The Smoking Syndicate Roundtable is back!!! Tonight the Coalition tackles the Macanudo Flint Knoll Churchill.

Flint Knoll is a winery that is located in the Napa Valley.The release features a proprietary Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that was grown exclusively for Macanudo. This leaf is aged in French Oak barrels that were used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tune in and find out what the Roundtable thinks of this release.

This will be live-streamed off The Smoking Syndicate Facebook page. A condensed version will be packaged after the show as well on YouTube and on our podcast network. Broadcast time is 9:30pm Eastern time, 8:30pm Central time.

Editor’s Note:  This is the edited YouTube video of our live Roundtable from Facebook.

The Smoking Syndicate Roundtable is back!!! Tonight the Coalition tackles the Macanudo Flint Knoll Churchill.

Flint Knoll is a winery that is located in the Napa Valley.The release features a proprietary Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that was grown exclusively for Macanudo. This leaf is aged in French Oak barrels that were used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tune in and find out what the Roundtable thinks of this release.

This will be live-streamed off The Smoking Syndicate Facebook page. A condensed version will be packaged after the show as well on YouTube and on our podcast network. Broadcast time is 9:30pm Eastern time, 8:30pm Central time.

Macanudo Jamao Toro

In 2022, General Cigar Company released the seventh installment under its Macanudo Inspirado Series, the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao. The Macanudo Inspirado Series is a series of cigars under General Cigar Company’s Macanudo brand that brings a contemporary look and feel. It also served as an innovation platform for the Macanudo brand – incorporating things the brand hasn’t seen before. For example, 2018’s Macanudo Inspirado Red was the first box-pressed Macanudo and the previously released Inspirado, the Macanudo Inspirado Green, would bring a Brazilian wrapper to the Macanudo line for the first time. In the case of Macanudo Inspirado Jamao, it uses a proprietary wrapper grown in the Dominican Republic’s Mao region using a Habano seed varietal that originated in the Jamastran region of Honduras (the name Jamao originates from Ja (Jamastran)+Mao). Today we take a closer look at Macanudo Inspirado Jamao in the Toro size.

The Macanudo Inspirado line was originally launched in Europe in 2014. It wasn’t until 2016 that the line was introduced to the U.S. market. Below is a list of the Macanudo Inspirado releases

• Macanudo Inspirado Orange
• Macanudo Inspirado White
• Macanudo Inspirado Black
• Macanudo Inspirado Red
• Macanudo Inspirado Palladium
• Macanudo Inspirado Green
• Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade
• Macanudo Inspirado Jamao
• Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the proprietary Habano wrapper, the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao features a Honduran binder and fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Production comes from Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG)’s General Cigar Dominicana facility in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Habano (Mao Region in Dominican from Jamastran seed)
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

The Macanudo Inspirado Jamao is offered in two sizes – each presented in 20-count boxes. A total of 2,300 boxes were released for the U.S. market.

Toro: 5 3/4 x 52
Churchill: 7 x 49

Appearance

The wrapper of the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro had a light rosado shade to it. There was a very light sheen of oil on the surface of the wrapper. The wrapper had some visible veins that were on the surface of the wrapper. There were also some thin wrapper seams that were visible.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro, a straight cut was used to remove the cap of the cigar. From that point, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of wood, cedar, and citrus sweetness. This was not the most exciting of pre-light draws. Since the pre-light draw is not factored into the numerical score or value rating, there was no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to toast up the foot of the Macanudo Inspiration Jamao Toro and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Macnanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro opened up with a combination of classic wood, cedar, earth, and tannin notes. Early on the wood notes moved into the forefront. The tannin, cedar, and earth notes settled in the background. As the cigar moved through the first third, the tannin notes joined the wood in the forefront. In addition, some black pepper notes also surfaced in the background, and these notes also became present on the retro-hale.

Late in the first third, there were some citric sweet qualities that were joined at the hip with the Tannin notes. As the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro moved into the second third, the wood and tannins remained in the forefront. The earth notes occasionally popped into the forefront. The cedar and pepper notes remained in the background.

