Micallef Cigars is a fascinating story, and it started with a man named Al Micallef in 2016. Al is the legendary type of entrepreneur, owning and growing everything from restaurants to developing textiles. Al is also a known and avid cigar smoker, which led to his passion for making high-quality, premium cigars. After meeting Joel and Edel of the Gomez Sanchez family, Al set out to create some of the best cigars on the market. But that is not where it gets interesting; his daughter, Amanda Micallef, currently runs the tobacco division of the Micallef empire and is at the forefront of what the cigar community should be, and not only learned about the cigar industry but shared in its true passion, heart, and knowledge following in her father’s footsteps.
Today, we will go through the Micallef Grande Bold. This is our first exposure to Micallef cigars, and it was quite the experience. The silky smooth tobaccos from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, certainly did not disappoint.
Profile: Medium/Full
Wrapper: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan/Dominican
Binder: Ecuadorian
Shape: Parejo - Robusto
Length: 5
Gauge: 52
Country: Mixed
Box-pressed: N/A
Sweet: N/A
Pricing: ($184.00 Box of 20 )($9.20 per stick)
First Impression: Being our first experience with anything from Micallef Cigars, we were surprised at the quality of the cigar and its price. After two weeks in the humidor for resting, I noticed the cigar had a dark and rich wrapper. A light leaf oil coating could be seen, giving the cigar a slight shine, and a sweet yet musky odor was noted, which I tend to enjoy. The cigar was well-balanced and carried a good weight. Upon further inspection, one could say a great deal of time, effort, and care went into making this cigar.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn: I used a guillotine-style cutter for this cigar and barely cut off the cap. The cold draw was very interesting, with notes of raisins and earth (mushroom), and the draw itself was effortless and clean. Using a torch, I toasted the foot and lit the cigar without drawing. With this technique, I notice a subtle change in my cigars once I draw, which I find fascinating. The tobacco burns evenly and required no touch-ups throughout the smoke. It became slightly uneven at one point, but the cigar corrected itself.
Flavor: This cigar had a plethora of flavors that I was able to interpret. Mind you, there are those out there that can detect several flavors when they smoke cigars, while others can’t. My brain interpreted these signals and reminded me of past experiences. I detected leather, spice, wood (oak), and earth hints. The smoke was thick and white and did not overpower the senses. This cigar had a relatively clean finish and did not linger.
Final Thoughts: Micallef Cigars is a sleeping giant, and DO NOT underestimate this brand. The Gomez Sanchez family and the Micallef family have this cigar dialed in. This is a company to keep an eye out for. As far as the cigar, with Ligero in the name, you’d expect it to be a powerhouse; however, this is further from the truth. The Grande Bold Ligero is smooth, rich, well-balanced, and flavorful. Beware, you will not find these gems at the big internet cigar sites; head online at www.MicallefCigars.com and look for the nearest brick & mortar that carries them. They’re definitely box worthy!