Ten years in, and Bishops Blend just put on a wrapper it's never worn before.
Black Label Trading Co. Bishops Blend 10th Anniversary is a 2026 limited release marking 10 years since the blend's 2016 debut. For the first time in its history, it wears a double barber pole wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano Maduro twisted with Connecticut Broadleaf, over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and a Nicaraguan, Connecticut Broadleaf and Pennsylvania Broadleaf filler. It ships in three vitolas, rolled at Black Label's own Fábrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua. It began shipping to retail the week of July 7, 2026.
- First barber pole wrapper in Bishops Blend's 10-year history, Ecuadorian Habano Maduro twisted with Connecticut Broadleaf.
- Three vitolas: Robusto 5x48 ($13), Corona Larga 6¼x46 ($13.50), Lancero 7x42 ($14).
- Marks 10 years since the original 2016 debut, made at Black Label's own factory in Estelí.
Here's the blend, who's behind it, and what's actually new this year.
THE BLEND
The headline change is the wrapper. Every Bishops Blend since 2016 wore a single Ecuadorian Habano Maduro leaf. This year it's a barber pole, that same Habano Maduro twisted with Connecticut Broadleaf, two leaves spiraled around the cigar instead of one.
Under that sits an Ecuadorian Habano binder and a filler mixing Nicaraguan tobacco with Connecticut and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. It's rolled at Fábrica Oveja Negra, Black Label's own factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, built in 2015 to control the whole process themselves.
The company describes anise, pepper, raisins and a lingering sweet earthiness on the finish. That's Black Label's own language for the blend, not an independent tasting note, and it may shift some with the new Broadleaf wrapper in the mix. Nobody's smoked this exact barber pole edition yet to confirm it.
WHO'S BEHIND BLACK LABEL
James and Angela Brown started Black Label Trading Co. in 2013 in Estelí, Nicaragua. James blends everything himself and hand-illustrates the band art, the skull-and-crossed-keys crest on Bishops Blend is his design. In 2015 they opened Fábrica Oveja Negra, their own factory, so they could control production from leaf to box.
Bishops Blend has run as one of Black Label's recurring annual releases since it debuted in 2016, and multiple outlets describe it as one of the brand's most sought-after yearly drops.
"Every Bishops Blend since 2016 wore a single Ecuadorian Habano Maduro leaf. This year it's a barber pole."NORM FARRAR, THE CIGAR FOSSIL
THREE SIZES
| Vitola | Size | Box | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robusto | 5 x 48 | 20 ct. | $13.00 |
| Corona Larga | 6¼ x 46 | 20 ct. | $13.50 |
| Lancero | 7 x 42 | 12 ct. | $14.00 |
All three ship this year, where past editions sometimes ran with fewer sizes.
THE BLC TAKE
A 10-year mark is exactly the moment to change something, and Black Label picked the wrapper, the part of the cigar you see and taste first. That's a real design decision, not just a new year printed on the band.
Nobody's published a review of this exact barber pole edition yet. Prior years scored well from multiple outlets, so the blend has a track record even if this year's wrapper twist is untested. If you've smoked Bishops Blend before, this is worth grabbing to see what the Broadleaf adds.