The last third saw the wood and tannin remain grounded in the forefront. The sweetness that was complementing the tannin notes was gone. There was more pepper and cedar than earlier on, but they had not moved into the forefront. In addition, some earth notes remained. This is the way the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao came to a close. The cigar finished with a soft, cool nub.

Burn

The Macanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro had a jagged burn line and at times meandered off the burn path. This resulted in the cigar requiring multiple touch-ups. The resulting ash was a near medium-gray with some dark spots. This wasn’t the firmest ash, but it wasn’t loose nor flaky either. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Macanudo Jamao Toro

Draw

The draw for the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao Toro was slightly on the open side. Normally I like a touch more resistance on the draw. This was also a cigar where it was low maintenance to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

Overall the Macnaudo Inspirado Jamao Toro started with mild to medium-strength and medium-bodied flavors. There was a nominal increase in both attributes. By the second half, the strength level also was in the medium range. As for the body, it remained in the medium range for the duration of the smoking experience.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The Macanudo Inspirado Series started out with each blend being named after a color. Lately, the Inspirado Series has moved away from that naming convention and has focused on the innovation of the blend (i.e. in this case the “Jamao” Habano seed). At the same time, the colors continue to be an important part of the packaging. Light blue is the dominant color on the band. While it isn’t necessarily my favorite color for a cigar band, it still does look nice against the lighter rosado shade of the wrapper.  The box isn’t as blue-centric as it is white with a geometric pattern on it.

Photo Credit: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When I first heard of the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao from Genera Cigar, I was quite excited.  While some of the Inspirado releases have been better than others, I always liked the innovation platform the innovation series has presented. Unfortunately, the Macanudo Inspirado Jamao did not deliver. There was not only a lack of a balanced flavor profile, but the flavors produced were disappointing. I wanted to like the cigar because of the Jamao wrapper, but the blend was not enjoyable. This one pains me to say, but I cannot recommend this cigar.

Summary

Key Flavors:  Wood, Tannin Notes, Earth, Cedar, Pepper, Citrus
Burn: Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Not Recommended
Score: 85

REFERENCES

News: General Cigar Announces Macanudo Inspirado Jamao
Price: $10.49
Source: General Cigar/Purchased
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted

Over the past few years, the several brands of Scandinavian Tobacco Group have been engaging in collaborations with various spirits companies, some involving utilizing barrel-aged tobacco. Such projects have come to the Diesel (Rabbit Hole Distilling), Cohiba (Weller), and even a Buffalo Trace branded line. In 2022, Macanudo became one of the STG brands which would engage in a collaboration involving barrel-aged tobacco. For this project, Macanudo would engage with Napa Valley-based winery Flint Knoll. What was different about this project compared to the other STG barrel-aged collaborations is that Macanudo would be working with a winery as opposed to a distillery – and that the barrels used for the barrel-aged tobacco would be aged in French Oak barrels that were used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  The result would be a limited edition cigar known as the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll. Today we take a closer look at this cigar in the Churchill size.

The barrel aging process used for the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll is consistent with what has been used across the other STG barrel-aged collaborations. This aging process involves putting the tobacco that is being used as the binder leaf into the barrels. In this case, the tobacco that is barrel aged is a proprietary Connecticut Broadleaf leaf.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll features six different tobaccos from five countries. In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf binder, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll features a filler blend of Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Olor, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Jalapa. The cigar is finished with an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Fillers: Brazilian Mata FIna, Nicaraguan (Jalapa), Dominican (Olor, Piloto Cubano)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

The Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll was released in two sizes: Toro and Churchill and presented in ten-count boxes

Toro: 6 x 54
Churchill: 7 x 52

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill had a classic golden light brown color to it. There wasn’t much oil on the surface of this wrapper. There was a slight amount of toothiness on the surface. In addition, there were some visible veins and noticeable wrapper seams.

