“Micallef’s Ambassador Program was one of several initiatives the company has been rolling out to strengthen its commitment to brick and mortar retailers and consumers. Micallef has done a great job at executing these programs, but ultimately it comes down to the products. The company has delivered a fantastic cigar in the Micallef A that these initiatives can make use of.”

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory Micallef Cigars S.A.
Churchill: 6 3/4 x 54
Price: $7.50

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: Micallef A (10/25/20)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 1 (2020)

Coming in at #17 is the Micallef A Churchill. The Micallef “A” is a cigar made to pay tribute to Micallef Cigars’ Ambassadors program. The Ambassadors program is an open community of cigar enthusiasts that was started by Micallef Cigars. The company has opened membership up to all cigar enthusiasts. Currently, Micallef says the group has more than 5,000 members. Micallef Cigars’ team relies on the Ambassadors’ feedback to help shape company priorities, products and direction.

Not only is the Micallef “A” a cigar that honors the Ambassadors Program, but it was a cigar where the Ambassador community helped name the cigar. Originally the cigar was soft-launched back in March as the Micallef To Be Named (TBN). At the time the TBN was being launched, Micallef started partnering with its Ambassador community to help choose a new name. While the cigar did not have an official name yet, Micallef opted to ship the cigars to select retailers to give participants a chance to enjoy the cigar before the final name was chosen. Along the way, Micallef got a huge response from its retail partners, selling out the TBN inventory in 36 hours. The name “A’ eventually was derived from input from the Micallef Ambassador community.

The blend of the Micallef A consists of an Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and fillers a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The cigar was originally launched in one size – a 6 3/4 x 54 “Churchill”. Production is handled at Micallef Cigars’ factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Flavorwise, the Micallef A delivered a mix of coffee, chocolate, citrus, mineral, and pepper notes. It’s not an overpowering cigar, coming in on the upper end of mild to medium in terms of strength and body.

The Micallef A lands Micallef Cigars on a Cigar Coop Countdown for the first time. If you are keeping score at home, it is third cigar that has landed on the 2020 Countdown where the company is making its Countdown debut.

 

For details of the 2020 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2020 criteria.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop