Wrapper: San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Dominican Criollo ’98
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí), PA tobacco, Dominican Ligero
Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”
Body: Full
Price: $6.48 MSRP ($5.52 @ Famous Smoke)
Today we take a look at the new Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro.
Thanks to Luis Gutierrez, co-founder, of Manolo Estate Cigars for the samples.
I received all three blends two days ago and lit up the Manolo Estate Cigars Serie 32 Habano ROTT. To say I was blown away is an understatement. I reviewed the blend after only one day of humidor rest. And immediately amended my “Top 25 Cigars for 2015” to include this cigar. I expect the same experience with the Heavyweight Maduro.
BACKGROUND:
From the Manolo Estate Cigars web site:
“The Heavyweight Maduro is a wonderfully full-bodied cigar that packs a powerful punch unlike any other on the market today. This high-octane powerhouse of a cigar weighs in with a potent blend of Cuban Criollo 98 binder blended with Nicaraguan Estelí, Pennsylvania tobacco, and Dominican Ligero filler, dressed in a deliciously dark Mexican San Andre’s maduro wrapper. The Heavyweight comes out of its corner swinging with a combination of strong spicy notes of pepper and jabs of leather on the palate making it the undisputed serious cigar for the serious smoker.
“Manolo Estate cigars are made with select complimentary wrappers, fillers, and binders from around the globe and then aged at least 3 years before finally being hand rolled into a perfectly matured cigar that lives up to our time-honored Cuban family tradition. Our Manolos are then stored in a special aging room for an additional 12 months until they are delicately packaged in our Spanish cedar encasements for your enjoyment.
“The release of Manolo Estate Handmade Cigars marks the team of Luis Gutierrez and Juan Carlos Rojas’ official foray into the cigar industry following their initial role as purveyors of fine premium cigars at their tobacconist shops, Ash Fine Cigars located at 203 Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ and 2915 Rt. 23 South in Newfoundland, NJ.
“Proudly named after both Juan Carlos Rojas’ father Manuel “Manolo” Rojas and Luis Gutiérrez’s great-grandfather Don Manuel “Manolo” Gutiérrez.
Their latest creation is a line called Cuban Heritage Collection. It has 3 blends:
Gran Fino Connecticut: Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Broadleaf, Binder: Dominican Criollo ’98, Filler: Dominican (Cuban Seed) Ligero, Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli), PA tobacco. (Mild/Medium)
Serie 32 Habano: Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Broadleaf, Binder: Dominican (Cuban Seed) Corojo, Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí), PA Ligero
Heavyweight Maduro: (See leaf stats above)
All three blends come in the same two sizes and the same price points.
DESCRIPTION:
These sticks aren’t quite as oily as the Serie 32 Habano. Close, but no cigar. There is a heavy mottling of the wrapper which is the color of dark coffee beans. The wrapper is extremely toothy and feels like heavy grit sandpaper. This is why it doesn’t seem as oily.
In fact, this is the toothiest cigar I’ve smoked in I don’t know how long.
Seams are tight. Lots of veins. The triple cap is impeccable. The stick is solid with little give.
SIZES AND PRICING:
5 x 50 Robusto $6.48 MSRP ($5.52 @ Famous Smoke)
6 x 60 Double Toro $8.47 MSRP ($7.43 @ Famous Smoke)
AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell a touch of honey, spice, coffee, leather, and floral notes.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I smell barnyard, dark chocolate, spice, espresso, floral notes, honey, cedar, and charred marshmallow.
The cold draw presents flavors of Slim Jim, cream, sweetness, herbal notes, pine, chocolate, and cedar.
FIRST THIRD:
The draw is great.
Like the Serie 32 Habano, it starts off as a pepper bomb. I just love that. Separates us men from the mice. Or meeces.
Simple flavors come forth: Spice, very creamy, milk chocolate, malts, Heath toffee bar, coffee, sweetness, cedar, caramel, and dark earth notes.
Strength is medium body.
And of course, my worst nightmare….a cigar band with gold lettering on a gold background. My camera is crying.
The Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro has some very unusual flavors lying at the bottom of the flavor profile I cannot yet identify. I’ll get them.
The caramel, creaminess, and Heath toffee bar are very strong as is the chocolate flavor.
Plumes of smoke fill the air around my head.
There is a combination of a buttery cookie and something meaty. Like me.
Complexity settles in early with less than an inch burned. I’m surprised that the strength is not more potent. As a described full body blend, the medium/full bodied Serie 32 Habano was much stronger at this point.
The ash is hanging tough with an even burn.
There is a citrusy flavor. Pineapple dunked in melted chocolate. Odd but delicious.
And then bam! Strength hits medium/full body.
Flavors become more definitive: the malts are what can expect with this flavor profile, pumpkin pie spices, charred marshmallow becomes homemade whipped cream…and elements of honeysuckle.
SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 20 minutes.
So far, I’m more impressed with the Serie 32 Habano. It was livelier.
I’m surprised that the strength hasn’t punched me in the face yet as I near the halfway point.
Flavors explode. Strength hits full body. Other reviewers would go back and delete the previous statement. But no, not me. I write stream of consciousness with one take only. No going back to fix things so therefore you get to see what a schmuck I am.
Flavors are screaming laughter. No shit.
