Above is a 360 degree picture of the General Cigar booth at IPCPR in 2016.
General Cigar showed off new releases in all of its premium brands at this year’s show. We will take you through each brand with videos, pictures, and descriptions.
CAO
CAO CONSIGLIERE
CAO Consigliere is a sequel or remake or sorts of the CAO Sopranos Cigar– the five-country blend is the same as before. Consigliere is handmade in Nicaragua, with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, bound with a Honduran leaf and features a blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Colombian leaves. This is a bold cigar with flavors of espresso, wood and spice.
Consigliere will be pulled back in as a full-time member of the CAO family starting in October, with suggested retail prices that are less than the original. Three new sizes were created for the launch. They are: Associate — 5 x 52; SRP per cigar is $6.99 Soldier — 6 x 54; SRP per cigar is $7.99 Boss — 7 x 56 Torpedo; SRP per cigar is $8.99
Rick Rodriguez, CAO’s blender/ambassador was mostly tight-lipped about the new Consigliere launch. “Right now, all I can say is leave the cannolis and take the cigars. Capisce?”
Rick will hit the road later this year, doing events across the U.S. to celebrate the return of this tough guy smoke. Here is Rick in how own words:
Cohiba
Macassar
Distant from even the most primitive modes of transportation, Indonesian Macassar is arguably the most difficult ebony in the world to procure and one of the world’s most beautiful exotic woods. In a fitting tribute to this extraordinary work of nature, the artisans of Cohiba have created Cohiba Macassar, a new collection that lends itself to extravagant smoking occasions as readily as it does to life’s most treasured moments.
Only the finest leaves were selected to meet the exacting standards of taste and aesthetics set forth for Macassar. As such, this super-premium expression is made solely of proprietary tobaccos, each aged for more than four years including a year of finishing in Dominican rum barrels. The blend of Cohiba Macassar is centered on a supple Connecticut Havano wrapper grown in a micro climate that helps to achieve a richer, more flavorful tobacco, yet with far less yield than traditional plants. To deliver a refined wrapper with barely perceptible veins, only the finest seco leaves are chosen for Cohiba Macassar.
The blend is made with a proprietary Dominican seed cultivated by Cohiba‘s agronomists in Mao, complemented by a Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf grown exclusively for Cohiba. The Connecticut Broadleaf binder is aged six years to impart a mellow flavor and optimal combustibility.
Cohiba Macassar brings forth nuanced notes of wood and spice. The flavor is distinctive and unmistakable, bearing subtle references to other blends in the Cohiba portfolio.
Handcrafted in the Dominican Republic, Cohiba Macassar will make its debut fine cigar shops nationwide beginning in August. This remarkable collection will be a full-time addition to the Cohiba portfolio and will be launched with three sizes, each protected in 10-count boxes. Toro Grande — 6 x 52; SRP per cigar is $21.99 Gigante — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $23.99 Double Corona — 7.25 x 54; SRP per cigar is $24.99.
Dunhill
Dunhill Aged Maduro
A complementary new addition to the Dunhill Aged Cigar family, Dunhill Aged Maduro cigars begin with sungrown ligero primings left for late harvest to ensure maturity and robust flavor. When this hardy dark-brown wrapper is draped over the classic Dunhill Aged blend, the cigar delivers a supremely robust smoking experience. Extended aging in rooms lined with fragrant Spanish cedar helps to achieve a harmonious, balanced taste, one that is the hallmark of Dunhill Aged Maduro Cigars.
Dunhill Aged Maduro cigars will be available beginning in September and are presented in 10-count boxes. The collection will feature three sizes: Marevas– 5.13 x 42; SRP per cigar is $9.45 Short Robusto — 4 x 54; SRP per cigar is $10.45 Short Churchill – 5.5 x 54; SRP per cigar is $11.95
Foundry
Time Flies
The mavericks of Foundry Tobacco Company are proud to unveil a unique collaboration with boutique cigar maker AJ Fernandez. Time Flies was conceived by FTC’s Michael Giannini to encourage cigar lovers to live in the moment and experience the new and unique. This line delivers just that — a rich, muscular smoke derived from tobaccos grown in the Quilali region of Nicaragua.
