Welcome back for another cigar review here at Stogie Review. As some of you may have noticed (or at least I hope you noticed) I was missing in action for a review last week. I had a bit of an allergy problem as the weather started to change for the cooler here in PA. After a little over a week of taking medication and taking a break from cigars I feel great and am ready to get back into my weekly routine.
Up for review this week is the high acclaimed Camacho Triple Maduro. As many of you already know this was one of the cigars going into the RTDA Tradeshow that had a lot of buzz behind it. After all, it is the first of its kind in that this cigar is made up of entirely Maduro Tobacco. The size on this particular stick is 4.50 inches long with a 50 ring gauge and cost me $9.50 at a Camacho tasting held at my local shop.
When looked over, I found the cigar to be very interesting. If you hold the stick in your hand with the foot directly in your field of vision you will notice the color variation in the tobacco. The core of the cigars starts off a deep brown color and gets progressively darker as you look more towards the wrapper and binder. The wrapper is very dark and has an excellent oily sheen. When handled I found the cigar to feel relatively smooth with a couple of medium sized veins adding a little bit of a lumpy texture. When pinched the cigar felt firm throughout and packed with tobacco, which is not what I am used to when it comes to Camacho Cigars. I typically expect some softness and variation throughout the length of their cigars.
After a quick toast and light I had this cigar burning evenly and producing a good volume of thick and flavorful smoke. The draw had a little resistance but was very nice overall. The body begins in the Medium range with a thick and creamy finish. The base flavor starts off with a Woody component as well as nice Coffee and Bitter Chocolate flavor. There is something tucked away in the background of the smoke that is very enjoyable but I can’t quiet put my finger on how to describe it.
As I continued to burn through my Camacho Triple Maduro I was running into some minor burn problems and the burn line was a little uneven and need a quick touch up. The burn rate was good but required me to smoke a little faster than I prefer in order to keep the cigar completely lit. The ash was light in color and firm, holding on for well over a half inch before dropping into the ashtray. The draw was excellent with a slight bit of resistance and produced a good volume of thick smoke.
The body at this point was slowly moving from Medium to Med. – Full while the finish seemed to get heavier and left a thick feeling on the walls of my mouth and palate. The base flavor remained Woody but was moving towards the Coffee/Bitter Chocolate mixture that I was enjoying so much. The hard to describe flavor remained in the background and became much more apparent after a splash of water was introduced to my palate.
As I worked my way into the final third the cigar seemed to pick up a little steam. The body was ramping up more so into the Med. – Full range and left me feeling a bit of a nicotine kick. While the kick wasn’t so bad, it did give the smoke a bit of a bite that I wasn’t enjoying nearly as much as I was before. The finish remained smooth and thick leaving a heavy coating on the walls of my mouth and palate but remained smooth and enjoyable. The base flavor was moving back to the more Woody flavor while the Coffee/Bitter Chocolate mixture faded. The hard to describe flavor was still in the background and remained enjoyable but was beginning to annoy me as I could not place the flavor.
The burning characteristics of the cigar got a little better but the smoke rate was still elevated in order to keep things burning well. The ash remained a nice light color while being firm and compacted. The draw remained very nice with a slight resistance which kept me from unintentionally over drawing.
Overall I think that this was a very enjoyable cigar with a lot of character and complexity. Burn problems aside, I would definitely smoke more of these in the future and would recommend them to any Maduro fanatic. The flavors throughout are very enjoyable and go good with water, but excellent with a nice Stout. With the 9.50 price tag being above my normal rage by several dollars, I would love to see the price come down a bit in the future, and if that were to happen I would definitely buy them more frequently.
I plan on sending Camacho an email to see what they recommend as a “Sweet Spot” in terms of Relative Humidity to make this stick burn and behave better. I’ll be sure to write back with the results of my email.
As good as the little robustos are, I think the 6X60’s are even better. You really get the full flavor of the wonderful filler and binder in these cigars. Basically, if you love maduro, this cigar pours it out by the boat load.
Great review, I know all about the trouble with allergies. They put me out of commission for 2 weeks not long ago.
I love maduro, but these aren’t high on my hit list, and the price doesn’t help either. Sometimes there’s just “too much of a good thing.” Nice review, though, Walt.
These cigars are great! And Walt, I noticed that backround flavor too. I picked it up as a salty flavor, but that’s just me.
Nice review Walt. I definately have to give these a try. The mystery flavor has me curious and I want to try it for myself.
Thanks for the review Walt. I’m tending to smoke more and more maduros and would put this on my list, but as Ricky pointed out the price point is the deal breaker. Hopefully they come down in price a little or they have better deals online.
Walt, great review! I think that my experience with the Triple Maddies is similar in terms of the burn. It never gets entirely out of hand, but not exactly smooth either. I have started storing these at 60-65rh. I will see what happens on my next smoke of one. Thanks again for your efforts!
CD
Wow! How cool, and what a great site. Not only do you get your questions answered, but you get a video demonstration to show you how to dismantle the Palio cutter. But there’s more! You get your name, albeit an alias, on NATIONAL TV. What can I say? I am forever in your debt. Now that you have springboarded my television career, I have to get busy contracting with an agent, getting some publicity out, and start making some TV trailers. I guess I should work on some kind of talent, but that can wait. It’s only TV, right. Seriously, Walt, that was very helpful and very kind and responsive of you. Much appreciated. Great review!
