Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaraguan (Corojo and Criollo)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Corojo and Criollo)
Size: 6.5 x 54 “Belicoso”
Body: Medium
Price: $8.00

Today we take a look at the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company

BACKGROUND:
From The Outlaw Cigar Company web site about the WTF Natural. A precursor to the WTF Maduro:
“This blend was created together with Arsenio Ramos, master blender for Casa Fernandez. He and I were having trouble with the language barrier while blending the Outlaws Forajido cigar. After numerous blends we stopped and decided to rest on the project. Before returning to the U.S., Arsenio made me a few samples of our best blend to take home. After the cigars dried out, I smoked them and communicated the changes I wanted to make to the cigar. After two months, 500 cigars arrived with the supposed changes I requested. I lit the first cigar and said WTF!! I was very disappointed that it was the same blend I had previously smoked before the requested changes. I talked to Paul Palmer of Casa Fernandez to try to understand why I got the same blend. He was insistent that this is what Arsenio understood! I was striving for the Behike cigar that got rated #1 in cigar aficionado. I, however, never used the name Behike in speaking with Arsenio. Through the translation problems this cigar was created. I put the 500 cigars out for sale to get rid of them and they sold in two days! The customers of the Outlaw demanded I keep this cigar as a blend. They loved it.”

A lot of this info applies to the Maduro as well.

Made at the Tabsa factory in Esteli.

DESCRIPTION:
Do you grind your molars when you read a cigar catalog while on the throne, and every other cigar is described as a “virtual candy bar?” I do.

But in this case, that is exactly what the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company looks like. In my imagination, it is a giant Peppermint Patty. With cool, white filling inside. (Oops, a 1967 flashback. Sorry).

I received some samples from the gentleman himself, Kendall Culbertson..owner of The Outlaw Cigar Company. This has to be the most beautiful line of cigars I’ve seen. Each one perfect in its own way. Construction is glorious.
The WTF…and yes, there is no guessing in what it stands for…is a soft box press with a super oily, Kona coffee bean colored wrapper. (Have a friend that moved to Hawaii in the 90’s and started his own coffee farm on Kona and sends me some now and again.) I think he’s dead because I haven’t gotten any in over a year. Damn.

The seams are invisible. There are a ton of spider veins. It’s solid, Daddy-O. And the belicoso triple cap is flawless.
And lastly, the wrapper feels very toothy.

SIZES AND PRICING:
See chart below. Six sizes. In boxes of 25.
Prices range from $6.50-$8.00 each:

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft I smell decadent dark chocolate, strong spice, light floral notes, wood, leather, and earthy tobacco.
From the clipped cap and foot, I smell barnyard, strong spice, dark cocoa, wood, leather, sweetness, licorice, earthiness, and baking spices.
The cold draw presents flavors of black licorice, cocoa, spice, cedar, leather, and floral notes.

FIRST THIRD:
And now the fun part….The draw is superb for such a big honker of a cigar.
I carefully chomp because there is no way I can hold this behemoth between my lips. Too heavy and the fulcrum quotient.
Right off the bat, it starts off with hot dark cocoa, sweetness, creaminess, and coffee. A Starbuck’s drink: Caffè Mocha. This is very close to being a dessert cigar. But transitions, dear readers, transitions await.

I reviewed the Gunslinger Drifter and found it outstanding. I smoked a Perdition, without a review, and it blew my one sock off. I can’t afford two socks.
This man, Kendall, is an alien from the planet Cigarro. Or maybe its moon, Toobac.

Kendall is a young man. (At my age, everyone is young). If he has accomplished what I think he has accomplished, either he will be a monster to give chase to the big names in the business…or…play ukulele in a duet with a female singer doing covers of Tanzanian folk songs.

There is no line amongst the flavors of chocolate, cream and coffee. They are neck and neck.
Strength is classic medium body.

The spiciness is on the wane with it at the back of the pack. I hope it returns.
Nuts make their first appearance. A conglomeration of roasted nuts. Like if you fall asleep on the beach on a very hot and sunny day. Been there, done that.