To bring to life his vision of a bold cigar that demands the smoker’s time and attention, Michael commissioned AJ Fernandez to create the blend and produce the cigars in his namesake factory in Esteli.
Michael said, “I couldn’t think of anyone else I would rather have collaborated on this project with than AJ Fernandez. Not only does AJ have great talent and passion for tobacco, but he also has the energy of someone we’d all love to sit and enjoy a cigar with. To me, that’s what Time Flies is all about – enjoying a cigar while enjoying the company of the people around you.”
The full-flavored experience of Time Flies begins with a Habano 2000 Ecuador wrapper, and is bound and filled with Nicaraguan tobacco cultivated by AJ and his collective of Nicaraguan farmers.
Available in four top-selling sizes with price points of less than $10, skull-themed packaging completes the appeal of this provocative new release from Foundry. 550 – 5 x 50; SRP per cigar is $7.50 526 – 6 x 52; SRP per cigar is $8.00 54725 – 7.25 x 54; SRP per cigar is $8.50 606 — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $9.00
Hoyo
La Amistad
The legendary Hoyo de Monterrey brand continues its bold march into the future with an intriguing, limited edition collaboration called La Amistad. The blend was developed by AJ Fernandez, the Cuban expat cigar maker best known for producing highly-rated cigars in Nicaragua.
Hoyo La Amistad is bold and full-bodied, and showcases the artisanal cigar making techniques and modern packaging of the new Hoyo launched earlier this year. Named for the camaraderie forged when creating this exciting new release, La Amistad means friendship in Spanish.
Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar said, “AJ Fernandez embodies the same ethos as the Hoyo brand. His passion for the craft of cigar making is what led us to collaborate with him on La Amistad. This collection combines AJ’s love of tobacco and blending with the knowledge of Hoyo‘s cigar makers in Honduras and Nicaragua.”
AJ Fernandez noted, “I grew up very near to the Hoyo de Monterrey farm and I have always had a love for the brand. When it came time to develop this blend, I put my heart and soul into it. To me, this project represents how far my family and I have come since Cuba, and how our expertise in tobacco continues to be recognized. This cigar represents the best of me and my factory and I am proud to be a part of this collaboration.”
La Amistad is brawny and robust, with notes of leather and spice. The wrapper is a bold Ecuadoran Habano, bound with a Nicaraguan leaf cultivated by AJ Fernandez in Esteli. The blend features powerhouse Nicaraguan tobacco from Esteli, Ometepe, Condega and Jalapa.
La Amistad is handcrafted at the AJ Fernandez cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. It will be available in four sizes beginning in September. They are: Rothschild – 4.5 x 50; SRP per cigar is $6.49 Robusto – 5 x 54; SRP per cigar is $7.59 Toro – 6 x 50; SRP per cigar is $7.79 Gigante — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $7.99
La Gloria Cubana
La Gloria Cubana is launching two new lines, one created solely for sale at brick and mortar cigar shops and the other developed for internet and catalog retailers.
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro
Serie R Esteli made Cigar Aficionado’s list of the Top 25 Cigar of 2014. With a 91 rating, the magazine called the line “one of the best La Glorias in years.” This outstanding collection is now being extended to include a new Maduro offering created exclusively for brick and mortar retailers. Made with the same Nicaraguan-forward blend that won the brand critical acclaim, the new expression is wrapped in rich Connecticut Broadleaf to deliver a cigar that’s medium in strength, deep in sweetness and brimming with leather notes and spice.
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro began shipping in July, and is available in three sizes. Each box contains 18 cigars. No. 54 – 6 x 54; SRP per cigar is $6.99 No. 60 — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $7.49 No. 64 – 6.25 x 64; SRP per cigar is $7.99
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro
With large ring vitolas, deep, rich flavor and a bold Nicaraguan blend, La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black debuted as an unbeatable addition to the Serie R line. The trend continues with the addition of La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro. This deep and full-bodied smoke delivers a powerhouse of flavor, filled with pepper, earth and coffee notes and the slightly sweet, creamy taste that can only be found with an aged Maduro wrapper. With an SRP of less than $8, Serie R Black Maduro has all the makings of a top-selling new smoke for cigar lovers who demand Nicaraguan flavor at an accessible price.