The music accompaniment this morning is an old James Taylor Live album CD. Always loved that man’s music.
This stick doesn’t feel as packed as the Serie 32 Habano and therefore; it is smoking quicker.
While I am disappointed that the stick is not as full bodied as advertised, I am bowled over by the flavor profile. It possesses an array of flavors found mostly in much more expensive cigars. Not $5.00 cigars. There isn’t a $5 cigar on the market from the regular manufacturers that can touch this. Hammer says so.
The halfway point. Smoke time is 35 minutes.
A very smooth blend. Smoke blinds me as I try to hold the stick in my mouth and type at the same time.
The complexity is damn impressive. I’m also impressed with the very long lip smackin’ finish.
The spiciness had all but disappeared but is now back with a vengeance.
I checked out the two online stores that carry the Manolo Estate cigars: Famous Smoke and Cigar King. Famous only carries boxes. And Cigar King only sells the Heavyweight Maduro. But with the KATMAN promo code, at Famous, you get 15% off with the promo code: KATMAN.
There is too much glue on the cigar bands of the Maduro leaving a bunch of shmutz on the band. Doesn’t make for a pretty photo.
Creaminess runs the show. But in tandem, so do the malts and the chocolate.
Strength hits full body.
Clearly, this is not a ground breaking blend. It does well with the flavors it emits, but I’ve tasted them before. What it has over most blends is the price. With the 15% promo code discount, a box of Robustos is only $4.70 per stick. You’re not going to find another blend, for this price, that is this good.
The Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro would normally be in the $7-$10 range if sold by a greedy manufacturer.
With each puff, the flavor profile expands. The character is rich and decadent. Mostly, a dessert-like bunch of flavors. This has to be one of the smoothest full body cigars I’ve smoked.
The Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro time travels and makes a quantum leap with the flavor profile. Bona fide flavor bomb. So, it has that in common with the Serie 32 Habano.
Luis Gutierrez and Juan Carlos Rojas sure know how to blend cigars, baby.
Again, I wish Taste-O-Vison were available. I can’t believe how intensely decadent the flavor profile is.
Construction is top notch. The char line has wavy moments…but no big deal.
Lately, I’ve smoked a couple of blends that were similar in that they were full bodied but so smooth as to disguise the sheer strength of the blend.
Usually, a full bodied cigar hits you over the head with a sledge hammer. No subtleties or nuances. Just overwhelming power. Not with the Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro. It’s a beautifully balanced blend. I’m in awe. And you won’t read me saying that very often.
LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is 50 minutes.
I’m betting with more humidor time, the blend will change and be even more phantasmagorical.
I began this review yesterday but had to stop halfway through. I will explain. After this review, I shall publish an homage to our dog, Ebba.
Flavors haven’t change. So no need to list them. They are just so intense that my palate is going nuts.
The Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro is a great deal for the wallet conscious. I rated the Habano a 94. I am rating the Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro a couple points lower for the simple reason that I wanted the strength to be punchier. But still, a 92 ain’t nothing to sneeze at.
The Serie 32 Habano came out of the gate with guns a’ blazin’. It took some time for the Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro to kick into gear. Merely a humidor aging issue. Nothing more.
I still have the Gran Fino Connecticut to review. Can’t wait.
I also have some new sticks sent to me by a couple of readers. One is the The Angel’s Anvil TAA 2015. Another is the Chogiu Dos77. Another is the Cubanacan HR by Hirochi Robaina Sublime (6.5 x 54) A $20.00 cigar. I reviewed the Robusto back in April but I wanted to review this bigger size for comparison. This blend has been discontinued. And the last is the Cohiba Black.
And of course, I’m waiting on the new Inferno 3rd Degree and CAO Flathead Steel Horse from Famous Smoke to mellow in my humidor. Cory Grover, from Famous, sent me the giant behemoth 6.5 x 66 Bullneck. This will take forever. But luckily, a reader sent me the other size: 5.5 x 58. Should take less humidor time.
Check out the size of the Steel Horse compared to the robusto on the far right:
Oh…and another reader sent me the Ave Maria Morning Star. A 5 x 58 perfecto. I reviewed the giant 7.125 x 58 Salomon 18 months ago. So I will review the smaller size for comparison as well.
I will also review the Southern Draw Quickdraw and the Purlamb I received from the Cigar Federation Cigar of the Month Club. I believe that does it.
This is my last month with the club. The club started out pretty good but then CF started throwing in tiny cigars and their house blends and the savings, after doing the math, was only a savings of $5 over buying the selections as singles. Stick a fork in me. I’m done.
But all these cigars need a couple weeks or so of humidor time so there will be a lull in my last month of reviewing.
Back to the Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro.
I’m near the end. It finishes cool and without harshness.
It’s a shame that Famous only sells them in boxes. But it is my advice that both Manolo Estate blends I’ve reviewed are box worthy. Especially, with the KATMAN 15% discount. If I had the dough, I’d snag a box of Serie 32 Habano first and the Maduro second.
I highly recommend the Manolo Estate Cigars Heavyweight Maduro. Just don’t be impatient like me. Give it a few weeks or longer.
RATING: 92
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by Phil 'Katman' Kohn 
Call the famous store. They got the singles