Description
Elroy Hussein - Oct. 2026
Size: 7 x 48
Vitola: Churchill
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro Corojo
Binder: Criollo, Estelí, Nicaragua
Fillers: Piloto Cubano, Dominican Republic and Estelí Habano, Nicaragua
Flavor Notes: Roasted peanut, cedar, fresh cream, cocoa butter, dry hay, black pepper, fruity tea, banana, white pepper, dried pear, toasted nuts, vanilla, golden raisin, graham cracker, toasted cereal, oak, floral tea, agave-like sweetness
Pairing Notes: Café con leche, Arnold Palmer iced tea, cream soda, graham crackers, golden raisins, caramel ice cream, scotch
Manufacturer: Tabacalera Annex
Privada Storytelling
Not every great cigar comes with an extraordinary aging story.
Sometimes the blend is simply right from the beginning.
Elroy Hussein was discovered while walking through Tabacalera Annex, a factory where A.J. Fernandez and Privada have worked together.
There was no elaborate search for forgotten tobacco or a rare bundle hidden in a warehouse for decades.
Just the process of walking through a factory, looking at what was being rolled, opening bundles, asking questions, and paying attention.
This Churchill stood out for a reason that had nothing to do with its age.
Balance.
With only six months of rest, Elroy Hussein is relatively young compared to some of the aged cigars Privada has released.
But that is exactly what makes it interesting.
The blend combines a Nicaraguan Maduro Corojo wrapper with a Criollo binder from Estelí and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Together, they create an evolving profile of roasted nuts, cream, cedar, fruit, and delicate floral sweetness.
And the 7 x 48 Churchill format leaves very little room for mistakes.
A cigar this long has to remain interesting and balanced throughout the entire experience. If the tobaccos don't work together, there's nowhere for the blender to hide.
This one works.
Age can improve an exceptional blend, but age alone cannot make a blend exceptional.
Elroy Hussein is a reminder that the foundation matters most.
And because this was Halloween, Saddam Hussein ended up dressed as Elroy Jetson on the band.
Sometimes the cigar makes perfect sense even when the packaging doesn't.
Flavor Journey
The first third opens with roasted peanut, cedar, and fresh cream. Cocoa butter introduces a smooth richness while dry hay and black pepper provide contrast. A fruity tea sweetness and a soft banana-like note begin developing underneath.
In the second third, the cigar becomes noticeably creamier. Cedar and white pepper remain present while dried pear, toasted nuts, and a gentle vanilla-like sweetness create a smoother, almost velvety profile.
The final third brings golden raisin, graham cracker, and toasted cereal together with oak. Cream continues through the finish while white pepper becomes increasingly assertive. Floral tea, agave-like sweetness, and tannic cedar provide a balanced conclusion.
Despite its length, the cigar continues evolving, moving between nuttiness, cream, fruit, and spice without losing its underlying structure.
Why It Belongs in Privada
Elroy Hussein represents another side of what makes cigar discovery interesting.
Not every cigar needs decades of aging, a complicated history, or an unusual production technique.
Sometimes the discovery is recognizing a blend that was made correctly from the beginning.
At just six months of age, Elroy Hussein delivers the kind of balance that cannot be created through aging alone.
The tobaccos complement one another. The flavors continue developing throughout the lengthy Churchill format. And the cigar maintains its identity from the first third to the last.
For Privada members, this is an opportunity to understand something important about cigar blending.
Aging matters.
But the blend comes first.
Production Notes
Elroy Hussein #102631 was produced at Tabacalera Annex in a 7 x 48 Churchill format.
The blend uses a Nicaraguan Maduro Corojo wrapper over a Criollo binder from Estelí, Nicaragua.
The filler combines Dominican Piloto Cubano with Nicaraguan Estelí Habano tobacco.
The cigar was discovered during a factory visit rather than through a search for heavily aged or forgotten tobacco.
At approximately six months of age, the blend demonstrates how carefully selected tobaccos can produce a balanced smoking experience without extensive additional aging.
Its long, relatively slender Churchill format allows the combination of cream, cedar, roasted nuts, fruit, and spice to develop throughout the smoke.
The Halloween presentation features Saddam Hussein dressed as Elroy Jetson, giving the release its unusual name.
Highlights
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Aged approximately 6 months
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7 x 48 Churchill format
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Nicaraguan Maduro Corojo wrapper
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Estelí Criollo binder
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Dominican Piloto Cubano and Estelí Habano fillers
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Produced at Tabacalera Annex
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Discovered during a factory visit
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Balanced blend designed to perform without extended aging
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Roasted peanut, cream, cedar, and fruit driven profile
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Long format showcasing the blend's progression from beginning to end
