Today, we review the Micallef Blue in the Toro size. This is the second installment in Micallef’s Color Series.  While Micallef Cigars has been around since 2017, the Color Series represents an important point in the evolution of Micallef as a cigar manufacturer. For the past few years, Micallef has strategically invested in procuring higher-grade tobaccos and efficiently escalating production at its factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. As a result, the company has delivered higher-quality premium releases at an aggressive price point. Micallef Blue falls into this category, priced in the $7.00 to $8.00 range.

The following are the three installments of the Micallef Color Series as of this cigar assessment:

• Micallef Black
• Micallef Blue
• Micallef Red

Micallef Black was meant to fill a void in the portfolio with a more robust, fuller-bodied offering. With Micallef Blue, this cigar is more in the medium range and can potentially appeal to a broader audience. Micallef Red has recently been released and is a cigar that falls between the Blue and the Black in terms of its strength and body profile.

Let’s quickly break down the Micallef Blue Toro and see what this cigar offers.

Micallef Blue Toro – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Micallef Blue is a four-country multinational blend. Its Sumatra wrapper, from the San Andrés region of Mexico, highlights this cigar. The blend also features an Ecuadorian Habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Production comes from Micallef’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: San Andrés Sumatra
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica de Micallef

Vitolas Offered

The Micallef Blue is offered in two sizes, each in 25-count cabinet boxes. The Robusto and Toro sizes are consistent with those of the Micallef Black and Micallef Red lines.

Robusto: 5 x 52
Toro: 6 x 52

Appearance (*)

The San Andres Sumatra wrapper of the Blue Toro was a medium brown, almost darker shade of caramel color. There wasn’t much oil on the surface of this wrapper, which was smooth and pristine. Any visible veins were thin, and there weren’t many noticeable wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Blue Toro. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw. The best way to describe this pre-light draw is a mix of cream and cedar with a touch of natural tobacco. I’m not a huge fan of cedar, but overall, the creaminess smoothed things out, and the natural tobacco was a nice touch. This made for what was an outstanding pre-light experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the Blue Toro and head into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Blue Toro opened up with more cream and cedar notes. In addition, some natural tobacco and mixed pepper notes were present. Some citrus notes also emerged as the cigar burned through the early stages. It took until the midway point of the first third when the natural tobacco and citrus notes emerged at the forefront. The cedar, cream, and pepper notes settled in the background. There was also an extra layer of cedar on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Blue Toro, the natural tobacco and citrus notes remained grounded in the forefront. Throughout this stage, the cream notes gradually decreased, and the pepper notes gradually increased. In addition, the cedar notes remained relatively constant in the background.

By the final third, the natural tobacco and citrus notes remained the primary notes. In the background, the pepper notes were now the most prominent of the secondary notes. There were still some cedar and residual cream notes. This is how the Blue Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and slightly soft to the touch.

Burn

The burn to the Blue Toro was excellent. This cigar required minimal touch-ups to maintain a straight burn line and straight burn path. The resulting ash wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose or flaky. This was an ash with a classic salt and pepper color. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintain ideal levels.

Draw

The Blue Toro’s draw was on the open side. This wasn’t a loose draw. Normally, I prefer a little more resistance on my draw. In the end, this was more of a personal preference thing and didn’t result in any adverse effects.

Strength and Body

While Micallef Black was intended to be a fuller offering, the Blue falls more in the medium range. The Blue Toro opened up with medium strength and medium-bodied notes, slightly increasing in intensity along the way. While both attributes came close to medium to full, the Blue Toro fell a little short of this threshold.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Micallef has been consistent on the packaging for its Color Series. It’s relatively simple – the box and band match the color name. At the same time, the font is gold. For the Blue and Gold, it works quite well and contrasts nicely with the color of the Mexican Sumatra wrapper.

Like the Micallef Black, the back of the Micallef Blue band pays homage to the partnership of the Micallef and Gomez-Sanchez families. The Gomez-Sanchez family blend handles the blending of Micallef Cigars. Over the past few years, Micallef has invested in factory infrastructure and tobacco sourcing to produce the Gomez-Sanchez blends.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT