Macanudo Emissary France Toro (Single Loose Cigar)

• Length: 152mm
• Gauge: 52
• Strength: Medium to Full
• Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
• Binder: USA Broadleaf
• Filler: D.R.Piloto, USA Broadleaf, Arapiraca Brazil, France
• Origin: Dominican Republic
• Humidor Advised: Yes

Macanudo have spent decades proving that a cigar doesn't need to be overpowering to be memorable. Founded in 1968, the brand became one of the biggest names in premium cigars by concentrating on balance, construction and consistency. The Emissary series allows their blenders to wander a little further afield, searching for tobaccos that most manufacturers simply overlook.

For the France edition, the journey led them to the Mugron River Valley in south-west France. Tobacco has been cultivated there since the 1800s, although very little ever finds its way into handmade cigars. Macanudo secured a crop from the region and built an entirely new blend around it, pairing the French leaf with aged Dominican tobaccos and American Broadleaf before finishing everything beneath an Ecuadorian-grown Cameroun seed wrapper.

The larger Toro format gives the blend plenty of room to unfold. The opening is creamy with cedar and toasted almonds, before notes of roasted coffee, buttery pastry and gentle baking spices begin to appear. The French tobacco adds an earthy character that sits comfortably beneath the sweeter Dominican leaves, making the cigar feel composed from beginning to end.

I'll always admire manufacturers who are prepared to look beyond the obvious. Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Cuba will rightly remain household names, but every so often someone reminds us that excellent tobacco can grow in unexpected places. This Toro makes that point rather convincingly.