Over the weekend, Gilbertsville Cigar Factory Celebrated its Two-Year Anniversary. It is hard to believe that is has been two years since Sir Stogies was transformed. There have been a lot of changes in the shop – some good and some bad, but the selection has never been better.
Not long after Chris took over the shop, he brought in a wide assortment of cigars. One of the early additions to the humidor was the Warped Lineup. Among them was the Maestros del Tiempo in a Lancero size. It was described as an excellent medium-bodied cigar that would be right up my alley. I picked one up, smoked it, and have been buying them ever since.
The Makeup
The Warped website describes this cigar as the Master of Time – developed after scouring the depths of Aganorsa. This is living proof that you must master time to create the ideal cigar.
Personally, I think they are laying it on a little thick but to each his own…
The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper, Nicaraguan Coroijo 99 and Criollo 98 fillers, and a Nicaraguan binder. It appears to be available in two sizes – 5205 (6-3/8 x 42) and a 5712 (4-1/2 x 52) and is packaged in boxes of 25.
The bulk of my experience has been with the 5205 and it costs roughly $10.00 per stick here in PA.
The Smoke
As the weather turns cooler and the days become shorter, I wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to sit out on my deck and enjoy a cigar while it remains somewhat comfortable. I made myself a cup of black coffee and headed out with a freshly cut Warped Maestros del Tiempo.
It has been quite a while since I sat down to smoke a cigar with the intention of reviewing it. To be honest, it felt strange. For a moment I nearly laughed off the idea – what business do I have reviewing a cigar? I gave myself a little pep-talk and continued on – C’mon, it will be fun….
The cold draw produced mild flavors of raisin. The pre-light flavor disappeared on the first puff and I was whacked with heavy wood and spice notes. The retrohale was quite aggressive – fortunately, I was ready for it as this seems to be a common trait of this vitola.
After a few puffs, the cigar mellows out and becomes a solid Medium-Bodied smoke with a short and somewhat dry finish. The primary flavors throughout are Wood with some Floral Sweetness. There is an occasional spark of Spice and Pepper but they tend to be more of an accent flavor and not something that sticks around.
The burn was a bit wonky at times but I would chalk that up to the breeze and not necessarily the construction. One thing worth noting is that the Maestros del Tiempo is a bit needy. I found myself tending to the burn and nursing it along more often than I would have liked. I’m sure it would do better in an indoor environment but my experience tells me that this cigar prefers to be held and has a tendency to go out if left in the ashtray just a touch too long.
The Verdict
If you couldn’t tell by the introduction, the Maestros del Tiempo is a cigar that I enjoy quite a bit and will continue to buy for the foreseeable future. There is one condition – I have tried this cigar in the other size and I didn’t care for it. If I’m going to smoke the Maestros del Tiempo, it has to be in the Lancero format.
