and Black, the General Cigar has added a fourth blend, the Macanudo Inspirado Red – designed to be the fullest offering in the Inspirado line.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Macanudo White Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend Profile

The Macanudo Inspirado White is a four-country multi-national blend highlighted by a proprietary Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper that is aged six years. The blend also features an Indonesian binder. The fillers consist of Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan Condega leaves aged four years as well as a Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf aged two years.

The one interesting footnote about this cigar is that it does not contain Dominican tobacco. While there have been other Macanudo releases without Dominican tobacco, it still was a bit surprising to me.

Unlike Macanudo Inspirado Orange which is produced in Honduras, the Macanudo Inspirado White comes out of the General Cigar Dominicana factory in the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Indonesian
Filler:  Mexican, Nicaraguan (Condega and Jalapa)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (General Cigar Dominicana)

Vitolas Available

The Macanudo Inspirado White is available in three sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes.

Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 1/2 x 50
Churchill: 7 x 48

Box of the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper of the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto was quite pristine. It had a light caramel brown color to it. The wrapper was smooth with some oil on it. There were some thin visible veins and some thin visible wrapper seams. This Connecticut Shade wrapper seemed slightly thicker than most Connecticut Shade wrappers.

As one would expect, the band of the Macanudo Inspirado White has a primarily white color. The band itself also has a silver trim. There also is a thick silver stripe going through the center of the band. On the center of the band is the text “MACANUDO” in black font. Just below the silver stripe is the text “Inspirado” in darker gray scripted font. Behind the band is the new Macanudo logo in silver font. The band also has some additional older Macanudo logos in a watermark stamp-like design.

PERFORMANCE

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

I commenced my experience with the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto by placing a straight cut to remove the cap. After the cap was clipped, I proceeded with the pre-light draw ritual. The dry draw delivered a mix of cream and wood with a slight amount of citrus. I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, I was ready to light up the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto delivered a mix of cream, classic wood, cedar, and black pepper. There definitely was a distinction between the classic wood and cedar notes in the early stages. It didn’t take long for the cream and wood notes to become primary. The cedar and black pepper settled into the background and were quickly joined by a lemon-like citrus note. Concurrently, the cedar and black pepper were present on the retro-hale.

Throughout the first third, the cream and wood notes alternated in intensity. Toward the latter part of the first third, the separation between classic wood and cedar ended. The cedar notes increased in intensity and eclipsed the classic wood.

During the second third of the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto, the cedar and cream notes in the forefront now were alternating in intensity. The citrus note that emerged in the first third transitioned to more of a lemon-rind flavor and now delivered some bitterness. The lemon rind quickly emerged as a close secondary note. As the cigar burned through the midway point, the cedar notes took control as the primary note and there was a slight increase in the black pepper.

By the last third, the cedar notes remained the primary flavor with the pepper and lemon rind notes secondary. The creaminess that was prominent during the first two-thirds had pretty much dissipated. This is the way the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

The Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto had little trouble maintaining a straight burn path. The burn line had a slight bit of jaggedness along the way, but for the most part, this was cosmetic and really didn’t increase the frequency of touch-ups. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. This was an ash that was mostly light gray in color. Meanwhile, both the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto

The draw to the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto also performed quite well. This was a draw that struck a nice balance of resistance and openness. This was not a difficult cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

The Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto is a cigar that is mild to medium in strength and body. There was a slight increase along the way and toward the end, both attributes came close to moving into medium territory. The strength and body balanced each other nicely, with neither one overshadowing the other.

From an intensity standpoint, I would say this isn’t the mildest Macanudo, but it’s also not anywhere near one of the bolder ones like Macanudo Inspirado Red, Macanudo 1968, and Macanudo Cru Royale.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The best way I can sum up the Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto is that it is not a bad cigar, but it wasn’t one that had any wow factor. There were times that this cigar served up some of the bitterness that Connecticut Shade cigars are known for. While I consider bitterness to be a part of an overall flavor equation, there were points during the second third that the bitterness threw the Inspirado White Robusto’s balance off.  Over the past year, there have been some very good Connecticut Shade wrapper cigars that have been released, but this cigar falls somewhat short of many of them. At the same time, it competes within its own brand with a classic such as Macanudo Cafe – which I would reach for over the Inspirado White. Still it’s not a bad cigar and at $6.49, it’s priced very well; so my recommendation is to try the cigar first and see if it’s your wheelhouse.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cream, Cedar, Classic Wood, Black Pepper, Citrus, Lemon Rind
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Mild to Medium
Body: Mild to Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Try a Sample
Score: 88

References

News: Macanudo Inspirado White and Black Get High Profile Launch at 2017 IPCPR
Price: $6.49
Source: General Cigar Company
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto (2017 Release)

On the eve of the opening of the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show and Convention, General Cigar showcased two new additions to its Macanudo Inspirado line at the event’s opening night reception. These cigars were the Macanudo Inspirado White (a Connecticut Shade cigar) and an all-new version of the Macanudo Inspirado Black (a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro cigar). The release of these cigars gave these two Macanudo cigars a high profile launch even before the doors of the trade show opened. Today, we dive deeper and take a closer look at the Macanudo Black in the Robusto size.

