Micallef Cigars, barely known just a few short years ago, has been growing box by box since their introduction in 2016. One of the many reasons for the company’s growth has been their Ambassador Program which stated back in 2019 and is designed to “bring together a community of cigar enthusiasts who share an admiration for the traditions of premium hand-rolled cigars and the artisans who craft them.”
As part of the Micallef Ambassador program, which is free to join, you get discounts on company swag, an official numbered membership coin, access to the Private Ambassador Group on Facebook, early access to cigar releases, news and more. That “more” part, was pretty special as the company reached out to their most loyal “ambassadors” to vote on a name for a new line of cigars. The cigar to be named, was actually shipped early this year, called simply the Micallef To Be Named.
Well the fans voted, and the name of that “To Be Named” cigar was chosen as “The Ambassador”. Dagnamit, the name was taken, so instead of pitching a hissy fit, the company and the fans settled on simply calling it the “Micallef A“.
Now down in Texas, where Micallef Cigars is from, they like to do things big, and if there is going to be a special cigar that honors the company’s fans, it had to be big and bold. The Micallef A is just that, a long 6.75 x 54 Churchill. They retail for $7.50/cigar.
Micallef Cigars describes the blend as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Maduro
- Binder – Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler – Nicaraguan, Dominican
For this review, I sampled three Micallef “A” cigars that I purchased from the 2018 Stogie Press #1 Cigar Lounge – Tailored Smoke Cigar Lounge in Charlotte, NC as part of my 2020 Mission to KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
Pre-Light Examination
The Micallef “A” has a dark brown, mildly oily and slightly gritty wrapper. There a few veins and bumps along the barrel. The cigar has tight seams, is well packed, solid to the touch and heavy in the hand.
Two bands adorn the “A”. The primary uses the company standard logo and a deep blue, red and gold motif. The secondary band is placed just below, and uses the same motif and simply declares the cigar as the “A”.
As I ran the barrel along the nasals, I did not detect any aromas, but the foot offered a rich earthy note.
I used my double blade cutter and sliced the cap straight across the shoulder, and took some cold draw puffs. The draw was excellent, while it offered interesting notes of a hickory and savory spice.
My triple flame torch did the trick to warm the foot as I drew in the first puffs of smoke that had a distinct citrus peel note. Follow along as I burn the “A” to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Starts off with a citrus peel note to begin the journey
- White ash forms on a medium thick char line
- Medium volume of smoke
- Moderate tobacco sweetness joins the profile
- Floral notes begin to build moving through the first third
- Cocoa aroma whirls off the foot
- Ash falls deep in first third revealing a off centered burn cone
- Cream notes dovetail nicely with the cocoa
- Citrus and cocoa notes settle for the core
- Spice notes add to the profile midway
- Toasted caramel joins and adds to the flavor satisfaction
- Off burn develops that requires a touch up
- Barrel gets squishy deep in the second third
- Rich dark chocolate notes start to build and linger on the palate in the final third
- Citrus continues to be the core of the journey down to the final
- Medium strength
- Total smoking time was 1 hour and 50 minutes
Overall, the Micallef “A” had a pleasant flavor and aroma profile which had a solid core of citrus throughout the journey. Cocoa, dark chocolate, cream, spice and caramel blended well and kept the palate interested. Each sample developed an off burn that required a touch-up and the barrel got squishy deep in the second third on each. This is worth picking up a five pack of and let some age. I rate this a 90.
Point Deductions: (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Required Touch-up; (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Barrel gets Squishy; (-1) Medium Volume of Smoke
Bonus Points: (+1) Extremely Complex in Flavor and Aroma
