The creation of Adetola “Aric” Wimberly-Bey, Black Star Line Cigars launched in 2019, quickly gaining a following within craft cigar circles. In addition to the company’s charismatic team, Black Star Line’s appeal likely stems from their strategic manufacturing partners, which began at the Cuban-centric El Titán de Bronze factory of Miami and later extended to the beloved Aganorsa Leaf factory of Estelí.

Among the most unique offerings from Black Star Line is the Lalibela. The cigar is themed around a town of the same name, located in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Lalibela is something of a tourist site, being home to eleven rock-carved monolithic churches, as King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela attempted to recreate Jerusalem’s religious sites during the 12th and early 13th centuries. This includes two groups of churches to symbolize both earthly Jerusalem and heavenly Jerusalem, as well as a trench representing the River Jordan and even a replica of the Ark of the Covenant.

The latter is contained within the best-known and last-built of the eleven churches in the Lalibela area: the Church of Saint George. Carved downwards into volcanic rock, the church has been referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” and the structure’s shape and symbolism are seen throughout the Lalibela cigar’s packaging.

Black Star Line Lalibela Toro Breakdown

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Factory: Aganorsa Leaf (Nicaragua)
• Production: Regular Production
• Vitola: 6″ × 52 (Toro)
• Price: $11.25 (MSRP)

Lalibela represents Black Star Line’s fullest-bodied/strength blend in their lineup, being rolled in two formats out of the Aganorsa Leaf factory in Nicaragua. The blend is kept nondescript, making use of a San Andrés maduro wrapper over all-Nicaraguan binder/fillers.