The Macanudo Black that was released last year is actually the second version of this cigar. Back in 2014, the Macanudo Inspirado made its debut with the Macanudo Inspirado Orange (featuring General Cigar’s signature Honduran OSA wrapper). At the time, Inspirado was positioned specifically for the European market. A year later came the first Macanudo Inspirado Black. This cigar featured General Cigar’s signature Connecticut Habano wrapper. It was also a cigar that was positioned for the European market.

By 2016, General Cigar made the decision to bring Macanudo Inspirado Orange and the original Macanudo Inspirado Black to the U.S. market. At that time a decision was made to position Macanudo Inspirado Orange as a brick and mortar exclusive offering while the original Macanudo Inspirado Black became an internet/catalog exclusive. Since the release of the Inspirado White and the new Inspirado Black, a fourth installment has been added – the Macanudo Inspirado Red.

The new Macanudo Inspirado Black utilizes a completely different blend. With the launch of the new Inspirado Black, a decision was made to offer this cigar to the brick and mortar segment. Macanudo Inspirado is a line designed to offer cigars that (for the most part) are outside the traditional milder cigars the Macanudo brand is known for. Macanudo Inspirado Black fits into this category.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Macanudo Black Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend Profile

The blend for the 2017 version of the Macanudo Inspirado Black uses completely different components for the wrapper, binder, and filler from the original Macanudo Inspirado Black.

According to General Cigar, the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper was grown under a proprietary and experimental process where the plant was allowed to ripen on the stalk. The new Macanudo Black also utilizes an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan filler featuring tobacco from proprietary seeds grown in Estelí that were uniquely fermented.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler:  Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (General Cigar Dominicana)

Vitolas Available

The Macanudo Inspirado Black is available in three sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes.

Robusto: 4 7/8 x 48
Toro: 5 7/8 x 54
Churchill: 7 x 48

Macanudo Inspirado Black (2017 Release) Packaging

Appearance

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto had a dark espresso roast color. Despite the darker color, on closer examination, there was some light mottling on the surface. The wrapper also had a very light coat of oil on it. This is a wrapper that had a bumpy feel to it. There were some thin visible veins, but most of the wrapper seams were well hidden

As one would expect, the band of the Macanudo Inspirado Black has a primarily black color. The band itself has a silver trim. There also is a thick silver stripe going through the center of the band. On the center of the band is the text “MACANUDO” in black font. Just below the silver stripe is the text “Inspirado” in white scripted font. Behind the band is the new Macanudo logo in silver font. The band also has some additional older Macanudo logos in a watermark stamp-like design.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Experience

Prior to lighting the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. It was then on to the pre-light draw ritual. The dry draw of the Inspirado Black Robusto delivered a mix of mocha and wood notes. Mocha is a term I use to describe a fusion between chocolate and coffee notes. Overall the pre-light draw experience of the Macanudo Inspirado Robusto was satisfactory. It was now time to light up this cigar and see what the smoking phase would deliver.

Tasting Notes

Out of the gate, the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto delivered short burst of white pepper. This gave way to notes of mocha, berry, classic wood, and white pepper. The mocha notes moved to the forefront early on with the other flavors settling in the background. There was an additional layer of pepper on the retro-hale.

Throughout the first third, the chocolate component of the mocha seemed to be the prominent note. There was some nice sweetness early on. Sometimes it came from the chocolate, sometimes it came from the berry in the background, and sometimes it was a combination of both notes.

As the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto moved into the second third, the overall sweetness began to diminish. Concurrently the coffee component of the mocha became more prominent than the chocolate. By the midway point, the chocolate component was not much of a factor. Meanwhile, the wood, pepper, and berry notes remained in the background. Later in the second third, the pepper notes started to increase.

By the last third, some classic earth notes mixed in with the coffee notes. There still were some notes of wood and pepper in the background. Meanwhile, the berry and chocolate sweetness were nearly a non-factor. This is the way the cigar experience of the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While from time to time there was a slight bit of waviness on the burn line of the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto, overall I found this was still a low maintenance burn. The burn path remained straight from start to finish and the cigar did not require a large number of touch-ups. The resulting ash was firm with a silver gray color. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto (2017 Release)

Draw

The draw to Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto was ideal. It had a touch of resistance to it – which is something that I like. At the same time, this was still a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

While I think the recently released Macanudo Inspirado Red had more boldness than the Macanudo Inspirado Black, I still would consider the Black to offer more in the way of strength and body than most Macanudo lines. The Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto maintained a medium strength level from start to finish and there was little in the way of variance.

As for the body, the Macanudo Inspirado Black Robusto also started out medium. By the end of the second third, there was an increase in the depth of the flavors. By the final third, the Inspirado Black Robusto progressed to medium to full-bodied territory.