At age 15, Gramps took me to Israel. Our second day was spent on the beach in Tel Aviv. Didn’t use sunblock. Did they have sunblock in 1965? Anyway, since Israel is only 1/3 of a mile from the sun, I got the worst sunburn of my life. I spent the night sleeping in a hotel chair, naked, and whimpering all night long. Try and erase that from your brain.

The Outlaw Cigar Company is one of the coolest cigar web sites I’ve seen. Right out of the Ol’ West.
And you should check out the “Swag” under “Tradin’ Post.” A gazillion accessories, hats, shirts, etc. Kendall even sent me a very cool 2016 calendar. Some very sexy chicks in it. And he gets rid of a pet peeve I have about cigar/chick calendars. I hate the ones with the chick holding a cigar like she’s never held anything like that before…sort of. Clearly she doesn’t know which end is up…sort of.

In this calendar, no chick is holding a lit cigar. Thank you Kendall.
Sweet spot 1.0 occurs at 1-3/4” in and smoking time of 15 minutes.
Construction remains flawless. Perfect char line. No wrapper issues.

It is here that the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company finds its complexity. Nice balance. Long finish.
The flavor profile of chocolate, coffee, cream, and nuts keeps on chooglin’ exponentially with each puff.

Strength remains at medium body. So far, it appears that this is a great cigar for both newbies and experienced palates.
One other thing, the web site doesn’t have a list of retailers. But you don’t need one as all product is available right there online. Kendall has removed the middle man. Passed the savings on to us poor shlubs.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 45 minutes.
Kendall sent me 7 samples. The Gunslinger High Plains, WTF Natural, Gunslinger Black Powder, Bad to the Bone Salomon, WTF maduro, Gunslinger Perdition, and the Thirteen. Prices average, depending on size, from $6.50-$9.00. Most in the $7-$8 range. Cheaper by the box. I like consistency.

The WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company is screaming laughter.

I had an epiphany last night. On those occasions when I can’t pick out the ingredient that gives a great cigar that “It” factor, I figured it out. I did my research and here are my findings. Malt!
There are dozens of types of malt. Here are a few: Base Malt, Dark Malt, Light Malt, Caramel Malt, Roasted Malt, and Dry Roasted Malt.
This variation on a theme is what I’ve tasted but couldn’t identify. The closest thing we come to taste malt is in a chocolate malt milk shake, malted milk balls or your favorite beer.
Think about it the next time you light up a great cigar and tell me I’m wrong.

The WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company has a very strong Caramel Malt element. With a hint of Dry Roasted Malt. Dry-roasted malts include amber malt, biscuit malt, brown malt, black malt, chocolate malt, and dark chocolate malt. I know I’m right.
I’ve solved the mystery of the universe. I’d like to see astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson to talk about this. Sending him an email right now.

Back to the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company.
A wonderful, relaxing cigar. I’ve reviewed some mighty strong cigars lately and they are anything but relaxing. They have your head spinning like Linda Blair.
The continuation of the medium body is perfect. It allows the flavors to shine.

Spiciness is all but gone. Too bad. I love my spicy cigars. The cigar loses a point for that.
I just might go on an Outlaw Cigar run for the next 6 days hitting each and every Outlaw Cigar sample. I did that with the Ortega Wild Bunch series.
Flavors are uber intense. I’m sure with more humidor age, the flavor profile will splinter and discover other subtleties and nuances.

Side Note. I found the perfect digital hygrometer: Zederkoff. Won it on Cbid. No stinkin’ salt test needed. Went right to work and on the money in 8 hours. Goes for $30. Got it for $10 on Cbid. I have a Cigar Oasis Excel to review. And now I can. I had 5 older digital hygrometers in my humidor that were off by more than 10 points. Threw them away. Served their purpose but they are only good for a year or two.

