The strong, Nicaraguan brand from Artesano del Tobacco now has a stout addition
By Gregory Mottola – Originally posted on Cigar Aficionado.
The hearty and robust El Pulpo line from Artesano del Tobacco has a short new size called The Fry, and it’s expected to start shipping on June 14.
Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez, The Fry measures 4 inches by 48 ring gauge and is topped with a pigtail cap. Like the rest of the El Pulpo line, it’s composed of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan tobacco. The wrapper on this smoke, however, was fermented a bit differently to better accommodate the cigar’s shorter length.
The packaging differs as well. These cigars come in thick-ply, coated, cardboard five-packs with flip-top lids, a compartment for matches and a striking surface. Each travel pack has a suggested retail price $62 each, which works out to $12.40 per cigar. They are not sold individually.
The Fry brings El Pulpo to five sizes, including the Culebra, introduced last year, and the Belicoso Grande, Cigar Aficionado’s No. 10 cigar of 2023.
Artesano del Tobacco is owned by Fakih brothers Billy, Geson “Gus” and Bass, former New York City retailers who created their own cigar brand in 2015.
For a rating of the new El Pulpo The Fry, see a future issue of Cigar Insider.
