Bandolero Firecracker Begins Shipping

Yesterday, United Cigars began shipping the latest in its Firecracker series to stores.

The Bandolero Firecracker is a 3 1/2 x 50 short robusto based on Selected Tobacco S.A.’s Bandolero Clandestino line, also known as Series C. This particular cigar uses an Ecuadorian wrapper from the Bandolero Series A (Aventurereros) line over an Ecuadorian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and other undisclosed tobaccos. Like the rest of the Bandolero cigars, the tobaccos were aged for at least five years before rolling and the cigars were aged for two years after rolling. As with the other Firecracker cigars, the short robusto features a lengthy pigtail that is tucked inside the band of the cigar with the goal to mimic the appearance of a firecracker and its wick.

The MSRP is set at $9 and it will come in boxes of 20 cigars.

“My partnership with United Cigars has gone beyond the distribution of my cigars,” said Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco in a press release when this cigar was announced in January. “This is family and I wanted to share my Bandolero blend with this beautiful vitola.”

Like the rest of the Firecracker cigars, it will be sold by United Cigars to stores nationwide, though the roots of the line date back to 2007 and Two Guys Smoke Shop, a New Hampshire-based chain of retailers owned by Dave Garofalo, who also owns United. The Firecracker cigars are typically a 3 1/2 x 50 petit robusto that feature a long pigtail. Over the years, a variety of manufacturers have made Firecracker Series including Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, El Artista, Fratello, Kristoff, La Flor Dominicana, My Father, Perdomo, RoMa Craft Tobac and Tatuaje.

Update (March 6, 2023) — In the original version of this article David Garofalo’s name was misspelled.