No. 2 Limited Edition Cigar of the Year 2019 - Warzone

Warzone is the result of an unexpected collaboration between Espinosa Premium Cigars and General Cigar Company—two entities operating on disparate levels of the premium cigar industry, in terms of scale and approach. With such contrast, both stood to gain from the other’s strengths. For Espinosa, a fan favorite among craft-minded enthusiasts, this included access to General’s coveted reserves of exotic African Cameroon tobacco, as well as their global reach in distribution. For General, Warzone sends a message to the most active, influential class of cigar smoker—a message that they are capable of delivering the fun and engaging level of experience that the enthusiast smoker seeks.

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Warzone is themed around the Ten Years’ War of 1868 to 1878, where Cuba fought for independence from Spain. In terms of blending, the cigar includes a much more diverse selection than smokers have come to expect from the Nicaraguan-heavy style commonly presented by Espinosa. This includes Nicaraguan and Colombian leaves in the filler and a Honduran binder—all of which were provided on Espinosa’s part. But it is the high grade of African Cameroon that is the cigar’s signature ingredient, sourced from General’s inventory. The final blend—collectively determined by the Espinosa and General teams—was then crafted at Espinosa’s own La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Warzone will feel familiar to the hardened Espinosa loyalist, though simultaneously distinct, bringing a newfound level of complexity to the company’s famously loud and vibrant smoking profiles. Playing to the wrapper’s subtleties, the body has been subdued, allowing for spicy-sweet nuances of cinnamon, brown sugar, kettle corn, cardamom, and pumpkin spice. It’s a unique experience that takes the sophistication of the famed Cameroon style and amplifies it to a level perhaps not yet seen, allowing a gentle sweetness to deliver an underlying complexity with great effectuation.