There was some inconsistency in the look of the wrapper when it was smoked by our team as a part of The Smoking Syndicate Roundtable (see section below). My wrapper seemed more pristine while some of the other team members had a more rustic look. Appearance is not scored, but it is noted for assessment purposes.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. It should be noted this is somewhat of a delicate wrapper, so the cut should be placed very carefully. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence the pre-light draw. The cold draw was mostly a classic Connecticut Shade profile of notes of wood and fruit along with some earth notes. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to remove the footer band of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill, toast up the footer and proceed to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill opened up with notes of fruit, creamy vanilla, wood, earth, and a slight amount of char and black pepper. The fruit notes have a slight dryness and slight acid component to them that make it reminiscent of a wine sweetness. The fact that this cigar is milder in body does not make the sweetness overpowering, which works in favor of this blend. Early on the vanilla and fruit notes developed a fusion of the two notes. Along with the creaminess, the creamy vanilla/fruit fusion moved to the forefront. The earth, wood, char, and pepper notes settled into the background. The vanilla/fruit sweetness along with some pepper was present on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill, the vanilla/fruit sweetness receded slightly leaving the earth notes in the forefront. Some of the creaminess receded from the vanilla/fruit fusion. During this stage, some cedar noes also emerged in the background with the earth, wood, char, and pepper. The creaminess subsided during this stage and by the end of the second third, it had dissipated.

By the final third, the earth notes still remained in the forefront. The vanilla/fruit, cedar, wood, earth, and pepper notes remained and were now joined by a slight amount of sourdough notes. There was a little less of the vanilla/fruit sweetness, and a little more wood and pepper present. This is the way the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While the burn of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill needed some touch-ups, the touch-ups did the trick in terms of keeping a straight burn path and a relatively straight burn line. The resulting ash was on the firm side with a mostly light gray color. As for the burn temperature, this was ideal. On each of the samples smoked, the burn rate was quite rapid. For a 7″ inch cigar, it took about an average of 76 minutes of smoking time.

Draw

The draw to the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill had a touch of resistance to it. This is something that is a personal preference of this author. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

As mentioned earlier, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill is a milder cigar. This is a cigar that started out with mild strength, and by the second half, this cigar got into the mild to medium strength category. The flavors started out mild to medium in body before progressing to medium-bodied in the second half.

Throughout the smoking experience of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill, the body maintained an edge over the strength.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

I like the presentation of the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll. The primary band is white with a copper font. There is a secondary band around the footer with copper and white font. The banding seemed to be structured for more Flint Knoll releases down the line. The primary band serves as a common denominator for the line. The secondary band says “BARREL AGED – CABERNET SAUVIGNON – FRENCH OAK” and could be used for other wine down the road.

In the box, each of the cigars was housed in an individual slot. As you can see from the photo, some of the cigars appeared to roll slightly. There was one cigar from this box that did have a crack. Like Appearance, Banding and Packaging is not scored, so no loss of points here.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Simply put, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill is not only one of the best Macanudo cigars I have had in some time, but it is one of the best releases from Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) that I have also had in some time. This cigar fires on all cylinders – flavor, construction, and complexity. The flavors delivered are unique and enjoyable. I’ve seen a lot of premium Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade cigars hit the market – and this one stands up with some of the best. The drawback is that this was a limited release, so unless STG decides to make another batch of these, I’m not sure when we will see them. At around $22.00 per cigar, Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill is not an inexpensive investment, but it’s one that I would smoke again. It is also a cigar that garners box-worthy purchase consideration. Coming in at 91 points, this cigar exceeds the threshold for Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence.

The Smoking Syndicate Review

The Smoking Syndicate featured the Macanudo Flint Knoll Churchill on Roundtable #11 in 2023.

Note: Due to age restrictions, you may need to click Watch on YouTube below to view.