Throughout the smoking experience, when it came to strength versus body, I gave a slight edge to the body.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

While the Macanudo Inspirado Black is not the first Macanudo in the medium/medium plus range, the one thing that is unique about it is that is the first Macanudo maduro cigar to fall into this category. The old school guy in me still feels Macanudo should stick to the core competency of the brand – namely mild and mild-to-medium cigars. That being said, the Macanudo Inspirado Black is not a bad cigar. It delivers a solid smoking experience at a competitive price. This is a cigar I would recommend to a seasoned cigar enthusiast, but at the same time, I would not discourage a novice from trying this cigar. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again – and pick up multiples for my humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee/Chocolate), Pepper, Wood, Berry
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 89

References

News: Macanudo Inspirado White and Black Get High Profile Launch at 2017 IPCPR
Price: $6.49
Source: General Cigar Company
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

With 2018 being the 50th anniversary of Macanudo, many wondered what General Cigar would have in store at this year’s IPCPR. Needless to say, the company threw a bit of a curve ball when it announced M by Macanudo, a coffee flavored cigar. It was a bold move by General Cigar that shows it is not afraid to do things differently over the next 50 years.

In a press release announcing M by Macanudo, Steve Abbot, senior brand manager for Macanudo commented, “With M, we’re once again launching a cigar that defies the conventional notions of what the brand represents. This is not your typical flavored cigar. M smokes like a premium Nicaraguan cigar, and the experience is enhanced with just the right amount of coffee flavor. We’re sure that M will be a fast favorite among Macanudo smokers, as it will be for any premium cigar smoker looking to up their game with a dynamic and flavorful smoke.”

The blend is quite intriguing, featuring an Indonesian Besuki wrapper, a binder from the Philippines, and fillers including Nicaraguan and “other fine tobaccos”. The cigar is available in three sizes, each packaged in 20-count boxes.

The cigar shipped immediately following the IPCPR Trade Show and has begun to arrive on retailer shelves.

At a glance, here is a look at M by Macanudo:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Indonesian Besuki
Binder: Phillippines
Filler: Nicaraguan (and other undisclosed tobaccos)
Country of Origin: Not Disclosed

Vitolas Available

Corona: 6 x 44 (SRP $7.49/cigar)
Toro: 6 x 50 (SRP $7.99/cigar)
Belicoso: 6 x 54 (SRP $8.49/cigar)

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

At the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar Company introduced a tubo frontmark to be available in both its Macanudo Inspirado White and Macanudo Inspirado. Both tubo offerings are in the same robusto size as the standard parejo offerings. The Macanudo Inspirado White Tubo Robusto is a classic 5 x 50 size. Meanwhile, the Macanudo Black Tubo Robusto is slightly smaller, measuring 4 7/8 x 48.

The Macanudo Inspirado White features a proprietary Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper developed by General Cigar’s agronomists that has been aged six years. The blend also features an Indonesian binder. The fillers consist of Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan Condega leaves aged four years as well as a Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf aged two years.

Meanwhile the new Macanudo Inspirado Black features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan filler featuring tobacco from proprietary seeds grown in Estelí that were uniquely fermented.

Both Tubo offerings come in 20-count boxes.

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop

There is always something exciting to see at the General Cigar booth. I draw an analogy that it’s like going to Macy’s Department Store at Christmas time. The presentation is excellent and the cigars are always intriguing.

In past years, we have seen General Cigar go heavier with one brand as opposed to another. The past couple of years have seen General spread the wealth across all of its brands, with no more than 1 or 2 new releases maximum across the brands.

While the days of 20+ new blends (a.k.a. the Foundry days) are gone, there still were plenty of offerings to keep folks interested.

CAO

This year, CAO was the featured brand at the IPCPR Opening Gala. For this year’s event, the brand introduced the latest version of its World Collection, the CAO Nicaragua.

CAO Nicaragua was also showcased prominently at the General Cigar booth.

While the CAO Nicaragua is produced at the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua, it’s a blend that features Honduran tobacco from the Jamastran Valley for the wrapper and binder. The filler is a combination of Nicaragua tobaccos from Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa. The cigars are available in three sizes: Tipitapa (4 7/8 x 50), Matagalpa (5 5/8 x 46), and Granada (6 x 50). Each size is presented in 20-count boxes. Pricing is set between $6.59 and $6.99 MSRP.

Cohiba

In 2017, Cohiba introduced Cohiba Blue, a more affordable Cohiba offering. This year, Cohiba went in the opposite direction releasing the limited edition Cohiba Spectre. Spectre is the most premium offering to date in the Cohiba line – priced at $90.00 per cigar. It was also General’s most premium offering for 2018.

