Macanudo 1968 Robusto
May 1, 2009 Cigar
After I closed my cigar shop/lounge in late 2008, I decided that I would join a club here in NYC. I wanted somewhere that I could store some smokes (my humi was overflowing) and I also wanted a place where I could go regularly and smoke since I don’t smoke in my home (two small kids). After making the rounds for years, I decided I would join Club Macanudo. It had three things that won me over. They have a full bar, they serve food and they’re in my neighborhood. So I joined and I’m glad I did.
Last night, they had a special event for humidor holders. It was a very elegant affair with lots of wine, scotch, vodka and cigars. Being owned by General Cigar, they were giving away 5 packs of the Macanudo 1968. Now, I’ve honestly never been a big fan of Macanudo smokes. I place them in whatever category is lighter than “mild”. I generally find them to be papery with little flavor if any. That being said, I’ve read some good things about the new 1968 line, so I decided I’d give it a shot for tonight’s review.
Here’ some info on the line from General Cigars website:
Macanudo 1968 boasts a bold new taste that perfectly balances the cigar’s fuller-bodied tobaccos. Aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to further enrich its flavor, the blend marries Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco to a proprietary filler cultivated exclusively for General Cigar in the remote island of Ometepe. These tobaccos were developed expressly to complement the Connecticut Habano binder and flawless Honduran San Agustin wrapper.
And now, on to the review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 5×50 (Robusto)
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Honduran San Agustin
Binder: Habano Connecticut
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan (Esteli), Nicaraguan (Ometepe)
MSRP: $8.50
APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION -
The wrapper is very oily to the touch. It has a dark brown shade and is pretty toothy. It’s a slightly rough looking, but very nicely constructed. Cap is slightly tapered. No obvious blemishes or marks on the wrapper. Cigar was fairly firm. No soft spots at all. The band is a departure from the standard light green we’ve seen. It’s a black and gold theme. Very classy looking.
SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS -
The wrapper and foot both had a sweet tobacco aroma, but faint. I used my standard punch cut on the 68 Macanudo. The cold draw was perfect with just enough resistance. It had a very interesting fruit flavor. It was like dried apple. Burn was even with a nice thin burn line. I had no burn issues at all through the whole smoke. It produced a nice white ash and plenty of smoke.
FLAVOR -
The cigar was a solid medium bodied smoke. It never moved out of the medium range. Initially there were some flavors of charred wood and some coffee. The most interesting part of the smoke was around the midway point where the flavor transitioned into what I could only describe as a salty pretzel taste. It was salty, but with a bready or doughy component. I don’t recall ever experiencing a flavor like that in the past. I’ve had salty smokes and bready smokes, but not that salty bread combination. It was interesting and not unpleasant.
OVERALL IMPRESSION -
I have to say this cigar definitely did surprise me. While I am still not a Macanudo convert, this is definitely a smoke I would recommend to the novice smoker, who is ready to move to something a little more interesting. It’s a great gateway cigar. Definitely a major step up from the traditional Macanudo lines, but not something I would probably reach for again.
TOTAL SCORE – 82
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Tags: 1968, club macanudo, macanudo, robusto
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