I love the so-call "dessert cigars", the maduro's. Quoting myself:
To be fair, I also love African Camaroon wrapper, so for me the ultimate may be a nice, dark aged maduro camaroon, which is the Olive Serie G. Beautiful deep vegetal and dark chocolate, so nice really. What this thread will do is this: I'm going to list the maduros I've tried, in order of dessertness (is that a word?) but with a twist. I'm really after those few maduros that especially feature the deep chocolate, cacao, and coffee. All the rest is simply icing."Maduro: means "ripe" in Spanish, the green leaves are aged and fermented for 45 days, or sometimes much more. These are truly delicious cigars, sometimes called "dessert cigars" for their tastes of dark chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, caramel, molasses, black pepper, dried fruit, black cherry, and sometimes even a boozy taste, depending on how they are aged. I love Maduros, a rich brown with high natural sugars. A thicker wrapper.
Oscuro or Double Maduro, or Maduro Maduro: much more aging for a very dark color, even more richness and sweetness. Same tastes of Maduro (above) but with more strength and richness.
Note: Double or even Triple Maduro may also refer to a cigar with the wrapper, binder and or filler all of maduro. "
Here goes:
1. Oliva Serie G, tie with the 5 Vegas Artisan. Both are great maduros, with the Oliva also being a camaroon. Try both.
2. Tatuaje Petit Reserva (4-1/2 x 32): Yes, it's a petit cigar and short smoke. No, it's not a maduro. Yes, yes I still absolutely, positively recommend this small cigar. Why: unlike almost all small cigars which are mostly lacking except in shortness and cost, Tatuaje is name cigar, VERY well respected, and unlike all it's mini-brethren, actually reflect the Tatuaje profile in every regard. A Nicky puro in every regard, except for the Connecticut wrapper. Medium to full flavored: rich coffee, nuts, spice, coffee and absolutely consistent to the nub. Magnificent, razor sharp burn, meant to be sipped slow, and small in size only. Superb and at $2.95 for single? Si, si, si and... Si!
Another very satisfying maduro (and a LOT more cigar for the $$) is the Berger & Argenti Mooch Maduro, which I found for $3.90! I'm listing it with the Tatuaje - not because I get the primary dark chocolate I seek, but because this nice long panatella (7 x 49!) has much the same marvelous vegetal effect as the very well respected AF Hemingways (at least double the price). I gave up just after half (which is almost 4 inches of cigar, but really didn't have to.). I'd buy this one again anytime.
2. Perdomo Champagne Noir (short of a really bad burn after this first half), this one was lovely, really lovely, lots of deep rich dark chocolate and cacao. The jury remains out, as at this price, it oughta at least burn past the half.
3. Arturo Fuente Cuban Corona. Lovely and also a cameroon maduro like the "G" - and - a stunning shorter smoke, great price and Fuente quality, will probably be #2 pretty soon if another Perdomo Champagne Noir doesn't work out.
For now a tie with the Brick Maduro. Has all the qualities I'd ever want in a maduro - deep, rich, chocolate and consistent - and never turns bad or changes. I'd buy this one again - I should add the standard (non-maduro) Brick is the fave cigar for many who love the maduro, but want a change. Like any maduro, some minor touch-ups (maduro is heavier/thicker, doesn't burn as well as thin Connecticut). BTW, this wrapper - acclaimed by some - is a Brazilian Aripiraca. I'm gonna look for another. Not as dark chocolatey, but very nice in its own way, has a woody character. Solid medium plus.
Or try the Sancho Panza Double Maduro: in a great, long Panatela that requires smoking with a cape and sword. Nice, rich, deep, enough chocolate - especially in the first third - and can be smoked down near the label. A nice box, lovely burn, nice.
5. La Traviata Maduro: a robusto/camaroon, Niccy binder and long fill, a robusto. To be honest, when I toasted this one up, I was SURE I had a new #1, with that near perfect combination of cacao/chocolate/spice and vegetal camaroon to die for. This lasted for the first quarter or so, and then - a move to spice, wood et al, that was decent, but I lost my chocolate. Mind you a nice maduro, but doesn't qualify for my chocolate/cacao club.
6. Perdomo Small Batch Maduro: a Niccy puro that yet again starts off in my dark chocolate, dessert zone and then goes wandering off into almost anything but, and into a rather full zone that some like a LOT, but I does nothing for me. I'd be willing to try this one in a creamy connecticut wrapper, but don't count on it.
Thus: this maduro brings up the tail end of my preferences. Great at first, but then - no way. The ending was simply too little too late. No way - at least for me. Later tried a Perdomo 2000 series with the same result. I'm done with this line.
Purchased but awaiting a light:
Rocky Patel Edge Maduro
Padron 2000 Series
Oliva Serie "O"
Antano Dark Carojo Doble Fuerte