Nice review Walt. Your review is dead on. I have also experienced the light and burn issues (stored at 65%), but the cigar is so tasty that I work through it. In fact, I even bit the bullet and purchased a box since the single price here is about $11.50. I sure wish they would come down in price. Given the price, I tend to keep them for “special” occasions. As much as I like them, I don’t see myself buying another box unless the price comes down.
Walt, great to have you back bro.
And this was a great review, thanks!
also who sings that song in the beginning?
p.s get a fan running or pour a cold water on your self.
lol jk
Oh yeah walt, the review was posted on Friday but you wrote down Monday.
Lou,
The song is called “Slow Down” by “Reel Big Fish”
Joe,
Thanks for catching that. When I wrote the review I was thinking it was to be published on Monday and not Friday. I fixed the error 🙂
-Walt
Thanks a lot, that song super sick!
Hi Walt,
Nice review. With regard to the flavor I’m pretty much in agreement with you. However, I found the Triple Maduro a bit too heavy for me, as in that “bite” you refer to. During my expeience it just got spicier, but it may be worth taking a second shot at it.
G~
Great review Walt and nice job providing that trademark info. Lew Rothman has Habana2000 and Camacho now has their own. I wonder what other terms are trademarked by cigar companies. Does Ashton have VSG or Master Blends trademarked?
Update:
Angel (Marketing Director from Camacho Cigars) says that all of their cigars are kept around 72% RH
So according to the Marketing Director there isn’t a special RH that the Triple Maduro needs to be kept at, just a little over the general norm of 70%.
They are not my favorite, because of the price, the smoke is enjoyable, but Camacho is supposed to kick your butt and these were a disappointment. Only Medium in body. 14 bucks is a little too much of a good thing for a cigar in this category.
Awesome from start to finish. I bought the 11/18 for $8 bucks a stick and they blow away everything cigar I have had. They are creamy and rich with many flavors in the backround. If this is smoked gently it is a 2 hour cigar without a re-light. They have a smooth punch about them and I would like one every Friday night.
I agree with Sam. I found a site where I could get them for under 7 bucks a pop size by the box for the 8/11 and was completely wowed by how much I liked this cigar. I wasn’t expecting too much cause I figured it was just a gimmick but as a Camacho whore I had to try one. Even though it wasn’t as strong as the Corojos it was so rich and creamy and flavorful it was a completely pleasurable experience. Liked it so much I got two more boxes.
I think that taste in the background is chocolate fudge brownie sundae with marshmallow topping and whipped cream, sprinkled with roasted peanuts and topped with a cherry. Seriously this is my new favorite cigar. I agree with Matt about the 6×60 (actually I think he is the one that sent it to me), it was one of the biggest cigars I have had but it seemed to be the perfect size. Very satisfying. Can’t wait to get some more.
Still one of my favorites…..
Excellent review Walt. Pricey yeah, but worth it. About that mysterious flavor, I tasted it on pre-light and it’s the same flavor I tasted on the CAO MX3, I tasted something like oatmeal. Any thoughts?
I had the same experience with that flavor and smell in the background…I smelled and tasted clove. As in, clove the Asian kitchen spice. It became more pronounced as the cigar burned past halfway. This is the first time I have ever enjoyed the second hand smell of a cigar, usually I just like the smoke I am exhaling. As the cigar burned it just tasted better and better. This was the best cigar I have ever had.
I just picked one of these up at my local cigar shop and was very much excited to taste a cigar comprised of all maduro fillers and wrapper. I have to say that the cigar started off very smooth and billowed a ton of smoke that was very woody and had a hint of clove oil spice, or so it seemed to my palate. I was in absolute heaven, thinking to myself that I had finally found that cigar constructed and taylor made to my taste preferences. The burn was even, the draw was smooth and the ash held on for about an inch. Then disaster struck! Right after the ash fell, I could notice that the draw was not near as easy and had quite a bit of resistance, which reduced the fullness of the flavor that I was enjoying so much. I found myself having to tug on the stick two or three times to get the right amount of smoke for my inhale. Then after sitting it down for only a minute or maybe even less than, the cigar went out. I then had a very hard time getting the cigar to relight evenly and then the burn was completely out of control and uneven. I kept trying to touch it up and would get it burining right only to have it go out again. The draw was never the same as the cold draw, and I had to puff so much to get the right amount of smoke to really taste the cigar. I was very upset with the experience. I believe that this cigar had the potential to be a mainstay in my humidor, but I will never spend the nearly $15 again on a cigar that behaves this badly. The first third of the cigar was great and full of smoke and flavor, but after that the cigar was mild and very difficult to smoke. I would not recommend this cigar to anyone at that price. Very sad…this could have been a wonderful and complex cigar, but it failed to follow through in the end. Also, if you are looking for a full flavor smoking experience and are a extreme conneseur as I am, then do not believe the hype on this cigar, as it has a medium bodied flavor profile at best!
Guys this ismy favorite smoke. After some time it finally hit me the mystery aroma is sourdough! It’s bread fresh sourdough bread baking. I absolutely love it.
I would like to know also what is the best humidity for
these.I always think it is too high for them in my humidor.Great
smoke.
Just picked up a 4 pack of these at my local B&M for $16. Not bad for $4 a stick!!
Where can I get a box of this ORIGINAL Camacho Triple Maduro? The NEW version is NOT the same cigar! I want the “old” version.