Cohiba Spectre incorporates eight varietals of tobacco from five different countries. At the forefront is a rare Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. During the curing process of this wrapper, a small percentage of upper priming leaves developed a reddish hue and were set aside for further aging. The tobacco underwent an additional six months of aging. In the end, General had eight barrels of wrapper tobacco that it felt was pristine and could be used for a special release. In addition, the blend also incorporates Dominican Piloto Cubano tobacco that has been aging in tercios since being harvested in 1995. These leaves are placed at the center of the bunch where it is surrounded by Nicaraguan Estelí leaves from harvests in 2011 and 2014. These Nicaraguan leaves were aged in Spanish Sherry barrels. The blend is rounded off by three Honduran leaves (Olancho San Agustin/2002 crop, Jamastran/2011 crop, and La Entrade/2011 crop).

The Spectre is available in one size – a 7 1/4 x 54 Double Corona. It is packaged in a circular red and silver box containing ten cigars housed in tubes.

Diesel

Diesel is a brand that for many years was a catalog brand that was also distributed by Meier & Dutch, which is also owned by General Cigar’s parent company, Scandinavian Tobacco Group. Last year, the brand was shifted into the General Cigar portfolio with the release of Diesel Grind. This year, Diesel took another step forward to ground the brand in brick and mortars with the release of the Diesel Whiskey Row. This project is being done in collaboration with AJ Fernandez and Rabbit Hole Distillery.  Rabbit Hole is a new small distillery based out of Louisville, Kentucky that produces bourbon, rye, and gin products.

Diesel is brand where AJ Fernandez has worked on in the past. The Diesel Whiskey Row features Mexican San Andres binder leaves that are aged in barrels originally used for Rabbit Hole Bourbon, utilizing a proprietary process that has been developed by Fernandez. The bourbon barrels originally arrived at Fernandez’s factory back in 2016. After placing the San Andres tobacco in the barrels using a special configuration, the tobacco was left to age inside the barrels. The air inside was controlled at regular intervals to ensure the flavors were imported evenly.

In addition to the specially aged San Andres binder, the cigar also incorporates a three-region blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos from Ometepe, Condega, and Jalapa aged five to eight years. The cigar is finished with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The cigars will be available in four sizes, each presented in 25-count boxes. Pricing ranges from $7.49 to $8.99.

Hoyo de Monterrey

A third installment to the Hoyo La Amistad series was added with the Hoyo La Amistad Black. Hoyo La Amistad is a line done in collaboration with AJ Fernandez. The Hoyo La Amistad Black features a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper over a Mexican San Andres binder, and Nicaraguan filler. It is available in three sizes: Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50), Toro (6 1/2 x 52), and Gigante (6 x 60)

The previous two installments of Hoyo La Amistad have received new box designs. Along with this change, the original Hoyo La Amistad is now officially being branded as Hoyo La Amistad Gold. Prior to this change, the box design for Hoyo La Amistad Gold and Hoyo La Amistad Silver were similar to each other, causing some confusion at retailer establishments.

La Gloria Cubana

La Gloria Cubana returns to the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua to produce a line. This time it’s the new La Gloria Cubana Estelí. Since Michael Giannini left General in 2016, the brand has returned to its more classic style packaging and blends.

The cigar features a dark wrapper from the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua, a binder from the Jamastran region of Honduras, and fillers from both La Estrada and Jamastra. The cigar is available in three sizes: Robusto: (4 1/2 x 52), Toro (5 1/2 x 54), and  Gigante (6 1/4 x 60 ).

Macanudo

This year marked the 50th anniversary of Macanudo. This year Macanudo didn’t have a formal 50th-anniversary release, but had a release that showed thinking ahead to the next 50 years – the M by Macanudo.

The M by Macanudo is the brand’s first flavored cigar. It is infused with notes of coffee and cocoa. It’s also a rather interesting blend featuring an Indonesian Besuki wrapper, a binder from the Philippines, and fillers including Nicaraguan and “other fine tobaccos.” The binder from the Philippines is something not often seen. M by Macanudo is available in three sizes: Corona (6 x 44), Toro (6 x 50), and Belicoso (6 x 52). Each is presented in 10-count boxes. The cigar arrived at retailers immediately after IPCPR.

Two blends in the Macanudo Inspired line, Macanudo’s more contemporary style line, received tubo offerings. This included the Inspirado White and Inspirado Black. The Macanudo Inspirado White Tubo Robusto is a classic 5 x 50 size. Meanwhile, the Macanudo Black Tubo Robusto is slightly smaller, measuring 4 7/8 x 48.

Odyssey

Odyssey is a value-priced bundle brand launched in 2016. It was originally released in Habano and Connecticut wrappers. This year a Maduro offering was added.

The Odyssey Maduro consists of a dark Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan filler. The cigars are available in five sizes (Corona, Robusto, Toro, Churchill, Gigante) – pricing ranges from $1.69 to $2.59 per cigar. The cigars are sold in 20-count bundles.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

Partagás

This year Partagás introduced its first Connecticut Broadleaf offering with the Partágas Legend. The line also pays homage to some of the legendary industry people who were contributors to the brand.