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black began shipping in July and is available in three sizes through internet and catalog retailers only. Each box contains 18 cigars. No. 58 – 6.875 x 58; SRP per cigar is $7.79 No. 60 — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $7.49 No. 64 – 6.25 x 64; SRP per cigar is $7.99
Macanudo
Mao
The evolution of Macanudo continues with Macanudo Mao, a limited edition release featuring heirloom Dominican seeds from the 1960’s.
Reflecting a previously-untouched science, Macanudo’s team of agronomists regenerated the seeds over eight growing seasons, breeding the plants in two different countries to deliver improved leaf shape, color and combustibility, while preserving the rare tobacco’s true flavor.
In just four years, the agronomists have replicated the taste of a bygone era for the sheer enjoyment of today’s discerning smokers.
The regenerated Dominican tobacco comprises the lion’s share of the blend, which also includes Nicaraguan and Colombian long filler and a Mexican binder. The wrapper is a silky Connecticut Shade selected solely for 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.”
Named for the growing region in the Dominican Republic where the seeds were cultivated, Mao delivers a new dimension of strength, flavor and sweetness to the brand, while retaining the smooth-smoking characteristics of all cigars bearing the Macanudo crest.
This exceptional cigar is handcrafted in the D.R. and will only be available until the limited release of 1,800 boxes per size is depleted.
Macanudo Mao will be available beginning in September in three frontmarks, each protected in individual coffins and presented in 10-count boxes. They are: No. 10 — 5 x 50; SRP per cigar is $16.00 No. 11 — 7 x 50; SRP per cigar is $17.00 No. 12 — 6 x 57; SRP per cigar is $18.00
General Cigar Releases Rare Macanudo Vintage Cigars
General Cigar presents the opportunity to own a piece of premium cigar history with rare Macanudo Vintage cigars. A limited release of the final remaining Vintage cigars from the 1984 and 1988 collections will be made available at prices established when the cigars were launched more than two decades ago.
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.”
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1984
Like the greatest of Bordeaux wines, a Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection cigar is the result of extraordinary climatic conditions. In the latter part of the past century, only five Macanudo crops of Connecticut Shade wrapper tobacco were deemed worthy of the Macanudo Vintage designation. The 1984 crop yielded the richest of wrapper leaves which were slowly cured, not once but twice, to further enrich their flavor.
A fine expression of the Macanudo Vintage series, Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1984 cigars are cradled in a handsome wooden box that upon opening, reveals a flawless wrapper and a cigar of meticulous craftsmanship. Two sizes of Macanudo Vintage Cabinet 1984 will be released in August, in boxes containing 20 cigars. Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II C 1984 — 6” x 42 – SPR per cigar $25.59 ($511.80 per box) Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III C 1984 – 5” x 42 – SPR cigar $24.59 ($491.80 per box)
Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1988
Macanudo 1988 Vintage Cabinet Selection is made with a Connecticut Shade wrapper from a crop that many considered to be the best in decades. The fine, supple wrappers went through two winter “sweats” in curing sheds in Connecticut before artisans hand-selected leaves worthy of inclusion in this small batch series.
The blend is made with superlative tobaccos. The San Andres binder was selected from the best of the highly rated 1988 crop. The binder leaves underwent “medio tiempo” aging, left to ripen 50% longer, allowing the leaves to become heavier in texture, darker in color and fuller in taste. The result is a cigar that is peerless in appearance, flavor and construction. Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1988 cigars will be distributed in August, in boxes that protect 20 cigars. Macanudo Vintage Cabinet I C 1988– 7” x 49 – SPR per cigar $14.99 ($299.80 per box) Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II C 1988 – 6” x 42 – SPR cigar $13.49 ($269.80 per box) Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III C 1988 – 5” x 42 – SPR cigar $11.99 ($239.80 per box) Macanudo Vintage Cabinet V C 1988 – 5” x 49 – SPR cigar $14.49 ($298.80 per box)
General Cigar Releases Partagas 160 Signature Series
General Cigar is proud to release a limited number of its final, remaining boxes of the prized Partagas 160 Signature Series collection.
