Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí & Jalapa
Size: 4.75 x 60 Perfecto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $15.00
This cigar has had 2 years 8 months of humidor time.
BACKGROUND:
These cigars were released in September 2020 by Foundation Cigars.
There are still a few online stores that have this limited release.
The cigars were originally released in 500 boxes of 20.
Reviews are all over the place. Some loved it and others not so much. They occurred within a reasonable period after the cigar was released.
There are no reviews of this cigar with nearly 3 years of humidor time. This could be a great cigar…or the extended time did not serve the blend well.
I chose purposely not to read any reviews so I would not be influenced.
I went to the Foundation Cigars website and they lump this cigar in with ‘The Wise Man’ blend. Now, the 5 Year is similar, but not the same. Different leaf stats.
The thing that really sold this cigar was the box it came in.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
In doing my research, I discovered that Foundation Cigars released the El Güegüense Macho Raton in late 2022. The blend is identical to the 5 Year Aniversario. In fact, Foundation Cigar owner Nicholas Melillo said in a press release: “Our 5yr anniversary cigar was such a hit that I had to release line extensions in this beautiful perfecto.”
The Macho Raton is still for sale even though it was released as a limited-edition cigar. I found not a single review of this blend 8 months after its release. It is as if Foundation re-released the 5 Year under a different name. Do I know for sure? Nope. The online store photos of the cigar vary but seem to show a slighter darker Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 than the 5 Year. Could it be that the wrapper is possibly just a tiny bit different to hide the coincidence? Dunno.
I visited the Foundation Cigars website and their photo is not darker than the 5 Year. Its color and tones are identical.
But, again, the leaf stats, size, and shape are identical. Maybe savvy industry reviewers didn’t feel like reviewing the exact same cigar again. Go figure.
First things first…let’s see how this cigar fares before I call Oliver Stone.
A sweet floral and black cherry aroma. Along with BBQ sauce, red pepper, creaminess, cedar, and smoked almonds.
The draw is a tad tight. I will forgo using my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool and see if the cigar opens after lit.
Red pepper swings and connects. Creaminess follows. A nutty meatiness applies pressure. BBQ sauce is slathered like a 4th of July backyard party.
Cleary, aging for nearly 3 years after its release has given the cigar blend a real advantage over earlier reviews.
The cigar is very smooth and rich. There is an early complexity that hints that the cigar is going to be fun.
The draw is still a little tight, but no cheek collapsing is in my future.
I’m not a big fan of perfectos. Most I’ve tried have had burn issues in quick step. I had to put torch to foot just now or the run would be out of control. I allow it to rest in my ashtray so that it can right itself.
I’m waiting. So…how’s the family? Uncle Larry still in jail? Up to your ears in children? Waiting anxiously to see if the Federal Government shuts down in a few days? I truly despise politicians. Both sides of the aisle suck. Power posturing.
The cigar is OK now. The flavors just explode with just an inch burned. A flavor bomb if ever I saw one. The other reviewers couldn’t anticipate the cigar still being on sale 3 years later and had to strike in a reasonable amount of time.
But this baby is on the gorgeous side of Brigitte Bardot. How long it took to get to outstanding status is anybody’s guess.
I am projecting that 6 months or longer will turn this cigar into a blessing from Moses. The extra time is just icing. I betcha’ you can expect the exact same thing with the Macho Raton. Same cigar, different name.
Oh man, the rich complexity is giving me a boner this big. Know what happens when you take stroke meds? I’ll give you one guess. I take a Cialis the size of a Frisbee. Sure, I still like sex. Charlotte does too. I just need to wait until she is asleep. Good times.
The odds of the Macho Raton being the same as the 5 Year are 90%. I would like to try the Maduro version. Foundation just flipped the wrapper and the binder.
Strength is a potent medium.
“Can’t Find My Way Home.” Blind Faith. When their one and only album dropped in 1969, the world went nuts. The world went berserk when they never released another album. A classic group of songs. Steve Winwood. Eric Clapton. Rick Grech. Ginger Baker.
A slow roll of unagi. The ash is mons pubis. I met a Hippie chick in the early 70’s who could not get enough sex. But she was skinny. She’d get on top and pound away like a jackhammer. My pubic bone glowed like ET’s pulsating red heart afterwards. A few encounters and then I told her I had crabs and I never saw her again. Desperate measures for desperate times.
The burn is nothing for the cigar to be proud of.
Removal of the cigar band takes a bit of wrapper with it.
Still, this is a delightful smoke.
Creamy, mild spiciness, almond marzipan, BBQ sauce, black cherries, malt, aged cedar, and maple syrup.
The blend tilts to the sweet side. Aged tobacco gives the cigar its needed savory component.
“Like a Rolling Stone.” Dylan. 1965. In the car with my mother and it came on the radio. My mother was horrified. I liked it. I was 15. Al Kooper played the iconic Hammond B3 part.
1-3/4” burned. Time: 25 minutes.
The blend is now full tilt in strength. So rich with depth and character.
Three couples went to see Easy Rider in 1969 in Laguna Beach. The ending shocked everyone. I was with a beautiful rich girl who lived in the most extravagant house in Laguna. Dated her a few times but clearly, I was not her type…poor and still in college.
For even a short fat perfecto, the cigar moves slowly allowing its sources and methods to be uncovered Snowden-like.
The char line is spot on. Berating it with katman epithets shamed it into submission.
I haven’t said ‘fuck’ once in this review. Must be having another stroke.
I’m closing in on an hour and still have 2-1/2” to go. Who doesn’t like a slow Dirty Sanchez?
The sweet spot digs a 6-foot hole and dives in. My dad’s family came from Transylvania, so I’m confused as to what to do. My gramps spoke exactly like Bela Lugosi. Anytime he visited from Pittsburgh, my friends came over in throngs to listen to him do his best Dracula impression. Better than Martin Landau.
The sweet spot causes small synapse explosions in my puny brain. Charlotte has an I.Q. of over 160. Me? 75. She acquired three master’s degrees in psychology at age 19. I believe she began college during puberty.
Despite the incredible strength, the blend remains smooth and complex. I deal with the spins by changing my colostomy bag.
I really wasn’t expecting this. I was bull headed going into this review that the cigar was going to suck giant chodas. Couldn’t be happier to be so wrong.
All the aforementioned flavors are in place. Nothing added, nothing taken away. The difference is that it is now a huge flavor bomb. Swimming in a sea of swarming simbas. I’m screaming laughter.
My sponsor, Atlantic Cigar, is going to put together a katman special in the near future. Great news.
A few years ago, Gary Sinise put together a big concert for service people. It was either the 4th of July or Memorial Day. I can’t remember. Bruce Springsteen sang the Credence song, “Fortunate Son.” He was booed off the stage. The audience didn’t understand the lyrics.
The cigar blend is masterful with the extended aging. It finishes without heat or harshness so I nub it. A 90-minute smoke.
I am positive that the new Macho Raton is the same cigar.
You can purchase these cigars from my sponsors, Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), and Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’).
RATING: 94
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