Tag Archives: macanudo

by | July 28, 2021 · 9:09 pm

News: Macanudo Announces the Macanudo Vintage 2010

It’s another Wednesday where I really haven’t smoked anything new to write about. I smoked some classic cigars over the last few days, a Don CArlos No. 2, a LFD Double Ligero Maduro, and a Joya de Nicaragua Antaño, for instance. So here’s some news from General Cigar. One of my favorite Macanudos was the Vintage 1997, the maduro with the metal band. The metal bands were cool, but impractical. They caused problems in the humidor, and were unwieldy. The cigars were exceptional though. I remember seeing them making the boxes in the Dominican Republic when I visited the factory, and I still have a box on my desk with nick nacks in it. 

 

The world’s first Vintage cigar was created by Macanudo nearly 40 years ago to spotlight an exceptional wrapper developed in part by Mother Nature herself. Today, the Vintage tradition continues with Macanudo Vintage 2010, thanks to ideal climatic conditions, meticulous curing and precise maturation techniques perfected by the artisans of Macanudo.

The 2010 growing season saw the highest temperatures in 25 years in the Connecticut River Valley, with high humidity and optimal rainfall that yielded an exceptionally silky shade-grown wrapper tobacco. Cured and aged for an entire decade to bring forth an array of pleasing notes on the palate, this singular tobacco makes its debut in Macanudo Vintage 2010.

Ernest Gocaj who oversees the Connecticut growing operations for Macanudo said, “We could not have asked for a better growing season than we had in 2010. Yet this is only part of the story. After such a beautiful crop is harvested, the hard work begins again because the most critical process for growing tobacco is curing. Given how unique and special this crop was, we were obsessive in monitoring the tobacco throughout the eight-week curing process, and ultimately brought its very best attributes to life.”

 

A deeply-aged assortment of tobaccos complement this exceptional wrapper to deliver the mellow indulgence that is Macanudo Vintage 2010. The blend features Dominican Piloto Cubano 94, a proprietary Cuban-seed varietal regenerated by General Cigar’s agronomists over a ten-year process that ultimately resurrected the unique aroma and taste characteristics the tobacco possessed two decades earlier. The Dominican Piloto Cubano 94 is married to hand-selected Nicaraguan and Honduran leaves, aged three and five years, respectively. The blend is bound with a Honduran leaf.

 

With a fragrant cedar aroma, this creamy, mellow smoke has indulgent notes of wood and vanilla and a lightly herbaceous finish, and all the makings of an incredibly memorable smoking experience.

 

Macanudo Vintage 2010 will be released on August 17 in three sizes, each developed to enhance the superlative wrapper tobacco. The cigars are presented in handmade, solid wood boxes that protect 20 expertly-crafted cigars, each made by artisans at General Cigar Dominicana in Santiago, DR.

 

Toro Grande (6.625” x 54); SRP per cigar $11.99

Torpedo (6.25” x 52); SRP per cigar $11.99

Churchill (7.25 x 48); SRP per cigar $12.29

 

 

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by | May 11, 2021 · 9:40 pm

Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade, Cohiba Serie M and Some News

I am going to try to rewrite the post that I lost Sunday, it probably won’t be as fantastic as that one, but who will know? It’s always the brilliant posts that disappear! I should learn to write my posts in Notes or something other than directly in WordPress, but I never learn. It’s supposed to autosave, and usually does, but every now and then there’s a glitch that is irritating (OK, it makes me nearly lose my mind). Anyway, I was writing about the new Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade, a cigar I smoked last week. I posted about this in the middle of April (HERE). This is the sixth Macanudo Inspirado, There’s the Orange, White, Black, Red, and Green, the last of which is the Brazilian Maduro. Oddly, the Red is my favorite of the bunch, although I bought some of the Orange in a small torpedo shape in Iceland, where Thulin, who owns the cigar shop in Reykjavik, told me was his best seller. It was a little over $8, which was inexpensive by Icelandic standards, where the Cuban cigars, and most everything else, were very expensive. By the way, fun fact, if you Google “cigars in Iceland my article is still one of the top search results. Clearly there isn’t a lot written about cigars in Iceland. The Inspirado Brazilian Shade is an interesting cigar. I admit to shade cigars not being my first choice, but this one was delicious. I like the fact that the toro size is 6½” x 52, and I would certainly smoke the Churchill size too. It was a nice, long, cool smoke, with rich, sweet, creamy flavor. I found it to be quite enjoyable. While I do enjoy the Macanudo Inspirado White (for a Connecticut Shade cigar), I liked this one quite a bit more, much like I enjoy the Green Brazilian maduro over the Inspirado Black, which, oddly enough for a Maduro lover, is my least favorite in the range. 