Summary

Key Flavors:  Vanilla, Fruit, Cedar, Wood, Cream, Earth, Sourdough, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium to High
Strength: Mild (1st Half), Mild to Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Box Worthy Consideration
Score: 91
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence

REFERENCES

News: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Becomes STG’s Latest Barrel-Aged Collaboration
Price: $21.99
Source: General Cigar/Purchased
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

General Cigar Company has announced the latest cigar in the Macanudo Vintage series, the Macanudo Vintage 2013. This cigar is highlighted by a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper grown and harvested in 2013 that General Cigar Company has deemed exceptional.

According to General Cigar, 2013 saw some of the highest temperatures on record in the Connecticut River Valley, with soaring humidity and optimal rainfall that yielded an exceptionally brawny Broadleaf tobacco, thus leading to what was an exceptional tobacco to use.

In a press release, Ernest Gocaj who oversees the Connecticut growing operations for Macanudo, added “The growing season in 2013 was one of the best I’ve ever seen. The crop was exceptional at harvest, which meant that we had to be obsessive when it came to monitoring the tobacco during the eight-week curing process. That’s how important curing is. Our hard work paid off because we ultimately brought the tobacco’s very best attributes to life.”

The blend for the Macanudo Vintage 2013 is a five-country multi-national blend. In addition to the 2013 Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the blend features a Honduran OSA binder with fillers made up of Dominican Piloto Cubano from two different primings, Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Jalapa.

The cigar is available in three sizes -each presented in 20-count boxes: Robusto (5 x 50, SRP $11.99/cigar), Toro Grande (6 x 54, SRP $12.99/cigar), and Churchill (7 x 49, SRP $13.29/cigar).

The cigar is currently shipping to retailers. General Cigar Company (and the Macanudo brand) are not participating in the 2023 PCA Trade Show taking place this month.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Vintage 2013:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf, 2013 Vintage
Binder: Honduran OSA
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano (2 primings), Brazilian Mata Fina, Nicaraguan Jalapa
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro Grande: 6 x 54
Churchill: 7 x 49

Photo Credits: Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Once again, General Cigar’s Macanudo brand is teaming up with Napa Valley’s Flint Knoll Winery to release the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2. Like the original Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll release, the cigar contains a binder leaf that was aged in Flint Knoll French Oak wine barrels.

The blend for the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2. is similar to the original Estate Reserve Flint Knoll cigar. The blend features an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and a filler blend of Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Olor, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Jalapa. The Connecticut Broadleaf binder tobacco is what is aged in the Flint Knoll French Oak wine barrels. The French Oak barrels used were for Flint Knoll’s 2019 Royal Appointment Cabernet Sauvignon.

In a press release, Justin Andrews, new business development manager for Scandinavian Tobacco Group, reported, “Together with Jhonys Diaz, Yuri Guillen and our blend development team at General Cigar Dominicana, we created a new method of aging binder leaf in wine barrels for Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll. It was a time and labor-intensive process, one that had us test binder varietals and aging durations. We ultimately achieved the complexity and nuances we were looking for in the smoking experience.”

Produced at General Cigar Dominicana in the Dominican Republic, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2 is available in two sizes – each presented in ten-count boxes: Toro (6 x 54, SRP $19.99/cigar) and Churchill (7 x 52, SRP $21.99/cigar).

“By aging the binder leaf in our French Oak barrels, the complexity and spice of our 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon comes to life in a distinctive new smoking experience that’s spicier than the original release. Those who enjoy Macanudo Estate Reserve No. 2 should expect a cigar with notes of creamy vanilla, toasted almonds, dark currants and cedar,” added Flint Knoll Proprietor Aaron Michaelis.

The Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2 is expected to ship to retailers on October 2, 2023.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Fillers: Brazilian Mata FIna, Nicaraguan (Jalapa), Dominican (Olor, Piloto Cubano)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

Toro: 6 x 54
Churchill: 7 x 52

Photo Credits: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG)

The post Cigar News: General Cigar Announces Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2 appeared first on Cigar Coop.

General Cigar is releasing two samplers around its Macanudo brand: The Macaundo Vintage Four Pack and the Macanudo Perfect Sampler.

