Protocol Cigars Announces Protocol Eliot Ness

Following in the footsteps of 2019’s Protocol Sir Robert Peel release, Cubariqueño Cigar Company (parent company of Protocol Cigars) has revealed Protocol Eliot Ness as their next core-line addition.

Protocol Eliot Ness takes multiple cues from Sir Robert Peel, being geared as a more sophisticated smoking experience for the blue collar enthusiast, as well as being packaged with a similar design and launching in both natural and maduro varieties. Together, the Protocol Sir Robert Peel and Protocol Eliot Ness form a collection now dubbed the Lawmen Series, with a regal look and smoking character setting the cigars apart from the bold presentations of the standard “P” series of years prior.

The Sir Robert Peel was a total change of direction for the company. We wanted to offer our supporters a more regal product from marketing, packaging, and to the actual tobacco used in the blend. We wanted to stay true to our working class supporters, but wanted to also offer them a higher end product. Sometimes the average working Joe likes to put on a suit and get a little fancy while smoking his cigar. It was a bold move and it paid off. The Protocol Sir Robert Peel was and continues to be a tremendous success for us. We figured why not continue on the coattails of that success.Juan Cancel, co-owner of Cubariqueño Cigar Co.

The Lawmen Series aims to pay tribute to notable individuals throughout law enforcement history, standing in contrast to the glorification of famed criminals often portrayed in television and film. This year’s release is centered around Eliot Ness, a prominent FBI agent during the time of Prohibition, best known for his efforts to take down American gangster Al Capone.

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Protocol Eliot Ness has been crafted in two varieties: Protocol Eliot Ness Natural and Protocol Eliot Ness Maduro. Each cigar boasts a Nicaraguan puro blend, differentiating themselves with altered filler components and wrapper ingredients. The Natural uses a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over an Estelí-grown Habano binder and Nicaraguan Criollo leaves from the viso and seco primings. Meanwhile, the Maduro boasts a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper (a rarely seen wrapper style) over the same Estelí-grown Habano binder and Nicaraguan Corojo leaves from the viso and seco primings (harvested from Estelí and Jalapa). Both cigars mark the first occasion that a Protocol cigar has been rolled without ligero-priming leaves, which is typically what gives a blend its strength.

We wanted to do something new and exciting for us. This is the first blend we offer to the market that has no ligero tobacco. A far cry from our first offering in 2015 that had quadruple ligero in the filler. So all the strength and power of the blends come from the other tobaccos. It is a very unique smoking experience, especially for those who are used to smoking Protocol Cigars. We are super excited about this project!Kevin Keithan, co-owner of Cubariqueño Cigar Co.

This cigar also marks the first time that a Protocol cigar is not being rolled at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Estelí, instead being handled at A.J. Fernández’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. This factory now handles Espinosa’s 601 line and an increasing number of cigars from Espinosa in recent years. Protocol Eliot Ness is packaged in 10-count boxes and is rolled in a singular 6″ x 52 box-pressed toro format. The cigars are slated to arrive at retail shelves in mid-to-late fall, which will retail for $119.50 MSRP per box.

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