In addition to the Broadleaf wrapper, the Partagás Legend utilizes a Honduran Olancho San Agustin binder over a blend that includes Dominican Piloto Cubano Leaves. The cigars are available in three sizes, each packaged in three contemporary-looking white lacquer boxes. Each of the boxes pays homage to one the “forefathers” of the Partagás brand including Don Jaime Partagás, Ramon Cifuentes, Sr. and Ramon Cifuentes, Jr.

The brand also introduced new packaging to some of its legacy brands, including Partagás (Yellow) and Partagás Black. Unlike Partagas 1845, which underwent packaging changes last year, the blends for Partágas (Yellow) and Partágas Black remain the same.

Punch

This year, AJ Fernandez got the opportunity to reimagine a cigar for the Punch brand. The result is the Punch Diablo. This cigar arrived at retailers immediately after the show.

The blend consists of a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper over a Connecticut binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. The cigar is available in three sizes: Scamp ( 6 1/8 x 50), Diabolus (5 1/4 x 54), and Brute (6 1/4 x 60).

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

Punch also introduced packaging changes.

Toraño

This year Toraño brought back three legacy brands. These are three brands sold by Toraño Family Cigars prior to the acquisition of the brand by General Cigar in 2015. Casa Toraño, Toraño Exodus 1959 Gold Label, and the Toraño Exodus 1959 50 Years.

2018 Product Reports

• CAO Nicaragua Gets High Profile Launch at 2018 IPCPR
• Cohiba Spectre Launches at 2018 IPCPR
• Diesel Whiskey Row Announced
• Hoyo La Amistad Black and New Packaging for Hoyo La Amistad Gold and Silver Introduced at 2018 IPCPR
• La Gloria Cubana Estelí Launched at 2018 IPCPR
• M by Macanudo Launched at 2018 IPCPR Trade Show
• Macanudo Inspirado White and Black Add Tubo Offerings Launched at 2018 IPCPR
• General Cigar Unveils Odyssey Maduro at 2018 IPCPR
• Partagás Legend Debuts at 2018 IPCPR
• Punch Diablo to be Showcased at 2018 IPCPR
• Three Legacy Toraño Blends Return at 2018 IPCPR

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.

At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar introduced its second flavored cigar under the Macanudo label, the M Bourbon by Macanudo.

The M Bourbon by Macanudo follows up 2018’s M by Macanudo. While the M by Macanudo featured coffee flavors, the M Bourbon by Macanudo is meant to showcase the flavors found in an Old Fashioned cocktail.

The blend features an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder, and a mix of Dominican filler leaves. The cigar comes in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Churchill with each presented in 20-count boxes.

According to General Cigar, the cigar features notes of bourbon, American oak, nuances of sweet cherries and a hint of earthy, aromatic bitters.

The M Bourbon by Macanudo is slated to ship to retailers beginning August 1st.

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade
Binder Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Robusto: 5 x 50 (SRP $7.49)
Toro: 6 x 50 (SRP $7.99)
Churchill: 7 x 47 (SRP $8.49)

Bear Duplisea contributed content to this report.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar Company introduced its fifth blend under its Macanudo Inspirado line, the Macanudo Inspirado Palladium.

While Macanudo’s Inspirado line puts a contemporary spin on the Macanudo brand, the Inspirado Palladium uses an old Cuban technique involving using tercios to age the tobacco. With tercios, the tobaccos are aged in Royal Palm tree park instead of traditional burlap. According to General the bark forms a tighter seal, trapping in moisture and retaining the tobacco’s natural taste characteristics.

Tercio aging is something not as commonly used because of the costs involved with doing it. Most recently it has been used in prominent releases E.P. Carrillo Encore and the Quesada Reserva Privada line.

Macanudo Inspirado Palladium features an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a U.S. Connecticut Havana binder and fillers from Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It’s available in three sizes – each presented in ten-count boxes. A total of 3,000 boxes are being released.

The Macanudo Inspirado Palladium is scheduled to ship to stores on August 1st, 2019.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Inspirado Palladium:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Connecticut Havana
Filler: Mexican, Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Robusto: 5 1/2 x 50 (SRP $8.99)
Lonsdale: 6 3/4 x 43 (SRP $8.49)
Churchill: 7 1/2 x 49 (SRP $9.49)

Bear Duplisea contributed content to this report

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar introduced a new line under its Macanudo line known as Heritage Nuevo. It’s a limited release line that Macanudo describes as a “bold, multi-year” project that will involve taking some of Macanudo’s most popular brands and remaking them with unique tobaccos.

The first release of the Macanudo Heritage Nuevo was based the Macanudo on the Café blend but replaces the U.S. Connecticut Shade wrapper with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper cultivated by an independent grower in Ecuador’s Los Rios province. The blend also features a Mexican binder over Mexican and Dominican fillers. The cigar is available in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Churchill – each packaged in ten-count boxes.

