This 5 x 50 box-pressed Santiago Maduro is another of the Santiago series I picked up at a Santiago event at Big Sticks. You can follow these links to see my thoughts on the other two: Connecticut, Habano.

Wrapper: San Andres maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Mexican

My big punch opened this up to a medium draw. After a couple of minutes of burn-in, I’ll describe this as having a light profile. Most of that character is coming from the bright citrus-rind attack which leads to a hardwood middle and a mild red bell-pepper finish. We are in the medium flavor intensity range, and a light-medium complexity.

Five minutes later, and ¾” in, this thing has woken up. We are now at medium-full flavor intensity, and there is a more complex woodyness which I am having trouble putting into words …a touch of citrus pith is what I think is contributing to the complexity, and with it is some dry mouth-feel.

Woah, Nelly! I just touched up a ½” canoe. This dark wrapper is a bit finicky with the burn, and I should have noticed that before it got so out of hand.

This Santiago Maduro still has a slightly bright attack, in spite of the overall character becoming more heavy (earthy), with the citrus pith dominating the finish now. There is no longer any heat from the red bell pepper, just the base flavor.

Starting the second third it is starting to canoe again for half of the circumference – touching up – and even with that the ash has not dropped yet. (But I am holding it away from my lap, now). Boom! Ha ha — it missed me. The flavor here at the start of the second third has rapidly shifted into full intensity vegetal complexity; green beans and brussels sprouts. Who was expecting that? Anybody? Yeah, I didn’t think so. If you read my brief look at the Connecticut version of this, the description of this phase should sound familiar, except this one doesn’t have any mint.

Canoe abatement number three.

That kick in the pants vegetal complexity has tapered off a bit off here before the middle and is being joined by sweet cream. Wild.

Touch-up number four.

Into the last third the intensity and complexity have dropped and changed considerably. The flavor has only a remnant of vegetals remaining and now includes burnt coffee as the dominant flavor, with a strange bitter-bright finish. Overall the flavor character here is a blended heavy munge.

Touch-up number … whatever.

Summary

Smoking this Santiago Maduro was like a day at Six Flags: intense, but fun. And when it is over I felt worn out from all the activity. It started off bright and lite, with hardwood and some red bell pepper on the finish. It progressed through high intensity vegetable complexity and then was joined by sweet cream. In the last third it mellowed down to a medium intensity dominated by burnt coffee before rolling out into a blended heavy character. Intrestingly enough, for all the flavor power this thing had, I feel no effects of nicotine. Overall, this held my intrerest with an iron grip and would be a great smoke for when one is in the mood for twists and loops. At $7.75 it is a great value, but maybe not as a bedtime wind-down smoke.