13 Maduros You Should Be Smoking Right Now
Cigars rolled with dark wrappers might be intimidating for some, as the inky hue can be perceived as overwhelmingly strong and maybe even rustic. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, a maduro can taste ripe, sweet and balanced. We combed through the past 12 months of our ratings database to bring you 13 cigars clad in maduro wrappers that deliver both boldness and refinement for an outstanding smoking experience.
Every cigar rated by Cigar Aficionado is smoked blind by our panel of editors. To keep the process as unbiased as possible, members of the tasting panel have no idea what they’re smoking. The tasting coordinator removes the cigars’ identifying bands and replaces them with plain white, numbered labels before handing them out. Cigars are evaluated without potentially prejudicial information such as price, country of origin and brand.
Trinidad Espíritu Series No. 3 Belicoso (94 points, $13.19)
The third installment of Altadis U.S.A.’s Trinidad Espíritu line, the Series No. 3 is all Nicaraguan save for its dark Mexican wrapper. This box-pressed torpedo is made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez and shows a complex, medium-to-full-bodied palate of herbs, toffee, brown sugar and nougat before a satisfying, cedary finish. See full tasting note.
Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe Toro Box Press (93 points, $13)
Cigars from husband-and-wife team James and Angela Brown are known for bold tobaccos and unorthodox packaging. In 2020, they decided to kick things up a notch with the limited-edition Super Deluxe. Rereleased this year along with some new sizes, this boxy toro from the new edition tastes of minerals, cumin, malted chocolate and hardwood. A honeyed sweetness comes through and lingers on the finish. See full tasting note.
JFR 20 Years Super Toro (93 points, $9.50)
The 20 Years line celebrates two decades of Aganorsa Leaf’s JFR brand (short for “Just For Retailers”). Clad in a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, this box-pressed toro is made with a pigtail cap and uncut foot. It burns slow and cool, delivering a mélange of earth, molasses and leather. Hints of baking spices usher in a raw almond finish.
Oliva Serie G Maduro Churchill (93 points, $8.67)
This box-pressed Churchill is composed of a Mexican wrapper, Indonesian binder and sun-grown Nicaraguan fillers. The combination results in a chocolatey, nutty smoke with threads of vanilla bean and coffee all melding harmoniously. With a suggested retail price of less than $10, it's also an absolute steal. See full tasting note.
Padrón Black PB-97 Maduro (93 points, $40.80)
Until recently, cigars from the small-production Padrón Black line were mainly available through events or sampler packs but the brand can now be found in shops across the country. Intended to be stronger than the typical Padrón, the blend still retains all the sophistication Padrón is known for. The large, pointy torpedo reveals precise notes of coconut, caramel and chocolate, giving the smoke a German chocolate cake effect. Hints of coffee bean lead to a spicy finish. See full tasting note.
Rocky Patel Sun Grown Maduro Toro (93 points, $11.50)
The bigger brother to the No. 2 Cigar of 2016, this dark toro is made at Rocky Patel’s Tavicusa factory in Nicaragua (the natural line is made in Honduras). The blend is all Nicaraguan covered in a dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. It’s charmingly sweet and distinctly dessert-like with rich notes of fudge and espresso bean intermingling with more savory elements of peanut and leather. See full tasting note.
League of Fat Bastards Serie O Toro Box Pressed (92 points, $13)
The Serie O brand is the second release from new cigarmaker League of Fat Bastards. Droll name aside, this company has quite a serious mission: 40 percent of all profits are donated to men’s mental health organizations. The blend features a Mexican San Andrés negro oscuro wrapper atop robust Nicaraguan leaves. Chocolate-covered almonds come to mind when puffing this pressed toro, as does dried fig and raisin. The finish is cedary. See full tasting note.
Perdomo 30th Anniversary Maduro Churchill (92 points, $13.50)
In honor of Nick and Janine Perdomo’s third decade in the cigar business, the company released three commemorative lines in 2023—Connecticut, Sun Grown and Maduro—all made with wrappers aged in a Bourbon barrel. This all-Nicaraguan Churchill from the Maduro line gives a pronounced cocoa character accompanied by notes of espresso, gingerbread and almond. See full tasting note.
Ashton Aged Maduro No. 30 (91 points, $13.45)
Rolled in the Dominican Republic at the Fuente factory, this slim cigar is made of a Dominican binder and filler underneath an inky leaf of Connecticut broadleaf. The burn is even and the draw is superb, leaving impressions of coffee bean, black pepper and citrus peel with a constant undercurrent of licorice. See full tasting note.
Casa Magna Maduro Toro (91 points, $12.60)
Quesada’s bold Casa Magna Colorado made headlines when the Robusto size was the 2008 Cigar of the year, but the company went even further with the Maduro line. Keep in mind, this isn’t just the Colorado blend with a Mexican wrapper. The binder remains Nicaraguan but the Nicaraguan filler is now joined by Dominican tobacco, along with some Pennsylvania broadleaf. Its coffee-and-chocolate core is bolstered by spicy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for an allspice finish. See full tasting note.
Diesel Vintage Maduro Double Corona (91 points, $8.79)
At 7 3/4 by 49, this dark double corona is the longest cigar on this list. Bold, straightforward notes of coffee, earth and leather pick up spicy undercurrents of red and black pepper with a caramel sweetness adding some balance. The draw is open, the combustion even. See full tasting note.
El Pulpo The Eel (91 points, $16.50)
The Eel is part of Artesano del Tobacco’s full-bodied El Pulpo line but, according to the company, the oily, black wrapper for the Eel underwent an extended fermentation process to bring out its sweetness. It’s a medium-bodied cigar showing dense layers of coffee, toffee, peppercorn and ginger molasses cookie, with a candied walnut finish. See full tasting note.
Undercrown Maduro Corona Doble (91 points $11.25)
The original Undercrown brand (now called Maduro) was developed as a surrogate for Drew Estate’s pricier and less available Liga Privada brand. Consisting of a Mexican wrapper, Cuban-seed Connecticut binder and combination of Nicaraguan and Brazilian filler, this Churchill is hearty and bold. Heavy notes of licorice and dark chocolate enter on the first puff but the licorice recedes and the smoke becomes increasingly chocolatey on the finish. See full tasting note.
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