Atlanta-based company ATL Cigar Co. has announced the Wise Blood as their fifth core-line cigar, succeeding former lines ATL Black, ATL Good Trouble, ATL Magic, and ATL Fye.
In recent years, the company has gravitated to fan-favorite manufacturers such as Aganorsa Leaf and Luciano Cigars, and the Wise Blood will continue this trend, being the third cigar made in partnership with cigarmaker Luciano Meirelles. Wise Blood will be the first ATL cigar to be produced and distributed exclusively through Meirelles’ new vertically-integrated company, Luciano Cigars.
Being based out of GA, the company pays homage to GA-based author Flannery O’Connor and her first novel, Wise Blood, which “tells the story of a Southern veteran in the mid-20th century, a man of deep faith who struggles to reconcile his convictions with his lived experience.”
Speaking of the Wise Blood launch, ATL Cigar Co. President Leroy Lamar says, “Flannery O’Connor and her Southern Gothic portfolio have had a profound influence on me. Wise Blood, in particular, helps me wrestle with faith, race, my relationships with my co-founders, and frankly, my place in this world. We are proud to create a cigar that reflects these deep questions and commemorates such an important work and author.”
The cigars use an Ecuadorian Habano rosado HVA wrapper, Ecuadorian Connecticut binder, and fillers from three Nicaraguan regions. The company describes this combination as producing a mild to medium body and a delicate balance in profile, “carrying sweet almond notes, with hints of lemon zest that delight the palate and reward a patient smoker.”
ATL Wise Blood is set to debut at this year’s TPE trade show, held from February 22–24, 2023, and will ship to retailers this March. The cigars are rolled in four sizes: Lonsdale (6½” x 42), Robusto Extra (6″ x 50), Robusto (5¼” x 54), and Gordito (4″ x 60), with prices ranging from $9.99 to $10.99 MSRP ($199.80–$219.80 / 20-count box).
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