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Micallef Black review by Don José


Hey team, Don José here back with another review.


Today we have the

Micallef Black

by Micallef




If this is your first time here, my reviews rate each cigar on 10 factors and each factor gets a rating out of 10 giving me an overall out of 100. The 10 factors are: Construction, Draw, Burn, Flavour, 1/3 overall, 2/3 overall, 3/3 overall, Journey (how well it flows), Complexity & Value for money.

 

Overview


New to New Zealand, the Micallef Black is a bespoke cigar that was created to please the palates of the brand’s most devoted fans, aka the Micallef Ambassador group.


The fans wanted a more potent cigar from their beloved brand. Micallef listened and tasked Joel and Edel Gomez-Sanchez, their exclusive blenders, to create a blend that is smooth, sophisticated, flavorful, and full-strength. After three years of trying different blend combinations, they finally settled on a specific one for the Micallef Black.


The cigar made its official debut this summer at the annual PCA trade show in Las Vegas, being rolled out of the company’s Nicaraguan factory in both robusto and toro formats. The cigars feature a three-country tobacco blend, including a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a Habano binder from Ecuador, and all-Nicaraguan filler.


Details:

  • Factory: Micallef Cigars S.A. (Nicaragua)

  • Size: 6x52 Toro

  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés

  • Binder: Ecuadorian Habano

  • Fillers: Nicaragua


About the wrapper.


Mexican San Andrés is arguably as popular as Connecticut Broadleaf. Like Connecticut Broadleaf, it’s thick, naturally sweet, and most-often stalk cut prior to curing.


In 1880, Cuban tobacco grower Alberto Turrent left his Cuba and moved to Mexico’s San Andrés Valley in Veracruz, the eastern side of the country on the Gulf of Mexico. He had Cuban tobacco seeds with him and planted what would become the first Mexican San Andrés tobaccos.


Today, after 6 generations, the A. Turrent farms are still the largest producer of San Andrés wrappers in the world. The soil in Veracruz is volcanic and dense. It’s extremely humid. All of this contributes to the unique flavour of the San Andrés cigar wrapper.



let's get into the review.


First thoughts

Great looking cigar. Nice dark chocolate wrapper, good looking construction and simple but effective band.


Cold draw gives sweetness, earth & cocoa



Construction

Fantastic construction, nice shape and density, no visible damages or inconsistencies.


Burn & Draw Perfect draw too! Plenty of smoke and great burnline.

Flavour & Complexity Pepper, dark chocolate, coffee - classics from a SA wrapper + some more like Leather and wood.

Strength 87% - full


Enjoyment / Journey Great to smoke a new stick (well new to NZ) that is this great, It just proves how many more amazing cigars there are left to discover!


Overall Well worth a try, grab a couple! There is also the Micallef Blue available if you want to compare.


I rate this cigar 92 points!





A look at the numbers.


Construction -- 9/10

Burn -- 10/10

Draw -- 9/10

Flavour -- 9/10

Complexity -- 8/10

First 1/3 -- 9/10

Second 1/3 -- 10/10

Third 1/3 -- 10/10

Journey -- 9/10

Value -- 9/10




 


About the author

Joe Murdie aka Don José has been reviewing cigars in New Zealand for over 10 years now, originally as a writer for NZBlokes, a mens magazine.


Outside of Cigars Joe is an international award winning film-maker based in Wānaka, OTA.

Comments


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Enjoy your read with a good cigar.

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