Macanudo is one of the best selling and recognizable brands in the US market. However, it has not been offered in the large ring format that has become very popular in many other cigar lines.  General Cigar Co. recently announced it would be releasing Macanudo Cafe and Macanudo Maduro in the 6×60 size. Curious of how the larger gauge would effect the flavor of this classic I grabbed one for this cigar review. The new larger Macanudo Maduro did not disappoint.

I know many of the Boutique Blend smokers shun the old guard brands, but these cigars will be seen in many shops and here is what you can expect.

Size: 6 x 60 (Gigante)
Wrapper: Fermented Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Mexican
Strength: Mild to medium
Body: Medium
Flavor: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 1

Appearance and Construction: The wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf from the first glance. It has the signature dark brown rich color with a robust look. My inspection increases my anticipation of the sweetness and chocolate notes I associate with this wrapper.

Flavor and Notes: The wrapper and foot both have a very deep earth scent to it and a subtle sweetness. The pre-light draw is sweet and a little woody.

Smoking Characteristics: The first draw produces a sweet smoke, with a bit of a wood spice. During the first third the flavor is sweet and a bit woody but developing less smoke from the draw than I would expect from a cigar this size. Each exhale leaves a spicy finish in the middle of my mouth, followed by a light cedar. The smoke is full, sweet, and smooth.

Going into the second third I can’t help but admire the rich smoke pouring out from the foot of the stick, it has a blue tinge to it and is filling the air around me. The smoke from the draw increases slightly as well. The sweetness has picked up a little, the flavor shifts to more of a coco with a bit of graham cracker, and a slight earthiness. The spice has faded, only lingering lightly in the mouth between draws. The feel of the smoke is smooth, rich, with an ample draw.

As I pass the hour mark and go into the final third of this cigar, I can say this cigar certainly has earned the name gigante. The foot of the Gigante is still producing a sweet smoke which is filling the air around me with its sweet aromas. The flavor has shifted a bit again, the sweet coco taste is joined more strongly by a woody cedar spice. Now between draws the lingering spice in the mouth has been replaced with the graham cracker flavor, an enjoyable shift. This is my favorite third of the cigar, the smoke remaining rich, full, and sweet. The strength of this cigar is mild to medium, but more on the medium side. It created a volume of smoke that I expected earlier in the cigar but was very pleased with. The flavor remained consistent down to the nub.

Conclusion: I feel it is worth mentioning that I’m not a fan of the larger ring gauges. Despite their popularity, I normally find flavors come across better in the smaller gauges. The Macanudo Maduro Gigante has challenged my position on this. For a large ring gauge cigar, the second and final third of this cigar had a fuller flavor that was very agreeable. The burn only required a single adjustment toward the end. If this cigar had some additional complexity, it could easily compete with many higher rated cigars. This cigar performed well by my standards and I’ll be picking up a few more of these for when I’m out on the porch unwinding from a long day.

Rating: 84

Price: 7.99 MSRP