Country Music Band Midland Releases Cigar Line
If you’re a country music fan in any respect, chances are you’ve heard of the band Midland—or their five-time platinum-certified hit “Drinkin’ Problem.” The Texas-based group has cultivated a distinct brand over the years, thanks in part to their revival of the classic country sound (think George Strait meets The Eagles, but with a modern-day twist) and their swanky western style. When they’re not lost in their musical performances, reliving the pangs of heartbreak or the exhilaration of unfettered partying, the trio likes to kick back with some Tequila and fine cigars. The of the band enjoy cigars so much, they spent the last year and a half working to create their own cigar line, one they feel is befitting of their unique identity. Today, their cigars, called Palomino Longneck, are available for purchase.
Midland has built up quite a following, particularly in their home state of Texas, as well as in the southwest and California. The group has been together for a decade, and is made up of the core trio of Mark Wystrach (lead singer/guitarist), Cameron Duddy (bassist/vocalist) and Jess Carson (lead guitarist/vocalist). Their trademark harmonies extend beyond the stage as well. The group has collaborated on a series of projects, from creating their own Tequila brand called Insõlito, to diving headfirst into this new cigar collaboration with cigar company Kingmakers. You may know the latter from its own in-house portfolio, or its most recent collaboration with WNBA star Kelsey Plum.
The new brand, Palomino Longneck, is meant to pay homage to North Hollywood’s legendary (and now closed) country music venue the Palomino Club and Midland’s song “Longneck Way To Go,” from their album The Last Resort: Greetings From. Both Kingmakers and Midland refer to their new smoke as “the cowboy cigar.”
Wystrach approached the band’s manager years ago expressing his desire to create a cigar. “There’s few things in life these days that are truly present,” says Wystrach. “Cigars are one of those things, like live music, that forces you into the moment.” Wystrach grew up around cigars: his dad, a former Marine, was never too far from a smoke. Wystrach’s education began early and he’s always had an appreciation for cigars, but it was during the early days of the pandemic that they became a true ion. “I just feel like cigars find you at a certain time in life when you're ready for them,” he says. “I’d find myself going for a drive in the truck and I’d run some errands and throw a cigar in my mouth and light it up.”
The partnership between Midland and Kingmakers came about in a “very serendipitous” manner, according to Wystrach. As the band dove deeper into cigars, utilizing them as a source of reprieve after big shows and a hectic touring schedule, Kingmakers approached the band about creating their own brand. “Cam, Jess and I wanted our first cigar to be something that was pretty distinctive,” says Wystrach. “We went through a bunch of different cigars and landed on this one together.” He says they each added their personal touches to the smoke and the brand.
Palomino Longneck will be available in just one size, a box-pressed toro measuring 6 inches long by 54 ring gauge. The cigars are made at Miguel Pinto’s MGE Cigar Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The blend is entirely Nicaraguan, save for the Ecuador Habano wrapper. The cigar also has binder from Estelí and filler tobaccos from Condega and Jalapa. Claudio Torres, co-founder and COO of Kingmakers, says that the cigars were aged a year before release. “I wanted to make a blend not only with the particular flavors they were looking for but also something that would pair spectacularly with their Tequila,” says Torres. Wystrach agrees. “They just kind of live side by side,” he says.
Wystrach tells Cigar Aficionado the cigar is suitable for beginners and aficionados alike. “I would say it’s not a simple cigar though, the palate is quite complex,” he says. But just make sure the moment is right. “A cigar for all occasions as long as they are the good ones.”
The cigars will come packaged in 20-count boxes. Initial sales will be limited to the company’s website, followed by sales via certain cigar lounges and other businesses Kingmakers has close relationships with, such as the Fontainebleau hotels in Miami and Las Vegas, as well as specific cigar lounges in New York, Las Vegas and Miami. Kingmakers is planning to do a larger, national release to retailers down the road.
The launch of the cigars coincides with the release of Midland’s newest album Barely Blue, which dropped last Friday. The cigars are available for $13.75 a stick, or $275 a box. There will also be a few signed boxes available through sweepstakes contests. To purchase the cigars, you can visit www.kingmakerscigars.com/midland.
