Macanudo Emissary Spain Robusto (Single Loose Cigar)

• Length: 127mm
• Gauge: 52
• Strength: Medium to Full
• Wrapper: Spanish-grown Habano
• Binder: USA Broadleaf
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and USA
• Origin: Dominican Republic
• Humidor Advised: Yes

Macanudo have always been known for making refined, easy-going cigars, so when they announced they were releasing a cigar wrapped in tobacco grown in Spain, I'll admit I raised an eyebrow.

Spain isn't exactly the first country that springs to mind when you're talking premium cigar tobacco. Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic... certainly. Spain? That was enough to get my attention.

The wrapper comes from Riolobos in western Spain, where the climate has produced a Habano leaf that's quite unlike anything else you'll find on the shelf. Underneath sits an American Broadleaf binder with fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and the United States, creating a blend that's rich, layered and surprisingly elegant.

The Robusto size gives you plenty of time to appreciate how it unfolds. Cedar and roasted nuts are there from the start, followed by coffee, leather and a gentle peppery spice that never gets carried away with itself. It has plenty of flavour but keeps its manners throughout.

I do enjoy a cigar that has a story worth telling, and this one certainly has. It would have been far easier for Macanudo to reach for another Ecuadorian wrapper and call it a day. Instead, they went looking somewhere few manufacturers have bothered to explore.

Sometimes curiosity pays off. This is one of those times.