The Macanudo Four Pack consists of two Macanudo Vintage 2010 cigars and two Macanudo Vintage Maduro 2013.

• Macanudo Vintage 2010 Toro Grande: 6 5/8 x 54
• Macanudo Vintage 2010 Torpedo: 6 1/4 x 52
• Macanudo Vintage Maduro 2013 Toro Grande: 6 x 54
• Macanudo Vintage Maduro 2013 Churchill: 7 x 49

The Macanudo Vintage 2010 blend consists of an aged Connecticut Shade wrapper, a Honduran binder and Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican Piloto Cubano 94 filler. The Macanudo Vintage 2013 consists of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Honduran OSA binder and Dominican Piloto Cubano, Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Jalapa filler. Pricing on the Macanudo Vintage Four Pack is set at $49.99.

The Macanudo Perfect Sampler is a five-pack sampler and consists of three M by Macanudo Coffee cigars and two M by Macanudo Espresso cigars. Pricing for the five-pack is set at $44.99.

The M by Macunudo Coffee and My by Macanudo Coffee Espresso each feature an Indonesian wrapper, a Philippine binders and long-filler Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Both samplers are currently available to be shipped to retailers.

Photo Credits: Scandinavian Tobacco Group

The post Cigar News: General Cigar Releasing Two Macanudo Samplers appeared first on Cigar Coop.

#6 2023 Cigar of the Year: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022

SPECIFICATIONS

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Fillers: Brazilian Mata FIna, Nicaraguan (Jalapa), Dominican (Olor, Piloto Cubano)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana
Churchill: 7 x 52
Price: $21.99

Sponsor: Yes
Samples Provided for Initial Review: Yes
Review: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill (2022) (6/6/23)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 10 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023)

The Details

The #6 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 edition. Over the past few years, several Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) brands have been collaborating with various spirits companies, some involving utilizing barrel-aged tobacco. In 2022, Macanudo became one of the STG brands that would collaborate with barrel-aged tobacco. For its project, Macanudo would engage with Napa Valley-based winery Flint Knoll. What was different about this project compared to the other STG barrel-aged collaborations is that Macanudo would be working with a winery as opposed to a distillery – and that the barrels used for aging tobacco would be French Oak barrels that were previously used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

The barrel aging process used for the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll is consistent with what has been used across the other STG barrel-aged collaborations. This aging process involves putting the tobacco that is being used as the binder leaf into the barrels. For the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll, a proprietary Connecticut Broadleaf leaf was aged in the wine barrels. In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf binder, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll features a filler blend of Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Olor, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Jalapa. The wrapper on the cigar is an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade leaf. The Churchill size measures 7 x 52.

The Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill delivers a complex smoking experience. The cigar delivered notes of vanilla, fruit, cedar, wood, cream, earth, sourdough, and pepper. This is a more dialed-back, nuanced smoke. It’s a cigar that is mild in strength and mild to medium in body to start before progressing to mild to medium strength and medium-bodied in the second half.

This is the 10th year STG has placed at least one cigar on a Cigar Coop Countdown. For Macanudo, it’s the first time in 13 years that the brand has landed on the Cigar Coop Countdown. If you are keeping score at home, this is the eighth cigar from the Dominican Republic to land on the Countdown.

REFERENCES

• For details on how the 2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown works, see our 2023 criteria.
• Full 2023 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown

Photo/Media Credits: Cigar Coop

The post 2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #6: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 appeared first on Cigar Coop.

Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro

Today, we take a look at the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro, a limited edition cigar introduced in 2023. The Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged is the ninth installment in General Cigar Company’s Macanudo Inspirado series. The Macanudo Inspirado Series is a series of cigars under General Cigar Company’s Macanudo brand that brings a contemporary look and feel. It also served as an innovation platform for the Macanudo brand – incorporating things the brand hasn’t seen before. For example, the Macanudo Inspirado Red was the first box-pressed Macanudo, while the Macanudo Inspirado Green would bring a Brazilian wrapper to the Macanudo line for the first time. In the case of Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged, General Cigar brings in a classic aging technique known as tercio aging. Tercio aging involves aging tobacco in handmade bales made of royal palm bark. In this case, it is Dominican Piloto Cubano that is aging for six months. According to General Cigar, the tercios round out the tobacco in a way that is not attainable through other methods, delivering deep nuances and heightened aroma. While it’s not necessarily a contemporary technique used with this release, it is another example of Inspirado’s innovation.

