This week, I received a sampler pack of Macanudos from JR Cigar as part of my (rather dismal) Halloween sampler. Included were robusto-sized equivalents of Macanudo’s Original, Maduro, and Robust lines–a perfect opportunity to decide which Macanudo is the best.

    Background:

My brother and I first tried the Original Macanudos in 2005, after our father told us our late grandfather smoked them. We praised them at first, but quickly outgrew them because they are extremely mild and have some rather pronounced drawbacks, particularly the ashy/chary aftertaste.

Next we tried the Maduro line, which features a very dark wrapper, yet is still surprisingly mild. Musty and damp in flavor, we found it to be far inferior to other maduros and have consistently avoided it.

Last we tried the “Robust” line, which, I assume, Macanudo developed to appeal to more sophisticated smokers who prefer a little more kick in their cigars. Although I’ve tried a few, I never paid much attention to this line because it lacks the nostalgia of the Original line.

    Results:

Somewhat to my surprise, I found the Robust to be the most enjoyable of the three. It is surprisingly balanced, toasty at first with a long, cool aftertaste and plenty of spice at the end. It doesn’t have the ashy aftertaste of the Original line, yet it retains some of the toasty notes I’ve always liked.

While it’s far from perfect (and it lacks the beautiful gold wrapper of the Original line), if, like me, you’ve overlooked the Robust line, you might consider trying it again. It’s generally the same price as the Original line, but it is superior in many respects. If you’ve never tried a Macanudo, or if you’re new to cigars, I’d stick with the Original line for a while and then try the Robust latter. The Maduro you can pretty much ignore altogether.

Robust *******½
Original *******
Maduro ******

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