Paul Garmirian

Gourmet Series Maduro

Date: 10/3/2023 Cigar: Paul Garmirian Maduro Robusto Drinking: Water Weather: 76 F, faint breeze Draw: Medium Visual Construction: Nicely oiled wrap, one noticeable vein. Firm with small amount of spring Burn: Took a while to light. Burns incredibly evenly with almost no touch ups needed. If smoked indoors with no breeze it might not have needed any touching up. Ash: Fantastic, first ash lasted about 40% of the cigar, total of two ashes down to the band. Body: Medium and very smooth, even on nasal exhale. Nicotine Strength: Medium Unlit Flavors/Smells: Dark chocolate covered raisins, dates. Smoking Notes: First pull is lovely roasted/toasted nuts. Hints of fresh baked bread/yeast. At about an inch in it starts to get a tad gamey with notes of oil/fuel and metallic; these initially odd flavors mature until the end. Notes of cedar. Some earth and spice come through towards the final inch or so. Conclusion: Flavors are complex and nuanced. Had flavors that I have not noticed or experienced before. I had a hard time pinning down what they were and how to describe them. While “gamey” and oil/fuel and metallic don’t sound appealing to me, and were initially somewhat off-putting, they matured as the session progressed becoming very pleasing. Possibly the best constructed cigar I have smoked to date (that I have reviewed) with a refreshingly even burn rate and