It appears that Altadis U.S.A.’s Grupo de Maestros have more than one blend they like to smoke, as today the company announced that the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch II has begun shipping to retailers.

Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch 2 cigar

A follow-up to last year’s Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch, the new line comes in a 6 x 50 toro vitola with a blend of an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Dominican Olor binder and Nicaraguan filler leaves. The company describers the cigar as medium-bodied with a predominant aroma of wood with hints of leather, dry fruit and coffee.

It returns in the same style of numbered, cedar 100-count boxes that last year’s release got, with an added wrapping of burlap that features a mural of the Grupo de Maestros. Like the cigars, the boxes get a bit of aging before being filled with cigars to ensure an aromatic cedar as well as to preserve their natural wear.

Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch 2 open box

Like the debut release, only 250 boxes are being produced for a total production of 25,000 cigars, made at Tabacalera de García in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Pricing is set at $15 per cigar, before taxes.

“Like the original, we expect this limited edition to sell out quickly and be an aficionado’s favorite. This cigar will showcase the Maestros’ passion and craft, exploiting adult cigar consumers’ palates with rich aromas,” Altadis U.S.A. said in a press release.

Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch 2 closed box

The Group de Maestros is made up of eight of Altadis U.S.A.’s senior managers, who have more than 250 years of experience between them. The group is led by Javier Elmudesi, general manager of Tabacalera de Garcia, and includes Victor Avila, Carlos Travieso, Nestor Rodriguez, Candido Rosario, Pedro Ventura, Joel Alvarenga Bautista and Elmer Suarez. The group has been responsible for creating and honing some of Altadis U.S.A.’s more recent blends, including ROMEO by Romeo y Julieta, VegaFina Fortaleza Dos and the Montecristo Epic.

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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.