IPCPR 2016: General Cigar Co.

As always, it’s a busy year from General Cigar Co. The star of the show is a new release from Partagas called Ramon y Ramon, but every other brand from General not named Punch also receives new lines, in some cases, multiple lines.

The General Cigar Co. booth took a different turn. It seems clear the company cut back on how much it sends on its booth, something I’ll cover in more detail shortly.

CAO Consigliere

Don’t call it a comeback. This is the CAO Sopranos with a new name. The company said it regularly receives requests to bring back the Sopranos blend and now it’s back. Because there’s no longer a marketing agreement, the price of the cigars has dropped though pretty much everything else is the same.

• Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Colombia, Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• CAO Consigliere Associate (5 x 52) — $6.99 (Boxes of 20, $139.80)
• CAO Consigliere Solider (6 x 54) — $7.99 (Boxes of 20, $159.80)
• CAO Consigliere Boss (7 x 56) — $8.99 (Boxes of 20, $179.80)

Launch Date: October 2016

Production: Regular Production

Cohiba Luxury Sampler

There’s a new five-cigar sampler containing two Red Dots, two Cohiba Blacks and one Cohiba Nicaragua N45. It will ship in October with a suggested retail price of $75.

Cohiba Macassar

The new Cohiba has some of its roots in the Cohiba Comador, notably, the tobaccos are aged in Dominican rum barrels for a year in addition to at least three other years of aging.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Havana
• Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler: Dominican Republic (Mao) & Nicaragua (Jalapa)

• Cohiba Macassar Toro Grande (6 x 52) — $21.99 (Boxes of 10, $219.90)
• Cohiba Macassar Gigante (6 x 60) — $23.99 (Boxes of 10, $239.90)
• Cohiba Macassar Double Corona (7 1/4 x 54) — $24.99 (Boxes of 10, $249.90)

Launch Date: August 2016

Production: Regular Production

Don Tomas Nicaragua

Now available in the U.S.

Dunhill Aged Maduro

For the first time in its history, Dunhill is making a maduro. It’s an extension of sorts to the Dunhill Aged, but a new, fuller blend.

• Wrapper: Sun Grown Ligero
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• Dunhill Aged Maduro Marevas (5 1/8 x 42) — $9.45 (Boxes of 10, $94.50)
• Dunhill Aged Maduro Short Robusto (4 x 54) — $10.45 (Boxes of 10, $104.50)
• Dunhill Aged Maduro Short Churchill (5 1/2 x 54) — $11.95 (Boxes of 10, $119.50)

Launch Date: September 2016

Production: Regular Production

Heritage by Dunhill Robusto Collection Humidor

There are new sizes for the Heritage by Dunhill, offered in a hybrid display box and humidor. As the name implies, all the sizes are based on the robusto. Pricing is $150 per humidor, which contains three of each of the four vitolas for a total of 12 cigars.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua

• Heritage by Dunhill Robusto (5 x 50)
• Heritage by Dunhill Short Robusto (4 x 60)
• Heritage by Dunhill Robusto Flagtail (4 1/2 x 54)
• Heritage by Dunhill Double Robusto (5 1/2 x 52)

Launch Date: October 2016

Production: 500 Samplers of 12 Cigars (6,000 Total Cigars)

Foundry Time Flies 

The newest release from Foundry Tobacco Co. is made by A.J. Fernández. It’s a four-size line, offered only to brick and mortar accounts, that includes tobacco from Quilalí, Nicaraguan, located northeast of Estelí.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Time Flies 550 (5 x 50) — $7.50 (Boxes of 20, $150)
• Time Flies 526 (6 x 52) — $8 (Boxes of 20, $160)
• Time Flies 54725 (7 1/4 x 54) — $8.50 (Boxes of 20, $170)
• Time Flies 606 (6 x 60) — $9 (Boxes of 20, $180)

Production: Regular Production

Foundry Time Flies Limited

There are two different limited edition releases, one of which was sold out on the first day, the other of which might still need a buyer.

General crafted a special skull box that contains 28 5 1/2 x 50 robustos. It’s limited to 50 boxes of each of the skull colors, for a total 250 boxes. This is also made by A.J. Fernández

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

As for the one that needs a buyer, there are the three different sizes of the special blend.

It’s sold only in this specially commissioned $35,000 humidor that also includes a removable 30-pound skull around with diamonds and rubies, as well as a special ring.

House Blend

General has three new value-priced blends, one of which is called House Blend. It comes in bundles and is a long filler blend.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Nicaragua

• House Blend Robusto (5 x 50) — $2.15 (Bundles of 20, $43)
• House Blend Toro (6 x 60) — $2.25 (Bundles of 20, $45)
• House Blend Churchill (7 x 48) — $2.40 (Bundles of 20, $48)
• House Blend Torpedo (6 x 52) — $2.50 (Bundles of 20, $50)
• House Blend Gigante (6 x 60) — $2.80 (Bundles of 20, $56)

 

Hoyo La Amistad

Despite reality to the contrary, it seemed like this was the only new release from General Cigar Co. that is being produced by A.J. Fernández. This release certainly garnered quoted a bit of attention, including from other cigar companies. It was also featured in the A.J. Fernández booth, which was a bit interesting.