“Macanudo Heritage Nuevo gives us the opportunity to juxtapose the brand’s most enduring heritage blends with a modern reinterpretation that features the emerging tobaccos of today. We believe that Macanudo Heritage Nuevo will awaken a new dialogue among seasoned Macanudo smokers, while giving others a reason to awaken their passion for the perennially top-selling brand,” said Steve Abbot, senior brand manager for Macanudo in a press release concurrent to the IPCPR Trade Show.

The cigars are expected to ship to retailers on October 1st.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Heritage Nuevo:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Dominican (Piloto Cubano), Mexican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Robusto: 5 x 50 (SRP $12.99/cigar
Toro: 6 x 52 (SRP $13.99/cigar)
Churchill: 7 x 50 (SRP $14.99/cigars)

Bear Duplisea contributed content to this report

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

General Cigar is one of the booths that takes us a long time to cover. There always are plenty of products that are being showcased, but 2019 was particularly challenging. In the past we have had a central marketing contact in Victoria McKee Jaworski. Victoria is no longer with General and this marked our first IPCPR without her as the central point. What we have seen over the past few months is marketing responsibilities being handled by the individual product managers of the brands. While they have all been extremely helpful as always, this fragmentation made coverage very difficult as we have had to interface with at least five different product managers.

This will most likely mark the final IPCPR with Regis Broersma as the President of General Cigar as he is moving on to a new position, so it’s quite possible there could be changes coming once the new President comes in. However that didn’t stop General from putting on an excellent exhibit with lots of new offerings.

As always, we break down the offerings by brand. A couple of notable brand absences this year were Foundry (which was sold to Ventura Cigar Company) and Toraño (which appears to have been put on the back burner by General Cigar).

CAO

Although CAO wasn’t a featured brand this year, that doesn’t mean it was inactive. This year, CAO had three new releases – a new regular production line and two limited line extensions.

CAO Session is the new regular production line. It’s a Connecticut Broadleaf release inspired by CAO Master Blender Rick Rodriguez spending time in his garage (manacle) smoking cigars. What’s different is this cigar is being made in the Dominican Republic as opposed to Nicaragua where most CAO Cigars have been made for the past several years.

CAO also introduced a limited-edition offshoot to its Flathead line known as CAO Flathead V19. It’s also a Connecticut Broadleaf that is intended to provide a bolder experience to fans of the Flathead line. The cigars are available in two box-pressed sizes.

Finally, CAO showcased a soon to be released fourth installment of its Amazon Basin Series with the CAO Orellana. While the packaging was shown off, General Cigar has kept much of the details of the CAO Orellana cigar undisclosed.

Cohiba

As mentioned Cohiba was the featured brand for General Cigar this year. While the recently released Cohiba Connecticut was the showcased cigar at the IPCPR Opening Gala, this year Cohiba had another new release. This one was an addition to its ultra-premium Cohiba Spectre line known as Cohiba Spectre 2019. Like its predecessor, it’s a cigar that will be priced at $90.00. It features Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler that underwent a special finishing process in Spanish Sherry Cask barrels. The packaging is exquisite, including each cigar packaged in an individual case.

Meanwhile, most of the core offerings in the Cohiba brand underwent a significant packaging upgrade. This included Cohiba Red Dot, Cohiba Black, Cohiba Nicaragua, and Cohiba Blue.

Cohiba also featured a special sliding humidor with a built-in ashtray. Inside the humidor are four Cohiba Silencio cigars, blended by Cohiba Brand Ambassador Sean Williams.

Finally, the Cohiba Connecticut Penta Collection made its debut at IPCPR.  This featured five-pack offerings of Cohiba Connecticut.  It will be available in the three sizes of Cohiba Connecticut: Robusto, Toro, and Gigante.

Diesel

Diesel is a brand that certainly has been getting a lot of attention from General Cigar Company. For many years AJ Fernandez produced cigars for the Diesel brand for Cigars International and its distribution arm Meier & Dutch, owned by General Cigar’s parent company Scandinavian Tobacco Group. In 2017, the Diesel brand was moved into General Cigar’s portfolio as a brick and mortar line. Justin Andrews took over as the brand manager and has spearheaded the growth of this brand. After moving the Diesel Grind in, the first Diesel Whiskey Row was released last year. The Whiskey Row was a project done in collaboration with Louisville Kentucky-based Rabbit Hole Distillery.

Just before this year’s trade show, General released a follow-up to Whiskey Row called Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask. The original Whiskey Row featured an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and a San Andres Mexican binder that was aged in barrels that had held Rabbit Hole Bourbon. The Whiskey Row Sherry Cask uses a similar concept, but this time utilizes a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and an Arapirica wrapper from Brazil’s Alagoas region aged in Rabbit Hole’s Ximénez Sherry barrel.

There also was a special limited edition Diesel Whiskey Row Gift Set. This features five Rothschild size cigars of the original Diesel Whiskey Row bend. The Rothschild size is an exclusive offering to the Diesel Whiskey Row. The gift set also contains a branded silver whiskey-barrel shaped light. The gift set comes packaged in a wooden box. Pricing for the set is $70.00 SRP.

