Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

This past spring, Black Label Trading Co. released a brand new, limited production line called Macabre, which James Brown, the company’s founder, called “the quintessential Black Label.”

Macabre uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over an Ecuadorian habano binder and fillers from Nicaragua. In a press release, Brown described the blend as “rich, dark and elegant with a perfect balance of strength and flavor. The earthy, floral notes on the palate combine perfectly with the bold, intense spice on the retrohale to create a beautiful balance and unique smoking experience.”

It is made at Fábrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua and offered in three vitolas:

• Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Robusto (5 x 50) — $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)
• Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 46) — $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)
• Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Toro (6 x 50) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)

There are 800 boxes of the Robusto and Toro but only 650 boxes of the Corona Gorda.

The cigars debuted at the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show in mid-April and began shipping immediately following the trade show.

• Cigar Reviewed: Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Fábrica Oveja Negra
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Ecuador (Habano)
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 5 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $13.50 (Box of 20, $270)
• Release Date: April 2026
• Number of Cigars Released: 650 Boxes of 20 Cigars (13,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I really like the size of the Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda, and the head is finished off with a tight twist of tobacco that gives it a bit of decoration. The primary band is an interesting one, depicting the skeleton of a sheep, and presumably a black one, while the foot band carries the cigar’s name. All three cigars have very dark brown wrappers, veins are pretty sparse, and there’s a bit of fine grit texture without much oiliness. The first cigar is firm but not hard, even in its density; the second is firm, but I can feel a soft spot or two; while the third is the firmest of the bunch. The first cigar has an aroma that has the sweetness of grape jelly counterbalanced by a purposeful pepper that gets into my nostrils and elicits two sneezes. It’s a really enjoyable sensation, even with the pepper. The second cigar is close to the same experience, but it is pepper first, second and third, then the grape jelly sweetness. There’s a bit more of a sharp edge to it as well. The third is the most muted of the three and keeps the same combination of sensations. The first two cigars’ cold draws are slightly on the firm side, but are by no means obstructed, while the third is the most ideal of the trio. The flavor is subdued, with a little earth, some coffee grounds, and finally some dark berry sweetness bringing up the rear and expanding on the finish. The order of those flavors changes a bit amongst the three cigars, but they are consistently all there, though the subtleness of the third cigar makes them harder to identify than in the other two.

The Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda comes out of the gate impressively, with a rich earthiness, a really engaging dry wood flavor, a decent amount of black pepper, and just a touch of sweetness. Retrohales add a dry, almost rustic peppery sensation. A touch of creaminess comes in to soften some of the developing points but not dull or mute the overall experience. There’s a puff towards the end of this section that is attention-grabbing, combining the rich earthiness and pepper with a warm, rich fragrance that brightens things up, almost like adding freshly chopped herbs into a stew. It’s fleeting, but it definitely counts as one of those moments that pushes a cigar up the scoresheet. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is great thus far with no problems, though the first clump of ash tends to drop pretty quickly, not long after the photo was taken.

The second third starts with a subtle shift in the flavor, moving the creaminess to more of a lead role, though it doesn’t command more than about a third of the flavor, leaving room for the dry wood and pepper to notably contribute. It’s a more subdued flavor than how the cigar started out, but it’s still plenty lively. But the real liveliness comes via retrohales, which have a very pleasant peppery tingle that is clean, refined and masterfully executed. The midpoint of the flavor brings out a bit more earthiness and pepper, shifting the profile to become a bit heavier and richer on my taste buds, while the pepper slowly becomes more lively. Near the end of this section, a really enjoyable sweetness emerges, almost a bit of subtle peppermint syrup, and certainly nothing that could be construed as an artificial flavor. It’s subtle and fleeting, but also a unique and welcome addition. Retrohales continue to sing in the final puffs of the second third, and may well be my favorite part of the cigar, delivering a measured, peppery tingle that also has a bit of red pepper and spice to it, clearly distinguishing itself from the typical profile that would be described as peppery. Flavor moves from medium to medium-full, body is medium and strength is medium-minus at best. Construction remains fantastic; the draw is great, the burn line is even, smoke is plentiful, and I haven’t had any relight issues.

The final third of the Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda keeps the earthy, peppery profile going, and I have to give mention to how balanced and restrained it is. As this section starts, the complexity increases as well, with a bit more creaminess coming back into the profile. There’s a little light coffee coming in as well, again making for a well-layered, complex profile. Retrohales continue to be fantastic and very enjoyable, some of the best I have had recently. The final puffs are the only time I get any kind of flavor that hasn’t been what I’d call great, as some heat sharpens up the pepper and makes the profile just slightly rough, but it is right at the point where if I wanted to smoke the cigar any further, I’d need to find something to hold it and keep my fingers from getting burnt. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is medium. Construction remains essentially perfect, as I have no issues with the three cigars, and that includes not needing to relight or touch up any of them, something I haven’t been able to say a lot lately.

Final Notes

• The name of this cigar is an interesting one given the profile. It certainly didn’t make me think of a word that means “dwelling on the gruesome” or “producing horror in the beholder.”
• I reached out to Angela Brown and she told me that “to us, the macabre is more than a concept; it is a deliberate aesthetic style that finds a profound, captivating beauty in mortality, decay, and the shadows.”
• I can’t help but see some irony in releasing a cigar called Macabre in the spring as nature is coming to life after the winter.
• Brian Burt covered Black Label Trading Co.’s booth at the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show, where the company debuted several new lines in addition to Macabre.
• Only one of the three cigars had any notable nicotine sensation, and it was pretty mild, fleeting quickly once the cigar was done.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.

• The company lists these as a 5 1/2 x 46 corona gorda. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
• Final smoking time was right at two hours on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, JR Cigars, and Small Batch Cigar carry the Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda.

Black Label Trading Co.
Black Label Trading Co. Macabre
Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda
Corona Gorda
Fábrica Oveja Negra
Nicaragua