At the 2022 Premium Cigar Association Trade Show, Esteban Carreras launched its first Corojo-wrapped cigar – Taken from the Devil’s Hand.

The cigar itself features a dark Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper over all-Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler. It’s being launched in three sizes: Bootlit (4 3/4 x 46), Toro (6 x 50), and Sixty (6 x 60). Both the Toro and Sixty are packaged in 20-count boxes while the Bootlit will come in 32-count boxes.

The story of the name Taken from the Devil’s Hand goes back to the 1990s in Cuba. At the time Gonzalo Puentes, the Minister of Tobacco, was tasked with enhancing the Corojo. This was done through positive selection by growing 100 plants, taking the best five, and regenerating them several times. Eventually, the positive selection seeds from the best plants were selected. It turns out these seeds from the project were smuggled out of Cuba to Ecuador and Nicaragua – leaving the negative selection seeds to Cuba (or the “Devil” a.k.a. Castro).

Pricing is in the $8.00 to $11.00 MSRP range. The cigars are currently shipping to retailers.

At a glance here is a look at the Esteban Carreras Taken From the Devil’s Hand

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Carreras

Vitolas Offered

Bootlit: 4 3/4 x 46
Toro: 6 x 50
Sixty: 6 x 60

Photo Credit: Erron Nielsen for Cigar Coop