At the end of June we reported on cigar brand German Engineered Cigars and the announcement of a project to follow up their two previous releases, RVGN Rauchvergnügen and Raumzeit. To recap, the plan was to make two formats of this new cigar available to enthusiasts around the world. The first is a classic 5 x 50 Robusto. The second, is up to you and me!
As promised, German Engineered Cigars has produced a limited number of cigar packs – labeled Linuep – containing three separate formats of the new blend for the public to smoke and vote on. Created by Claudio Sgroi, and rolled by Nicaragua’s Tabaclera Tambor, this entirely Nicaraguan blend features a Habano Oscuro wrapper, Jalapa binder, and filler from Jalapa and Esteli.
The packs – limited to 1,500 total – include a 6 x 42 Corona Grande, 7 x 47 Churchill, and 5 x 45 Perfecto. Part of the German company’s new “AUTONOM” brand, this is a fun way to engage existing fans while bringing in completely new ones. AUTONOM is an experimental workshop for the entire German Engineered Cigars family of brands, where they can play around, create, and curate unique experiences.
In total, 9 shops have been provided packs of the voting lineup. Visit the German Engineered Cigars website to see which shops to call. Once you’ve tried all three, the voting form is there too! Don’t worry if you don’t have a chance to grab a Lineup pack, GEC still wants you to vote for your preferred vitola!
More and more, brands are seeing that we want to be immersed in all things cigars. Some refuse to see, some see but are still figuring out what to do about it, and others – like German Engineered Cigars – have jumped in headfirst. Is the blend itself being crowdsourced? No, but I’m not even bummed about it because GEC has curated it all so that participants still get to see their own hand in the final result. I love the aesthetic, anything Claudio Sgroi blends, and I respect the boldness of the campaign- so the more of this kind of experience we can get, the better!
What do you think, Cigar Public – too much hype, not enough choice, or does this sound like as much fun to you as it does to me? I’d love to hear it all in the comments below!