My Weekend Cigar: Macanudo Maduro Vintage 1997 Perfecto

Tuesday, August 10 2010

This is the first time in eight years that I will not be attending the IPCPR trade show, which is taking place as I write this. I'm not trolling for sympathy. The reason I bring that up is because each year from the show I announce my "first cigar of the show," and every year it's a cigar from General Cigar Corp. The first few years were just a coincidence, and it eventually became a tradition. So, even though I'm not at the show this week, in the Cigar Advisor tradition, this past Sunday I smoked the new Macanudo Maduro Vintage 1997 Perfecto.

Adorned in a double band, as you can see by the photos, the cigar is pristine in its appearance. The wrapper, a 13-year-old Connecticut Broadleaf, is solid dark chocolate in color, rich and oily, and surrounds a perfectly packed core of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Brazilian Mata Fina longfiller with an Honduran Talanga binder. I didn't know the blend of the cigar when I smoked it, but I knew right away there was a some Nicaraguan leaf going in there.

The cold draw was earthy with some sweetness and somewhat malty with an easy draw. Once lit, the smoke started off quite mellow and smooth with plenty of thick, creamy smoke. The flavors were somewhat woody with sweet tobacco in the mix. I paired the cigar with coffee, which was a good choice, but I'd like to smoke another with Port or a good single malt, more preferably the latter.

The cigar was pretty consistent in strength and flavor until the last third when it really ramped-up. The sweetness drifted off as more spicy, woody flavors began to dominate. I would attribute this aspect of the smoke to the more robust Nicaraguan and Brazilian leaves in the blend. The smoothness and excellent ash quality (see photo) never quit either. The first ash alone was almost two inches in length.

Overall, a really well-balance and luxurious smoke. If I were recommending this cigar, which I guess I am, I would save it for after dinner. Then again, it's so pretty, you almost don't want to light it, but it pays-off nicely. It's nothing like your typical Macanudo and much more like a Pepin cigar, which also makes it ideal for today's market.
~ Gary Korb