Cigar News: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Becomes STG's Latest Barrel Aged Collaboration

Cigar News: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Becomes STG’s Latest Barrel Aged Collaboration

For the third time in a little over a week, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) is releasing a cigar blend featuring barrel-aged tobacco. This time its the Macanudo brand and Napa Valley-based Flint Knoll winery coming together to create Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll. It’s a cigar that will be available to retailers beginning October 3rd.

The release features a proprietary Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that was grown exclusively for Macanudo. This leaf is aged in French Oak barrels that were used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. During the aging process, it imparted notes favored by Flint Knoll Proprietor Aaron Michaelis.

The cigar features six different tobaccos from five countries. In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf binder, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll features a filler blend of Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Olor, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Jalapa. The cigar is finished with an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. The cigars are available in two sizes: Toro and Churchill and presented in ten-count boxes

In a press release Steve Abbot, director of marketing for Macanudo, commented, “The collaboration with Flint Knoll is the first of its kind for Macanudo and gives us the opportunity to explore the synergies between cigar and winemaking. We look forward to future collaborations with Aaron and his team as we expand the notion of what it means to be a Macanudo by bringing terroir, craftsmanship and innovation to life.”

Aaron Michaelis added, “As a seasoned cigar smoker, I admire Macanudo’s ability to remain consistent and true, decade after decade, because I’ve come to learn that this is as challenging for a cigarmaker as it is for a winemaker. You can imagine that having the chance to contribute to the brand’s legacy in some small way has been nothing less than thrilling for me personally, as it has been for my team. Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll represents the desire of both brands to expand their horizons and I believe that together, we will bring increased excitement to the worlds of wine and cigars.”

Last week, STG announced that barrel-aged blends for the 2022 Weller by Cohiba and Buffalo Trace Special F. Macanudo Cigars are distributed by General Cigar Company.

At a glance, here is a look at the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll:

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Fillers: Brazilian Mata FIna, Nicaraguan (Jalapa), Dominican (Olor, Piloto Cubano)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana