Artesano Del Tobacco's El Pulpo line grows a new limb — a 6½ × 60 box-pressed perfecto nicknamed “The Squid.”
Released August 2025 as a regular-production extension of El Pulpo (Spanish for “the octopus”), The Squid keeps the full-bodied blend that has defined the line: a rich, well-aged Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over an all-Nicaraguan interior. It's rolled by AJ Fernandez at the Tabacalera AJ Fernandez factory in Nicaragua and presented in a 10-count wooden box that echoes the original El Pulpo packaging.
The shape is the story here. A bulbous foot and a flag-style cap taper the cigar at both ends, giving it the tentacle-and-mantle silhouette that earned the nickname. Owners Billy and Gus Fakih worked from retailer and consumer feedback to land on the perfecto format — chosen to showcase what they call the “harmony between strength and flavor” of their aged San Andrés wrapper.
Blend Information
- Series / Line: El Pulpo
- Vitola: The Squid — 6½ × 60 Box-Pressed Perfecto
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Factory: AJ Fernandez, Nicaragua
- Country of Production: Nicaragua
- Body / Strength: Full body · Medium-plus strength
- Format: 10-count box
- Released: August 2025 · Regular production
Tasting Profile
A bold, chocolate-forward maduro with real depth. Expect notes of dark chocolate, mocha, and café au lait alongside earth, black pepper, and touches of raisin and licorice. The retrohale brings a distinct pepper burn — green and white pepper both come through — and the profile picks up woody, charcoal edges as it develops. Body and flavor sit in the full range; strength lands medium-plus, so the cigar delivers depth and complexity without hammering the palate.
The Blend, and the Backstory
Artesano Del Tobacco is the passion project of brothers Billy and Gus Fakih. What began as a small Manhattan shop — the New York Cigar Inn — grew into a partnership with AJ Fernandez in Estílí, Nicaragua, and eventually a portfolio of blends built around quality-over-quantity releases. The Squid takes its name from a pre-release evening at Matador Cigar Lounge in New York, where the venue's GM remarked that the cigar resembled its namesake.
Available at Tinder Box as a single or a 10-count box.
