Today we review the Ferio Tego Metropolitan 30 Years. This limited-edition cigar launched in early 2026. It pays homage to the 30th anniversary of one of Ferio Tego’s key lines – the Metropolitan Selection.
Ferio Tego was established in 2021 by Michael Herklots and Brendon Scott. A key part of Ferio Tego’s launch was its acquisition of former brands owned by Nat Sherman/Altria. Beyond managing these legacy brands, Ferio Tego also set out to introduce new offerings under its own name.
One notable brand Ferio Tego acquired from Nat Sherman is Metropolitan Selection. This line first appeared around 1995 with the release of the Connecticut and Maduro selections. Since then, it has expanded to include the Metropolitan Habano blend and the Metropolitan Host Selections series.
Without further ado, let’s break down the Metropolitan 30 Years and see what this cigar brings to the table.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
The Metropolitan 30 Years features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Dominican binder. The fillers include both Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The Quesada family’s TABADEX factory in the Dominican Republic produces it. This is the same factory that produces the Metropolitan Maduro and Connecticut offerings.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
- Binder: Dominican
- Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Factory: Tabacos de Exportación (TABADEX)
Vitolas Offered
The Metropolitan 30 Years comes in one size – a 6 x 50 Toro. A total of 2,500 ten-count boxes were produced.
Appearance (*)
The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of the Metropolitan 30 Years had a classic cinnamon color. The wrapper surface showed some mottling. Upon closer examination, some toothiness was present on the surface of the wrapper. The wrapper surface had very thin, visible veins. The wrapper seams were visible.
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw
Before lighting up the Metropolitan 30 Years, a straight cut was used to remove the cap of the cigar. Once the cap was removed, it was time for the pre-light draw tasting. The cold draw delivered notes of wood and natural tobacco. The natural tobacco wasn’t overly sweet, but it wasn’t bitter either. The pre-light draw also had a slight buttery, creamy component. All in all, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the Metropolitan 30 Years and see what the smoking phase would have in store.
Tasting Notes
The Metropolitan 30 Years opened up with an assortment of flavors. This included wood, natural tobacco, herbal sweetness, and cream. The herbal sweetness was prominent during the early puffs, but eventually settled down once the other three flavors emerged. As the cigar moved through the early stages of the first third, the wood and natural tobacco emerged in the forefront. The natural tobacco had a good balance of bitters and sweetness. The herbal sweetness and cream settled in the background. Meanwhile, there were extra layers of black pepper and wood on the retro-hale.
As the Metropolitan 30 Years entered the second third, the herbal sweetness intensified. Before the cigar reached the midway point, the herbal sweetness joined the natural tobacco in the forefront. Meanwhile, the wood receded into the background and joined the cream notes. During the second third, a mixed pepper note as well as a cocoa note surfaced on the tongue.
Heading through the final third, the primary notes were still natural tobacco and herbal sweetness. Meanwhile, the wood, mixed pepper, and cream notes remained in the background. The cocoa notes that surfaced in the second third had dissipated. This is how the Metropolitan 30 Years came to a close. The cigar finished up with a soft and cool nub.
Burn
The burn was somewhat inconsistent across the four samples of Metropolitan 30 Years that I smoked. One sample had a low-maintenance burn that remained straight without needing any touchups. In contrast, another sample required more extensive touchups. The final two samples needed more touchups than I would have preferred, but the adjustments were effective.
The resulting ash was silver and dark gray. This wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose or flaky either.
Draw
The draw of the Metropolitan 30 Years had a touch of resistance to it. If you have read my assessments, you know this is a big plus in my book. At the same time, this was a relatively low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.
Strength and Body
To me, this cigar packed a little more boldness than I heard from other people. I rated the strength and body as medium to full. In fact, the strength and body increased in intensity along the way. Both strength and body stayed in the medium-to-full range of their respective spectrums, but were a little more intense than at the beginning.
In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained a slight edge. In fact, toward the end, I thought the body was close to full range.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
I am a huge fan of the packaging of the Metropolitan Selection line in Ferio Tego. It features the iconic art-deco style clock logo. While you might think of Miami with Art Deco, the Metropolitan Selection logo is New York through and through. On top of that, I really think the black-and-gold color scheme works perfectly on this cigar.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
One thing I will say, the three core blends of the Metropolitan Selection (Connecticut, Maduro, and Habano) are quite good. Ferio Tego’s Metropolitan 30 Years is also a good cigar, but I still wouldn’t put it in the same category as the three core Metropolitan blends. Normally, what I call “herbal sweetness” isn’t something I go for in a cigar, but the Metropolitan 30 Years has a lot going on, and that keeps the component from going too far. The inconsistent burn was the one concern I took from this review cycle. In the end, the $13.50 price point is quite reasonable. I would recommend this cigar to an experienced cigar enthusiast. For a novice, this is a nice option to explore something bolder. As for myself, I would buy and smoke this again, but still buy more of the core line.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Herbal Sweetness, Wood, Cocoa, Cream, Pepper
- Burn: Good
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium Plus
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Body: Medium to Full
- Finish: Good
Rating
Value: Buy One
Score: 88
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
