A Darker, Stronger Corto From Warped

Now that the Corto brand from Warped Cigars is 10 years old, owner Kyle Gellis thinks it’s time for a maduro. Next month, at the PCA trade show in New Orleans, he’ll be previewing the Corto Maduro, a single-size line in a Mexican wrapper.
Corto Maduro will be offered in a box-pressed, robusto format called X46, which measures 4 1/2 inches long by 46 ring gauge. Besides the dark, Mexican San Andrés wrapper, all the tobacco is Nicaraguan. It’s a full-bodied blend, intended to be stronger than the original, and according to Gellis, the cigar is fueled by a large amount of medio tiempo tobacco from Estelí. Medio tiempo primings are small, powerful leaves that sometimes grow atop the tobacco plant, above the corona level.
Since its release in 2015, Corto has been a small brand with limited production. Like the Corto Maduro, it debuted in only one size (only one more size has been added). While the core line is made at Aganorsa Leaf in Nicaragua, Warped has contracted the NACSA factory to produce Corto Maduro. This wouldn’t be the first time that Gellis has worked with NACSA, as the Nicaraguan factory also makes his Absolutos brand. The core Corto brand is still being produced at Aganorsa Leaf.
Presented in 20-count boxes, Corto Maduro has a suggested retail price of $12.95 per cigar and should ship to retailers in April after the trade show. Gellis plans on releasing more sizes later this year.
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