 

Last week I also smoked a couple of the new Cohiba Serie M, the new Cohiba made at El Titan de Bronze in Miami. As I posted In the press release in early April (HERE), This is the first Cohiba made in the U.S., of course Sean Williams had cigars made at El Titan de Bronze for his company El Primer Mundo in the past, so he’s familiar with the factory. I first met Sean at the 2011 IPCPR show, along with his buddy, and El Titan’s owner, Sandy Cobas’ son-in-law Willy Herrera, before he went to work for Drew Estate. I’m 6′ tall and felt short with those two, by the way. Anyway, I guess I’ve known Sean a long time, I consider him a friend, and I’m so happy he’s been able to make this cigar. Another first for Cohiba is the Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, which is closed at the food and finished with a fan at the head. It’s a fairly delicate leaf, and the cigar is very good. It’s a sophisticated cigar. as a $30 should be. I’m reminded of another favorite cigar of mine which was also made at the same factory, of which I am hoarding  a small stash. It’s a smooth, delicious cigar, with some sweet wood and spice. 

 

It’s old news now, but I was going to include it in Sunday’s post, so I might as well include it here, as it fits in with the theme of this post. I don’t think I’ve had a Macanudo Gold Label since my visit to the General Cigar factory back in 2011. I can’t believe it’s been nearly ten years! Is it time for a reunion? 

 

MACANUDO GOLD LABEL RETURNS TO RETAIL

Macanudo Gold Label is making its annual return for a limited time only and is marking the occasion with a new, limited edition parejo.

 

Originally released in 2002, the line was inspired by a special golden Connecticut Shade leaf and has, for nearly two decades, remained a perennial favorite among discerning cigar aficionados.

 

Laurel Tilley, Macanudo’s brand ambassador said, “Year after year, anticipation for the annual release of Macanudo Gold Label continues to build. The brand boldly bucks the trend for powerhouse smokes with its alluringly mellow, creamy notes, offering cigar lovers the opportunity to create indulgent, memorable moments. I’m looking forward to enjoying this amazing smoke with cigar lovers across the country.”

 

Macanudo Gold Label will be available for shipment to retailers between today and July 30, 2021 or until this year’s allotment has been depleted. A total of eight frontmarks will be available, including the Gold Label “Gigante” which is a new, limited edition release for the 2021 season.

 

Macanudo Gold Label cigars are named for the brand’s golden wrapper leaves harvested from the first and second primings of the Connecticut Shade tobacco plant. Exposed to less sunlight which allows more natural sugars to remain, each leaf is extremely thin and remarkably supple with barely visible veins. The result is a texture that is especially smooth and silky, and a subtle hint of sweetness on the palate.

 

The Capa Especial (special wrapper) is combined with the first and second primings of Mexican San Andreas tobacco which is used as the binder, and features a blend of Dominican Piloto Cubano and Mexican tobaccos. The result is an extraordinary cigar with the traditional smoothness of a Macanudo and a unique note of sweet earth not found in any other cigar on the market.

Presented in boxes with gold foil accents, Macanudo Gold Label is available in these large-cigar sizes:

  • Hampton Court Tubo (5.5” x 42); SRP per cigar $10.29
  • Lord Nelson (7” x 49); SRP per cigar $10.79
  • Tudor (6” x 52); SRP per cigar $10.49
  • Duke of York (5.25” x 54); SRP per cigar $9.99
  • Gold Pyramid (5” x 54); SRP per cigar $10.49
  • Shakespeare (6.5” x 45); SRP per cigar $9.79
  • Crystal (5.5 x 50); SRP per cigar $10.79
  • *New for 2021* Gold Gigante: (6” x 60); SRP per cigar $10.49

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 14, 2021 · 9:27 pm

News: Macanudo Inspirado Introduces Brazilian Shade

Here’s some news from General Cigar about a new cigar in the Macanudo Inspirado line. I smoked the Inspirado Brazilian Maduro Toro last night and it’s a different maduro than I’m used to. It’s more savory than sweet, which is odd to me. Still a delicious cigar. This new one sounds interesting, I wonder how it will compare to the maduro, and to other shade cigars.

 

MACANUDO INSPIRADO TO LAUNCH BRAZILIAN SHADE

 

Macanudo will soon debut a new Inspirado collection featuring a rare Brazilian wrapper and a proprietary Cuban-seed filler, marking the first time these tobaccos have been used with Macanudo. Called Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade, the limited-edition line brings together masterful blending with expert agronomy for a one-of-a-kind smoking experience.

 

Steve Abbot, senior brand manager of Macanudo said, “Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade required a significant investment in agronomy, spanning Central and South America.  This blend speaks to the lengths that we as a brand will go to in order to bring excitement to premium cigar smokers, and we’re confident that cigar lovers will be drawn to the singular experience this blend delivers.”

