United Firecracker Sun Grown (3.5×50)

Every cigar in the Firecracker lineup starts with the same premise: pack as much flavor as possible into a 3.5×50 format with a closed foot and a pigtail fuse cap, then get out of the way. The Sun Grown is the original expression of that idea, the one that started the whole conversation when David Garofalo of Two Guys Smoke Shop conceived the format back in 2007 as a Fourth of July exclusive. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is what makes this version distinct from the Maduro. Where San Andrés goes dark and earthy, Ecuadorian Habano goes bright and spicy.

The closed foot opens with an immediate hit of black pepper and cedar, then the Dominican Criollo binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero filler push through leather, toasted nuts, and a woody finish that holds all the way to the nub. Rolled at Magia Cubana in Santiago, boxed 25 to a pack. 30 minutes of full-flavored tobacco with a fuse. The Sun Grown is the one that started it all, and it is still the one that converts people into Firecracker regulars.