This month got busier than expected. So much so that yesterday I looked at what I needed to publish and discovered that I hadn’t actually published for over two weeks. I had the reviews, but hadn’t gotten them posted. In order to get caught up a bit, I’ll be posting almost every day for the next week or so, starting with this review of the really great Micallef Herencia Maduro. Enjoy…and Merry Christmas!
- Vitola: Box-Pressed Torpedo
- 5.5” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP ~$11
- Purchased at Lord Puffer Cigars
Background
“Cuban Inspiration, Texan Ingenuity.” That is what greeted me on the Micallef Cigars website as I went to get ready for this review. Well, now I know they are based in Texas! This is a really “fresh” review for me as I have not smoked this cigar to my knowledge, and have only actually smoked a couple of this brand’s sticks in the past…and not too recent past, either. I don’t know much about the company or their blends and ended up just buying this from Lord Puffer Cigars in Escondido when I was out visiting in California earlier this year.
So, to start with, this is the Herencia Maduro, part of the Micallef “Legacy Line.” It is offered in a single box-pressed Torpedo vitola and consists of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and a “Grade A” Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. All components have four years of age on them. They use entubado and triple-fermentation methods in the creation of the cigar and consider the cigar “medium-bodied” with “full flavor.”
As noted, this is my first time smoking this blend and I purchased it myself. They are distributed nationally, however it is kind of hit-and-miss. The closest store to me is 57 miles away, but rates at about a 2 hour drive. To find the store nearest you, check out their website.
Prelight
The Micallef band has a classic look like it’s been around for 25 or 30 years, and that makes sense since they are positioning themselves as a higher-end company. The multi-color band is classy and rich without trying to hard.
The wrapper leaf was a dark chocolate brown and very smooth. It had a moderate amount of oils to it and an aroma that mixed coffee beans, cocoa powder and leather. The foot of the cigar was very earthy with a touch of sweetness coming through.
As with many torpedoes, I had to ride the line between clipping little and having a tight draw or clipping much and having the cigar unravel. When I clipped enough I did get a draw that I considered good enough, but it showed early signs of unraveling, too. The cold draw had notes of semi-sweet chocolate, rich coffee, and wet earth.
Flavor
Lighting up the Micallef Herencia Maduro, I noted that it did begin at a medium-bodied level with rich chocolatey notes and smooth coffee up front, earth and a touch of cedar after that and a slight pepper heat on the finish. The retrohale had more chocolate and a bit of anise, with just a little more pepper. The start felt well-balanced and rich. Through the first third, the blend remained moderately sweet, moderately spicy, with a tang of cedar and citrus, and a dash of pepper.
The second third had an increase in pepper spice and woody flavor while the chocolate sweetness continued on steadily.
The last third of the Herencia Maduro stayed with the steady medium body full of semi-sweet chocolate and earthy flavors, while cedar and pepper played solid supporting roles.
Construction
I had a very good draw, even burn line and solid ash. The unraveling I was concerned about at the beginning never happened.
Value
The list price of the Herencia Maduro is well worth the price of admission. At the California price of about $14 I paid, I would have a little more problem with it.
Conclusions
I really didn’t know what to expect from the Herencia Maduro. Pennsylvania-grown Broadleaf isn’t my favorite wrapper and the word I got on this brand has been mixed, with high highs and pretty low lows. I found I was pleasantly surprised by a very full-flavored but medium-bodied stick that had more sweetness than I anticipated along with great accents of cedar and spice throughout.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