Hoyo de Monterrey

Hoyo de Monterrey is another brand that has gotten considerable attention from General. Much of the focus has been around the Hoyo La Amistad line, a line done in collaboration with AJ Fernandez each year since 2016. This year saw the release of the Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra.

While the previous Hoyo La Amistad releases were new blends, the Hoyo La Amistad takes a different spin. This cigar utilizes the original Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra blend, but is produced at AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí Nicaragua incorporating Fernandez’s tobaccos and Fernandez’s rollers (the original Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra was produced in Honduras at the HATSA factory).

One of the Hoyo La Amistad lines was not on display at the trade show, and that was the Hoyo La Amistad Silver. We had been told that cigar was being taken out of regular production.

Hoyo La Amistad is also a line that has put a contemporary spin on the Hoyo de Monterrey line, but General also decided to pay homage to the roots of Hoyo de Monterrey with a limited edition release known as Hoyo de Monterrey El Torcedor. This cigar pays homage to Hoyo de Monterrey’s classic roots from Cuba, and more recently Honduras. The cigar itself is a 6 1/2 x 49 figurado. It features very classic packaging and banding on it. While keeping to an old-school band design, the band itself features additional embossing and foiling.

La Gloria Cubana

While La Gloria Cubana did not have a new release at the show, General did showcase a cigar released in the spring known as the La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press. It’s a cigar that had a quiet launch, but in this author’s opinion was a standout release by General Cigar.

The La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press is produced at the General Cigar Dominicana factory in the Dominican Republic. The cigar utilizes Spanish Press technique, which is applied to the rolled cigars. These cigars are placed into wooden trays with dividers to apply uniform pressure to the cigars. The trays are then pressed to define their shape. After the cigars are pressed, the cigars are placed in specially sized boxes that apply slight pressure to maintain their shape.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

Macanudo

Two years ago, Macanudo was the featured brand at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show with the launch of the Macanudo Inspirado White and Black. While Cohiba got the title for featured brand of 2019, Macanudo was one of the busier brands in the General portfolio at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show.

Inspirado saw the fifth blend releases with the Macanudo Inspirado Palladium. While Macanudo’s Inspirado line puts a contemporary spin on the Macanudo brand, the Inspirado Palladium uses an old Cuban technique involving using tercios to age the tobacco. The blend itself utilizes an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a U.S. Connecticut Havana binder and fillers from Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It’s a limited release with a production of 3,000 ten-count boxes.

Last year Macanudo introduced M by Macanudo, a coffee-flavored cigar. This year Macanudo follows up with M Bourbon by Macanudo. It’s a cigar that showcases flavors found in an Old Fashioned cocktail. It also highlights tobaccos from Ecuador as it features an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder, over Dominican fillers.

Finally, there was the Macanudo Heritage Nuevo. It’s a spin on Macanudo’s Café line. The Heritage Nuevo uses the same blend as the Café, but replaces the U.S. Connecticut Shade wrapper with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper cultivated by an independent grower in Ecuador’s Los Rios province.

Odyssey

Odyssey is a value-priced bundle brand made by General Cigar. This year the company introduced a sweet tip offering in the brand known as Odyssey Sweet Tip.

It’s the fourth blend offered under the Odyssey brand. As the name indicates the Odyssey Sweet Tip features a sweetened cap. Pricing ranges from $1.69 to $2.59 per cigar and is packaged in 20-count bundles.

Photo Credit: General Cigar Company

Partagas

If I had to make a guess for what General’s showcase brand for 2020 will be, it would be Partagas. This is one of the staple brands in the General portfolio. This year didn’t see a new core release, but General did bring back one of the more iconic releases it has had in the brand with the Partagas Limited Reserva Decadas 2019. It’s the first time the cigar has been released in over a decade.

While it still features the same blend highlighted by Cameroon wrapper (which is set aside for ten years of aging) as well as the signature crystal tubes, the Decadas did undergo a packaging upgrade. It’s described as a limited release and production numbers have not been disclosed.

Punch

It was a quieter year for Punch in 2019. Like La Gloria Cubana, the newer Punch offerings were released prior to the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show. This year saw two line extensions to Punch Diablo, a blend done by AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua.

This year saw the addition of the Punch Diablo Stump and Punch Diablo El Diablo. Stump is a 4 1/2 x 60 figurado that resembles a bowling pin shape similar to what was released in the Punch Champion line. El Diablo is a large 6 1/2 x 66 box-pressed offering.

IPCPR Product Reports

• CAO Session Introduced at 2019 IPCPR
• CAO Flathead V19 Showcased at 2019 IPCPR
• CAO Orellana Introduced at 2019 IPCPR
• Cohiba Spectre 2019 Launched at 2019 IPCPR
• Cohiba Connecticut Slated for March Release
• Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Coming in June
• Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra to Launch at 2019 IPCPR
• Hoyo de Monterrey El Torcedor Launched at 2019 IPCPR
• La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press Hits Stores
• Macanudo Inspirado Palladium Introduced at 2019 IPCPR
• M Bourbon by Macanudo Debuts at 2019 IPCPR
• Macanudo Heritage Nuevo Launches at 2019
• Odyssey Sweet Tip Launched at 2019 IPCPR Trade Show
• Partagas Limited Reserva Decadas 2019 Showcased at IPCPR
• Punch Diablo Adds Two Sizes

Bear Duplisea contributed content to this report.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.

