This week’s review was an exercise in finding enough of the same cigar to actually do a review. I was starting to get a little worried when I found a forgotten five pack of Casa Torano Maduros I purchased quite a while ago. Long enough ago that the cellophane was starting to yellow a bit. (I’m sure the dark, oily maduro wrapper help speed up that discoloration somewhat, but I’ve definitely had these for a while.)

The Maduro extension of the Casa Torano line was introduced back in 2007. Before it’s release, the Casa Torano Maduro was a private family blend, and was only available to customers at rolling events. The cigar is made in Danli, Honduras and is available in four formats, toro, torpedo, lancero and the robusto we’re about to check out now. Time to toast the foot and make some notes.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 4 3/4 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: MSRP $6.70

The Pre-Smoke
Maduro wrapper leaves don’t come much darker than the one you’ll see on the Casa Torano Maduro. Though it’s not officially referred to as oscuro, you could probably get away with calling it that, as it’s nearly black, with some lighter brown spots. (And even those lighter browns could still be considered maduro tones.) The veins tend to be a little larger in this cigar, lending some lumpiness to the otherwise smooth dark exterior. It was pretty hard to spot, but one of the cigars did have a few holes in its wrapper, but otherwise the cigars were free of external imperfection.

The wrapper scent was a pretty potent combination of compost and chocolate, bringing to mind the adage that with cigars, the worse it smells, the better it tastes. The cold taste offered up a similarly promising rich chocolate flavor.

The Burn
The burn varied a bit from one cigar to another, but for the most part, the attributes you want were there. Nice solid ash, reasonably straight burn and a good draw. As is often the case, there was a cigar that was determined to be the odd man out, and required some assistance from the trusty torch. I can’t blame the it completely, I did have a number of distractions during that smoke. And one of it’s brothers made up for the misbehavior by holding an ash nearly half it’s length before dropping.

The Flavor
The initial puffs were rich and chocolaty, with just a little bit of molasses sweetness and wood, and as the cigar progressed a little way into the first third, I began to detect just a bit of pepper in the finish.

The second and final thirds were much the same as the first, with just a slight growth in body by the end and a gradual diminishing of the sweetness after a peak in the second third. My notes are a broken record, sweet chocolate, wood and coffee (sometimes like a dark mocha) with a little bit of pepper in the finish.

The Price
There isn’t much to say about the price, it seems reasonable. However, people who prefer fuller-bodied smokes will inevitably want a little more bang for their buck.

The Verdict
The Casa Tornano Maduro is another one of those cigars that has a rich, complex flavor that you can spend your entire smoking session trying to describe precisely. It’s a good thing too, because keeping you focused on that flavor might prevent you from realizing that there isn’t much of an flavor evolution from foot to head. With minor variations and slight difference in body, the Casa Torano Maduro in the final third is pretty similar in taste to those first puffs starting out.

With that issue raised, it’s a good thing that I don’t always require a complex flavor voyage when I light up a cigar. Sometimes I just want to smoke candy. And for times like that, the Casa Torano Maduro would be a good decision. Especially earlier in the day. This cigar would also be a good choice for mild-to-medium cigar smokers looking for a little extra maduro in their humidor.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Probably
Recommend It: Yes, to mild maduro cigar lovers

Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.