George Rico of Grand Habano cigars has announced the release of a project many years in the works. The self-titled George Rico El Enemigo will come under his G.A.R. brand. El Enemigo will debut at the 2023 TPE trade show in Las Vegas and will be shipping out in April. The cigars are rolled at the TabaDom Factory in the Dominican Republic and will come in three sizes: El Insulto (5 x 52) $300, El Duelo (6 x 54) $320, and El Triunfo (6 x 60) $340. The cigars will be exclusive to the participating 20th Aniversario ultra-premium account holders, which number 200 retailers nationwide. Only 1000 boxes of each size will be available for the first year and will be in limited production subsequently.
Gran Habano is releasing a cigar at PCA next week to celebrate their 20th annivsary. The Gran Habano 20th Aniversario comes in three vitolas that embody the Gran Habano story: El Sueño (the dream) 5 x 52 (MSRP $14), El Desafío (the struggle) 6 x 54 (MSRP $15), and El Triunfo (the success) 6 x 60 (MSRP $16.00).
"This cigar was the tale of two cigars. If you are a smoker that only keeps the smoke on your palate, you would classify this cigar as one dimensional. Blowing some of the smoke out of your nose bring a delightful pine needle effervescent that makes this a well rounded cigar. I had to take points away do to the burn issues but overall it would be a good cigar that would be enjoyed by most people and would make a good everyday cigar." -Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
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·"A great mild medium two hour smoke when you have the time to sit back and enjoy a near masterpiece. I wish there was a bit more transitions at the halfway point, however the first and last third really shined and kept my attention to its various rich flavors. I would probably put money down on a box with a great blend like this to see how it progresses over tome for sure!" -John A. (Bostoneo)
"I really felt like I was smoking a robusto or a more substantial cigar than the lancero. It was flavor packed and full bodied for me. The strength of the cigar can creep up on you going into the last third. This is a meaty cigar with a nice dash of pepper and mix of red meat and leather combining nicely with the dark roast coffee notes. I would definitely smoke this after a nice substantial dinner and a nice deep bourbon would pair nicely." -Diana (ArmyRN)
"Overall, this cigar was a solid performer. A wonderful medium-bodied profile of mainly leather, tobacco, cedar, and earthy black pepper paired with a slightly loose draw made for an awesome smoking experience. Towards the end, things got a bit bitter and syrupy, a sign that you must smoke this cigar at a slower pace. I wouldn't hesitate to smoke this one again." -John A. (Bostoneo)
Gran Habano announced a new size in the Persian King line, Type-Mod 60. During the pandemic, the company pause to reflect on where the company wanted to go next, granting owner George Rico the space and creativity to quietly work on a few of the projects that will be released later this year. The first of these is the Persian King Type-Mod 60 which features a very distinctive 6 x 60 pyramid-styled cigar on one end and tapered on the other, meaning the smoker can choose which end to start smoking it from. It is made with 100% Nicaraguan tobacco from their own farms.
George Rico and Gran Habano announced a line extension to their Persian King cigar. The original Persian King with Connecticut wrapper has been around since 2009. The maduro version was included in 2016. Both are unbanded. La Contra uses a Nicaraguan wrapper in choice of Natural or Maduro and comes in two vitolas: 6 x 50 Rajah or 6 x 60 Tiger.
The 2012 Gran Reserva follows the 2010 and 2011 releases in previous years. These have always scored well in our blind reviews. George Rico says that these cigars are made using the top 10% best leaf from the yearly crop and then aged for seven to eight years before the cigar is rolled. After rolled, the Gran Reservas are then aged for four to six years more years before sold.
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·“This was a great smoking cigar. The variance and complexity of flavors offered were amazingly tasty and made it hard to not just want to hotbox this thing because it was THAT good. That being said, I’ll defiantly recommend this cigar to any smoker as it is a mild to medium stick with uddles of semi sweet flavors. I need a box… stat. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)