Macanudo was originally the name for a size produced in Guatemala by the makers of Cuban Punch cigars. It later became the property of Temple Hall, a Jamaican cigar-maker that produced Macanudo mainly for the British market.
It’s 1962. The one time owner of Partagas in Cuba, Ramon Cifuentes, sits inside his house in Connecticut separating tobacco leaves. He fled Cuba with nothing to his name, leaving his homeland and factory behind. The two things that Fidel couldn’t take from him were his impeccable knowledge of tobacco and his ability to make unforgettable cigars.
His influence on Edgar Cullman and General Cigar was life changing. Cifuentes instilled an old school approach to his teaching methods. You couldn’t beat Cifuentes to work, he would typically be waiting for you with a straw hat at the factory, stressing the importance of being punctual.
It’s one of the many reasons Macanudo cigars are special. Cifuentes expected excellence throughout each stage of the cigar making process, from leaf to box. That means growing with care and curing with patience, with only the best leaves being worthy to land on the blenders’ desks. It’s a policy Cifuentes demanded, and one we continue to this day.
When we think about an extraordinary person like Cifuentes, we think of an extraordinary cigar in our portfolio: Macanudo Crü Royale. Using exotic tobaccos that are exclusive to Macanudo, Crü Royale delivers an incredibly flavorful, aromatic experience and a long, clean finish that Cifuentes himself would be proud to smoke.