Earlier today came word that four of the largest cigar companies: Altadis U.S.A., General Cigar Company, Davidoff of Geneva, and Drew Estate were not going to be attending the 2020 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. These companies are owners of some of the most popular cigar brands in the world.

The following is a list of the brands that will not be exhibited at the cigar industry’s biggest event this summer. This is not meant to be an inclusive list, but a snapshot at some of the more popular lines.

• ACID (Drew Estate)
• AVO (Davidoff)
• Camacho (Davidoff)
• CAO (General)
• Cohiba (General)
• Davidoff (Davidoff)
• Davidoff Winston Churchill (Davidoff)
• Deadwood Tobacco (Drew Estate)
• Diesel (General)
• Florida Sun Grown (Drew Estate)
• H. Upmann (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Henry Clay (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Herrera Esteli (Drew Estate)
• Hoyo de Monterrey (General)
• Kentucky Fire Cured (Drew Estate)
• La Gloria Cubana (General)
• Laratan (Drew Estate)
• Liga Privada (Drew Estate)
• Macanudo (General)
• Montecristo (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Partagas (General)
• Punch (General)
• Romeo y Julieta (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Saint Luis Rey (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Tabak Especial (Drew Estate)
• Undercrown (Drew Estate)
• Trinidad (Altadis U.S.A.)
• VegaFina (Altadis U.S.A.)
• Zino (Davidoff)

Cigar Coop has confirmed that Drew Estate’s withdrawal also includes Joya de Nicaragua – which is distributed by Drew Estate. Santa Clara Cigars, the distribution arm for JR Cigar and Casa de Montecristo will also not be attending the PCA Trade Show. It is anticipated that Aging Room Cigars distributed by Altadis U.S.A. will not be attending either.

While it didn’t have a formal launch at ProCigar 2020, attendees of the event received what is to be the sixth installment of Macanudo’s Inspirado Series, the Macanudo Inspirado Green.

The Macanudo Inspirado Green features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper – marking the first time that wrapper has been used on a Macanudo. The remainder of the blend consists of a Indonesian binder and a combination of Colombian and Dominican tobaccos. The cigars come in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 50), and Churchill (7 x 48). The cigars are packaged in 20-count boxes.

The Macanudo Inspirado line brings a contemporary look to the Macanudo brand.General had originally launched the line in Europe in 2014.  In 2016, General introduced the Macanudo Inspirado Orange to the U.S. market. In 2017, the line was rounded out with the new Macanudo Inspirado White and a revamped (from the European release) Macanudo Inspirado Black blend. 2018 saw the Macanudo Inspirado Red become the fourth blend under the Inspirado line. Last year, the fifth installment was released with Macanudo Inspirado Palladium.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Inspirado Green:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Colombian, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Robusto: 5 x 52
Toro: 6 x 50
Churchill: 7 x 48

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop

Tonight, we are proud to welcome Laurel Tilley from General Cigar Company. Laurel’s the brand ambassador for one of the largest cigar brands in the world, Macanudo. We’ll talk about the whole story of Macanudo as well as the latest happenings in the brand.

Also our Live True segments will cover soft drinks and in our Deliberation Segment we will discuss a controversial cigar review that was published this past week.

Tune in live at 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific. If you miss us, you can catch Prime Time at any time on Google Play Music, iTunes, Podbean, and YouTube. The Prime Time Show – all about industry people and industry talk.

Tonight, we are proud to welcome Laurel Tilley from General Cigar Company. Laurel’s the brand ambassador for one of the largest cigar brands in the world, Macanudo. We’ll talk about the whole story of Macanudo as well as the latest happenings in the brand.

Also our Live True segment will cover soft drinks and in our Deliberation Segment we will discuss a controversial cigar review that was published this past week.

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Don’t forget, you can catch us on Google Play Music, iTunes, Podbean, and YouTube. The Prime Time Network of shows – the shows focusing on #industrytalk and #industrypeople.

Tonight we continue our look at the people behind General Cigar Company as we welcome Steve Abbot, Senior Brand Manager.

Steve has responsibilities for both the Macanudo and La Gloria Cubana brands and we will dive into each of these with Steve, plus get to know a little more about Steve and his role in the industry. Steve also has some interests outside the cigar industry and we will touch on that as well.

In our Deliberation Segment, we will do some post-game on last week’s Virtual Trade Show and give you our scorecard on how the various companies are doing this summer.

Tune in live at 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific. If you miss us, you can catch Prime Time at any time on Google Play Music, iTunes, Podbean, and YouTube. The Prime Time Show – all about industry people and industry talk.