HALFWAY POINT:
“It’s delightful, it’s delicious,
It’s delectable, it’s delirious,
It’s dilemma, it’s delimit, it’s deluxe,
It’s de-lovely” (Cole Porter)

Damn. If you don’t try this baby, then you are out of my will. That’s right. Every one of my thousands of readers are in my will. Just make sure you tell Kendall that the Katman sent you. Very important. Let him know you follow me like lemmings to the cliff. But don’t jump. Pull out your wallet. Just don’t let your wife see you.
Still at medium body. Great.

Here they are: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, coffee, coffee, coffee, creaminess, red pepper, caramel malt, roasted nuts, cedar, toasty, wheat, raisins, leather, earthiness, and dark chocolate malt.
That’s right dear readers. The spiciness has returned with a vengeance. Point added back in.
The WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company is really cooking now. Wow.
Not a hint of the dreaded Vitamin N.
Smoke time is 65 minutes. A long, slow roll.

You know I rarely say I like big cigars because they lack the flavor profile intensity but Culbertson has jumped that shark. Intense flavors. Nice complexity. The only caveat is that you need plenty of time. But then what a treat it is to come back to a cigar you had to put down because the wife yelled, “Phil! Can you do this for me?”
That little break can really put some oomph back into the smoke when you re-light it.

Something new is brewing. What the hell is it? It’s a little mineral, a little smoky, a little pine. That was a nice surprise.
And then, a whoosh of sweet, gooey caramel.

Transitions. They make a good cigar a great cigar. And the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company has a revolving wheel of transitions.

This is one of my longest reviews in memory. Funny. I don’t have a memory any longer. LOL. I get the strangest stares when someone I know reminds me of something and I have zero recollection. It’s also very frustrating. But you know what one of the upside symptoms of my problem is? Less stress. It’s a proven fact. And I’m experiencing it. Our lives are turned upside down now and I have a qué será, será attitude. Nothing I can do about it so the hell with it. It stresses out my loved ones more than me.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is just shy of two hours.
Sweet spot 2.5. This is not a kitchen sink blend. But the main flavors are perfect and satisfying. Their place in line is in perpetual motion.

The WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company is going to finish out like it started with a medium body.
This was a perfect way to start my Sunday morning.
Now I have to figure out which of the other blends I will review next. Each cigar is so gorgeous that it will be a difficult choice.

I get a slight minty element with 1-1/2” to go.
The very end of the experience, the strength hits medium/full.
And the spiciness soars.

It was my pleasure to spend over two hours with the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company.
Here goes. I give the WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company a rating of 92.

I would love to have a box. But I betcha’ that by the end of all 7 reviews, I will be saying that about all of them.
Bam. The flavor profile makes a huge surge. I didn’t think it had anywhere to go..but clearly, I was wrong.
Final smoke time was two hours 10 minutes.
Go get some at The Outlaw Cigar Company. Remember to tell them the Katman sent you. (Click on “Tradin’ Post to pick out cigars.)

PRICE POINT:
I’m very impressed with the pricing on the Outlaw Cigar line. These are $12.00+ cigars that cost 1/3 less than that..or more.
And with these big honkers, you get way more than your money’s worth. I’d love to try all the blends in a corona.
Out of the many blends I listed, the Gunslinger line comes in 6 separate series: Drifter, Hangman, High Plains, Perdition and Unforgiven. I love the Western theme. I wish that Robert Duvall would make one more western. Maybe a follow up to “Open Range?”
Not a single cigar of the 10 blends offered is overpriced. And I will prove that in the coming week with my reviews.
I don’t see a sampler on the web site. That would be ideal so one can taste all that is offered.

SUMMATION:
Kendall Culbertson is an up and comer. I don’t know his plans to up production so that he can sell his cigars in boutique brand online stores. But if it ain’t broke…
I feel cheated that I live in Milwaukee and not even close to either of the two Outlaw Cigar Company stores. One in Kansas and the other in Missouri.
This was a fantastic blend. Complex. Nice balance and long finish.
It required only one minor touch up to the char line.
Flavors were intense throughout.
The price is right on the money.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, kendall culbertson, WTF Maduro by The Outlaw Cigar Company Cigar Review