 

Grown in the lush tropical Bahia region of Brazil according to the exact specifications of Macanudo’s agronomists, the proprietary Connecticut Shade wrapper is golden with a silky sheen. It crowns a Mexican San Andrean binder and a blend that features “Dominican Cubita,” a unique and proprietary sungrown tobacco cultivated on a one-acre plot in the bucolic region of Mao, Dominican Republic. This special tobacco lends a unique aroma and spicy notes to the smoking experience. When surrounded by Brazilian tobacco, Dominican Piloto Cubano and Nicaraguan Jalapa, the tobaccos come together to deliver a layered, medium-bodied smoke that hints of toasted nuts, cocoa and sweet earth.

 

Handmade by artisans at the General Cigar Dominicana factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade will ship to retailers on May 4th and will be available in two sizes. The cigars will be presented in ten-count boxes designed to pay homage to the Brazilian flag.

Toro (6.5” x 52); SRP per cigar $10.49

Churchill (7” x 48); SRP per cigar $10.99

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by | September 9, 2020 · 9:35 pm

Labor Day Cigars and a Macanudo Inspirado Green

Labor Day was my first paid holiday since January 1st of 2018! A combination of two streaks of unemployment and a year of working in retail for a company that didn’t believe in paid holidays (something I had trouble wrapping my head around!), I was quite excited about this small luxury! My wife wanted to get away and do something, anything, so we took a drive to Lewes,  Delaware, Parked the car at the ferry terminal, and rode the ferry over to Cape May and walked on the beach for a while. I took the opportunity to smoke one of the cigars in the Cigar Prop sampler in the Smoke Inn Battle of the Bands promo that’s going on. I selected the Alec Bradley Black Market Esteli Punk, a little 4¼” x 42 petite corona. This cigar has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan and Honduran binders amd Nicaraguan fillers. I chose this due to time constraints and the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be actually smoking on the beach really, but the stretch of beach we were on was fairly empty and nobody said anything anyway. I don’t usually favor such small cigars, and it was before lunch, so I took it slow, which was a good thing, because this was a pretty potent little smoke! I really enjoyed it! It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, with a gentle breeze off the bay, and this cigar was just delicious. These are probably about $5 if you find them singley, and well worth it. A great choice by Kevin for his sampler.

 

On the drive home I lit up another cigar from the “shorties of forty” sampler, as Kevin refers to it, the Papas Fritas from Drew Estate. Obviously, this wasn’t my first go around with this cigar, and I normally wouldn’t opt for a mixed filler cigar while driving a stick shift car in traffic, but I had confidence in this one. The Papas Fritas was made using the sorted bench cuts from the Liga Privadas. It certainly doesn’t smoke like a mixed fill cigar, no mess in the car! Of course, traffic sucked coming home, to be expected, so having a cigar was quite helpful. It occurs to me, I still haven’t smoked any of the Nasty Fritas, the newer shape. Anyway, the two hour drive took nearly three, but the little Papas Fritas took the edge off. I could have smoked and A sized cigar, but that might have hit the windshield. I gotta say, I’ve smoked three of the five cigars in the Cigar Prop sampler and they have all been winners. Great selection so far. 

 

When I got home I felt compelled to smoke another from the samper, and went with one I hadn’t tried before, the Crowned Heads Juarez OBS, the largest cigar in the sampler. This one is 4¾” x 54, seems longer compared to the rest, but it’s the same length as the Sobremesa Short Churchill, the fifth cigar in the sampler (the first one was the Padron 26th No. 35 Maduro). Kevin said that this is the cigar that people raved about in the sampler. I have to say, it was in my top five, but certainly not my favorite. This line is made at Tabacalera Pichardo in Estelí,, it has a natural San Andrés wrapper, Ecuador Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan fillers. I don’t know if it’s because it was my third cigar of the day, with the first two being fairly strong, or if it’s because it started off a little snug in the draw and took a while to open up, but it was just OK. I’ll certainly give this one a second chance, but it was reasonably blah to me. With the wrapper/binder combination it should have been interesting. I also admit to not taking a shine to a lot of the Crowned Heads portfolio, for some reason, there hasn’t been a lot that trips my trigger. I suppose I’m in the minority. 

 

Tonight I smoked a Macanudo Inspirado Green Toro, my second one. I’ve been looking forward to trying this cigar since I’ve heard about it. I’ve been hot and cold on the Inspirado line, oddly, I really like the Red and White, the Black and Orange are just OK. The Green has a  Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Indonesian binder, and fillers from Columbia and the DR. The Brazilian wrapper caught my attention, as well as the Columbian filler. The first one I smoked was nice, but I smoked it following a rather strong maduro (Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder), and I felt like I may not have given it a fair shake. I thought it was pretty mild. So I smoked on tonight on a fresh palate and it was quite a bit more flavorful! I enjoyed this cigar, more than the Inspirado Black, which, for me, is odd. It’s odd that I am not that fond of the Black actually, but the Green has some interesting and different flavors. There’s some spice and unique flavors I can’t put a finger on, except to say that I like them and it’s a cigar I’m happy that I bought a handful of. I actually bought these after shopping for something else and not finding what I was looking for. Next to the Inspirado Red, this is my second favorite Inspirado. The green band looks really nice on that dark wrapper too.

