A few weeks ago I received some samples from General Cigar Co, including the new Macanudo and Macanudo Maduro Gigantes, measuring 6″x60. I’ve become a fan of the Macanudo maduros, sure they are a mild cigar, but they have a load of flavors that I like. When I was visiting the factory in Santiago last fall, by the 3rd day I had smoked so many cigars, and I lit up a Macanudo maduro and first, I could taste it, and second, it tasted good. I probably smoked nothing but the Mac Maduros for the rest of the day. So, I was excited to try the 6″x 60 Gigante. Many say that this format waters down the blends, but I haven’t really found that to be the case. I admit to really enjoying the 60 ring cigars, I feel like it’s a guilty pleasure, but I haven’t really had a bad 60 ring cigar. I’ve mentioned before that 50 ring feels puny now, a robusto feels like a quick smoke. The Macanudo was a very tasty cigar that was good to the last drop and had the exceptional construction one would expect.
I sometimes get in a bit of a rut, and smoke a few related cigars in a row, and this was one of those weeks. Monday’s cigar was a Partagas Black Label Magnifico. This a jet black 6″x54 toro that I revisited in the DR, and remembered how much I enjoyed them. The dark, Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is oily and beautiful. It is a bit stronger than the Macanudo, of course, but packed with flavor. Of course it was perfectly made, as I witnessed first hand at the factory, they can’t seem to make a bad cigar there. Partagas Black Label=yummy smoke!
Last night I was in the mood for something a little smaller, so I once again dug into the General Cigar Co. samples and picked out a CAO La Traviata Maduro Luminoso. This is a newly released size in the Maduro line, measuring 4.5″ x 50. I’ve smoked the La Traviata Maduro before and was quite unimpressed. It was one of those cigars that everyone raved about, but I just didn’t get. It seems like I had a dud (I think it was a trade show sample from a couple years ago), because this Rothschild was delicious. It was just about the perfect size for my one-plus mile walk and held the ash for almost half of the cigar. Another Connecticut Broadleaf, I know….I love that wrapper leaf, and combined with a Cameroon binder it was very surprising to me that I didn’t like the first ones I smoked. This one’s back on my radar and one I’ll pick up the next time I see them. I do have a complaint about the CAO website though. It’s really slick, but one thing it lacks is a listing of the sizes of the cigars in each line. If you want to know where the events are, it’s great, but if you’re looking for the sizes and names of the various cigars, one should be able to find it without having to go to retailers sites. It’s a surprising omission, Rick? Ed? Please feel free to comment on this and set me straight!
News
Once again, from the pages of history, this newspaper clipping appears in the October 18, 1838 Philadelphia Inquirer. It seems to be a mouthpiece for a cigar with a cotton filter. Pretty cool to go back 175 years and see the new inventions of the times! Obviously this modern development caught on in other areas of tobacco consumption, but when was the last time you saw a cigar holder or mouthpiece, let alone a filter?
That’s all I got! Until the next time,
CigarCraig
Good stuff, just seemed that you told a lot about those three cigars, O well, it’s probably just me. I enjoyed the review.
Thanks, Craig. I have a Partagas Black Label Torpedo lined up for smoking on Saturday. By the way, I just watched an old episode of The Lucy Show last night. The guest celebrity, George Burns, while reaching into his inner jacket pocket, asked Mr Mooney if he smoked cigars. Mr Mooney stands up and responds, “Yes, I do” rather expectantly, only to hear George Burns say, “May I have one?” Upon receiving the cigar, George Burns inserts it right away into an amber-colored mouthpiece. I wonder if I’d like smoking cigars that way.
I’ve always liked the La Traviata maduro, and for the price you can’t go wrong… I still haven’t completely caught on to the big RG sticks – although I do have several in my stash – but that Macanudo Maduro Gigante sounds like a flavorful stick.
I’m going to agree with you and Lloyd, you can’t beat those La Traviata Maduros!
I’m a big fan of the larger vitolas, so I guess I’m going against the flow. I have always been a penny-pincher, so it may have something to do with the thought that I am getting more tobacco for my money.
Last place I saw cigar holders? E-Bay. I know that they sure used to be the rage and quite the artform, too. I have seem some beautiful ones made from meerschaum. The thought occurs that it might be a way to avoid getting the “tan fingers” from those few companies that seem to dye their cigars to the extreme.
Thanks for the review!
Thanks for the review!
Ed and Rick are in Honduras and Nicaragua this week, so they’ll get back to you when they return about getting a size chart up on caocigars.com.
Excellant reviews, as always!
I’m a big fan of the La Traviata Maduro in the Animado (corona gorda) size, but have never had either of the other two you mentioned. I’ll need to at least try the Partagas Black sometime.
I remember my dad had a cigar holder, but he probably needed it since he smoked some nasty cheap-a** cigars, and this is going back about 45 or 50 years ago. Can’t blame him though, raising three spoiled kids on a modest salary.
Thanks for the post, and the walk down Memory Lane!
Craig
Thanks for the nice mention and take on the lt mad luminoso. I think it’s a winner given the size and the price.
As far as the website goes, I agree that we need more info up there. The site that is up is a bridge from the old Flash based site to a more in depth HTML based one we will be launching in the coming months. Stay tuned…
-Ed