Today, we review El Pulpo, The Squid from Artesano Del Tobacco. The Squid was introduced in 2025 as an extension to the company’s El Pulpo line. El Pulpo translates to “The Octopus” and is Artesano’s second brand. While a squid is not an octopus, it is a “distant” cousin in that both squid and octopi are cephalopods with tentacles.
Owners Billy and Gus Fakih seek customer engagement on the sizes they add to the portfolio. The Squid was: “Based on suggestions from our loyal consumers who desired a unique shape that embodies the strength and balance of the El Pulpo blend, we opted for a perfecto shape. After enjoying a pre-release with friends at Matador Cigar Lounge in NYC, Willy—the GM—suggested naming it ‘The Squid’ due to its resemblance to this fascinating creature. We believe these perfectos represent a harmony between strength and flavor derived from our well-aged San Andres wrapper.”
SPECIFICATIONS
El Pulpo is highlighted by a Mexican San Andres wrapper over all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. Artesano Del Tobacco employs a unique fermentation process for the San Andres Mexican wrapper and Nicaraguan binder. The Squid comes in ten-count boxes. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. This box-pressed perfecto is certainly one of the most unique shapes I’ve seen. There is a flag-style cap on the header reminiscent of a squid’s tentacles.
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: San Lotano
- The Squid: 6 1/2 x 60 (Box Pressed Perfecto)
PERFORMANCE
The Squid opened up with notes of mocha, cherry, earth, and black pepper. The mocha notes are a flavor descriptor I commonly use for a fusion of cocoa and coffee. Early on, the mocha notes went primary. The cherry, earth, and pepper notes were secondary. The retro-hale introduced an additional layer of black pepper. In the second third, the coffee component of the mocha gradually became more prominent, taking precedence over the chocolate notes. The pepper notes also increased during this phase. While the cherry and earth notes persisted, there was an increase in cedar as well. In the final third, the coffee notes dominated the mocha, but the chocolate component remained present.
Meanwhile, the pepper was the most prominent of the secondary notes. There were still notes of cherry, earth, and cedar rounding things out. The Squid finished with a soft, cool nub.
The strength and body of the Squid started on the upper end of medium, and both attributes progressed to medium to full by the second third. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely. The burn did require frequent touchups to maintain a straight burn path and line. These touchups did the job, but more were needed than I would have preferred. Surprisingly, the draw had a perfect amount of resistance, which made it excellent for me.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
While I felt The Squid kept too much of the DNA the rest of the El Pulpo line has to offer, the one difference is that this was a fun cigar to smoke. The taper on this cigar makes a lot of difference and brings out plenty of nuances. I would probably still go for the El Pulpo Octo Ocho culebra as my favorite size in the line, but this one is becoming my second favorite one. At $20.00, it’s a little pricey, but one I would buy and smoke again. I would recommend this cigar more for experienced aficionados, though I wouldn’t discourage a novice from giving it a try. I would certainly be interested in buying and enjoying this cigar again.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Espresso, Chocolate, Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Pepper
- Burn: Very Good
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium
- Strength: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
- Body: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Buy One
Score: 89
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