 

One of my pet peeves: The Black Market Esteli Punk size isn’t listed on the Alec Bradley webpage, nor is the Juarez line listed on the Crowned Heads site. I just think it’s weird. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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by | June 17, 2020 · 10:24 pm

A Visit to Best Cigar Pub and Best Cigar Prices Exclusive Rare Select Cigars

Pic from PCB’s website

Yesterday my wife and I took a drive to Scranton to pick up a cool cigar lamp that she won in an auction, so on the way back we stopped in to Best Cigar Pub in Drums, PA for lunch. I had visited here briefly over the winter and gotten a tour and had a cigar (you can read about it here), today we enjoyed a meal at the pub. They had just re-opened last Thursday, and were observing all of the precautions we need to become accustomed to. Fortunately it was a beautiful spring day, and they had copious outdoor seating, even extending into the parking lot. My first stop was into the retail shop, masks required, with only three patrons allowed in a a time and no handling the product. Charlie was very helpful, recognizing me behind my cigar mask (which coordinated with my shirt, I’m a dork). I picked up some of their exclusive 601 Pennsylvania Toros and joined my wife outside. The Pub has an excellent menu of fresh food, My wife had a Cuban sandwich, and I had a Short Rib with Provolone sandwich and both were delicious served with potato chips made there. I enjoyed one of the 601 Pennsylvanias while we enjoyed the views. Kyle was our server and did an excellent job, everyone there was very friendly and accomodating, although I am having trouble getting used to hearing people speaking through masks. I have enough trouble hearing as it is. I really like the 601 PA Edition, by the way, but it was a bit breezy and I had trouble with the burn, leading to a bit of a tunnel. Best Cigar Pub is a destination, I can imagine when restrictions are lifted it will be a great place for events, or just to hang out and have a nice meal. 

 

Papier-mâché cigar lamp

By the way, here is the cool lamp we picked up. While we were eating, Charlie from the humidor came out and very kindly handed me a bag with one each of their Rare Select series from General Cigar. I selected the  CAO Rare Select when I got home for my evening walk. After spending the day in the car I needed to stretch my legs.  The CAO Rare Select was a 6″ x 50 toro with a Sun Grown Honduran wrapper, Honduran binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. I’ll preface this by saying there are some CAO cigars I like, and some I don’t, and the ones I don’t are typically the Criollo and Gold series. this cigar performed very well, and was not a bad cigar by any stretch of the imagination. It was a medium bodied cigar, with flavors on the leathery side, not a lot of sweetness. It was a good smoke, and I enjoyed it, and I think if you like cigars that fall more on the floral/leathery side, this is a cigar you’ll like. 

 

Today I selected the Macanudo Rare Select. I was surprised by a Macanudo with a Sumatra wrapper as opposed to a shade wrapper. I wonder about the through process here, I see that green Macanudo band and I expect a Connecticut Shade Wrapper over a Mexican Binder. In this case, we have an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder with fillers from the DR, Nicaragua and Jamaica. I was also expecting a milder cigar than I got, this was a medium bodied cigar with some interesting flavors. Again, the construction was right, the burn and draw were perfect. The Jamaican tobacco adds a little something interesting to the blend. I’ve had a Macanudo in the past couple years with Jamaican tobacco, one of the Estate Reserves I think, but prior to that I have to go back to the 90s when I had a box of Price Philips from Jamaica. Considering those had the Connecticut wrapper, there’s no way to make a comparison, not sure why I mentioned it. This was a pretty good smoke! 

 

Tonight I smoked the Punch Rare Select. Looking at this, I knew I was in for a treat. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper was dark and oily. It has a Nicaraguan binder, and, get this, fillers from Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic! I didn’t have to light it and the flavor on the lips made me happy. It had a nice, chocolaty taste, and when I lit it those flavors intensified. This is a hearty cigar, loads of flavor and good to the last drop. All those great tobaccos combined to make for a delicious cigar, and the whole Rare Select series is very reasonable priced, making these a great bargain. Punch is another brand that I’ve enjoyed for a long time, almost always in the darker expressions. I can’t tell you how many maduro and double maduro Rothschilds smoked in the 90s. This one competes favorably, and it’s a cigar I’ll smoke again. I smoked it to a finger-burning nub and was sad when it was finished. Thanks to Charlie at Best Cigar Prices shop for sharing these three cigars with me! 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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