With the launch of Partagas 150 in 1996, General Cigar‘s blending team had the foresight to set aside a limited quantity of smaller and medium size Cameroon wrapper leaves from the celebrated 1977 crop. The leaves underwent continued maturation and ten years later in 2006, Partagas 160 Signature Series was born.
This prized collection bears the same striking quality and flavor as Partagas 150 before it. Cameroon wrapper from 1977 has been masterfully blended with long-filler Dominican Piloto Cubano and Mexican San Andrés leaves and bound with a special Mexican San Andrés binder. Each component has undergone three rigorous rounds of selection to ensure a great concentration of flavor.
Cradled in a handsomely understated wooden box, Partagas 160 is a spectacular example of a cigar maker’s art. The cigars will be available for a very limited engagement, curated for those who seek the ultimate cigar smoking experience.
Of the five original frontmarks, just two will be made available this year, and are being offered at their introductory price of ten years ago. The cigars will be released in August, and will be presented in boxes containing 25 cigars. Partagas 160 Robusto Minor – 4” x 48; SRP per cigar is $18.99 ($474.75 per box) Partagas 160 Robusto Major – 5” x 52; SRP per cigar is $22.99 ($574.75 per box)
Partagas Ramon y Ramon
Partagas honors its heritage with Ramon y Ramon, a collection encompassing rare tobaccos and vintage seeds from a time when Cuban cigar legend Ramon Cifuentes oversaw tobacco growing for the brand.
In a proprietary process of regeneration developed by in-house agronomists, a special variety of old-world Dominican tobacco was restored solely for this new, full-time addition to the Partagas franchise. This seed yields a leaf that’s different from any other tobacco grown in the Dominican Republic. It is extremely flavorful and sweet with hints of pepper, and delivers a pleasant aroma.
This vintage tobacco is paired with Nicaraguan Jalapa and Dominican Piloto Cubano grown by Partagas’ team of agronomists. Partagas Ramon y Ramon is bound with a Dominican leaf, also grown by Partagas’ agronomists.
With a rich and opulent high-priming Cameroon wrapper from the Belita region, the blend of Ramon y Ramon builds upon the essence of Partagas, yielding an exciting smoke that is at once sweet, strong and unmistakably sublime.
Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar Company noted, “In tribute to the legendary Ramon Cifuentes who carried the Partagas brand from Cuba to the D.R., our agronomists regenerated a vintage Dominican seed that had been locked away for nearly 50 years. We are extremely proud of this blend which showcases the very best of the Partagas brand.”
Partagas Ramon y Ramon will be sold exclusively at brick and mortar cigar shops, beginning in October. Robusto – 5.5 x 50; SRP per cigar is $7.49 Maxim Grande — 6 x 52; SRP per cigar is $7.99
Gigante — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $8.49 Fabuloso — 7 x 54; SRP per cigar is $8.99
Torano
Exodus
The original Torano Exodus blend has been revisited, this time with a contemporary new lens.
Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar said, “We created Exodus to appeal to a broader range of cigar smokers, both in its presentation and flavor profile. Exodus tells an allegorical story of the journeys we all make to overcome adversity, drawing a parallel to the Torano family’s beginnings as tobacco growers, their experiences in post-Castro communist society, and their success in developing acclaimed cigars post-Cuba. We are proud of this new chapter for Torano and look forward to the continued growth of the Torano brand.”
Made with a curated selection of outstanding tobaccos from four countries, the star of this cigar is its wrapper. A proprietary, seco-priming leaf from the Honduran valley of San Agustin imparts spicy flavors with notes of pepper, and burns to a stark white ash.
The blend is made with Dominican, Mexican and Honduran leaves and bound by Connecticut Broadleaf to deliver a medium-bodied smoke that’s creamy and smooth with a touch of sweetness.
The four-vitola collection features price points of less-than $10 and is sure to stand out in the humidor, with visually-arresting packaging that speaks to Torano family’s escape from Cuba. Torano Exodus will be available beginning in September, and the collection will launch with four frontmarks, each housed in 20-count boxes. Robusto – 5 x 54; SRP per cigar is $6.99 Toro Grande – 5.5 x 58; SRP per cigar is $7.79 Torpedo – 5.75 x 52; SRP per cigar is $7.79 Gigante — 6 x 60; SRP per cigar is $8.49