Bandolero Firecracker

Selected Tobacco S.A.

• Country of Origin: Costa Rica
• Factory: Tabacos de Costa Rica
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Ecuador
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua & Undisclosed
• Length: 3 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Short Robusto
• MSRP: $9 (Box of 20, $180)
• Release Date: June 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
• Original Score: 92

Just as the summer months arrive, United Cigars begins releasing a new limited edition cigar that is short, stout, and decorated by a fuse-like strand of tobacco that almost automatically calls to mind what the line is named for: firecrackers. Over the past several years, the company has turned to several very well-known names to produce the cigars; in 2022 it kept things a bit closer to home, turning to Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco, whose cigars are distributed by United Cigars.

The Bandolero Firecracker features a blend that is a combination of two of the brand’s other lines, using the Ecuadorian wrapper and binder of the Bandolero Aventureros and the Dominican, Nicaraguan and other undisclosed fillers of the Bandolero Clandestino, also referred to as the Series C line. The result is a cigar that excels in balancing strength and full flavor with staying palate-friendly and not leaving the smoker feeling like they just took a gut punch of nicotine. That’s not to say it’s not a strong cigar—it is part of the Firecracker Series, after all—but when smoked a bit later in the day and with some food in your system, it’s quite pleasing.

But the Bandolero Firecracker is not just about strength, rather it layers earth, pepper and chocolate for the majority of the cigar before bringing in what I found to be a guava-like sweetness and some red chili pepper spiciness in the final third. The short length limits just how many zigs and zags the cigar can make, but the ones it makes contribute quite well to the overall experience.

For those lucky enough to score this limited edition, you likely already know why this landed on the list; if you have yet to smoke one, it might be a good idea to start asking around to see if you can experience one of the better releases in the Firecracker Series for yourself. — Patrick Lagreid.