Mombacho Cigars S.A. has shipped one of the first cigars that are part of the company’s 10th anniversary celebration, as Liga Maestro is on its way to retail shops in both the United States, Canada and Europe.

The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro that had previously only been available in Italy. Originally released in 2013, the blend was created in 2012 between Claudio Sgroi, Mombacho Cigar S.A.’s master blender, and Stefano Bertini of B.L.S. Sigari in Milan, Italy. It is being released in five sizes, all of which come in 12-count boxes: Double Robusto (6 3/4 x 50), Novillo (6 x 52), Hermoso (6 x 46), Gordo (5 x 54) and Pequeño (4 1/2 x 44), though that size won’t begin shipping until May. The cigars will have individual MSRPs between $6.95 and $10.95 and have an updated look from their Italian counterparts, wearing a new black and gold band.

Mombacho Liga Maestro Open Box

Specifically, the Liga Maestro uses a wrapper from Jalapa, binder from Condega and fillers from the two regions. “I wanted to blend the different priming of ligero and viso because of the unique characteristics they bring,” said Claudio Sgroi, president and master blender of Mombacho Cigars S.A. in a statement. “The differences bring nuance and deepness and it can be said we went a little maniacal in the selection of our fillers to bring unique flavor and stimulation to the blend.” The company calls it a medium-plus to full bodied profile.

This full release of Liga Maestro follows up on a limited U.S. release in 2015, when 12 retailers received the cigar in three sizes, a Petit Corona (4 1/4 x 44), Robusto (5 x 50) and Piramide (5 1/2 x 52).

The company has also announced a limited edition 10th anniversary cigar called Magnifico that will be released later this year.

The cigars are produced at Mombacho Cigars S.A.’s Casa Favilli factory in Granada, Nicaragua.

(Images courtesy of Mombacho Cigars S.A.)

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.