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí, Jalapa & Ometepe)

• Hoyo La Amistad Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50) — $6.49 (Boxes of 20, $129.80)
• Hoyo La Amistad Robusto (5 x 54) — $7.59 (Boxes of 20, $151.80)
• Hoyo La Amistad Toro (6 x 50) — $7.79 (Boxes of 20, $155.80)
• Hoyo La Amistad Gigante (6 x 60) — $7.99 (Boxes of 20, $159.80)

Launch Date: September 2016

Production: Regular Production

La Estrella Cubana

This is a new longfiller cigar that comes in boxes. It’s offered in two blends: Connecticut and Habano.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano / Honduran Connecticut
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• La Estrella Cubana Robusto (5 x 50) — $2.90
• La Estrella Cubana Toro (6 x 50) — $3.10
• La Estrella Cubana Churchill (7 x 48) — $3.25
• La Estrella Cubana Gigante (6 x 60) — $3.50

La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro

There are two new maduros for La Gloria Cubana, this is one of them.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro No. 58 (6 7/8 x 58) — $7.79 (Boxes of 18, $140.22)
• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro No. 60 (6 x 60) — $7.49 (Boxes of 18, $134.82)
• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Black Maduro No. 64 (6 1/4 x 54) — $7.99 (Boxes of 18, $143.82)

Launch Date: July 2016

Production: Regular Production

La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro

The Serie R Estelí also gets the maduro treatment thanks to a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí Maduro No. 54 (6 x 54) — $6.99 (Boxes of 18, $125,82)
• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí Maduro No. 60 (6 x 60) — $7.49 (Boxes of 18, $134.82)
• La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí Maduro No. 64 (6 1/4 x 54) — $7.99 (Boxes of 18, $143.82)

Launch Date: July 2016

Production: Regular Production

Macanudo Mao

It’s not the Estate Reserve, but it is the spiritual successor. This year, the company is focusing on the Dominican region of Mao, specifically seeds from the 1960s that were taken from the company’s vault and married with modern offerings to produce new plants used specifically for this release.

• Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
• Binder: Mexico
• Filler: Colombia & Nicaragua

• Macanudo Mao No. 10 (5 x 50) — $16 (Boxes of 10, $160)
• Macanudo Mao No. 11 (7 x 50) — $17 (Boxes of 10, $170)
• Macanudo Mao No. 12 (6 x 57) — $18 (Boxes of 10, $180)

Launch Date: September 2016

Production: 1,800 Boxes per size (54,000 Total Cigars)

Macanudo Vintage

There are two different vintage offerings from Macanudo, cigars that were held back for additional aging and are now being released. General says it is selling the cigars at the prices they were originally sold for back when they were released.

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1984

The company says the 1984 crop had the richest wrapper, requiring them to be cured twice.

• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II C 1984 (6 x 42) — $25.59 (Boxes of 20, $511.80)
• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III C 1984 (5 x 42) — $24.59 (Boxes of 20, $491.80)

Macanudo Vintage Cabinet Selection 1988

Like the 1984 release, the 1988 release required additional work to help process the Connecticut wrapper, in this case, two winter sweats.

• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet I C 1988 (7 x 49) — $14.99 (Boxes of 20, $299.80)
• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet II C 1988 (6 x 42) — $13.49 (Boxes of 20, $269.80)
• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet III C 1988 (5 x 42) — $11.99 (Boxes of 20, $239.90)
• Macanudo Vintage Cabinet V C 1988 (5 x 49) — $14.49 (Boxes of 20, $298.80)

Odyssey

The last of the three new value-priced lines from General is Odyssey, a new bundle brand from Nicaragua offered in two different blends.

• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano / Honduran Connecticut
• Binder: Honduras / Indonesia
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Odyssey Corona (5 1/2 x 43) — $1.50 (Bundles of 20, $30)
• Odyssey Robusto (5 x 50) — $1.80 (Bundles of 20, $36)
• Odyssey Toro (6 x 50) — $2 (Bundles of 20, $40)
• Odyssey Churchill (7 x 48) — $2.25 (Bundles of 20, $45)
• Odyssey Gigante (6 x 60) — $2.50 (Bundles of 20, $50)

Partagas Ramon y Ramon

From what I gather, this is the flagship release for General Cigar Co. Case and point, it was at the front of the booth. Like the aforementioned Macanudo Mao, General dug into its seed vault and found historic seeds, married them with modern seeds and the result was some of the filler tobacco used for Ramon y Ramon.

• Wrapper: Cameroon
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano & Nicaraguan Jalapa

• Partagas Ramon y Ramon Robusto (5 x 50) — $7.49 (Boxes of 20, $149.80)
• Partagas Ramon y Ramon Maxim Grande (6 x 52) — $7.99 (Boxes of 20, $159.80)
• Partagas Ramon y Ramon Gigante (6 x 60) — $8.49 (Boxes of 20, $169.80)
• Partagas Ramon y Ramon Fabuloso (7 x 54) — $8.99 (Boxes of 20, $179.80)

Launch Date: October 2016

Production: Regular Production

Toraño Exodus

The new release is inspired by the artwork of the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami and that’s pretty evident on the boxes. The artwork tells the story of the Toraño family’s escape from Cuba and General has brought back in Jack Toraño to serve as the ambassador.

• Wrapper: Honduras
• Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras & Mexico

• Toraño Exodus Robusto (5 x 54) — $6.99 (Boxes of 20, $139.80)
• Toraño Exodus Toro Grande (5 1/2 x 58) — $7.79 (Boxes of 20, $155.80)
• Toraño Exodus Torpedo (5 3/4 x 52) — $7.79 (Boxes of 20, $155.80)
• Toraño Exodus Gigante (6 x 60) — $8.49 (Boxes of 20, $169.80)

Launch Date: September 2016

Production: Regular Production

The original version of this article indicated that La Estrella Cubana is mixed fill cigar, it in fact is a longfiller cigar.