El Septimo Adding Empress of Sheba at PCA 2023

El Septimo has announced that it will add a new Empress of Sheba cigar to its Emperor Collection series of cigars.

The Empress of Sheba will be a 6 x 60 gordo with a maduro wrapper. The company says it uses tobaccos from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Nicaragua, though it’s not specifying which tobacco is used for the wrapper, binder or fillers. It will have an MSRP of $20 per cigar and come in boxes of 20, which the company expects to ship in August. El Septimo cigars are made in Costa Rica.

“I was asked by a dear friend to design a cigar that reflects on the rich history and culture of African Americans, said Zaya Younan, ceo of El Septimo, in a press release. “Before we started to design this cigar, we wanted to find a powerful person in African history to be part of our Emperor Collection. The search ended soon when we learned the history of Queen Sheba.”

El Septimo launched the Emperor Collection in 2022 with 10 different cigars honoring notable historical figures like Alexander II, Caesar Augustus, Napoleon and Yao. The Queen of Sheba is a figure in Judaism and Islam as well as Ethiopian and Yemenite cultures. The kingdom of Sheba is believed to have existed in modern-day Egypt and Yemen.

“We wanted to do something that we have never done before, so we designed our first Maduro 6 x 60 Gordo cigar,” said Younan. “This cigar has a beautiful appearance caused by an incredibly special, shiny Maduro wrapper that you notice in the cigar the moment you lay your eyes on it. The taste and aroma are tangible elements in a cigar which we have mastered at El Septimo, and this medium to full-bodied blend highlights that by offering a smooth and balanced flavor and aroma. It truly touches your seventh sense.”

The Empress of Sheba will debut at next month’s 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place July 8-11 in Las Vegas.