Today, we review the Macanudo Emissary España Limited Edition Box Pressed Torpedo. In 2024, General Cigar launched a new pillar under Macanudo called Emissary. Emissary is designed to be a premium pillar centered around a theme of European sophistication. It’s not just the look; the Emissary incorporates European tobacco into the blend. Emissary España represents the first line released under the Macanudo Emissary name, and as the name suggests, it includes tobacco from Spain. Emissary España was launched in four regular production sizes, but last fall, General added a limited edition fifth size to Emissary in the form of a Box-Pressed Torpedo. Since then, Macanudo Emissary has expanded to include Emissary France, which features French tobacco.

Macanudo Emissary España Limited Edition – Agile Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

One of the other features of the Emissary España is the incorporation of aged tobaccos. Parent company Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) has stated that the Spanish tobaccos undergo a ten-year aging process. The remainder of the blend includes tobaccos aged between five and ten years.

The Spanish tobacco originates from a farm near the town of Riolobos, Spain, situated in the western-central region of the country. In addition to the Spanish tobacco, the filler of the Macanudo Emissary España also incorporates several other filler tobaccos, including five-year-aged Dominican Piloto, six-year-aged Nicaraguan, and five-year-aged Colombian tobacco. The binder is a six-year-old Nicaraguan leaf from Condega. Finally, the España is finished with a five-year-aged Connecticut-grown Broadleaf Claro wrapper.

The España Limited Edition Box Pressed Torpedo is the first box-pressed offering under Macanudo España. It measures 6 x 52. A total of 1,500 16-count boxes were produced.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Claro (Aged 5 Years)
Binder: Nicaraguan (Condega, Aged 6 Years)
Filler: Spanish (Aged 10 Years), Dominican (Piloto, Aged 5 Years), Nicaraguan (Aged 6 Years), Colombian (Aged 5 Years)
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Honduran American Tobacco S.A. (HATSA)
Box Pressed Torpedo: 6 x 52 (Limited Edition)

PERFORMANCE

The Emissary España Limited Edition opened up with notes of coffee, chocolate sweetness, cedar, baker’s spice, and mixed pepper. Early on, the coffee and chocolate became the primary notes, while the cedar, baker’s spice, and pepper became secondary. The retro-hale delivered an additional layer of cedar, accompanied by some white pepper. As the cigar moved into the second third, the chocolate receded into the background, allowing the coffee to become the primary note. Around the halfway point, there was an increase in the cedar notes. By the final third, the cedar overtook the coffee as the primary note. The coffee, along with the chocolate, baker’s spice, and pepper, rounded out the flavors. As the Emissary España Limited Edition came to a close, it finished with a soft and cool nub.

The Emissary España Limited Edition began with a medium strength and medium-bodied flavor profile. Both the strength and the body increased linearly, but the body increased at a more rapid rate. By the second half, the flavors delivered by the Emissary España Limited Edition were medium to full-bodied. The strength, while more intense than at the start, was still medium. The body had the edge in terms of strength.

Overall, the burn of the Emissary España Limited Edition required multiple touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and a straight burn line. The draw was excellent, delivering a touch of resistance along the way.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Macanudo Emissary España was a definite highlight for many of us at the 2024 PCA Trade Show, primarily due to the incorporation of Spanish tobacco. On a non-review-related note, I think General is moving too quickly with the Emissary Series. It’s been out for a year, and they’ve already added a limited edition; now they’ve released Emissary France.

The good news is that the Macanudo Emissary España Limited Edition delivers a flavorful smoke that is going to score well. I found the Box-Pressed Torpedo to be a great format. The one drawback is that the Limited Edition seems to lack some of the intangible qualities the Spanish tobacco brought to the core sizes. At $17.50 per cigar, this is not a cheap investment, but it does smoke like a premium cigar. This is one I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, Emissary España Limited Edition is a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Cocoa, Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good