Vitola: Corona Gorda- 5.625” x 46 ring gauge
- MSRP $11.50
- Samples provided by Cubariqueño Cigar Company
Background
I feel like we’ve come full circle on this month-plus of cigar reviews featuring the Protocol lines by Cubariqueño Cigar Company. I started out with the Sir Robert Peel Natural and today I’m ending the cycle with the Maduro version. The Sir Robert Peel was originally introduced in 2019, while the Corona Gorda version was first released in early 2021. The Sir Robert is part of the “Lawmen Series” and I have more information about the man and the cigar in my review of the Natural-clad cigar.
These are made in La Zona, Erik Espinosa’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. They use Nicaraguan filler and binder, along with a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.
This review sample is the second time I’ve smoked this blend. Both samples were provided to me by Cubariqueño Cigar Company.
Prelight
The packaging for the Sir Robert Maduro is pretty much the same as the Natural, just substituting a burgundy foot ribbon for the gold one on the Natural. It’s good, although I have to admit that I didn’t know who Sir Robert Peel was before I started doing research for the Natural review. Smoke a cigar, get a history lesson, I guess…not a terrible tradeoff.
The Maduro wrapper leaf was slightly darker than a milk chocolate brown, with some darker mottling all around the leaf. It was quite oily to the touch and smelled of clean earth and natural tobacco. The foot of the stick had notes of riper earth, some cocoa powder, and cedar.
The prelight draw was good and had notes of espresso bean and earth, with just a little spicy tingle.
Flavor
When I fired up the Sir Robert Peel Maduro, I noted immediately that it was on the fuller-bodied side. It was rich, too, sweet with notes of dark chocolate and savory with leather and espresso bean. I got tiny hints of anise and earth, with sparks of red pepper flake to punctuate the profile.
By the time I got to the second third a lot of the sweetness had dissipated, leaving more coffee, earth and leather notes. The cigar kept trying to go out on me, as well, which I had to chalk up to some kind of construction issue.
The last third had more notes of earth, coffee and leather, along with a bit of anise and some residual pepper spice.
Construction
The draw was good, the burn line was even enough, and the ash was solid, but the cigar did go out on me a couple times even with frequent puffing. With the first sample I assumed it was a little too wet, but it happened on the second sample, too, even though it had sat in my humidor for over a month.
Value
Good cigar for a decent price, so I’m giving it full value.
Conclusions
The Sir Robert Peel Maduro started off strong with rich complexity. By the second third, it had fallen off that quite a bit and went to just full-bodied earth and coffee and leather mostly. It wasn’t a bad cigar, but it just didn’t excite me and delight my palate as much as the Natural version. If you’re in the market for full-bodied Nicaraguan Maduros, though, it might be right up your alley.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10
