Brand guide
Macanudo cigars
Macanudo is a premium cigar brand owned by General Cigar Co., developed in Jamaica and made in the Dominican Republic since 2000.
Macanudo grew out of a Jamaican factory
Macanudo as smokers know it was introduced by General Cigar in 1971, developed in Jamaica under Ramón Cifuentes, a veteran of the Partagás factory in Cuba.
The name is older than the blend. Wikipedia traces it to a frontmark used by the makers of Cuba's Punch brand. Wikipedia says production moved from Cuba to Jamaica after the 1959 revolution. In the 1960s, General Cigar and its parent Culbro bought Gradiaz Annis, maker of Gold Label cigars and owner of the Temple Hall factory, which held the Macanudo name.
The company itself points to an earlier date. Its line called 1968 is named for "the year Macanudo's legacy began." Two dates, two definitions of a start.
Who owns Macanudo?
The Macanudo trademark sits with General Cigar Co., part of Denmark's Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
Macanudo's site carries a General Cigar Co., Inc. copyright. Wikipedia's entry on Scandinavian Tobacco Group says the current company was formed by an April 2010 agreement that combined STG's tobacco business with Swedish Match's cigar and pipe tobacco business, including the US subsidiaries General Cigar and Cigars International. STG is headquartered in Copenhagen.
STG later added Alec Bradley to the same group. General Cigar also holds a stake in a leaf supplier: Cigar Aficionado reports it owns 20 percent of the Plasencia family's company.
Where are Macanudo cigars made?
Macanudo cigars are made in the Dominican Republic, where production moved from Jamaica in October 2000.
Three countries in one life. Cuba for the name, Jamaica for the blend, the Dominican Republic for today's rolling. The Maduro page says its cigars are "handcrafted in the Dominican Republic." The Wikipedia entry doesn't name the Dominican factory or city, and neither do the Macanudo pages, so neither is named here.
Connecticut leaf defines Macanudo's core blends
Macanudo's two original blends both wear Connecticut wrappers: Connecticut Shade on the Café and Connecticut Broadleaf on the Maduro.
The insides are close cousins. Café uses a Mexican San Andrés binder with Mexican and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler. Maduro uses a Connecticut binder with the same Mexican and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler. The difference you see is the wrapper. Light tan on one, dark brown on the other. See both shades on the wrapper color chart.
Newer lines go elsewhere for leaf. The Inspirado Orange is Honduran on the outside and in the binder, with Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. Inspirado Jamao is rolled with Jamastrán tobacco. Macanudo has also announced Ecuadorian Shade and Sumatra blends.
Macanudo blends by wrapper and stated body
| Line | Wrapper (as Macanudo lists it) | Body (Macanudo's word) | Notable sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café | Connecticut Shade | Mellow | Hyde Park 5 1/2 x 49, Baron de Rothschild 6 1/2 x 42, Portofino 7 x 34 (tube), Prince of Wales 8 x 52 |
| Maduro | Connecticut Broadleaf | Mellow to medium | Ascots 4 3/16 x 32, Hyde Park 5 1/2 x 49, Gigante 6 x 60, Prince Philip 7 1/2 x 49 |
| Inspirado Orange | Honduran | Medium | Robusto 5 x 50, Toro 5 3/4 x 52, Churchill 7 x 50 |
Macanudo labels body, not strength. Other lines on the site include Gold Label, Vintage 2010, Vintage Maduro 2013, Crü Royale, 1968, the Estate Reserve releases, M by Macanudo and Emissary.
Macanudo milestones
Macanudo's history runs from a Cuban size name to a Jamaican blend to Dominican production under a Danish-owned group.
- 1959: The Cuban revolution pushes production out of Cuba.
- 1960s: General Cigar and Culbro buy Gradiaz Annis and the Temple Hall factory.
- 1971: General Cigar introduces the distinct Macanudo blend, made in Jamaica.
- October 2000: Production moves to the Dominican Republic.
- 2010: General Cigar becomes part of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
- 2014: Named official cigar of the Cigar Smoking World Championship.
What to know before you buy a Macanudo
Macanudo Café alone comes in more than 20 sizes, from a 3 3/4 x 24 Miniature to an 8 x 52 Prince of Wales.
That is a wide spread. A 24 ring is cigarillo thin; a 60 ring Gigante is more than double that. Tubed sizes exist too: Court and Portofino in aluminum tubes, Crystal in a crystal tube. The size names are British, so they won't tell you the dimensions. Check them against the size explorer.
None of the Café or Maduro sizes are marked as pressed on Macanudo's pages. Macanudo doesn't post suggested retail prices there either, so price tier isn't listed here.
Macanudo questions people search
Where are Macanudo cigars made?
Production has been Dominican since a move from Jamaica in October 2000, per Wikipedia. The Maduro page says its cigars are handcrafted in the Dominican Republic.
Who makes Macanudo?
General Cigar Co. makes Macanudo. General Cigar became part of Scandinavian Tobacco Group through a 2010 deal that combined STG's tobacco business with Swedish Match's cigar business.
What wrapper is on a Macanudo Café?
Macanudo lists a Connecticut Shade wrapper on the Café, over a Mexican San Andrés binder and Mexican and Dominican Piloto Cubano filler.
What is the difference between Macanudo Café and Macanudo Maduro?
The wrapper. Café wears Connecticut Shade and Maduro wears Connecticut Broadleaf. Macanudo calls the Café mellow and the Maduro mellow to medium.
Where the Macanudo facts come from
- Macanudo (cigar), Wikipedia
- Macanudo Café blend and sizes, Macanudo
- Macanudo Maduro blend and sizes, Macanudo
- Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Wikipedia
- The Tobacco Titan, Cigar Aficionado