Bandolero Firecracker, Wise Man Maduro Firecracker Return for 2023

United Cigars has announced that it has begun shipping subsequent batches of two previously released Firecracker limited edition cigars.

The Bandolero Firecracker was first released in 2022. Like the other Firecracker cigars, it’s a 3 1/2 x 50 short robusto with a long pigtail that is tucked inside the band, made to mimic the fuse of a firecracker. Blend-wise, it used a hybrid between two different Bandolero lines from Selected Tobacco S.A.: Aventureros and Clandestino. The Bandolero Aventureros’, or Series A line, wrapper and binder—both Ecuadorian leaves—are used, while the Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers from the Clandestino are used inside.

Interestingly, the third filler leave—now defined as Peruvian—has been previously referred to as “undisclosed.”

The other cigar is from Foundation Cigar Co., the Wise Man Maduro Firecracker. It also measures 3 1/2 x 50 and uses a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, a corojo binder grown in Nicaragua’s Jalapa region, while the fillers come from Nicaragua’s Jalapa and Estelí regions. The cigars are produced at the Aganorsa factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

This is the third release for the Wise Man Maduro Firecracker, it debuted in 2021 and was released again last year.

Both cigars have an MSRP of $9 and are offered in boxes of 20 cigars. United Cigars is not disclosing production numbers for this release, but it says that it will not release either cigar again.

The Firecracker series dates back to 2007 and Two Guys Smoke Shop, a New Hampshire-based chain of retailers owned by Dave Garofalo, who also owns United Cigars. The Firecracker cigars are typically a 3 1/2 x 50 petit robusto that features a long pigtail. Over the years, various manufacturers have made Firecracker Series, including All Saints, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, El Artista, Fratello, Kristoff, La Flor Dominicana, My Father, Perdomo, RoMa Craft Tobac, Rojas Cigars, Selected Tobacco and Tatuaje.

Typically, new Firecracker cigars are released ahead of the July 4th holiday, though United Cigars has rerelased some of the blends.

Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.