Macanudo 1968

A friend brought these in an said they were too strong for him. Bring the one that likes strong cigars, one was passed my way.

This cigar has a Honduran San Agustin Havana Seed wrapper, a Connecticut Habano binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Ometepe.

The wrapper on this cigar felt soft, but a little crisp. The person I got it from keeps his cigars in good condition, so I know it would not be dry.

This cigar had a mild espresso flavor, with some earthy and spicy notes. There was a hint of bitter flavor throughout. The aftertaste consisted of a smokey flavor and an earthy note that lingered.

The construction on this cigar was moderate at best. It burned well, but the draw was terrible. I had to put it through the cigar poker. That helped out a lot, but not for very long. The draw became firm again in about four puffs.

This is a new shape for this cigar. A Trompetta. This is a Pyramid shaped cigar. It runs about $10, so the price is a tad steep, but not for the tobaccos in this smoke.

The flavors came out more when I had a good smoke. It is hard to judge the flavor on this cigar and I would have to give it another go when writing on that (I will expand on it the next time I get the chance), but for the one I got is the one I will grade.

Final Grade: D

Macanudo Maduro

I have tried this cigar several times, and it has be difficult to determine what to write. Needless to say results have been different each time.

This cigar is made with a Maduro Connecticut Broadleaf, Dominican fillers, and a Mexican binder. This produces a very mild Maduro.

When looked at this cigar I notice that the wrapper was uneven in color on some of them. All of them felt tight though, so maybe it would not matter.

Each one I offer gives a strong earthy tone to it. Sometimes it is like a light coffee. Sadly, this seems to disappear on some. Some of them turn around and become bitter and tart. With the particular size I had I knew to puff slowly. I did that and even still it turned on me. Sometimes though, it is great. Earthy, coffee, hint of sweet. Others, just earthy then bitter.

The burn was just fine on this smoke but the draw is very firm. It takes a decent amount of effort to produce a good smoke, and when you do it causes it to turn sour.

This cigar was a Baron De Rothschild (which is 6.5 x 42) and it runs around $13.50. That is way overpriced for such a cigar. Especially with the inconsistencies. If you get a good one, it is still overpriced.

This one gets a mixed grade. It seems like 1 out of 3 has issues. If it is a good one, it still only gets a C+ to a B-. This though will drop.

Final Grade: F