Micallef Connecticut Londres

During the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, Micallef Cigars showed off a new sampler that was made to commemorate the 80th birthday of Al Micallef, the company’s founder. Named the Micallef Collectors Edition, each box includes 16 cigars—two each of eight different core-line Micallef blends—rolled in the same 5 x 40 corona vitola.

While none of the blends in the sampler are new, none of those same lines included a 5 x 40 corona size before the sampler was released. In addition, the inclusion of the eight different blends is meant to represent the eight decades that Al Micallef has lived so far.

“We believe we’re at the beginning of a trend toward smaller vitolas,” said Dan Thompson, president of Micallef Cigars, in a press release. “Your Toros and Robustos are staples. But, with people going back to the office, challenging weather patterns, and the economic downturn, consumer behavior is shifting. With the Collectors Edition, we’ve doubled down on the Londres format.”

The Micallef Connecticut Londres is made up of an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper covering a Nicaraguan habano binder along with filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The Connecticut line also includes three other vitolas: 5 x 52 robusto, a 6 x 52 toro and a 6 x 60 gordo.

Each of the Micallef Collectors Edition boxes carries an MSRP of $128 and they started shipping to retailers on Oct. 5, 2022.

• Cigar Reviewed: Micallef Connecticut Londres
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Micallef Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Habano)
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 40
• Vitola: Corona
• MSRP: $8 (Box of 16, $128)
• Release Date: Oct. 5, 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Covered in a slightly surprisingly dark caramel-colored wrapper that features a very obvious reddish tint, the Micallef Connecticut Londres is silky smooth to the touch with almost no tooth at all. In addition, there is a noticeable amount of oil present—but very few overt veins—and all three cigars are very firm when squeezed. Aromas from the wrapper include a significant amount of cedar, followed by earth, barnyard, cashews and light generic sweetness. The foot is quite different, with creamy cashews leading more cedar, leather, nutmeg, a vegetal note and slight vanilla bean sweetness. Finally, the cold draw includes flavors of cocoa nibs, hay, leather tack, earth, cinnamon, white pepper and light fondant sweetness.

After lighting the foot, strong anise and baker’s spices are very evident. The profile quickly turns more creamy, but the spice on my tongue only seems to increase as the first third burns down. A combination of cashews and powdery cocoa nibs easily takes the top spots in the profile, followed by hay, rich espresso beans, leather, earth, sourdough bread and light cinnamon. While there is plenty of white pepper on the retrohale, it’a not so much that the pepper drowns out the floral sweetness that is also present. Flavor starts off at a solid medium, but both the body and strength lag behind at a point between mild and medium. In terms of construction, all three cigars perform extremely well, with no issues at all when it comes to the burn, draw or smoke production.

As the burn line passes into the second third of the Connecticut Londres, there is not only more spice no my tongue but also a new flavor combination made up of sourdough bread and creamy peanuts that take over the profile. Secondary notes include not only the powdery cocoa nibs from the first third—albeit not quite as distinct—but also more gritty earth, leather tack, freshly brewed coffee, tobacco leaves and cinnamon. There is also a couple of changes on the retrohale as the amount of both the white pepper and floral sweetness have receded noticeably, although they are still very much present. Flavor has increased to a point just over medium and the strength manages to push to just under medium, but the body remains stuck around the same point between mild and medium. While the smoke production and draws on each of the cigars continue to impress, two of the three cigars run into just enough trouble that I decide to touch them up with my lighter to stave off larger issues.

The final third of the Micallef features a main combination made up creamy cashews from the first third and sourdough bread from the second third, but there is even more spice on my tongue than was present in the second third. Additional notes of powdery cocoa nibs, roasted coffee beans, earth, leather and a light but generic vegetal flavor flit in and out at various points, while the amount of white pepper and floral sweetness on the retrohale remains about the same compared to the second third. Flavor ends the cigar at medium-full and the body increases enough to get to a point just under medium while the strength jumps past the medium mark to a point just over medium but the time I put the nub down with less than an inch remaining. Finally, all aspects of the construction work together in harmony for each of the three cigars, with nary an issue between them.

Final Notes

• Recently, there have been a number of releases from different manufacturers that feature various blends in the same box, including Alec Bradley, Jake Wyatt, RoMa Craft Tobac and Tatuaje.

• On the backside of the main band is a depiction of two shaking hands with the words “Two Families” on top and “One Legacy” on bottom.
• The construction was very, very good for each of the three cigars: plenty of smoke from the feet, excellent draws and straight burn lines that only needed two minor corrections on two different cigars, both in the second third.
• This will be a great blend to do a Redux review on in six months to a year, mainly to see if the amount of spice in the last half recedes enough to allow more of the inherent sweetness that I tasted a bit of to emerge.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time averaged one hour and nine minutes for all three cigars.