Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade Makes a Comeback

A previously limited-edition cigar has returned, featuring a distinctive and rare wrapper. A wrapper not used very often.

The Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade has made a comeback, but it doesn’t use the dark tobacco typically associated with Brazilian cigars. When “shade-grown” is mentioned, the Connecticut River Valley often comes to mind. However, General Cigar Co. is re-releasing a limited-edition version of its Macanudo Inspirado brand with shade-grown wrappers from Brazil’s Bahia region, which are lighter than the usual Brazilian cover leaf. Originally launched in 2021, the Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade is back and shipping to retailers this week.

Beneath the Connecticut-seed Brazilian wrapper is a Mexican San Andrés binder that encases a blend of fillers from Brazil, Nicaragua’s Jalapa region, and the Dominican Republic. According to the company, the Dominican tobacco includes Piloto Cubano and a proprietary leaf referred to as Dominican Cubita, a Cuban-seed varietal grown on a one-acre plot in the Mao region.

Intended to be medium-bodied, the cigars are available in two sizes: Toro and Churchill. The Toro is 6 1/2 inches by 52 ring gauge and retails for $10.99, although the box photograph shows a length of 6 1/4 inches. The Churchill measures 7 by 48 and retails for $11.99. Both sizes come in brightly-coloured boxes of 10, designed to evoke the Brazilian flag. Production is limited to 2,100 boxes of the Toro and 1,200 of the Churchill.

The Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade is produced at the General Cigar Dominicana factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.