To continue where I left off, here we are once again with our next installment of the bargain cigar rundown for 2007. Up for review this time is the Montesino Maduro, which was recommended for last years bargain list by our friend Jabba (and who says we don’t get around to review requests 😉 ). This particular model is the No. 2 and measures in at 6.25 inches long with a 44 ring gauge. This vitola sports a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and includes a Dominican binder and fillers. The cigar itself is produced in the Dominican Republic by the Fuente Family.

Because this cigar was requested last year, they have been resting for some time now. I originally ordered them and they were labeled and added into my humidor on November 29th, 2006. Since then they have been resting in my 70% RH cooler at aprox. 68 degrees. After pulling out a single for this review I removed it from the cello and began to give it a quick once over. The first thing I noticed was very attractive oil crystals developing all over the surface of the Maduro Wrapper. After looking beyond the crystals I found the wrapper leaf to look a little rough and tumbled. There were a couple of medium sized veins as well as color variations from head to foot. The cap appeared to be lifting as there was a loose spot on one side of the cigar.

After moving beyond the visual aspect of my inspection I found the stick to be uniformly firm when gently pinched. I then ran my fingers up and down the leaf and found the cigar to have a bit of a rough and sort of sandy type of texture. I then moved into opening up the cap to check the pre light draw which resulted in a slightly firm draw with mellow earthy flavors. After a quick toast and light I had my Montesino Maduro evenly lit and producing a fair amount of smoke.

As I began to take a few puffs of the first third of my cigar, I was getting a good amount of thick smoke. The initial body was mild with a dry but short finish. The initial flavor is a straight up, no frills type of Maduro flavor that is common among most Maduro cigars. After a few minutes the base flavor begins to change for the better and the straight up Maduro flavor begins to develop a little depth in addition to a creaminess that I found enjoyable. The dominant base flavor comes across as the Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro while in the background I picked up wood flavor (more along the lines of Oak rather than Cedar) as well as a light spice that ticked the sinuses.

The burn rate was slow and produced a thin and even burn line. The ash was firm and compacted but fell after a short length (less than ½ inch) developed. The draw was a little on the firm side but produced a fair amount of smoke that left me with a thick and creamy texture on the tongue and walls of the mouth.

As I continued to puff away, I reached the second third of my cigar. At this point the body remained Mild and flavorful while the finished got a little heavier and a little creamier. The base flavor did not change much in terms of defined flavors, but they seemed to develop a little more depth as I smoked along. The burn rate remained slow and produced a thin and even burn line. The draw was still a little on the firm side but put off a decent amount of smoke with each puff. The smoke produced was nice and thick and slowly drifted around the room putting off a medium aroma that I thought smelled pretty good.

After some time had progressed I reached the final third of the cigar. With about 2 inches remaining to smoke, the cigar had surpassed its peak of enjoyment and began to slowly go downhill from then on out. The body never moved past the Mild spectrum while the Finish remained smooth and creamy throughout the remainder of the smoke. The base flavor remained consistent but began to get a little harsh and the defined flavor began to get mottled and started to come together in an unenjoyable fashion.

Overall I was happy with this smoke. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to smoke one of these sticks after initially purchasing them so I am not sure how much better (or if at all) they became after spending all but a year hiding away in my cooler. For the price (Aprox $2.60 each) I think they were a well constructed and good tasting cigar that was definitely worth the price. If you like mild Maduros that have good flavor and won’t break the bank give this one a shot the next time you come across one in your travels.