The Macanudo Inspirado line was initially launched in Europe in 2014. It wasn’t until 2016 that the line was introduced to the U.S. market. Below is a list of the Macanudo Inspirado releases:

• Macanudo Inspirado Orange
• Macanudo Inspirado White
• Macanudo Inspirado Black
• Macanudo Inspirado Red
• Macanudo Inspirado Palladium
• Macanudo Inspirado Green
• Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade
• Macanudo Inspirado Jamao
• Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged

For now, let’s turn our attention to the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged features a multinational blend highlighted by a San Andres Mexican wrapper. The remainder of the blend consists of an Indonesian binder and a combination of Colombian and Dominican tobacco. It is the Dominican Piloto Cubano that is aged in tercios.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Colombia, Dominican (Dominican Piloto Cubano Tercio-Aged)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Vitolas Offered

The cigars come in two sizes: Toro and Churchill – packaged in ten-count boxes. A combined total of 3,400 boxes were released in the U.S. market. Production comes from General Cigar Dominicana in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Toro: 6 x 54
Churchill: 7 x 49

Appearance

The Mexican San Andres wrapper of the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro had a classic roasted coffee bean color. On the surface of the wrapper, there was some oil. This was a wrapper that was definitely on the toothy side. The surface of the wrapper had some visible wrapper seams and some thin visible veins.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro cap. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered notes of cocoa and leather with a slight astringent component. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this time, I moved on to light up the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro and proceeded with the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro opened up with chocolate, anise, coffee, earth, and cedar notes. It didn’t take long for the chocolate notes to move into the forefront. The anise, coffee, earth, and cedar notes settled into the background. On the retro-hale, there was a layer of red pepper present.

As the second third of the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro commenced, the chocolate notes remained primary. Notes of mixed pepper emerged in the background on the tongue. The pepper notes, along with the coffee notes, increased in intensity. The coffee notes increased more rapidly, and by the midway point, they displaced the chocolate notes in the forefront. The chocolate settled in the background with the anise, earth, cedar, and pepper notes.

The final third saw the coffee notes remain grounded in the forefront. The pepper notes still increased at a gradual rate. Meanwhile, anise, earth, and chocolate notes remained in the background. This is the way the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Regarding its burn, the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro delivered a nice performance. This cigar required minimal touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path. Except for a slight amount of waviness, the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro had a relatively straight burn line. The color of the resulting ash was primarily silver-gray with some darker streaks mixed in. This was an ash that was on the firmer side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro

Draw

The draw of the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro delivered a nice performance as well. There was a touch of resistance on this draw – and that is something that I have a preference for. An ample amount of smoke was produced from the Tercio-Aged Toro.

Strength and Body

Given the blend’s use of Indonesian and Colombian tobacco, I expected a cigar on the milder side. Instead, the cigar treated me to a medium-strength, medium-bodied experience. The Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro had a slight increase in intensity for both the strength and body, but in the end, this cigar remained in the medium range for both attributes. In terms of strength and body, the body maintained a slight edge.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The Macanudo Inspirado Series started with each blend being named after a color. Lately, the Inspirado Series has moved away from that naming convention and focused on the blend’s innovation (i.e., the Tercio Aging). At the same time, the colors continue to be an essential part of the packaging. I found the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged to be unique as it featured colors reminiscent of tobacco leaves in the process of curing.

Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro Packaging

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro was an excellent cigar. I encounter a lot of cigars with various innovations – whether its tobacco or tobacco processing techniques. In quite a few of those cases, the cigars do not deliver on its promise. With the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Toro, this was not the case. This enjoyable cigar delivered on the most crucial attribute – flavor. The flavors delivered were unique and had enough complexity to satisfy. With a price point of $10.49, this is also a good value in today’s market.

