Black Label Trading Co. Shipping New Black Works Studio S&R, Rorschach Sumatra Next Week

Next week, Black Label Trading Co. will begin shipping a new batch of its limited edition Black Works Studio S&R that comes with a new look for the cigar, alongside the new Rorschach Sumatra line.

The Black Works Studio S&R returns to store shelves after having been off the market since 2020, and now features a barber pole design that is created with a dark Sumatra wrapper grown in Indonesia, while lighter leaf is an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade-grown wrapper. Underneath those is an Ecuadorian habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Previously, the Black Works Studio S&R line had only used a Sumatran wrapper. The line was announced in 2016 but officially debuted in February 2018, and received a second release in 2019.

The Black Works Studio S&R is being offered in three sizes, all of which are limited productions:

• Black Works Studio S&R Robusto (5 x 50) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
• Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga (6 x 46) — $12.50 (Box of 20, $250)
• Black Works Studio S&R Lancero Culebra (6 3/4 x 42) — $36

The company has produced 950 boxes of both the robusto and corona larga, while production numbers of the lancero culebra have not yet been disclosed, other than a representative of the company telling halfwheel that it is a smaller batch than the other two sizes.

“Very excited for the return of S&R,” said James Brown, creator of Black Label Trading Co. and Black Works Studio and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra, via a press release. “This year’s release features a beautiful dark Sumatran wrapper mixed with Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade. The S&R is a bold, medium strength, full flavor blend. The profile combines herbal citrus notes with cocoa and a complex mix of chili & white pepper spice.”

Also shipping to stores it the Rorschach Sumatra, a new variation of the original Rorschach blend that debuted in December 2015, and which is being added to the company’s portfolio of core line cigars. As the name suggests, it uses a Sumatra wrapper, also grown in Indonesia, while the binder is a Nicaraguan habano leaf and the filler comes from Nicaragua. It is being offered in a short robusto vitola that measures 4 1/2 x 48 priced at $7 per cigar and is offered in 50-count boxes.

“The new Sumatran version is a lighter profile highlighting Jalapa tobacco,” said Brown, adding that it features “layers of soft cedar, cinnamon and mild pepper create a complex profile with a long creamy finish.”

Both lines are made at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Images courtesy of Black Label Trading Co./Black Works Studio.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.