Cigar News: Blanco Cigars Announces Prince Hall

Blanco Cigars has announced a new line of cigars called Prince Hall. Prince Hall Cigars are rolled in Estelí, Nicaragua by Blanco Cigars at the family’s factory and blended by Master Blender and fifth generation Master Mason, David Blanco.

Prince Hall has been in the works for over a year and would have made it to the market sooner if not for COVID-19. This is a regular production cigar created to honor the abolitionist and and founder of Prince Hall Freemasonry, Prince Hall. He was known as one of the most influential free black leaders during the founding of The United States in the 1700’s, fighting slavery as one of the leading abolitionists and for equal education rights.

His contributions to the black community in the late 1700’s were many and he accomplished them as a free man and citizen of The United States. He was also a business owner and it is believed he served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Prince Hall became interested in the Masonic fraternity because Freemasonry was founded upon ideals of liberty, equality and peace. His love of these ideals is what drove him to become one of the first black members of Freemasonry in The United States. However, they were not considered a “full” Masonic lodge until 1787 when Prince Hall received a charter from the Grand Lodge of England, the mother of all Freemasonry. In 1787, African Lodge No. 459 became African Lodge No. 1 with Prince Hall as the head of the Lodge.

David Blanco is also involved in the creation of another Masonic oriented cigar brand. Original discussions were to have Prince Hall as a collaboration between those two brands, but David felt the focus of Prince Hall Cigars should be the man, not only “Freemasonry” as a brand. As a result, interest waned in the project as a collaboration and Blanco decided to proceed on its own, bringing Prince Hall Cigars to market as a stand-alone brand by Blanco.

David Blanco says; “there are plans to work with various Prince Hall Grand Lodges around the country to see how we can impact the community positively as Prince Hall did.”

The blend comes in two versions, a Habano Maduro wrapper, and Habano Rosado wrapper. The Habano Maduro version also uses a Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. It comes in four sizes: 5 x 50 “Square” 50 count box (MSRP $7.50 per cigar), 6 x 52 “Compass” 50 count box (MSRP $8.00 per cigar), 6 x 60 “Level” 50 count box (MSRP $10.00 per cigar), and 7 x 70 “Boaz” 30 count box (MSRP $12.00 per cigar)

The Habano Rosado has a Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. It also comes in 4 sizes: 5 x 50 “Square” 50 count box (MSRP $7.50 per cigar), 6 x 52 “Compass” 50 count box (MSRP $8.00 per cigar), 6 x 60 “Level” 50 count box (MSRP $10.00 per cigar), and 7 x 70 “Jachin” 30 count box (MSRP $12.00 per cigar).