Ultimately, this is a cigar I would not hesitate to recommend to either the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would buy multiples of and smoke again. With a score of 90 points, the Macanudo Inspirado Tercio earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence.

Summary

Key Flavors:  Coffee, Chocolate, Anise, Cedar, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence

REFERENCES

News: Macanudo Inspirado Tercio-Aged Coming in April
Price: $10.49
Source: General Cigar
Brand Reference: Macanudo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted

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Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) has added three new Club Macanudo-branded lounges. Club Macanudo is a series of upscale luxury cigar lounges. The new lounges are located in Bossier City, Louisiana; Taipei, Taiwan; and Jakarta, Indonesia. The total number of Club Macanudo lounges worldwide is now five.

Bossier City, Louisiana

First, a new Club Macanudo opened in Bossier City, Louisiana, just outside Shreveport on February 17. This lounge was developed in partnership with Margaritaville Resort Casino and Southern Smoke Cigar Company. The club has a bar, al-fresco lounge, and a peninsula-shaped, glass-enclosed humidor.

Chris Tarr is the vice president of marketing for Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), which owns Club Macanudo and the Macanudo brand. He had this to say, “The opening of Club Macanudo Bossier City marks a significant step in the expansion of our premium cigar lounge platform. With this strategic addition to the growing Club Macanudo collection, we have aligned our brand with the resort-casino occasion, delivering a new touchpoint for cigar smokers to indulge in their passion for handmade cigars. We will continue to explore opportunities to develop additional lounges that align with brands across our entire portfolio.”

Daniel Ihm, senior vice president and general manager of Margaritaville Resort Casino, added, “We are excited to partner with Southern Smoke Cigar Company, a locally owned and operated business, and Scandinavian Tobacco Group, a global leader in the premium cigar space. This partnership and opening of the Club Macanudo cigar lounge enhances our best-in-class casino resort and provides another dimension of in-property relaxation for Margaritaville Resort Casino guests and adult consumers in the Shreveport/Bossier City market to enjoy.”

Taipei, Taiwan

Second, a new Club Macanudo opened on February 27 in Taipei, Taiwan. It is located in Xinyi, the central business district of Taipei. Xinyi is considered to be the financial and fashion epicenter in Taiwan. The Club consists of an elegantly-appointed smoking lounge and bar, retail space and an al fresco smoking lounge with intriguing views of Taipei.

Régis Broersma, senior vice president of Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s (STG) North America Branded and Rest of World Division and president of General Cigar, states, “As the Macanudo brand continues to grow globally, particularly in Asia, Club Macanudo Taipei represents our ongoing commitment to providing consumers with occasions for indulging in handmade cigars. This location was developed to blend seamlessly into the fabric of Taipei, offering a stylish and welcoming haven for the region’s cigar smokers and those who visit this world-class city. We believe that Club Macanudo Taipei sets the stage perfectly for the continued expansion of Club Macanudo, both in Asia and beyond.”

Jakarta, Indonesia

Third, a lounge is opening in Jakarta, Indonesia on February 29. It is located in the premier district of South Jakarta. This area features five-star hotels, a golf resort, and the upscale shopping/business district of Senayan City. The club consists of a smoking lounge, private VIP rooms and retail space.

“We are pleased to offer cigar enthusiasts who live in and visit Jakarta with the opportunity to experience Macanudo in a rarefied environment that complements the cosmopolitan vibe of the city, and we believe that Club Macanudo will be a successful addition to our growing collection of Club Macanudo lounges,” added Broersma.

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All three locations include a selection of STG-branded cigars. In addition to Bossier City, Taipei, and Jakarta, there are Club Macanudo locations in New York and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Moreover, STG also operates a Macanudo-branded, luxury retail shop and cigar lounge in Copenhagen called “Cigar Shop Macanudo.”

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

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