Brand Spotlight: Black Label Trading Company
Introduction:
We are back again with a Brand Spotlight to highlight one of our staff’s all-time favorite brands: Black Label Trading Company. Since the inception of Black Label Trading Company almost a decade ago, I have been completely and totally invested in every release they have put to market, and they have pretty easily converted me into a lifelong supporter of the brand.
Although I can’t tell you whether I love Black Label Trading Company’s blends, branding, or staff more, I can confidently say that if you have never experienced the wonder that is BLTC before, then you have been missing out.
On that note, we have recruited Derek Matthews of BLTC to say a few words about the formation of the brand.
Black Label Trading Company:
In 2012, proprietors James and Angela Brown were experienced in taking guests through the grueling jungles of Central America via Land Rovers for their travel adventure company. Their tourists were taken into local towns as a respite from the grind of jungle off-roading and Estelí, Nicaragua was one of these havens.
It wasn’t long before destiny brought the tobacco-based economic backbone of the town and James’ skill as a certified wine sommelier together. His first foray into cigar blending resulted in the flagship cigar that started it all: Last Rites.
These cigars were provided to the travel adventure guests who clamored for more and would contact the Browns once they had returned home to find out where they could obtain them. It was now apparent that a new path was to be forged, and in 2013, Black Label Trading Company was born.
Not unlike carving through those jungles, the path forward has been blazed with great effort and dedication. In short order, the need for creative inspiration, independence, progress, and growth gave rise to Fabrica Oveja Negra (“Factory of the Black Sheep”). It is here that Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) flourishes and where the seeds of its sister line, Black Works Studio (BLK WKS), came to life.
As the company celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2023, we invite you to immerse yourself in the experience and perspective that BLTC brings to the premium cigar landscape. Today we will be covering:
- Black Label Trading Company Royalty Robusto
- Black Label Trading Company Porcelain Corona Gorda
- Black Label Trading Company Salvation Toro
- Black Label Trading Company Lawless Gran Toro
- Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Petite Lancero
The Cigars:
1. Black Label Trading Company Royalty Robusto
- Body: Medium
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Price Point: $10.50
- Main Flavors: Black Pepper, Baking Spice, Cream
Kicking off our list is Black Label Trading Company’s Royalty – a medium-bodied gem that is characterized by notes of black pepper, baking spices, and an intriguingly creamy and floral finish. Aside from the immensely flavorful blend, Royalty’s artwork sums up the dark and edgy feel of the brand just as well as any of their other releases. For the people who are familiar with Black Label Trading Company already, the high quality of their blends can’t be disputed, but where they really push the boundaries and stand out in my opinion, is their top-notch designs.
2. Black Label Trading Company Porcelain Corona Gorda
- Body: Medium
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Price Point: $10.50
- Main Flavors: Cedar, Cream, White Pepper
In the early days of Black Label Trading Company and Fabrica Oveja Negra, Connecticut shade wasn’t necessarily a tobacco that they experimented with too often. Fast forward a couple of years to 2018, when they decided to release a limited edition blend called, Deliverance Porcelain. The response they received from this new release was overwhelmingly positive, and considering they didn’t yet have a Connecticut shade wrapped blend in their portfolio, they decided to launch Porcelain as full time launch. Flavorful notes of cedar and cream, combined with a uniquely sweet and spicy finish have made Porcelain a success since its initial limited-edition production run.
3. Black Label Trading Company Salvation Toro
- Body: Medium
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Price Point: $11.00
- Main Flavors: Earth, Cocoa, Cedar
Starting with a dark brown Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper, and followed by a rich Honduran binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, Black Label Trading Company’s Salvation has to be one of the most flavorful blends to come out of Oveja Negra. Complex and nuanced, you can expect bold notes of earth, cedar, and dried fruit, with a delicious peppery, chocolatey finish that complements the medium-bodied strength of the blend particularly well. Salvation is a perfect blend for any time of the day, and I’ve found that it seems to pair really well with any beverage I can think of. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that this is probably my favorite BLTC design.
4. Black Label Trading Company Lawless Gran Toro
- Body: Medium to Full
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Price Point: $11.00
- Main Flavors: Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Black Cherry
Next up we have Lawless, a medium to full-bodied masterpiece that is just as balanced as it is bold – black pepper, cinnamon, and earth lead the charge and are followed by a rich, chewy finish that boasts unique notes of black cherry and licorice. One of Black Label Trading Company’s more unique blends, Lawless features a beautiful Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper that really helps it stand out in their portfolio. If you’re looking for a ton of flavor without being overwhelmed by a large amount of nicotine strength, then Lawless is definitely a blend worth exploring.
5. Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Petite Lancero
- Body: Medium to Full
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Price Point: $11.00
- Main Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Licorice, Earth
Our last blend on the list, Last Rites, may very well be Black Label Trading Company’s most well-known core line. Whereas Royalty sums up the look and feel of the brand, I think that Last Rites epitomizes the blending style that the company has become best known for. Last Rites is comprised of a dark Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, a Honduran binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos that present notes of dark chocolate, and dried fruits, that are followed by an unapologetically peppery and earthy finish. Blends like Last Rites are the reason why Black Label Trading Company has become one of the industry’s favorite young brands.
Wrapping Up:
So, there you have it – a brief overview of Black Label Trading Company. If you haven’t tried this brand yet, or even if you have and are just trying to restock on some of your favorites, then our Black Label Trading Company Brand Sampler is a good starting point.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts below – we’re open to requests on future Brand Spotlights, and we’d love to know what your favorite BLTC cigars are.
