Look at the band on a Macanudo 1968 and you will see two dates. A large 1968 sits front and center, and a smaller 1868 rides just below it. That is not a misprint, and it trips up plenty of buyers, so let us settle it first.
The Macanudo 1968 Robusto is a 5×50 made in the Dominican Republic by General Cigar. The big 1968 is the name, the year the company revived Macanudo through the Temple Hall factory, and the line itself arrived in 2008 as a 40th-anniversary smoke. The small 1868 is the heritage year the Macanudo name traces back to. It wears a Honduran OSA Havana-seed wrapper over a Connecticut Habano binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, it smokes medium-full, and it ships in boxes of 20. This is a bolder, darker cigar than the famously mild Macanudo Cafe.
- Macanudo 1968 Robusto, a 5×50 with a Honduran OSA Havana-seed wrapper over a Connecticut Habano binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Made in the Dominican Republic by General Cigar, sold in boxes of 20, around $11 a stick.
- Cocoa, cedar, and coffee lead, with black cherry, black pepper, and leather around the edges. Medium-full in body, richer and darker than the classic Macanudo Cafe.
- BLC Rating: 90/100. A well-built, satisfying medium-full that rewards a slow hour. The dual-date band is the talking point, the smoke backs it up.
FROM THE PORCH
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BEHIND THE BLEND
The Macanudo 1968 comes out of General Cigar, the house that has carried the Macanudo name for decades. There is no single blender credited on this one, so the work belongs to the General Cigar team rather than any one name. The 1968 in the title marks the year the company revived Macanudo through the Temple Hall factory, and the line launched in 2008 to mark the brand’s 40th anniversary. Where the classic Macanudo Cafe built its reputation on mildness, this blend was built to go bolder and darker, with more body and more depth.
BLC BLEND BREAKDOWN
BLEND SPECS
THE VITOLA LINEUP
| VITOLA | SIZE | FORMAT |
|---|---|---|
| Robusto, reviewed | 5 × 50 | Parejo |
| Toro | 6 × 54 | Parejo |
| Gigante | 6 × 60 | Parejo |
| Churchill | 7 × 49 | Parejo |
All four ship in boxes of 20, and all four are round parejos. The Robusto reviewed here is the tidy, one-hour size, and it is the one most people reach for first. The Toro and Gigante stretch the same blend over more time and pull the smoke a touch cooler. The Churchill is the long, slow read for an unhurried evening. The blend stays the same across the line, so you are really just choosing how long you want to sit.
THE COLD DRAW
The wrapper is an OSA Havana-seed leaf, a rich oily brown with a little tooth and tidy seams. The pre-light aroma off the foot is cocoa, cedar, and a dark, sweet fruit. A straight cut opens a firm but fair draw, right where a Robusto should sit. Cold-draw flavors run dark chocolate, coffee bean, and a raisin sweetness, with a faint pepper on the lips. It reads heavier and richer than a Macanudo Cafe ever would.
BLC CIGAR PROFILE
Here is the shape of it: the Macanudo 1968 stacks cocoa, cedar, and coffee over a dark-fruit sweetness and holds them there. Black cherry, black pepper, and leather work the edges, and the whole thing stays in balance. It is medium-full in body, richer than the Cafe line, and it never turns sharp or sour. This is a slow-hour cigar built to reward paying attention.
THE FIRST THIRD
The first light opens dark and a little sweet. Charred oak arrives first, then a wave of dried fruit, cherry, apricot, and plum. Underneath it all sits a soft marzipan note, almost like marshmallow. The retrohale carries a gentle warmth rather than sharp spice. It is a rich, layered start that tells you right away this is not the mild Macanudo.
THE SECOND THIRD
The middle shifts toward wood and spice. Cedar steps forward, and a bright citrus note cuts through the sweetness. The retrohale picks up paprika and baking spice, and leather settles in underneath. A light nuttiness rounds the edges. The smoke stays cool and even, the flavors turn a little more serious, and the balance holds the whole stretch.
THE FINAL THIRD
The last third turns deep and savory. Licorice and roasted peanut come forward, and the paprika takes on a smoky edge. Cedar hangs on but reads saltier now, with a twist of lemon zest keeping it bright. It is the boldest stretch of the cigar, and it stays smooth as long as you keep the pace slow. A strong, satisfying close, no big finale needed.
OVERALL RATING
BLC OVERALL RATING
A 90 lands right for this cigar. The Macanudo 1968 is well built, richly flavored, and more serious than the Macanudo name usually promises. It moves through cocoa, dark fruit, cedar, and smoky spice with real balance, and it holds cool the whole way down. For a medium-full cigar around $11, that is genuine value. The dual-date band earns the second look, the smoke earns the first.
WHO GRABS THIS CIGAR
This is for the smoker who wants Macanudo build quality with real body behind it. If you know the Cafe line and always wished it hit harder, this is the answer. It suits a palate that likes cocoa, dark fruit, and cedar with a savory, spicy back half. Give it a slow hour after dinner and it pays you back.
Reach for it when you want depth without going full-bodied heavy. Skip it if you are after the light, creamy Macanudo everyone pictures, that is the Cafe, not this one. At around $11 in boxes of 20, it is a fair buy for a cigar this composed. Keep a few around for the evenings you want to slow down.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about the Macanudo 1968 Robusto 5×50.
